Tag Archives: Motorhome

Retired Swiss fire engine transformed into a mobile home with spacious interiors to accommodate family of five

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Back in the day you’d say, home is where the family is. Today, with life on the fast lane and homeowners downsizing to smallest convenience possible; home is where there’s least intrusion. If your idea of a home is a mobile facility you can live in on the fast lane, hop onto this incredible motorhome that once served as a Swiss fire engine.

The mobile home is the brainchild of Collectief Soepel. It is tiny and compact on the outlook but by virtue of immaculate engineering and architectural perfection, the living space promises a functional home with accommodation appropriate for a family of five.

Designer: Collectief Soepel

Netherlands-based Collectief Soepel is not a household name. But it has been relentlessly catering to the adventure enthusiast; in the wake, it already has its sixth camper ready to roll. For the love of renovation, this one is perhaps the brand’s most special offering. There are two reasons to that: It is tailor-made for a family of five; and that it’s based on a 4X4 Mercedes Vario, retired as a Swiss fire engine.

To make the tiny space comfortable for five members of a family, the interior of the recreational vehicle is realized in a sublime balance of practical usage and sense of space. With use of natural shapes and materials, the space looks far from crampy. There is a birch plywood kitchen provided with ash wood worktop and cabinets sufficing the storage needs spanning the entire length below. Small rectangular and circular windows along with a couple of sky lights allow ample natural light into the living space.

Many details in the interior are created with Platowood however the doors of all the wall units are finished in 100 percent recycled GOGO plastic. What really strikes the eye is a cozy double bed built in the alcove, accessible by climbing handles, and the transforming dinning/living space that accommodates for the sleeping needs of the other family members. A short ladder leads one into the mobile home and on the right side of the entry is the toilet provided with a commode and shower.

The post Retired Swiss fire engine transformed into a mobile home with spacious interiors to accommodate family of five first appeared on Yanko Design.

This reinforced Mercedes Atego off-road camper is built for tough adventures

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Whether we have an apocalypse or live in a dystopian future, owning a rugged house on wheels could be crucial when it comes to survival in uncertain times. The Project Rhino designed by Krug Expedition with the Mercedes Actros as the base is one such rugged off-road vehicle made for the toughest of adventures.

To help support rhinoceros and other wildlife anti-poaching efforts, they partnered with Nkombe Rhino, a South African conservation association. The intention is to donate a part of the proceeds from each sale or rental to the conservation efforts.

Designer: Krug

The tough explorer carries the purpose of promoting sustainable tourism and a strong statement toward anti-poaching drives. Based in Ukraine, the company has been working on developing lightweight and highly functional off-road motorhomes. The 231 hp inline-four Atego has already got the air-sprung driver and front passenger seats (with lumbar support), fold-away seat, internal heating and cruise control too which come in handy for building the tough off-roader.

Krug beefs up things by reinforcing the camper’s body with the 60mm composite panels and a rear sleeper floor having a high positioned double bed. This space gets its own ceiling lights, reading lamps and storage. Below the front edge of this bed is the dual-bench dinette complete with a removable dining table which can be used as a single bed too. The front wall of the Rhino is taken up by the large wet bathroom which has a dry toilet, shower and a washbasin with a faucet. The cabin heat and hot water come courtesy of the Webasto Dual Top Evo 8 diesel heating system. The wastewater is collected in the 140 liters waste tank.

Between the dinette and the bathroom is the L-shaped kitchen facing the driver’s sidewall. Here the owners will get a stainless-steel sink, dual-zone induction cooktop, and storage to keep important kitchen items. Adjacent to this is the 140-liter Vitrifrigo fridge. To power all these modern amenities, the Rhino has an off-grid power system courtesy of the 300-Ah 24-V lithium-ion battery bank which can be doubled or tripled in capacity. In addition, there is the 5,000-VA inverter, 50-A DC-DC converter for charging from the engine alternator and the ability to draw 915 watts from the solar panels.

I think Krug should collaborate with Cake to create an optional rear carrier version loaded with the Kalk AP or  Ösa AP to expand the adventure possibilities or even anti-poaching effort even more. The ability to charge the bikes via the rugged motorhome would make it a unique combo for adventure seekers.

That said for now there is no official listed price of the Project Rhino motorhome but a German marketplace earlier listed it for approximately 331,350 for the base model. The one with add-ons like roof rack, reverse camera and drinking water system was around $361,275.

The post This reinforced Mercedes Atego off-road camper is built for tough adventures first appeared on Yanko Design.

Airstream’s self-propelled trailer and luxe motorhome concepts could soon be a reality

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Airstream is finally going electric with its two newly announced EV concepts namely eStream and Thor Vision Vehicle. The eStream trailer developed in close quarters with European subsidiary Erwin Hymer Group and tech company ZF, addresses the lingering issue with most campers and RVs – that being – the need for extra power which in turn limits the range of towing vehicles.

Whether the eStream is hooked onto a pure electric vehicle like the Tesla Model 3 or the hybrid Ford Escape – the trailer by Thor Industries (Airstream’s parent company) is not just dead weight. This is done with the dual independent motors and the two onboard lithium-ion battery packs. The Thor’s advanced electrical architecture brings to the fore regenerative braking energy as the motors can be used to apply torque to the wheels in both directions.




