Germany's Flowcamper started life as the most free-spirited, psychedelic camper van brand the world has seen this side of Woodstock. Over the years, it has gradually tempered its bright colors and hippie-era patterns with more woodsy, understated appointments, most recently with the Mercedes Sprinter-based Max and its expandable knotty-wood interior. With the all-new Casper, Flowcamper completes the journey, leaving the flower graphics and neon colors behind (or at least making them optional) to create a mini mountain lodge inside a VW T6.1. The rugged, rustic Casper features mountain graphics, a Nordic spruce interior and a host of options that make it an all-terrain, all-conditions adventure machine.
The Casper lands between the flagship Max and entry-level Frieda as Flowcamper's mid-level van. It's designed as an adventurous, flexible camper platform good for solos, couples and families. The debut model is built on the VW T6.1, but Flowcamper will also offer it on the Mercedes-Benz Vito.
The basic Casper floor plan includes a fixed driver-side kitchen, two individual rear seats and a raised folding bed in back. At camp, the bed folds out over top the folded seats to sleep two. The bed also tilts up at both its head and foot, creating two sofa configurations for reading, relaxing and enjoying the view.
The load area behind the rear seats and below the bed houses camper equipment like the water tanks and portable toilet, with plenty of room left over for luggage and cargo. Those who don't add on the optional dry separating toilet will enjoy a through-loading space in the center of the load floor. The rear seats can also be removed without affecting the operation of the bed, creating a two-seat camper with extra through-loading space for surfboards, skis and other large sports equipment. The bed is removable, as well.
The Casper kitchen differs from the typical VW Transporter camper van kitchen. Instead of a single rectangular block running lengthwise, Flowcamper expands it into an L-shaped block with a dual-burner portable stove set perpendicular to the sink and main countertop. Down below the stove, a cooking tool drawer pulls out above a slide-out 30-L compressor fridge box. The drawer also converts into a small, central table.
The kitchen, wall paneling and other appointments are made from waxed Nordic spruce, creating a warm, rustic look. Those who prefer the vibrant color on which Flowcamper has built its brand can opt for laminate face paneling in six available colors.
The Casper has a pressurized water system with 20-L fresh and 17-L waste water tanks. Options like the pop-up sleeper roof or full-size roof rack and roof-top tent turn the two-sleeper van into a four-person family camper.
Flowcamper is uniquely qualified to create an off-grid/off-road camper van, as it was the sister brand of Terracamper before owners Martin Hemp and Dr. Petra Filmether sold the latter in 2019. Terracamper has long specialized in off-road campers built on Volkswagen and Mercedes vans, so Hemp and Filmether have much experience in the all-terrain camper van space. For the Casper, they offer optional all-wheel drive, off-road chassis upgrading, all-terrain tires, rear spare tire/cargo rack, and off-grid power package with 90-Ah lithium battery and solar charging. The Adventure Package brings adventure-themed graphics and an easy-access axe and saw.
Flowcamper didn't announce pricing during the Casper's CMT Digital world premiere last week, but it plans to add a price list and more detailed information to its website in the near future. Reports out of Germany put the Casper base price at just under €53,000 (approx. US$64,000), which fits the van's mid-tier positioning between the Frieda and Max.
Source: Flowcamper (German)
