Knock, knock! Neighbour!

When arriving at a campsite with a brand-new caravan, steel yourself for curious visitors, says Schalk Jonker.

I’m somewhere between dreamland and waking, but I can hear the conversation clearly as my neighbour and his wife walk from the top terrace in the direction of my caravan.

My caravan isn’t actually mine. I just borrowed it. Because I work for an outdoor magazine, we often get the chance to go camping with new caravans.

My camp neighbours initially don’t know it’s a borrowed caravan, of course. And yesterday, driving into the campsite with this brand-new house on wheels – built by a new manufacturer – I could see the heads turning.

I had barely stopped at my stand before the first visitor waves at me next to my double-cab bakkie’s driver’s door. I wind down the window to say hello. “Hello, mate,” he greets back. He’s wearing one of those distinctive Supersport golf shirts that granddads regularly get for Christmas, a pair of shorts with more pockets than needed, his feet in Crocs and a wide-brimmed hat on his head. You could probably call it a full-time camper’s uniform. “Goodness, but you’ve got a nice caravan. Who builds it?”

I explain that I work for a camping and 4x4 magazine and the caravan is on loan. But as soon as I’ve set up camp, I’ll come over and invite him to come and check it out, I promise. I don’t mind. In fact, I like hearing other campers’ impressions about a new product as well, because between the “oh, it’s beautiful” and “wow, that’s clever”, you also hear valuable criticisms, such as “I would place the sliding frame with the fridge on the other side” or “the step could be slightly lower” or “you’ll battle to pack everything in here if you go away for longer than a weekend”.

Later, after the guy in the Supersport shirt, his wife and the neighbours behind them looked at the caravan and had their say, I light my fire, crack open a beer and sit back in my camping chair. The campsite is quiet – that’s mostly the case when my colleagues or I camp – and I can clearly hear the conversations on the top terrace behind me.

“The man works for go! Drive & Camp and he’s testing the caravan that he picked up near the airport this morning. We went and looked and, listen here, it is lovely. You have to have a look, Fanie, then you can also ask him what’s going on at Jurgens.”

I steel myself for more visitors. I hope they wait until tomorrow. I hold my breath and listen closely for their approach. But then Fanie says they’d rather do it tomorrow, “because it’s probably too late now”.

Concept cars are usually the domain of mainstream vehicle manufacturers, where the concept offers the automotive world a preview of what an upcoming model will look like in a few years’ time.

German caravan and motorhome manufacturer Hymer flipped the script at the Caravan Salon trade show 2019, held in Dusseldorf, where it rolled out the Visionventure, a futuristic look at the adventure motorhomes of tomorrow. What makes this vehicle extra special is that Hymer teamed up with compatriot company and chemicals giant BASF and together they built the Visionventure using 20 innovative materials.

Based on a 2019 Mercedes-sprinter van, the Visionventure’s origins are unmistakable from the nose, though Hymer has reworked the A-pillars, windshield and bonnet slightly to create a sleeker appearance. But that’s where the similarity ends because this camper concept is anything by contemporary.

The matte finish Chromacool paint is by BASF and regulates temperature so that the vehicle’s surface is up to 20 degrees cooler in sunshine and the interior by four degrees.

Inside the pop-up roof reaches its maximum height by way of inflatable sidewalls, and this section houses the only bed in the camper, making the Visionventure for couples only. You reach the upstairs section by walking up actual stairs, which cleverly double as storage drawers. The rear section of the flat roof behind the pop-up room acts as a little balcony.

That clears up the entire lower section of this motorhome for an uncluttered living room – inspired by the tiny house phenomenon. The kitchen lies directly behind the stairs.

The walls of the bathroom are lined by another of BASF’S products, dubbed Veneo Slate, which features a millimetre-thin layer of natural stone on plastic. And the sink and shelving are on an inner wall that folds up against the toilet to transform into a shower.

Throughout the Visionventure, the use of luxurious materials including bamboo, felt, leather and wood are designed to make the occupants feel more at home.

The main living area is in the rear and features a foldaway dining table and sofas that face each other. Inspired by yachts, the walls underneath the panoramic wraparound glass are wooden, and that combined with the lower section of the rear hatch that folds down to create a little verandah, finishes the maritimeinspired design. There’s an outdoor kitchen on the right rear, complete with a built-in gas braai.

The pop-up room’s roof is one large solar panel so you could live off the grid, and steep approach and departure angles, 4x4 system and all-terrain tyres make sure you get there.

And no, Hymer isn’t planning on building the Visionventure, but has offered it up as a design study for what future campers could look like. It’s would probably cost you a few million Rand if you could convince them to make it especially for

you, though.