One thing is to keep in mind here, the eStream weighs more than traditional trailers – so, how much electrical power boost is negated has also to be considered. The trailer can be operated remotely too via an app when it’s detached from the towing vehicle. So, you can reposition it on a campsite or alight it for hitching up to a vehicle. The modern travel trailer comes with solar panels for off-grid camping on extended adventures. On the inside, it is loaded with things like voice and touchscreen activated climate and lighting controls.




The other one is the Thor Vision Vehicle which is a Ford Transit-based motorhome EV with a 300-mile range. This recreational vehicle comes with a digital cockpit that’s quite high tech and you have the luxury of extensive tools to find chargers en route to the next destination. On the inside, everything looks upbeat in terms of a comfortable journey on the roads, and a cozy sleep by the nighttime.

For now, the two vehicles are in the concept stage, and whether or not they’ll make it to the production lines is also uncertain. I believe, both these being highly practical and satiating the needs of users will make it to reality one day – of course with a premium price tag presumably. Especially the eStream which brings towing capabilities to vehicles that you would normally not even think of burdening the task with. A game-changing feature for the trailer industry and other related spheres.

Designer: Thor Industries

The post Airstream’s self-propelled trailer and luxe motorhome concepts could soon be a reality first appeared on Yanko Design.

This double-decker camper’s expanding design has its own elevator, sunroom and even a balcony!

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While the pandemic has made it apparent that RV’s, motorhomes, campervans, trailers, and tiny homes are the preferred choice of people who cannot restrain their wanderlust but still want to have their own cocooned space, safe from harm’s way. While we have seen countless houses on wheels having expanded the horizontal spacing, a Chinese automaker, SAIC Motor, has come up with a vertically spacious, as well as a horizontally expanding motorhome that compares to none other. This is the Maxus Life Home V90 Villa Edition – that extends upwards (not just a pop-up roof) with a full-blown upper level with a walk-out deck.

If that’s not got you curious about this RV, it’s got an elevator to reach the upper level that has 133 square feet of airy space, ideal for open sunlight room, Zen space for study, or Zen tea room! Depending on the privacy needs, you can toggle the opaque or transparent window configuration since they are electronically tinted with LCD technology. And, yes, it has a walk-out balcony (over the driver’s cab) to enjoy the sunsets and soak in the thrill of the open-air adventures. On the lower level, the walls expand outwards to give the occupants 215 square feet of living space, enough to have all the compact furniture, appliances, and everything you need for a comfortable life. The ground level looks more like a condo as it houses the roomy lounge, bathroom, and kitchen section (with a cooktop, sink, oven, and fridge) separated by a bar counter. The luxe aesthetic extends further with the L-shaped couch on the corner and a transparent TV paired to a home entertainment system complete with a high-end projection system.

A wall-mounted touchscreen or gesture controls can actuate electronics’ connected ecosystem with Maxus’ X-Connect RV smart system control. For now, the prototype of Maxus Life Home V90 Villa Edition shows the compact yet spacious nature of the RV honed by modern-day luxuries and convenience. It’s only going to be available in China for now at a towering price tag of $413,000. Does it justify that colossal amount of money even for the given functionality, tech-infused amenities, and freedom of living on the road? Well, that subjective and for you to decide!

Designer: SAIC Motor

Tesla Cybertruck-inspired camper trailer for Tesla fans who can’t just wait for the truck!

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If you’re waiting to drive the most outlandish vehicle of our time, the wait is going to be a little bit longer. Allegedly ballistic and tougher than a tank – the Tesla Cybertruck is not going to be a real deal any time before the end of 2021. If you can’t wait that long to get into a Cybertruck – there are a few rip-offs you can get into right away. But if you’re an outdoorsy person, you’d want the imitation to take you off-road and into the woods where you can relax for a night or two under the starry sky.

Ivan Zheltonogov thinks the latter is a good idea. A reason the designer/DIYer from Russia has built what he calls the LandTraveler Cybertruck – which can be instantly identified as an eye-catching Tesla’s futuristic truck-style camper trailer you can tag along behind the EV. From the look of it, you’d expect the motorhome to look best tagged behind a Cybertruck, but if you don’t want that, it can even tow behind the Model X, Model Y, or any other capable vehicle and still look futuristic.

The LandTraveler doesn’t just look futuristic – it even scores high on the camping trailer aspect. It is well equipped with all the necessities for a night well spent in the outdoors. The camping trailer is made from composite aluminum on the outside and comes complete with a bathroom, a kitchenette, dining cum sleeping area, and lots of skylights to ensure the compact interiors are well lit throughout the day and present a panoramic view by the night. For some off-grid capabilities, the LandTraveler is fitted with roof-top solar panels, a 100-liter water tank, and a heater to keep you warm when away from home.

The entry to the trailer is through the compact bathroom that features a commode, sink, shower and storage space. Separated from the bathroom by a screen, the living space on the far-end – that is also the dining and sleeping area -has a large skylight that can be covered by a blind for privacy. Ideal for a couple, the LandTraveler has a dining table that folds to include the seating and transforms into a double bed. This Cybertruck-inspired camper is a real deal in Russia and there are accounts of people already buying it. It is priced at RUB 1,490,000 (roughly $20,000) and can be customized to your needs if required. Delivery Stateside is not specified, but if you’re interested, Ivan can be contacted.

Designer: LandTraveler