Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i What Motorhome

THE Yoka Go was one of the stars of this year’s Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, as well as one of the show’s most innovative and most affordable new designs. But the bad news is that you can’t buy the matt black wrapped version that took centre stage as a factory option. And the really bad news is that the Yoka Go does not figure in Erwin Hymer Group’s plans for the UK in 2024. In fact, there is only limited availability in its home market in Germany; it seems that this new concept is testing the water… However, as this isn’t just another lookalike low-profile motorhome and it is actually going into production, we thought you’d like to see what you’re missing. And maybe EHG will make it in RHD for…

BASED on the Transit and developed by Westfalia, the Nugget is Ford’s own campervan and it has been a popular model since its launch in 1985. However, it only arrived here as an official Ford model, sold through Transit Centres, in 2020. Now, following the debut of the all-new Transit Custom, there’s a new Nugget camper and we were very excited to see not just the orange left-hand drive example debuting at Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, but a RHD model too! The new Nugget is instantly familiar, but also refreshingly feels very new. It retains the multizone layout, which is such a contrast to the many side kitchen models with which it competes, and, in right-hand drive form, there’s the convenience of twin sliding doors. Of course, the new camper is…

OUR Motorhome of the Year 2023, the Hymer Venture S (with its inflatable rooftop bedroom and real staircase) is both innovative and eye-catching, but it’s also a vehicle that’ll set you back almost a quarter of a million pounds. What if you want the off-road capability, the style, the Hymer quality, but in something a bit more conventional – and affordable? Well, Hymer already had the ML-T in its portfolio for such customers, but now there’s a new version. You can buy a 3,500kg ML-T in rear-wheel drive form, but where it gets interesting is as a 4x4. In which case, pile on the options and you’re likely to be spending close to £150k and requiring an upgrade to 4,100kg. In this form, the ML-T has very few (if any)…

KEELA SMIRR Ponchos have a bit of a bad reputation – most people automatically think of disposable plastic macs from the 70s. The Smirr from Keela is here to change your view. It packs away small in its own bag, so you can keep it in a backpack or bag and simply throw it on when the heavens open. It also takes up much less space than a standard waterproof. The neck has press stud-type buttons to make donning it easier and it’s a really good length. For cyclists, there are also internal straps to secure to handlebars, meaning it’s less likely to blow up when pedalling. One issue we found is that the hood isn’t elasticated, so to stop it falling down in the wind, you need to hold…

ISLAND bed layouts, along with twin beds over a garage, are one of the most popular floorplans of recent seasons. That’s especially true if you’re looking at the typical 7m to 7.5m size of low-profile motorhome, where lounge, bedroom, bathroom (split across the aisle) and kitchen can all be incorporated without too much compromise in any one zone. But, while the popularity of these’vans shows no sign of waning, prices have been climbing more steeply than Sir Edmund Hillary. So, it’s good to see that Etrusco is keeping things relatively real with its latest Ford-based models, such as this T 7.3 QCF. It’s part of a four-model ‘T’ range on the Transit chassis, all of them with a licence-friendly 3,500kg maximum gross weight and three of the range measuring 7.34m…

THIS is a Frankia motorhome like no other. Its aim is threefold: to provide a spacious feeling inside, to introduce clever multifunctional features, and to have a sense of Scandinavian style. All this with the high quality that this premium German brand is known for. But Frankia is also known for large A-class motorhomes (up to almost 9m in length) and, more often than not, the rear-wheel drive Mercedes Sprinter chassis. This is neither. It is a low-profile model built on the ubiquitous Fiat Ducato. Which also makes it Frankia’s entrylevel motorhome, starting (in Germany) at €83,990, although the show model’s multiplicity of optional extras pushed that up to around €110k. But then nothing – nothing at all – about this motorhome feels in the slightest bit entry-level. Nor has…

