
The second part of our overview of unusual solutions of today and yesterday will focus on more traditional camper vans, such as motorhomes, overcab and low-profile versions. But, as we will see, they are actually not that traditional after all…
Words Andrea Cattaneo
Our journey into the universe of the weird and wonderful continues with motorhomes, overcab and low-profile versions. Current and past production features some truly unique models. Some solutions are just strange, others are genuinely exciting. Some of the prototypes implement meticulous design concepts and are capable of setting off a trend or at least steering future production ideas. Unfortunately, real innovations require sizeable monetary investments and this is why many manufacturers believe that being daring and inventing solutions which more often than not will receive little more than a tepid reaction from the market is not worth the effort. Experimentation is the motor of progress and forward-thinking companies are rewarded on the long run. Some of these vehicles are not new for people who have been operating for years in the sector but in some cases – deemed of little commercial relevance – have been long forgotten. So, a quick overview may be useful. We can see that the focus is often on tiny solutions. The compact camper van concept has always inspired designers and attracted the public. The usual layouts are revolutionised on some vehicles shifting the bunk bed forwards, arranging the pull-down double bed at the back and placing the entrance on the end of the vehicle, for instance The most creative manufacturers of the past fifteen years are certainly Frankia, Trigano Vdl (with the Challenger and Chausson brands) and Hymer, but also LMC, Knaus, Burstner, LeVoyageur and Niesmann&Bischoff.





















