Cars -- 8 days ago
Words: Rory FH Smith
Words: Rory FH Smith
If you've ever examined the history of caravanning, it would be safe to assume that the act of driving or towing a scaled-down house on wheels was in need of a rebrand. For decades – the best part of a century, in fact – the shiny plastic boxes have been ridiculed for their lumpy appearance and clumsy performance, all while holding up large lines of traffic.
Thankfully, as more people fall out of love with the fit and frenzy of flying, the makers of motorhomes and caravans have had a rethink, giving rise to a new breed of super-desirable mobile real estate. We’re talking everything from mutant, go-anywhere designs to sleek, stainless-steel creations that wouldn’t look out of place in a sculpture gallery. Here are the very best we’ve come across…
Bowlus was the first company to make an all-aluminium trailer, and it was conceived by Hawley Bowlus, the same designer and engineer who oversaw the construction of the Spirit of St. Louis, the first transatlantic aircraft. When the venture was revived, in 2014, it revisited its history and sought inspiration from its early models, updating the materials and mod-cons along the way. Inside, there’s birchwood, heat, air conditioning, WiFi, contemporary appliances and even a teak-decked shower room. Best of all, it's equipped with a power system that provides enough energy needed to live off-grid for up to two weeks.
Starting from: £176,600
For those seeking a no-frills, nimble and compact caravan, look no further than the Escapod Topo2. Despite its size, the teardrop-shaped trailer sports a sleeping area big enough for a queen-sized mattress and features a nifty stargazer window to let the great outdoors in. Cooking is done on the outside, given the limited space within, meanwhile power comes from a lithium-ion battery (like you get in an electric car), coupled with some solar panels.
Starting from: £31,000
If in doubt, go for the shiny, well-known one and, with a history dating back to the late 1920s and a roster of celebrity owners, few can argue with Airstream’s pedigree. Best known for its iconic polished-aluminium coachwork that first appeared on the Bowlus Road Chief (see above), Airstreams have successfully worked their way into popular culture over the years, with Tom Hanks’s very own well-used Airstream selling for £184,600 at auction in 2021.
Smaller than the marque’s flagship Classic, the Globetrotter comes with a choice of six floorplans, all with plenty of room for entertaining and enough space to sleep four adults. Alongside a full kitchen and slightly smaller bathroom is a sizeable bedroom, featuring a queen-sized bed, TVs and all the mod-cons you’d need for a particularly high-end camping trip. With a starting price of just under £100,000, the Globetrotter isn’t the most cost-effective caravan – but it might just be the coolest.
Starting from: £94,200
Although the mighty Mercedes G-Wagen wasn’t in need of more modifications, this camping-spec version from Terracamper is worth a mention. Though it’s not strictly a motorhome, it does feature a pop-up roof tent, a convertible sofa, a pull-out kitchenette with a fridge, and room to sleep three. Given it’s a modular kit that starts from under £9,000, the modifications can be applied to any G-Wagen, so feel free to bolt it on to the already punchy G63 AMG, should you need to exit the campsite in a hurry.
Starting from: £8,600
Go big or go home, so the saying goes, but the Marchi Mobile Elemment Palazzo Superior conveniently allows you to do both, it seems. This slightly bonkers two-floor recreational vehicle (RV) is the work of Austrian motorhome maker Marchi Mobile. With its otherworldly fishbowl-style cockpit, the 45-foot-long vehicle is eight-feet-wide on the road but can be extended to 16-feet-wide, when parked up, through some nifty shifting walls. Complete with a Sky Lounge that rises out of the roof, the truck offers 732sq ft of interior space when fully opened up, which is more than quite a few London flats.
As expected, it comes equipped with a fully stocked kitchen, an entertainment area with a 42-inch LED TV, a master bedroom with a king-sized bed, adjustable sofas and a glazed rainfall shower to compete with most spas.
Starting from: £2.4m (estimate)
Want more motoring content? Here’s a short history of the royal cars…
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