Maciej Mokwiński

Every year, hundreds of caravanning enthusiasts face a difficult choice between a camper and a caravan. When deciding to tow our mobile holiday home, we can take advantage of the offer of the German manufacturer. The Hobby company has been systematically developing its model line for several decades. In the manufacturer's catalog from across the Oder river, the Premium model is quite interesting, as, according to many users, it also meets all the expectations of a family of four. At first glance, Hobby Premium stands out from other competing caravans. Modern design combined with sophisticated attention to detail make up an interesting whole. The white body is diversified with oblong, tinted windows and stickers. The rear lights are made in LED technology, which only makes the appearance of the trailer more attractive. Designers also took care of the aesthetics of the front part - instead of in a separate box, gas cylinders are installed in a lockable compartment.

Hobby Premium - for a good start

From the caravanner's point of view, passenger cars from classic segments do not look too appealing. Even a compact or medium-class estate car will not meet the holiday expectations of many of us. What's more - the purchase of each of them is associated with spending about PLN 100,000 . By investing half of this amount, we can take advantage of the wide offer of another segment. The kombivan market has been growing steadily for over a decade, along with the Fiat Doblo, VW Caddy, Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Partner , customers are also attracted by their much cheaper replacement. Dacia Dokker (produced since 2012), like other models of the Romanian brand, conquers the market with the help of a very attractive price and proven Renault technology . It is worth adding that Dokker, like Lodgy, use the Renault Kangoo platform .

Dacia Dokker - versatility at a good price

Every year, more and more automotive events are organized in Poland, aimed at various groups of recipients. Invariably, the largest of them is the Poznań motor show - Poznań Motor Show. This year's edition (April 9-12) has just gone down in history, marked by another success of the organizers. The April weekend at the Poznań exhibition center was of course dominated by Polish premieres of automotive concerns . The remaining halls have been developed by companies closely related to caravanning - manufacturers of accessories, caravans, campers, rental companies and us - CampRest.com . In addition to the mediocre such as Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Toyota, Ford and Mazda, the event was enriched by Porsche, Mercedes, BMW as well as Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Rolls Royce . Interestingly, in terms of the value of the collected equipment, the caravanning hall was undoubtedly second. The whole event was made more attractive by numerous artistic shows accompanying premieres at individual stands, as well as a large exhibition of classics - not only - of the Polish automotive industry.

Preliminary report from the Motor-Show

Probably each of us (without exception) cannot imagine everyday life without civilization amenities - such as electricity. Thanks to it, we can use electronic gadgets, devices and lighting at any time. Also, when going on vacation with a camper or with a caravan, most people are not able to do without electricity. After all, we have to somehow charge our smartphone or laptop. There are at least several solutions to this "life" problem. As you might guess - the easiest way is in our holiday plans. If you want to have constant access to electricity, it is worth choosing those campsites that provide such an opportunity. For a small fee , the facility administrator will provide us with access to the electricity network, if possible. On some campsites, electricity is included in the total price . There are, however, more developed solutions. More often found in Western Europe are independent meters standing at each - strictly defined - parking stand. Thanks to that, we will pay only for the energy actually used.

Energy sources on the campground - aggregate, solar panels, network

Even in the times of the past regime - when literally everything was missing - we could not imagine a holiday trip without the help of various accessories. Virtually every driver used primitive, poor quality, delicate and - what is more - hard-to-buy roof racks. The situation is no different today. If we want to take all the necessary things or sports equipment with us, we must use similar equipment - after all, we do not pack a bike for most cars. The market offers a huge number of products to increase the carrying capacity of passenger cars - roof racks, those mounted on the towbar, and even the boot lid . To sum up: every lover of active leisure will find something for himself. Nevertheless - also on the accessories market it is very easy to find a Chinese or other product that does not meet any quality standards. For this reason, for your own safety, it is better to pay more accordingly and decide to buy accessories from a reputable manufacturer .

Westfalia accessories - safety and functionality

There are many ways to implement your caravanning passion. Most people start their adventure by renting equipment, paying a few hundred zlotys for a few days of use. The next - seemingly natural - step is to buy your own camper or caravan. When buying a new product, we can count on some discounts obtained from the dealer. In the case of used equipment, the situation is a bit different. The final sale price depends not only on the seller's initial valuation, but also on the interest in a given offer or the technical condition of a given item.

How to negotiate the price when buying a used camper or caravan?

