A not-so-humble abode
Thanks to its unique design, the Mobi Lodge offers you almost unparalleled comfort – as more than a thousand owners can attest to.
The Mobi Lodge was launched in early 2015 – at the time we described it as the “caravan of the future”. We don’t want to toot our own horn, but we were clearly prescient: the manufacturer can barely keep up with orders.
Previously, buyers could choose from four models – the Custom, Expedition, Deluxe, and the Ultimate – but now, owner Marius Ras has combined all four into one new model: the Continental.
What have we here?
It’s important that the jockey wheel of an off-road caravan is removable, as this is often what ploughs into the ground first when you hit a large bump. The one on the Mobi Lodge stays on but swings out of the way. There’s a handle by the clamp; pull that and the wheel swings counterclockwise parallel to the ground.
You need to get the corner steadies (they also swing out) ready before you set up. The Mobi Lodge comes with its own tools: a wrench, rubber mallet, screwdrivers, pliers, and the wheel nut wrench. They’re all stored in the upright cupboard at the nose – and this is also where you’ll find the inline gas geyser and its gas cylinder. On the A-frame, there’s a spirit level so you can see where and how much you have to lower or lift. By the way, the wire for the lights has a socket on both sides, which means you can remove it completely.
The sliding bed is also on the right. About half of this side panel pulls 1½ metres from the hull, like a large drawer. It’s a sealed capsule, but remember to lower the fly sheet first – it’s in a bag on the edge of the roof.
The bed pulls out easily enough, and you can do it on your own. Once it’s out, the fly sheet stretches out with two elastics at its corners. To get the bed standing firmly, lower one leg on each side of the capsule and tighten it.
The three big sliding windows in the capsule are made of tempered glass. These allow you to always have fresh air and light on both sides of the bed as well as at the head.
The spare wheel plus the two jerry cans, a spade, and the outdoor air-con unit are attached to the back.
Dinner time
As with most off-road caravans, the outdoor kitchen occupies most of the left panel. The door where you enter is on the far left and the kitchen extends from here to the tail.
When lowered, the large door above the wheel turns into a flat worktop. On its left is the twin-plate gas stove with its glass top. The rest of the worktop is covered by heavy-duty material on top of the fibreglass, and there’s no edge for crumbs to gather.
The space behind the counter is one large cupboard lined in foam for all your kitchen utensils. That includes plates, bowls, cups, glasses, and cutlery –even the braai tongs have their own spot. There’s also space for anything from a flat-bottomed kettle to cast-iron pots and
a chopping board. Nicely in the middle sits the power point with two sockets.
A strip of LEDs runs around the edge of the cupboard on the inside and illuminates the worktop properly.
Next to the worktop is the cupboard housing the microwave. Next to that, an upright door folds flat, but this surface sits lower because the double sink pulls out on its own sliding frame above it. But before you pull out the sinks, first unscrew the large plug in the flat door because the drain pipe of the sinks fits through it. Each basin also has a glass top – more work space when they’re not in use. (Or leave the sinks in the hull and just use the door.) The upright cupboard to the right of this has three shelves for your groceries.
There are also eight pouches on the back of the entrance door for loose items such as lighters, matches, a torch, and clean dishcloths.
Your residence
The liquor cabinet is located in the door on the left and has room for four wine glasses and wine bottles.
This is where the Mobi Lodge differs from ordinary off-road caravans: the fridge/freezer isn’t part of the outside kitchen but sits inside the caravan, across from the door. Its door is a glass panel with the power distribution box above it against the roof.
Inside, the Mobi Lodge is divided into two. The separate bathroom is on the left (in the nose) and the living space with the bed on the right. Not many off-road caravans can hold a candle when it comes to open space in both these areas.
There’s a cupboard in the left of the bathroom, complete with a basin and medicine cabinet, with the toilet next to it. The shower sits in the corner to the right with a height-adjustable shower head. It has to be one of the most spacious showers in any caravan. There’s a threequarter-length mirror on the door you can use whether the door is open or shut, as it’s attached to the outside of the door.
The open floor space on the right (2,2 x 1,1 m) is the heart of the Mobi Lodge. Looking to the right towards the rear, you’ve got the slide-out bed on the left, the full built-in cupboards in front of you, and on the right, a worktop that runs all the way to the back. The cupboards are 35 cm deep and include hanging space. There’s a panoramic sliding window of 2,2 x 0,88 m above the worktop. Roughly in the middle of this, a table folds down where you can eat. You can even sit on the edge of the bed if you want to use it as a makeshift desk with your laptop.
The bed has a narrow space on both sides, with the one on the left narrower. Because the bed is in the capsule, its roof is slightly lower at 1,64 m, compared to the main section’s 1,95 m. Each side of the bed has its own bedside table, USB sockets, and reading light. The windows by the bed have mesh and a canvas blind – the blind has a pole in the hem, allowing it to hang evenly and also roll up easily – smart!
What comes standard?
Some of the items include the indoor table, fully equipped kitchen with gas stove, and 18 ℓ microwave. There’s also a safe, ceramic basin in the bathroom, cassette toilet, adjustable shower head, geyser and 5 kg gas cylinder, 15 m extension cord and 20 m garden hose, 150 ℓ water tank, power system with 105 Ah battery, two jerry cans, bedding, and four chairs.
Extras include a flush cassette toilet
(R9 800), a 12 V 133 ℓ upright fridge/freezer (R19 900), 12 000 BTU air con (R14 700), double basin with glass tops (R9 700), Quattro movers (R32 900) ), sling awning (R19 500), extra 105 Ah battery (R2 900), 15 A MPPT solar panel regulator (R2 900), and optional solar panels for 130-520 W. And another R3 800 upgrades the chassis to a GVM of 1 950 kg.