Automotive

Knaus gets biblical with its latest VW camper van

Knaus gets biblical with its latest VW camper van
The Saint & Sinner is based on a Vollkswagen Crafter 35 with 8.5-ft-high roof
The Saint & Sinner is based on a Vollkswagen Crafter 35 with 8.5-ft-high roof
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The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner features an expandable bench and dining table toward the front of the cabin
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The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner features an expandable bench and dining table toward the front of the cabin
Knaus Tabbert gets an early start previewing what its Crafter conversions might look like in the future
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Knaus Tabbert gets an early start previewing what its Crafter conversions might look like in the future
Knaus Saint & Sinner floor plan
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Knaus Saint & Sinner floor plan
The Saint & Sinner features a bold red/white paint scheme, along with special badging
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The Saint & Sinner features a bold red/white paint scheme, along with special badging
The Saint & Sinner is based on a Vollkswagen Crafter 35 with 8.5-ft-high roof
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The Saint & Sinner is based on a Vollkswagen Crafter 35 with 8.5-ft-high roof
The VW Saint & Sinner has a bed in the rear
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The VW Saint & Sinner has a bed in the rear
Red and black upholstery and furnishings make for a bold interior
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Red and black upholstery and furnishings make for a bold interior
Saint & Sinner logos
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Saint & Sinner logos
The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner is just a concept for now, but Knaus is offering a Saint & Sinner camper package for the Fiat Ducato
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The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner is just a concept for now, but Knaus is offering a Saint & Sinner camper package for the Fiat Ducato 
Inside the Knaus Ducato Saint & Sinner, also revealed at CMT 2017 in January
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Inside the Knaus Ducato Saint & Sinner, also revealed at CMT 2017 in January
View gallery - 10 images

The Volkswagen Transporter and modern derivatives may get most of the camper van love, but another VW van platform makes for an even roomier camper. The new second-generation Crafter will launch next month, but the first camper vans based on the latest VW have already started arriving, at least in show van form. The Saint & Sinner design study from Germany's Knaus Tabbert combines retro flair with modern amenities, showing what the new Crafter could look like all decked out for road trips and camping holidays.

With the dawn of its latest generation, the Crafter no longer rides as a Mercedes Sprinter-based build by Daimler. Rather, VW is now doing its own manufacturing at a new plant in Poland. And Knaus makes its Crafter concept every bit as distinctly Volkswagen as the van itself.

Just as Volkswagen did when it introduced the sixth-gen Transporter in 2015, Knaus brushes its van with a heritage-inspired red-and-white paint split inspired by the classic Transporter T1. The exterior teases its dichotomous "saint and sinner" nature with angel/devil badging.

The Saint & Sinner features a bold red/white paint scheme, along with special badging
The Saint & Sinner features a bold red/white paint scheme, along with special badging

A striking, two-tone exterior is great for trade show floors, but out on the road, it'll be all about the interior. And though the Crafter Saint & Sinner is just a show-floor concept for now, Knaus doesn't skimp on camping comfort.

The interior takes care of campers' needs with a central open bathroom with toilet, a kitchen with dual-burner stove and 90-L refrigerator, and a transverse, 4.7-ft-wide (1.44-m-wide) rear double bed. The expandable dual-seat bench in front of the bathroom combines with the extendable table and swivel driver and front passenger seats to create a dining area for four.

The interior has a "wicked-good" personality thanks to the deep red and black throughout and prominent angel/devil logos. There's no pop-up roof, but the Crafter's 8.5-ft (2.58-m) roof height isn't exactly begging for an upward expansion.

The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner features an expandable bench and dining table toward the front of the cabin
The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner features an expandable bench and dining table toward the front of the cabin

An e-Crafter camper van would make a fun concept, but this one is based on the front-wheel-drive Crafter 35 powered by a 140-hp diesel four-cylinder.

The Saint & Sinner debuted as a design study last month at CMT Stuttgart, but it was also "a glimpse into the not-so-distant future of Knaus Tabbert GmbH, which will offer the modern Crafter in additional extension and model versions." We reckon we'll be seeing a real Knaus Crafter camper van in the near future – perhaps later this year at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon.

The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner is just a concept for now, but Knaus is offering a Saint & Sinner camper package for the Fiat Ducato
The VW Crafter Saint & Sinner is just a concept for now, but Knaus is offering a Saint & Sinner camper package for the Fiat Ducato 

In the meantime, Knaus is offering the colorful, angelically devilish Saint & Sinner conversion for the popular Fiat Ducato (pictured above) in two different floor plans. The van wears the same red-and-white paint and has an even more prominent "saint/sinner" tattoo on its side. Features and options include leather upholstery, a red, black and white interior, interior LED lighting, fixed and open bathroom options, and available front and rear lifting beds. Deliveries will begin in summer.

Source: Knaus Tabbert

View gallery - 10 images
2 comments
2 comments
sutski123
"An e-Crafter camper van would make a fun concept" - Wouldn't it! I wrote to Tesla years ago saying we need an elektro-campervan and also they don't need to roll-out a super-charging network - just use campsites instead! They are usually very nice places with a pool and restaurant and hundreds of electric hook-ups! Cheers!
Bob
After years of camping in tents, pickup trucks, vans, boats, travel trailers and motor homes, I can tell you that this size camping van is the most cramped and expensive thing you can possibly buy. A pickup camper is worse but at least it is cheap and you can use the pickup for other things. For value, convenience, comfort and price; a 19-23 foot travel trailer tops the list. Pulled by a pickup with motorcycles, kayaks or an ATV in the bed, you have it all. Next would be a 24-30 foot motor home but they aren't cheap and you still need a trailer for the toys.