KREOS is the flagship range from Italian premium brand, Laika (part of the Erwin Hymer Group). It was launched a year ago to considerable acclaim and was highly commended in the Best Luxury Motorhome category of the 2023 Motorhome Awards. But shouldn’t such a prestigious’van really be an A-class? Well, that was always part of the plan and the L 5009 is now joined by a fully integrated sister model, the H 5109 with the same layout. If the ‘L’ was a looker, then the ‘H’ takes things to a new level, but then few motorhomes come with such a rich infusion of automotive design. For the A-class, Laika has once again turned to GFG Style, the company of Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro with a back catalogue of creating cars…

AWORLD premiere in 2023, Dethleffs’ first campervan under its own brand name is now coming to the UK. Over the past 17 years, more than 55,000 campervans have been designed, developed and built for a number of other marques at the company’s Isny factory, but only now is there a camper wearing the ‘D’ logo. In Germany, there’s a Ford-based model, while Erwin Hymer Group’s first fruits of its heavily publicised new relationship with VW has resulted in the Globetrail Performance based on the Crafter. Here, to start with at least, we’ll only see the Sevel-based ’vans – that’s the Citroën Jumper (known as Relay here) and the Fiat Ducato, in 5.99m and 6.36m lengths. We’re promised that the full range of these will be available in the UK, but,…

IN the early noughties, Eura Mobil was a major player on the UK scene, highly regarded in particular for its top-of-the-range Integra A-classes. More recently, however, its presence has been low-key for a brand that has such an extensive range, as well as 40 years’ experience in the motorhome business. But that is all now set to change, starting with a display of four models at the upcoming NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show. Those will be left-hookers, with production of right-hand drive vehicles beginning in May. One of the’vans heralding Eura Mobil’s return to Britain will be the Contura, the company’s most prestigious low-profile line-up, based on the Mercedes Sprinter with Al-Ko chassis. These are 4.5-tonne vehicles, offering substantial payloads and a luxurious spec, including Alde heating. Only two layouts…

THIS Polish campervan firm is a fairly new entrant into the UK market, but its highly impressive Voyager Z model took overall victory at the 2023 Campervan of the Year awards. Not a company to rest on its laurels, however, Globe-Traveller has now developed two models based on Volkswagen’s Crafter as an alternative to the Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer that underpin the rest of its current range. Called Falcon, these newcomers were on display at Düsseldorf’s Caravan Salon. While the longer (6.84m) Falcon 2Z has a similar layout to the Voyager Z, albeit with a slightly different lounge arrangement, the 2XS model is a totally new concept for the marque. Instead of the regular fixed bed or beds at the back, this version of the Falcon comes with a…

FIRST came the Voyager 5 Series, Swift’s firstever Ford-based coachbuilts. Now, for 2024, they’re followed by the Voyager 4 Series, a range of overcab models, also on the Transit. The 475 (rear lounge) and 485 (twin beds over a garage) are both five-berth’vans with five belted seats, so these are aimed right at the heart of the family market. They’re priced right, too, at just under £70k. You don’t need a second mortgage for the options, either, with no expensive packs to add, although you might want to consider Ford’s automatic gearbox. Otherwise, it’s just dealer-fit accessories, such as a microwave, habitation air-con or a bike rack. The new 4 Series models aren’t just replicas of the 5 Series with the addition of an overcab bed, although that feature is…

AT the Caravan Salon, Volkswagen revealed its new California, and, while it’s still a concept (well, it says so on the side and you can’t buy one yet), this show vehicle gives a very clear indication of what the next-generation California will look like (VW’s own images say it is ‘near-production’). Contrary to some predictions, it’s not based on an electric ID Buzz (a California camper version of that vehicle is still awaited), but instead it’s built (entirely in-house at VW) on the longwheelbase T7 Multivan. As that vehicle has two sliding doors, so, too, does the new camper – you can now get on board from either side. That’s a big advantage over the current model for UK buyers who currently have to put up with a door on…