Interesting layout - why isn't anybody else doing this?

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saDgit
Posts: 336
Joined: August 24th, 2014, 12:17 pm
Location: Aups, France (most of the time)

Interesting layout - why isn't anybody else doing this?

Post: # 17668Post saDgit
May 1st, 2017, 10:41 am

Clare and I went over to Wilco Lensen's place (http://www.cellulepickup.fr) a couple of weeks ago to have a look at this Beka camper - built in Holland in the late 90s.
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What interested me most about it was its layout which, as far as I know, was exclusive to Beka but which seems to me to have quite a lot of advantages. It makes me wonder why no other manufacturers have gone down this route. I didn't take any photos of my own but these pics from Wilco's advert on leboncoin.fr show it pretty well.
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Basically the kitchen is built across the front of the camper leaving just a climb-through to get into the bed space in the luton. I thought at first that this might make the 'bedroom' feel very claustrophobic but it didn't at all, partly I suppose because it's very well lit by the window in the front of the luton. This arrangement doesn't compromise the extent or comfort of the seating either. The seats are simply further back, nearer to the door - an advantage if one person is working in the kitchen while somebody else wants to move in or out of the camper, or to get to the toilet compartment which is in a rear corner.

The real advantages though are in weight distribution. That kitchen unit contains virtually all of the significantly heavy items - water tank, battery, fridge and gas bottles (gas locker is under the fridge) as well as general storage - all as far forward as possible. The only downside, as far as I can see, is the weight of the fridge being that high and the somewhat uneven distribution side-to-side. On the bedroom side of that kitchen wall are further high level lockers. At the back of the camper there is the toilet compartment on one side of the rear door matched by a wardrobe (with heater below) on the other side.
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Really nice and well built, we were sorely tempted (Clare in particular loved it) but in the end we walked away. Despite all the positives it was too heavy (750kgs dry) and too long (built for a double cab but with a floor length of 235cms it would overhang the pickup bed by 85cms!). It also couldn't fit anything other than a double cab and we know that when we next make a change it will be back to a cab-and-a-half.
Martin

Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab

earthman
Posts: 140
Joined: April 22nd, 2015, 2:26 pm

Re: Interesting layout - why isn't anybody else doing this?

Post: # 17673Post earthman
May 1st, 2017, 5:17 pm

Interesting layout, thanks for posting. :)

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zildjian
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Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Interesting layout - why isn't anybody else doing this?

Post: # 17680Post zildjian
May 1st, 2017, 8:53 pm

Manufacturer's might learn a little from this simple rethink, I always liked Northstar where kitchen work surface swept around in that way below the overcab,
although mostly for kettle access it offered on waking!

Utterly agree on the more favourable seating going further back what with access without squeezing past catering staff makes so much more sense

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