The future is on full display at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon. At Mercedes-Benz, that means integrating fuel cell and smart home technologies into camper vans. At Dethleffs, it's about exploring how electric power can impact the camping trailer. And at Bürstner, it involves making the caravan look a lot more elegant and comfortable with the Harmony 3 concept. If Bürstner's vision becomes reality, expect camping to feel more and more like home.
About as far away from sleeping under the stars at night and drinking cowboy coffee in the morning as you can get while still technically "camping", the Harmony 3 is designed to make you forget you're in a camping trailer at all. That won't actually happen until you're inside – the shell is a little smoother and prettier than the average camping trailer, but it's still a camping trailer, not a tiny home.
The interior, however, looks and feels very much like a home and not so much like a camper. Hanging lamps cast soft light onto the removable dining table just inside the doorway, and stone-look walls lend a rustic-chic look to the kitchen. The kitchen itself is equipped with modern features, including an induction cooktop and built-in coffeemaker. Just to the right of the entryway, a transparent wine case puts your collection on display.
The open floor plan keeps things as spacious as a home living room, stretching back to a large couch. There's even a small coffee table for that extra home-like touch. At night, the queen bed drops down from the ceiling over the couch/coffee table, providing a comfy night of sleep for two.
A TFT display in the living area works as both a television and a digital picture frame, and an Alexa-based control system provides for quick, intuitive lighting and TV control.
The final component of the Harmony 3 floor plan is the rear corner bathroom, which includes a spacious shower area. A backlit shower wall adds some extra color and style.
Bürstner has created a compelling vision for a caravan of the future, but there's a reason that caravans don't usually have residential-style features like dangling lamps and coffee tables. We assume the manufacturer has a plan to keep those from smashing around during bumpy rides – perhaps a retraction system for the lights and floor mounting for the coffee table.
The Harmony 3 is just a design study for now, but we do expect to start seeing more residential-like technology and decor moving into the camper/glamper segment, and Bürstner seems determined to be among the leaders in that movement.
Source: Bürstner (German)
