With removable, modular living equipment, camping trailers like the Teal seamlessly switch between sleeping people and hauling toys. At the recent Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, German materials manufacturer Vohringer showed a trailer concept designed to do both at the same time. The Speed-Wagon uses a hydraulic lift system to open up space for a motorbike while still sleeping occupants comfortably.
The Speed-Wagon was one of two concept trailers that Vohringer had on display in its corner of the show. Collectively called 2V-ehicles, the concepts were the result of some creative thinking on the part of Vohringer's design and development team. Each one was displayed in prototype form.
The Speed-Wagon maintains a lower drive configuration and expands at camp, opening up enough room to sleep in while storing a motorbike or similarly sized equipment below. That's accomplished with the help of a hydraulically lifted penthouse. When you arrive at camp, you lift this penthouse section up, creating a sort of "sleeping attic." Instead of having to pull your bike out to set up the bed, you can sleep up top and leave the bike inside. Alternatively, you can leave the dining table and chairs set up on the ground floor while you sleep above. The hydraulic penthouse is a sort of hard-sided alternative to softer pop-top roof systems and adds a little extra space and convenience to the small camping trailer.
Like the Teal Camper, Vohringer envisions lightweight, buyer-selected camping equipment inside rather than a fixed, manufacturer-specified set-up. It imagines buyers designing the interior around their personal needs. The interior includes a small stove/kitchen unit and additional storage space. To aid drivers in loading up their sports equipment, a pair of wall-hinged seats swing up against the wall, clearing space.
The limited information that Vohringer released on the Speed-Wagon concept would usually lead us to believe that the manufacturer was just trying to create some buzz and attract attention to the otherwise dull world of laminated panel manufacturing. However, the rep we spoke to seemed pretty adamant that the company was interested in pursuing the design with potential development partners. He even quoted an estimated price of €15,000. So perhaps this concept will become reality at a future show.
The other half of the 2V-ehicles duo is the "Lucky-Wagon," a simple, lightweight trailer. It starts with an empty weight of 350 kg (772 lb), allowing the buyer to outfit the interior with his or her choice of equipment. In Dusseldorf, Vohringer showed a very simple configuration with a table, seating and a compact kitchen area. The Lucky-Wagon's large, round window keeps occupants connected to the nature just outside the walls.
