Automotive

Dual-lounge VW camper opens up most relaxing van camping of the summer

View 19 Images
The Hobby Maxia 680 DT made its debut at CMT in January 2024 (exclusions do apply: massive rooftop display not included with purchase)
Hobby
The Hobby Maxia 680 DT made its debut at CMT in January 2024 (exclusions do apply: massive rooftop display not included with purchase)
Hobby
Like the original Hobby Maxia 680 ET, the new Maxia 680 DT measures 684 cm in length
Hobby
A sofa lounge during the day, a double bed at night
Hobby
The stow-away swivel table can be used up front or in back
Hobby
The full wraparound rear dining lounge is what separates the new 680 DT floor plan from the original 680 ET
Hobby
Hobby
One camper's tired, the other isn't? No problem - each bed can set up individually, leaving one person reading or watching an iPad on the sofa, the other sleeping comfortably
Hobby
Kick the doors open in dual-sofa lounge configuration and enjoy a front-row seat to the breezy scenery
Hobby
The Hobby Maxia is based on the Volkswagen Crafter with 174-hp 2.0-liter TDI engine
Hobby
Hobby maximizes space in the wet bath with a fold-away sink and rotating toilet
Hobby
As of publishing, Hobby is currently offering the Maxia 680 DT at a 20,000-euro discount off MSRP
Hobby
The Hobby Maxia 680 DT appears to be one of the roomiest, most comfortable new camper vans of Summer 2024
Hobby
Hobby Maxia 680 DT floor plan – single bed, single sofa
Hobby
Hobby Maxia 680 DT floor plan – nighttime, full bed
Hobby
Hobby Maxia 680 DT floor plan – daytime, dual sofa
Hobby
Hobby Maxia 680 DT floor plan – daytime, full rear lounge with wraparound sofa and dining table
Hobby
Hobby Maxia 680 DT kitchen area
Hobby
Hobby Maxia wet bath
Hobby
Hobby combines hygge with an extra-comfy dual-lounge floor plan
Hobby
View gallery - 19 images

German camper van manufacturer Hobby took Volkswagen camper van life to new levels of comfort and style when it debuted the Maxia Van in 2022. This year, it's introduced a new floor plan that invites the entire family (and maybe a few campground neighbors) to enjoy the breezy onboard comfort of camper van living ... during the day, at least. Its front and rear lounges offer loads of space for dining, remote work and general relaxation, tying the interior together into one of the best out there for nomadic van lounging.

Originally launched on Hobby's caravans, the Maxia line was inspired directly by Scandinavian hygge, the style of warm, cozy comfort you get while watching the snow fall silently from the warmth of your fireside sofa. Hobby adorns Maxia-badged campers with soft felts, warm wood tones, glowing ambient light and space-enhancing furniture geometry that create a space as inviting as a glowing lodge with smoking chimney at the distant end of a snowshoe hike.

The new 684-cm-long (269-in) Maxia 680 DT floor plan further enhances the onboard hygge by redistributing that same look and feel across a more welcoming, versatile floor plan. In place of the foldaway rear bed, Hobby opens things up with a wraparound rear sofa and a removable swiveling dining table.

The full wraparound rear dining lounge is what separates the new 680 DT floor plan from the original 680 ET
Hobby


That new rear should seat five or more people without giving up full-length carry capabilities. Stow the dining table and rear sofa connector, and you still have an aisle to stow boards and other oblong gear during the drive.

Unlike many convertible dinettes, Maxia's new design doesn't rely on a drop-down dining table to support the center of the bed. Instead it uses fold-down sofa benches that meet in the middle when both are flat and extended. This allows campers to make a single bed while leaving the second sofa in sitting position, a handy alternative when solo camping or when one camper might want to stay up on the sofa while the other gets to bed early.

One camper's tired, the other isn't? No problem - each bed can set up individually, leaving one person reading or watching an iPad on the sofa, the other sleeping comfortably
Hobby

Each longitudinal bed measures 200 x 86 cm (79 x 34 in), connecting into a 200 x 172-cm (79 x 68-in) oversized double bed when set up at the same time, just like the bed on the original 680 ET floor plan.

With the dining area located at the rear, there's no real reason to have a front dinette, so the Maxia 680 DT loses the two-seat bench behind the driver's seat. The downside here is that owners lose the ability to seat two more passengers while driving, but the larger, more comfortable, more versatile rear lounge seems to more than make up for it for campers who plan to hit the road exclusively as twosomes.

Hobby combines hygge with an extra-comfy dual-lounge floor plan
Hobby

The new DT Maxia still features the front swivel seats, creating a second lounge area that can be used in conjunction with the removable swivel table. This seems a particularly useful setup for a couple of digital nomads who want a little private work space, as one can work from the rear sofa, the other in the front lounge.

In place of the two-seat front bench, Hobby installs a closet and shelving between the driver's seat and the wet bath. The bathroom includes a foldaway sink over the swivel toilet and next to the shower.

The kitchen across the way comes stocked with a dual-burner gas stove/sink unit and a dual-hinged 90-L compressor fridge. The flip-up worktop extension off the angled portion of the kitchen block creates a nearly wraparound work space.

Like the original Hobby Maxia 680 ET, the new Maxia 680 DT measures 684 cm in length
Hobby

Hobby debuted the Maxia 680 DT at the CMT show earlier this year and launched it for Spring/Summer 2024 (Northern Hemisphere). It's built atop a 3.5-tonne Volkswagen Crafter Trendline BMT with 174-hp 2.0-liter TDI engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.

MSRP is set at €89,750 (approx. US$97,375), but Hobby has been offering the new van at a special introductory price of €69,750 ($75,675). Options include a third bed kit for the cab area, a Thule awning and an LTE/WLAN connectivity suite with Wi-Fi.

Source: Hobby

View gallery - 19 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
3 comments
Nostradamus
How come these better designed and nicer looking European campervans are nearly half the price of their North American competitors…?
guzmanchinky
Why are these amazing vans 70k in Europe and 170k in the US? I love my 4x4 Sprinter camper but I would never pay the 200k Winnebago is asking for the Revel...
Brian M
"includes a foldaway sink" our latest motorhome has one.....
One of the most daft ideas yet in motorhomes! Seem great till you have to live with one .

They don't save that much space, hard to use and clean, and often on closing the water goes everywhere but down the waste outlet.
Shudder to think what might be stuck in the outlet hole we can't see without dismantling!

We have ended up using the kitchen sink, for cleaning teeth washing hands etc!

A total design failure!