Perhaps we all have a nomad gene buried somewhere deep inside of us, since I can’t imagine anyone not liking the idea of a mobile home [or camper vans]. Or maybe it’s just a snail gene, who knows…
The Germans even have a special event dedicated to these types of vehicles – caravans, RVs, and mobile homes. All European manufacturers gather in Düsseldorf to showcase their latest creations, be they products customers can actually buy or simply concepts and one-offs.
Mercedes-Benz must have been one of the stars of this year’s show using two of their large capacity trucks – the Antos and the Actros – for a mobile home conversion.
The amount of care and the level of craftsmanship that went into building the interior of the Vario Alkoven 1200 (the model based on the Antos) is absolutely staggering: the 12 meters long and 4 meters high superlative motorhome comes with hydraulically extendable living room and bedroom, heated tiled floor, furniture with American cherry veneer, a stone basin in the bathroom, completely functional kitchen, and leather upholstery for the sofas.
The Vario Alkoven isn’t lacking in technology either, with two 32-inch flat screens, a steam cooker and induction hob, central vacuum cleaner and washing machine with a tumble dryer. It’s got video camera surveillance for the access door, 1200 Ah batteries, a power inverter with an output of 6,000 W, a solar energy system and a generator. It’s prepared for anything, carrying 390 litters of diesel and 500 litres of fresh water. Also, the Vario Alkoven is one of the few mobile homes equipped with a garage housing a Mercedes-Benz SLK – you know, for when you want to have some fun.
The Concorde lives
The second model present in Düsseldorf is called the Concorde Centurion 1200, it’s built over a Mercedes-Benz Actros and is similarly impressive.
Roughly the same in size as the Vario Alkoven, the Concorde Centurion 1200’s cabin is integrated into the living room, with swivelling seats allowing the passengers to enjoy a lounge-like atmosphere. The furniture in the Concorde is also finished in genuine wood veneer, but in a darker tone and with piano black and glossy beige inserts. Light is provided by LED lamps, there’s a heated floor with different zones and a fully functional kitchen with dishwasher included. The Concorde Centurion 1200 also has a garage, but it also comes with a bay specifically built for bicycles, for shorter or in-town journeys.
These two mobile homes offer a similar level of comfort as a luxury yacht, so while there’s no info on how much they cost, you can expect frighteningly high numbers. Higher than most of our non-mobile homes.
