It used to seem the best way to camp with outdoor toys was to throw the toys on a carrier or trailer behind the RV or tow a combo camper/hauler. But more recently, there's been a swarm of camper vans with integrated bike/gear garages, perfect for camping and toy hauling within the compact footprint of the van, no trailers, carriers or racks necessary. Possibly the most convincing variant we've seen, the new Weinsberg 630 MEG [Outlaw] features an extra-high bed above a tall, roomy 4,500-liter garage. It can swallow up a full quad or multiple bikes and keep them out of sight, locked safely away below the snoring GoPro protagonists above.
Weinsberg takes a very different tack from Citroën, which also debuted a new ATV-hauling camper van at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon. It goes more the route of British "sporthome" builders like RP Motorhomes, accommodating toys in a sealed-off garage below a raised rear bed inside. It says it's using near-hermetic levels of sealing to prevent unwanted gas fumes from escaping into the van, finishing the garage walls and furniture in a durable, impervious coating.
Unlike Citroën's Biker vans, which feel more like open toy haulers with camping amenities, the MEG Outlaw (the brackets are cool once, but we're dropping 'em) is designed to live as comfortably as a regular camper van, albeit with a little less headroom over top the bed. The Outlaw's configuration does look much the same as any other camper van, starting with the passenger-side kitchen with dual-burner stove, sink and 95L compressor fridge right inside its sliding entry. A front dinette seats up to four with a rear bench and available swivel driver cab seats, and a floating table attaches and detaches as needed.
The bed is accessed via ladder and provides 78 x 69-in (197 x 175 cm) of sleeping space, more area than a queen-size mattress. An additional person can sleep on the converted dinette set with help from the 57 x 28-in (145 x 70-cm) front bed kit.
The wet cell next to the bed ladder offers a shower, sink and toilet, and the doorway behind the ladder provides direct access to the garage. Back in the garage, Weinsberg offers a variety of available floor rails, tie-downs, load ramps and carriers for loading and securing cargo behind through the double doors.
The MEG Outlaw floor plan is available on Weinsberg's CaraBus and CaraTour camper vans, functionally identical vans with different styling. Each Outlaw camper is built on the 250-in (636-cm) Fiat Ducato with 118-hp 2.3-liter MultiJet engine. Standard features include a Truma Combi 6D diesel heater/water boiler, 95 Ah battery and LED control panel.
Both the CaraTour and CaraBus 630 MEG Outlaw models start at €44,870 (approx. US$49,425). The model we checked out at the Caravan Salon was optioned up to €59,706 ($65,775), with features like a more powerful 138-hp engine, Thule bike carrier, single-motorcycle loading package and 50th anniversary pack.
Speaking of Weinsberg's 50th anniversary, we've included some photos of the original 1969 camper van it showed to celebrate. This 181-in (460-cm)-long pop-top mini-bus with fully removable furniture was based on the Fiat 238, the predecessor to the Ducato that underpins modern Weinsbergs and a majority of Europe's other camper vans.
Source: Weinsberg