DUSSELDORF CARAVAN SHOW: New products

As well as the latest and greatest in European caravans and motorhomes, the annual Dusseldorf show in Germany is bursting at the seams with gizmos and gadgets designed to make life on the road or at the campsite easier as well as more fun.  

Among the hundreds of accessories and products on display, many released at the show, were a few that caught our eye, as much for their novelty value as a hint of what could be heading our way in the future…

KEY-FREE DOORS

Germany's Hartal is a major supplier of doors to European RV manufacturers, and on its stand at Dusseldorf this year were prototypes of its next-generation keyless entry doors.

Using the latest digital recognition technology, one of the doors used fingerprint technology, another a smart phone-style Q reader, while one had a digital keypad requiring a four-digit code to unlock or lock it. ??

It's a great idea, eliminating the hassle of carrying keys down the beach for a swim, for example, and preventing any chance of losing keys.

INFLATABLE AWNINGS

Caravan awnings that use inflatable support structures instead of conventional poles and tie-down ropes are all the rage in Europe and the UK at the moment, and a number of manufacturers displayed different variations on the theme at Dusseldorf. ??

Probably the most impressive is Kampa's Airframe, which has a unique selling point in that rather than have multiple inflation points like other versions there's just one where you insert the hand, foot or powered pump to blow up the interconnected frame.

With their curvaceous designs and modern looks, we're not sure if they'll catch on Down Under, but we like the idea of a one-piece unit that's quick to erect and pack up, and with no fiddly poles to worry about.

ONE OUT OF THE BOX

In Australia slide-outs for fridges and other camping gear in the back of a four-wheel drive are all the rage. But in Europe, where high fuel prices and parking problems make big off-road vehicles less practical, all-in-one portable camping ‘boxes' that slot into the back of a small family wagon or ‘panel' van are more the go. ??

The CampingBox from Germany's QuQuQu is one of the best examples we've seen. With two sizes to fit either Volkswagen Caddy or bigger, Transporter-size vans (including five seaters), the CampingBox comes with all you need for a week-end camping trip for two: kitchen slide with portable two-burner gas cooker, camp chairs, two 10 litre water containers and a three-section double bed that folds out inside and is self-supporting. ??

There's also a slide-out for a small fridge that isn't included in the price, which starts from €2190 (about $3000) for the smaller version and €2790 for the bigger one.

It all packs up into a water-tight, aircraft-style box that weighs about 60kg, with handles on each side to help lift into the van.

HOBBY IN CONTROL

We've already marveled at Alphatronics' app-based, motorhome automation system, and the money-no-object Zetros Hartmann motorhome, which has its own trick, centralised central control panel with 14 buttons for different functions.

However Germany's Hobby, which claims to be the world's largest caravan manufacturer, has one of the neatest solutions with an updated LCD control panel for its 2015 models that accesses and controls up to 15 appliances within the van, including light settings, inside/outside temperature, and battery and water tank levels.

The hard-wired, CI-BUS on-board management system also centrally controls other BUS-capable components including heating, air-conditioning and, if fitted, an electrically-operated sunroof.

According to Hobby, “the system is standardised, can be updated and is therefore compatible with future appliance generations”.

Hobby caravans are not currently available down under, but we'd expect Jayco or another major Aussie manufacturer to be taking a close look at Hobby's handiwork and introduce a similar system locally in the not too distant future.

?POWER DRIVER

We like this one not just because of its cute name: Wurmi. The brand's been around for 50 years in Europe, apparently, and there are a few copies around, but this is the “Das Original”. ??

It's basically a range of tent and awning pegs that screw into the ground, using a standard cordless power drill and special attachment. As was demonstrated at the show, a few bursts of the drill should have the peg in the hardest ground in no time flat. And to get them out you simply reverse the drill's direction!??

They come in a range of lengths and diameters, and construction including fibreglass or heavier-duty aluminium, along with various clips and holders for connecting guy ropes and other accessories.

At Dusseldorf, they were selling for between €4 to €10 each (around $6-14), so not exactly cheap, but beats pounding pegs into concrete-like soil and then trying to get them out…??