Passion, to which we devote a lot of our time and money, has an important place in our lives. Also, caravanning is no exception to this rule - it is one of the most demanding hobbies and ways of spending free time. As we have already mentioned several times - amateurs of active rest have two options to pursue their interests. The easiest way to spend your vacation with a motorhome or caravan is to rent equipment . There are companies all over Poland that specialize in renting mobile holiday homes. All you need to do is make an appointment, choose the right model and settle the bill . The second option is to buy your own equipment - new or used. When choosing this option, we must take into account the service expenses that may await us. Years of use, or even a temporary inattention of users, may damage the upholstery . Of course, in such a situation, we can commission a repair to a specialist or try our hand .

Upholstery repair costs

The entire automotive market has changed enormously over the past two decades. Drivers are very eager to buy kombivans - passenger cars that can also be used as small vans. These extremely popular designs also appealed to active people. The spacious interior will easily accommodate a lot of luggage and holiday equipment. No wonder that there are numerous accessories on the market designed specifically for caravanning enthusiasts. It has been known for a long time that German companies are leading players on the caravanning market. Their innovative products make life easier, and in the case of the Ququq solution, they also allow you to transform a popular kombi van into a two-person bedroom with a field kitchen in a few moments. In cars such as Volkswagen Caddy, Fiat Doblo, Dacia Dokker, Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, Renault Kangoo or Opel Combo , the luggage space and interior length allow for many configurations and arrangements.

How to convert a passenger car into a camper in a minute?

The purchase of a new motorhome is almost always associated with an expense well exceeding PLN 100,000 - this amount increases significantly with the growing expectations of the customer. A caravan is a much cheaper alternative to a well-equipped motorhome. The only obvious requirement for such a choice is a car suitable for towing a trailer of about 1.5 tons. In the Hobby catalog, we can find, among others, the Excellent model. The trailer received a single-axle chassis. Of course, while driving, we are assisted by an overrun brake . The white body has been varied with stickers - the customer can opt out of them if he wishes. In the front part of the trailer there is no box - usually mounted on a drawbar. Place for gas cylinders is provided in the built-in lockable compartment . Contrary to the structures from years ago, the gutters used to attach the vestibules almost do not protrude beyond the outline of the car body. It is worth adding that users have a closed vestibule at their disposal.

Hobby Excellent - a trailer for everyone

There are very few Polish serious motoring events. Undoubtedly, the largest of them is the Motor Show, organized for many years in Poznań, where many world brands present their novelties and products. In addition to a dozen or so interesting Polish premieres, we will also be able to admire the entire hall intended for extraordinary projects, reconstructions - in a word, tuning at the highest level at your fingertips. It is also worth mentioning hall no. 3, which will be occupied by producers (and exhibitors) related to caravanning.

Things will be happening again in Poznań!

Caravanning markets in North America and Europe are very different from each other. Completely different customer expectations and different travel conditions contribute to the shape of the offers of leading manufacturers. In the old continent, campers that provide at least sufficient usable space are the most popular. Basic models, built on the basis of delivery plates, constitute a small part of the total sales. Customers eagerly reach for more extensive integrated motorhomes . We can find such equipment in the catalog of every European manufacturer. For example, the German company Knaus offers us the Van I model . The shapely shape of this motorhome in no place resembles the popular delivery car ( Fiat Ducato ), from which the supporting frame, mechanics and chassis are derived. The large-area windshield attracts attention, as it not only improves visibility while driving - when parked, it perfectly illuminates the interior, making family meetings more enjoyable. Unfortunately - it is positioned almost completely vertically, thus it is exposed to stone impact , which often forces the owner to replace it.

Knaus Van I - more space

The motorhome market is full of products tailored to the various expectations and financial possibilities of customers. After all, not every caravanning enthusiast needs a camper with an alcove, full-size bathroom or a separate seating area. For some customers (with lower requirements and a more modest budget), the manufacturers have provided compact motorhomes, built on the basis of classic vans. One of the models available on the market is the Westfalia Columbus . For most of us , the German manufacturer is mostly known for a truly tourist variation on the Volkswagen Transporter , created for active tourism. As it turns out - the brand's portfolio is much wider. Columbus, like most motorhomes similar to it, was built with the use of Fiat Ducato . From the outside of a small motorhome, it is distinguished from a standard delivery vehicle by unique stickers, vents, numerous tinted and tilt side windows , as well as a retractable step .