Monopod dazzles British showgoers
Space-age caravan lands in the UK with car-like monocoque body and luxury hotel interior
With its super smooth, one piece monocoque body shell and space age looks, the Monopod 660 caravan from British company IH Leisure was the standout display at last month’s NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show in Birmingham in the UK.
Borrowing concepts from the automotive and aviation industries, the new model features a car-like unitary body, so all stresses are carried by the outer skin. Like many high-end cars, buyers can choose to have the body finished in a metallic paint to match their tow vehicle.
With the one-piece body displaying few visible joins or seams to let water in, the van also comes with an industry-leading 10 year water ingress guarantee.
Looking unlike any other caravan on the market, the Monopod features a helicopter-style front section dominated by three curved acrylic front windows, all double glazed. There are eight more windows throughout the van.
The integrated floor and body is a sandwich panel construction of fibreglass, foam insulation and fire retardant polyester resin. The floor also incorporates 50mm ply supported by a hardwood timber frame.
It has a towing length of 7.7m, 1580kg Tare and 420kg payload, and IH Leisure says the aerodynamic shape makes it more stable when towing and less susceptible to wind from any direction when on site.
Fitting the bespoke look, a number of luxury interior configurations are available, all four berth, including bathroom, kitchen and and front dinette/lounge. Because each caravan is handmade though, IH Leisure can offer bespoke adjustments to suit individual preferences.
The spacious interior has a high level of finish and styling, featuring warm contrasting tones and rich woods as well as neat touches like exposed hinges on the cabinetry and curved edges on the wooden benchtops.
A Truma blown air heating system is used throughout, while the lounge area is large and well appointed with comfortable foam back rests.
With a pricetag of £41,995 ($57,750), the Monopod sits firmly at the premium end of the luxury touring caravan market in the UK. There’s no word yet whether the radical van will be available for sale in Australia.
Check out the Monopod website for more.
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