HOME STYLE DINING

Unbreakable camping plates and bowls are commonly available in Australia, but few look as good as the latest melamine range from Germany's Gimex.

These upmarket dining products and utensils wouldn't look out of place in a harbourfront mansion, let alone a caravan or motorhome.

Gimex had a very colourful ‘shopfront' display of plates, bowls, glasses, and eating utensils at Dusseldorf. There's something for everyone, from conservative all-white or black sets to subtle patterns and multi-coloured versions featuring all colours of the rainbow.

There's even a kid's range with cute cartoon characters. Sehr stilvoll!

SILVER LINING

There are numerous products on the market that purify water, from simple tablets to fancy filtration units. But for something new, German ‘water, light and energy' specialist Lilie released a lightweight new product at Dusseldorf for campers requiring fresh, clean water.??

Described as “chemical free water tuning”, the Certec capsule combines two, patented products – a ceramic ‘cell membrane' that traps harmful bacteria while releasing healthy trace elements into the water, and ‘silver cotton' that detects and destroys bacteria using silver ions.

The Certec capsules come in a range of sizes, for up up three litre coffee machines and drinking bottles, or larger versions for tanks up to 200 litres.

They're maintenance free and work for up to six months depending on water usage.

BIKE ESSENTIALS??

Europeans love their bicycles, and few RV travelers like to leave home without a pedal-pusher or two out back. As a result, there are plenty of bike rack options at Dusseldorf, with one of the biggest players Al-Ko rolling out an impressive, heavy-duty unit for mounting to the rear of van-based motorhomes.

Marketed under its Sawiko brand, the Futuro bike rack weighs 59kg and can hold 80kg, making it strong for the latest electric bikes, which are all the rage in Europe at the moment but can weigh twice as much as a conventional bike. ??

Suitable for Fiat Ducato and other popular campervan chassis, it bolts securely in four places to the body frame rather than the doors, and can be raised or lowered using a winder for loading and unloading up to three bikes.

Priced up to €1750 (about $2100), the whole unit also swings away to the side, allowing the rear doors to be opened with the bikes still attached.   

COSY HEATERS

Truma sells a number of its RV heating products in Australia, but for the Dusseldorf crowd it was promoting its latest Truma S-series floor-mounted gas heaters, which just happened to be fitted to many of the RVs on display.

The compact, gas-powered, fan-boosted heaters are a neat, energy-efficient solution for  colder European climates (or crisp Outback nights!), and with the smallest version just 50cm long x 37cm wide x 54cm high, don't take up much room in smaller caravans.

What caught our eye, though, was the option of a ‘woodfire' fascia, which gives the effect of sitting in front of an open fire without the obvious safety hazards of an open flame.

Operating via remote control and 12V powered, it comes with three flickering flame options and different flame acoustics (it actually crackles like a real fire!). You can also turn up the volume, frequency and brightness for a really cosy, roaring fire effect.

SNOW AWNINGS

A pull-out awning for slide-outs? That's what awning experts Fiamma had new on its display at Dusseldorf.

Designed primarily for larger motorhomes (very few caravans are fitted with slide-outs in Europe), it comes in three sizes and ‘rolls out' with the slide-out, providing an added layer of protection against the elements.

It's not something we've seen before in Australia, but with a good chance of snow and water penetrating the slide-out joins, it makes sense in Europe.

Another company Protec also had 'snow' protection for caravans. Not unlike a tropical roof on a camper trailer, the permanently affixed awning  covers the entire roof of the caravan, with two ‘verandahs' that pop up at either end when parked. ?

COOL OPERATOR

It might have been just one of two Australian exhibitors at Dusseldorf, but Victoria's Transcool and its nifty 12V evaporative cooler was not out of place among the many high-quality products on display.

Europe's generally chilly climate (and dodgy summer weather during the show) meant the portable cooling units weren't exactly walking out the door, but there was enough interest to suggest Transcool has a good chance of cracking the European market.

Designed originally for the truck market, the unique Transcool unit features a compact, lightweight design, low current draw (1.7 amps maximum), low battery voltage cutout, and variable fan speed.

What's more, it's designed and manufactured in Australia, making it a true blue innovation in a sea of European techno-wizzardry.