The Allgrounder

What do you expect from a camper van?

Winches?

A higher landing gear?

Replacement petrol can?

All-terrain tires?

That doesn't exactly sound like the criteria that are at the top of the list when buying a camping bus.

At Terracamper, a conversion specialist from Kassel, things are different: because the vehicles are not only converted into campers, but also converted into expedition vehicles.

The small company has moved on to it for fifteen years.

It began with the conversion of off-road vehicles and is now specialized in VW vans and Mercedes Vito.

Terracamper is thus serving a growing trend, because from campers to small teardrop caravans like the Hero Ranger to classic motorhomes - the expedition character is now permeating every segment.

Of course this is not new.

Safari jeeps with a roof bivouac or Unimogs with a housing structure have been rumbling through the deserts of this world for decades.

But now the cross-country mobility penetrates into the camping niches.

It's like the SUVs, which, with their off-road appearance, turn urban family carriages into adventure vehicles.

Now the SUV trend is transferring to the camper van industry.

It has been writing record numbers for years, and at the same time the niches are growing with them: There are more expedition vehicles and many more vehicles that want to be.

Hymer and Co. now also offer many of their motorhomes with all-wheel drive.

But real off-road qualities mean more than four driven wheels, namely, for example, the greatest possible ground clearance, robust interior fittings and extras such as solar panels for self-sufficient energy supply.

And if you want to get really far into the wilderness, you are in any case above the 3.5-ton class.

The market is booming in every category.

"The interest has risen sharply in recent years," says Kanittha Cramer from Terracamper.

"More is being sold and the choice of vehicles has become very, very large."

The number of special trade fairs and events has also increased.

Europe's largest trade fair "Abenteuer & Allrad" attracts more than 50,000 visitors to the Lower Franconian spa town of Bad Kissingen every year.

Is the off-road character becoming the new trend?

If you look around there, you get the impression that classic motorhomes are no longer sufficient to satisfy the escapist longings.

"There are simply a lot of globetrotters who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist destinations," says Cramer, who herself enjoys taking vacation trips on gravel roads.

"Those who are really looking for peace and quiet and want to get to certain spots are happy when they have an all-terrain, compact and self-sufficient vehicle."

And if you want to combine normal camping with a pinch of expedition character, you might find the right mix in vehicles like those from Terracamper.

For a self-test, we drove a Mercedes Vito in the "Tecamp" equipment line: with 17-inch aluminum rims, a 30 millimeter higher chassis, all-wheel drive and all-terrain tires.

The package ensures proper traction and robust road holding on steep, winding gravel roads.

The 5.30 meter long camper including the rear rack can be maneuvered almost playfully through the hairpin bends.

Four beds and seats, a 40-liter fresh water tank, a cool box with a 31-liter volume, a removable stove, a sink and the basic electrical system are standard on board.

The bed on the upper floor is located under the pop-up roof, in our case with a four centimeter thick mattress (2.1 x 1.1 meters) on disc springs.

Three large windows, two of them with mosquito nets, provide daylight and fresh air.

The sleeping area is set up in a few seconds with the help of two gas pressure springs.

The reclining surface, on which two people can sleep surprisingly well, can also be folded up and fitted with gas pressure springs - this ensures a standing height of more than two meters in the living room.

A solution ready for every problem

The bed on the ground floor (1.9 x 1.2 meters) is located in the rear and is created by folding down the rear bench.

It lies on a slatted frame and is hung in the so-called "Easy-Use" system in the roof area.

It gets tight here, however, because the distance between the lying surface and the roof is barely 80 centimeters.

Turning around in your sleep is a pain, especially if someone is still lying next to you.

However, if you fold up the roof and lying area, but still sleep below, the Terracamper almost takes on the character of a loft.

The "Easy-Use" system is part of the Terracamper program.

Whether in the rear, on the side walls or in the roof area - almost any accessories such as clothes or luggage hooks, a small clothesline or a kitchen roll holder can be attached to the lashing rails without tools.

Or the double bed.

The interior architecture is classic: a sink, two water connections (on the side of the sink and in the rear), a refrigerator that can be pulled out on both sides, a removable alcohol stove, rotating front seats and a fold-out dining table are part of it.

A shelving system with Euro boxes provides storage space in the rear, and there are further storage compartments at the front.

That's enough for the camping household.

Terracamper attaches great importance to functionality.

It is more important that surfaces and interior floors are robust and dirt-resistant than that they come across as stylish.

With the cabinets, too, it is primarily about robust workmanship.

Whether gravel or asphalt, whether at 45 or 150 km / h - nothing rattles, creaks or crunches.

The additional battery lasts for three days

The electrics could also be described as easy-use.

The matte blue and white painted test vehicle, which looks like a police bus in the semi-darkness, is equipped with the comfort package.

This includes an additional battery and a clear control panel directly on the sliding door.

Four buttons - refrigerator, water pump, two lights - and two rotary switches for dimming are sufficient.

Two USB connections (usable at any time) and a Schuko socket (for the campsite with external power supply) are also available.

The external power connection is located under the bonnet.

This is a bit cumbersome, but actually only a emergency nail, unless you drag a kettle, microwave or other power guzzler with you on vacation.

Because in the Terracamper you are energetically quite self-sufficient.

After two and a half days of idle time, the display showed 37 percent remaining charge of the additional battery.

After about 10 kilometers of driving, the charge was back to 70 percent.

We got by for another two and a half days.

The level of the fresh water tank can also be viewed at any time via a display.

You become really independent when the available solar panel is on board and the sun provides electrical energy.

The most important feature of the Terracampers, however, is flexibility.

With the exception of the side parts in the rear of the vehicle (underneath is permanently installed technology), modules such as sinks, refrigerators or storage compartments can be expanded.

Because that is the basic premise: A Terracamper is not just a camping vehicle, but an all-round vehicle.

In this way, the motorhome does not become a long-term parking space bugger in the winter months, but remains fully functional as a car or van - regardless of whether it is city traffic or gravel roads.

So far, Terracamper has only had new vehicles at prices from 74,000 euros, the test vehicle costs around 99,500 euros.

However, anyone who already owns a vehicle and would like to sniff the expedition air with it in the future can also have the used vehicle converted by Terracamper, probably from next year.

At the latest then the question arises: What do you expect from a camper van?

Icon: The mirror