Glamour van raises luxury bar

Germany is known for producing some of the slickest caravans in the world – take the $1 million-plus, 26ft Knaus Tabbert Caravisio of a few years ago as one example.

But now German luxury caravan builder Bürstner has raised the glamour-van stakes again, with the unveiling of its Harmony 3 concept caravan at this year’s Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Residential-like technology and décor has been making its way into caravans for years, with New Age Caravans leading the way in Australia with the popular gloss kitchen look.

But the Harmony 3 takes the upmarket apartment trend to a new dimension, with features like a chic L-shaped lounge, curved moulded furniture and stone-look wall surfaces.

The Harmony 3's kitchen features a slick induction cooktop, built-in espresso machine and full-height fridge with door that opens on both sides. It also has some clever space-saving designs features, ilike a sliding benchtop, and dining table that slots into the benchtop and slides away across the seats when not in use.

There are hanging lamps over the dinette area, but the cords can be tied up and the lamps are removable so they won't get damaged when travelling. The portable lights, which can also be positioned in the kitchen, connect to sockets via magnets and charge automatically.

There’s also a clear-fronted wine fridge built into the side wall at the front of the van, not far from the herb garden 'rack', located under the large curved front window to catch the sun.

A queen bed hidden within the roof drops down over the lounge to reveal a panoramic skylight, while a TFT display in the living area works as both a TV and digital picture frame. There's also an Alexa-based control system for controlling the infinite lighting options and TV controls.

Other cool features include a fragrant splashback made from pressed roses above the vanity in the bathroom, and a shower includes a backlit wall and large rainfall showerhead. There’s also a full-size skylight in the bathroom -- something you rarely see in a caravan.

While a concept at the moment, it's likely some of the features will find their way on to future European models. However, it’s unlikely too many of these upmarket German vans will be available down under, with importers struggling in the past to find Australian buyers for European glamour-vans.