Woody motorhome carves new niche
All-timber eco-mobile delivers sauna-style interior livingBack-to-nature timber-clad RVs are flavor of the month in Europe, but fledgling German manufacturer Holzmobil has taken the 'woody' RV to a whole new level with its first C-class motorhome.
Eschewing the lightweight composite materials and sometimes toxic plastics and adhesives used by most other European RV manufacturers, the unique German-built eco-mobile uses timber for just about the entire motorhome body construction including roof, walls and inside furniture. The base vehicle is a MAN TGE 4x4 cab-chassis with a GVM of 4500kg.
While there are some metal reinforcements including a steel subframe and aluminum floor sheets, dead tree is the predominant material used including certified Okume wood for the bare exterior panels that are protected by a marine-style seven-part weatherproof coating.
Also used are "eco-sandwich" insulation panels made of wood fibres and thin plywood strips, while the panels are neatly joined together using interlocking dovetail teeth to deliver a puzzle-like appearance.
While the interior looks like a Swedish sauna, there shouldn't be any build up of moisture inside thanks to special waterproof textile fabric used on the roof to allow water vapor to escape without causing leaks.
The sweet-smelling timber furniture is made from a combination of alder, beech and spruce and treated with organic oils for allergy sufferers. There are a few non-timber interior details including stainless steel cables on the shelving and various bathroom fittings.
Otherwise, a family-friendly floorplan includes two double beds, a four-person dinette, kitchenette and shower/toilet. There's also a range of appliances that are a far cry from the olde-worlde construction, including an induction cooktop and 400Ah lithium battery system with 3000W inverter and two 350W rooftop solar panels.
The gas-free motorhome also includes a diesel space heater, smart management touchscreen display and TV entertainment.
The 7.7m long motorhome was first displayed at last months' Caravan Salon show, and comes with a hefty price tag of 150,000 Euros (around $244,000), so don't expect too many on European roads in the near future.
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