Automotive

Wingamm disguises a fiberglass monocoque motorhome as a Ducato camper van

Wingamm disguises a fiberglass monocoque motorhome as a Ducato camper van
We first saw the Wingamm City Twins at the 2018 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon
We first saw the Wingamm City Twins at the 2018 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon
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That looks much like the face of the Fiat Ducato, but look closely at the hairline and you can see some differences between the standard Ducato roofs and Wingamm's fiberglass monocoque roof, besides just the Wingamm badge
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That looks much like the face of the Fiat Ducato, but look closely at the hairline and you can see some differences between the standard Ducato roofs and Wingamm's fiberglass monocoque roof, besides just the Wingamm badge 
The City Twins joins the City Suite in Wingamm's camper van-style motorhome lineup
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The City Twins joins the City Suite in Wingamm's camper van-style motorhome lineup
No rear load doors on this Ducato camper; the solid rear wall creates a cozier, more closed-off interior space
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No rear load doors on this Ducato camper; the solid rear wall creates a cozier, more closed-off interior space
Wingamm puts its own signature on the Ducato cab chassis
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Wingamm puts its own signature on the Ducato cab chassis
The Wingamm City Twins is a stylish, little camper van for touring city and country
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The Wingamm City Twins is a stylish, little camper van for touring city and country
Wingamm's City Twins looks like a camper van but is built more like a Class C motorhome
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Wingamm's City Twins looks like a camper van but is built more like a Class C motorhome
The Wingamm City Twins comes with a 3,800-mm (150-in) wheelbase
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The Wingamm City Twins comes with a 3,800-mm (150-in) wheelbase
The tall, narrow wet bath is made from fiberglass and finished in a wood-look laminate
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The tall, narrow wet bath is made from fiberglass and finished in a wood-look laminate
The City Twins brings an independent two-sleeper layout to the City lineup
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The City Twins brings an independent two-sleeper layout to the City lineup
One exterior giveaway that separates the City Twins from the average camper van is the swinging entry door, in place of the sliding door you'd find on the Ducato van
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One exterior giveaway that separates the City Twins from the average camper van is the swinging entry door, in place of the sliding door you'd find on the Ducato van
The City Twins offers between- and under-bed storage
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The City Twins offers between- and under-bed storage
Under-bed storage drawers
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Under-bed storage drawers
Wingamm packs a wet bathroom in the center of the City Twins
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Wingamm packs a wet bathroom in the center of the City Twins
Above-kitchen storage
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Above-kitchen storage
The kitchen block includes a dual-burner stove and sink
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The kitchen block includes a dual-burner stove and sink
The City Twins only sleeps two, but it seats four at the table
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The City Twins only sleeps two, but it seats four at the table
The City Twins lacks the front drop-down bed option of the City Suite, utilizing the above-cab area for storage
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The City Twins lacks the front drop-down bed option of the City Suite, utilizing the above-cab area for storage
The dual-leaf dining table can be adjusted in size
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The dual-leaf dining table can be adjusted in size
We first saw the Wingamm City Twins at the 2018 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon
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We first saw the Wingamm City Twins at the 2018 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon
A look at the rear bedroom of the City Twins on show at the 2018 Caravan Salon
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A look at the rear bedroom of the City Twins on show at the 2018 Caravan Salon
Inside the Wingamm City Twins
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Inside the Wingamm City Twins
The City Twins' living and driving areas blend as seamlessly as any camper van
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The City Twins' living and driving areas blend as seamlessly as any camper van
A better look at the wet bathroom
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A better look at the wet bathroom
View gallery - 23 images

Wingamm motorhomes and caravans are always head-turners, but one in particular will make you do a double-take. Smart and stylish, the new City Twins looks at first like a fairly standard Fiat Ducato camper van, with just a touch of extra white sheen. But this camper isn't built into a Ducato van at all, relying instead on a custom-built fiberglass shell planted on a Ducato cab chassis. This van-sized fiberglass monocoque construction creates a quieter, cozier, more insulated mobile living space.

