Iconic camper vans and high-end luxury on wheels

For many Germans, loading up their camper van or mobile home with everything they need is the prelude to a perfect holiday. They want to be surrounded by enough nature to truly get away from it all - but don’t want to end up feeling too remote or isolated. They find it reassuring to have a proper roof over their heads to protect them from heavy downpours or the blazing sun. And crouching next to a wobbly camping stove to cook the obligatory pasta for supper isn’t necessarily everyone’s thing. 

To see just how much Germans love camping and caravanning, take a look at the numbers. With around 15 billion euros in sales and nearly 100,000 new mobile homes registered each year, Germany is Europe’s largest caravanning market. It’s not the world’s largest, however - that’s the US, where road vehicles tend to be significantly bigger.  

Compact dimensions combined with technical precision 

Big isn’t necessarily better in the opinion of German manufacturers - for them it’s all about combining compact dimensions with technical precision. VW’s California and the Mercedes Marco-Polo are among the best-known models abroad - fully equipped vans featuring a bed, kitchen and storage spaces that can be quickly and easily transformed from a vehicle for everyday use into a mobile home.  

That said, both models - made by two of Germany’s leading car manufacturers - have been on the market since the 1980s. When it comes to innovations in the caravanning sector these days, it is less well-known brands from Germany that are coming to the fore.