In the past, Italy's Wingamm has grabbed our attention with its sleekly styled VW Micros camper and its Rookie caravan lineup. But the City Twins didn't actually grab our attention when we first saw it at last year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon — it looked so much like dozens of Ducato camper vans at the show, we mistook it for yet another. But things changed when we went to step inside and realized the sliding door was gone, replaced by a swinging door camper entry. Look a little closer still, and you realize that pearly white fiberglass isn't your typical Ducato sheet metal.

Wingamm's expertise lies entirely in the construction and outfitting of independent fiberglass living modules mounted to or towed behind motor vehicles. Every one of its vehicles feature this construction, so the City Twins isn't actually a simple Ducato camper van, as it might look to the untrained eye, but a van-styled fiberglass bodyshell mounted atop a Ducato chassis.

Wingamm's City Twins looks like a camper van but is built more like a Class C motorhome
Wingamm's City Twins looks like a camper van but is built more like a Class C motorhome

The Twins' fiberglass monocoque is sized precisely to drop in and match the Ducato van's 5.99-m (19.7-ft) overall length and 2.05-m (6.7-ft) overall width, looking like a natural van. The roof is shaped similarly to the mid-level Ducato roof, though at 2.77 m (9.1 ft), it stands closer in height to the highest roof. The roof is also a bit smoother and more curvaceous up front above the windshield.

So why not just use a stock Ducato van and save the trouble of building an independent fiberglass monocoque? Unlike, say, a Westfalia or Winnebago, converting stock vans simply isn't what Wingamm does.

No rear load doors on this Ducato camper; the solid rear wall creates a cozier, more closed-off interior space
No rear load doors on this Ducato camper; the solid rear wall creates a cozier, more closed-off interior space

Wingamm developed its first fiberglass monocoque camper four decades ago in an attempt to separate its motorhomes from the competition with a more modern, stylish appearance. More importantly, the joint-free monocoque construction eliminates the leaks that can occur at the seams of more traditional multi-piece constructions. Wingamm says the double fiberglass shell construction and polyurethane foam insulation also offer superior thermal and acoustic performance, creating a comfier, quieter interior for more relaxed camping.

Another advantage of Wingamm's monocoque is that it eliminates the rear van doors. While rear doors do offer advantages of their own, we find that a solid rear wall creates a cozier, homier interior. That's certainly the case with the City Twins, which uses its sealed-off rear as a bedroom area, housing the namesake twin beds, split by a wardrobe and drawers.

Unlike the usual two-sleeper camper van, with one full/queen-size bed great for a couple but not as great for a couple of buddies, the twin bed layout accommodates two travelers who prefer to retire to their own beds. Those who want a single bed for two will find it in the City Twins' older sibling, the City Suite.

The City Twins brings an independent two-sleeper layout to the City lineup
The City Twins brings an independent two-sleeper layout to the City lineup

The City Twins' beds aren't quite identical twins — the passenger-side bed measures 189 x 71 cm (74 x 28 in), while the driver-side bed is a little shorter at 177 x 71 cm (70 x 28 in). That decreased driver-side sizing helps to accommodate the wet cell. Constructed of fiberglass and warmed up with a wood-look HPL laminate, the wet bath includes a toilet, shower and sink.

The kitchen block is located on the passenger side, just ahead of the entry door. It houses a dual-burner stove and stainless steel sink, both with flush covers, and a 96-L refrigerator. After being prepared on that block, meals are served across the aisle at the dinette with two-seat bench and swivel cab seats joined together by an extendable, adjustable dining table.

The City Twins only sleeps two, but it seats four at the table
The City Twins only sleeps two, but it seats four at the table

According to the pricing sheet that accompanied the City Twins we checked out in Düsseldorf, the van starts at €61,400 (approx. US$68,750). The City Suite that fills out Wingamm's "City" lineup starts a little lower at €51,600 ($57,800), as listed on Wingamm's website, and includes the option of a drop-down bed for a four-sleeper configuration.

Source: Wingamm

View gallery - 23 images
2 comments
2 comments
rpark
...hmmm, you can buy a double wide trailer home on 2 acres in certain parts of Virginia for $68K.
Kay S Watson
I absolutely love this Wingamm! Why can't we have this in the U.S.???