Frankia Platin 7900GD - motorhome for PLN 800,000 - CampRest test

Imagine a camper whose basic equipment allows you to simply get in, start the engine and set off on a multi-month journey. Without the need to equip it with any additional devices.

Imagine a luxurious camper commonly called a "Liner", but still in a compact size, not resembling a huge cruise bus. This is the PLATIN model produced in the German FRANKIA factory.

I had the opportunity to test this camper for 3 weeks with my family at the turn of 2019/2020. We drove this camper about 2,500 km on highways and very winding and steep mountain passes, we traveled around large cities and villages, and we spent wonderful Christmas and New Year's Eve in this camper.

A camper in a color other than white

At first glance, Frankia Platin stands out from other campers due to its color. Originally named Silver-ARROW, it looks more like a creamy coffee arrow, but overall it looks very nice. Additionally, this varnish does not show much dirt, which can accumulate on long winter routes.

Mercedes camper

I believe this is the only correct chassis that fits this vehicle.

The 190-horsepower 3-liter engine with a seven-speed automatic gearbox guarantees great driving satisfaction and copes without any problems even on steep climbs when fully loaded. The permissible Gross Weight (GVM) of this vehicle is 5.5 tons.

The quiet and high-class engine operation makes traveling in this large camper a great pleasure and the driver does not even think about when he will reach his destination.

This camper simply floats along the road, but the Mercedes suspension ensures that the vehicle does not sway from side to side, and even on a winding road it drives very confidently and easily.

When driving in the mountains, however, I lacked a retarder that would be responsible for braking the vehicle using the engine during long and steep descents.

A large camper, but still in compact dimensions

Another thing that distinguishes this camper from other very luxurious campers is its dimensions. It is very spacious inside (passenger space height is 2.03 m) but the external dimensions are still slim. The total length of the tested model is 8 m, which means that most campsites will have no problems with entering and setting up on a standard pitch. As is commonly known, it is not always easy to obtain large plots at campsites, especially during the peak season.

During our test, we did not have any situation in which we had to give up a stop due to parking problems in various parking lots, campsites or camper parks.

The external height is 3.1 m (without air conditioning) and at this height you have to pay attention to the height of the viaducts under which you drive.

5.5t GVM is also a huge plus here, because most entry bans for heavier vehicles only start from 7.5t.

Twin wheels on a single rear axle are another advantage, because higher tolls on most roads are caused by a larger number of axles, and it is certainly more pleasant to maneuver with a single rear axle in tight parking lots.

The twin wheel also behaved very nicely on a snow-covered campsite and that's probably why we didn't have to put any chains on the driveways at the campsite where other front-wheel drive campers had them.

The quality of the interior

Frankia has specialized in building campers over 3.5t since 1960 and since 1973 has been building campers on Mercedes chassis with rear drive, which is generally quite a challenge due to the drive axle that runs from the engine to the rear axle.

Users of Frankia campers are rather accustomed to the quality they know from Mercedes passenger cars or other very comfortable cars. Designers and employees from the German factory in Marktschorgast know exactly this and make sure that Frankia's customers feel as good or even better there.

The fact that the GVW of most Frankia campers (except one NEO model) is above 3.5t means that the manufacturer does not have to constantly save on the weight of the materials used. This automatically translates into the use of stronger and heavier wood or thicker aluminum profiles instead of, for example, composite ones.

The joints of each element are specially glued with soft fabric to prevent anything from creaking after the camper travels several dozen thousand kilometers on uneven roads. All upper cabinet fronts are attached not to the wooden interior of the cabinet, but to an aluminum frame that is attached directly to the wall of the camper.

Huge precision right in the factory

No one is in a hurry in the Frankia factory. Production management there is at a very high level and the appropriate amount of time is allocated for each stage of assembly, so there is no way anyone here would be stressed by the fast-paced assembly line and do something inaccurately.

The factory specifically limits the number of productive models to a specific number already at the production planning stage for a given year, because they know exactly how much time they need for everything to come out of the production line with a gem and not a dud.

In 2019, 690 campers left the factory in Marktschorgast, where about 230 people work - that's only 120 cars more than 2 years earlier, but this is only due to the introduction of new machines that improve logistics inside the factory and the production itself without affecting the decline in quality, which is placed first, especially since 1990, when the Frankia brand was taken over by the Pilote Group.

Camper made to individual order

The fact that many elements of the camper are designed and manufactured directly in the factory means that it is possible to individually order not only the internal colors.

In Frankia campers, you can, first of all, order doors and windows in the width and location that suits you. Appropriate height of the bed, kitchen cabinets or complete abandonment of windows on one side of the vehicle? No problem.

Of course, there is no total freedom, because some structural elements must be placed in specific places, but Frankia allows you to make several modifications that are important for the end user.

Campervan insulation

The tested camper was very quiet and well insulated. As I mentioned at the beginning, we traveled in a camper at the turn of December and January in various weather conditions, but the minimum was about -10 degrees and the maximum was about +18. It was usually the coldest at night and that's when we stayed in the camper and didn't feel any discomfort and our kids ran around the camper without socks and in short-sleeved T-shirts.

However, the least isolated place was the cab, or more precisely, the floor under the dashboard. The rest of the cab was insulated very well and the heat curtains, which I will write more about in a moment, blocked the flow of colder air very well.

The double glazing not only in the living area, but also the glass side windows in the cab insulates very well and there was not even any condensation visible on them after the whole night.

The walls and ceiling of the camper are made of GFK (outer side) and aluminum and upholstery (inner side) pressed together at high temperature. Aluminum plays a very important role here in terms of internal acoustics, which I can truly confirm - it was very quiet in the camper until I picked up my wife and two children from the airport...

Alde heating

An ALDE heating system could not be missing in such a luxurious camper, which fits this camper as well as the Mercedes chassis. Noiseless and fanless heating is perfect for winter conditions and does not dry out the air. How it's working?

The heating system contains glycol heated by a 3 kW heater, which circulates throughout the entire camper and gives off the heat to the interior of the camper via radiators located in various places in the vehicle.

The radiators are placed in strategic places where they function as a heat curtain and perfectly block the access of cold air from the windows or the insulated cab.

The bathroom had a place for a standard radiator, the kind you might find in a house, on which you could hang wet towels or clothes so that they could dry quickly - no other heating in a camper would provide this.

All storage compartments and the garage were also heated with radiators, but unfortunately I lacked the ability to lower the temperature in some compartments - this was especially problematic in the compartment where I kept the beer.

The ALDE heating itself has a heat exchanger, which means that when heating while stationary, glycol also circulates in the engine and after starting, we immediately have warm air blowing from the factory air vents in the dashboard. It works the same way while driving - the engine heats up the glycol that circulates throughout the camper and thanks to this we do not use gas for heating while driving - great!

The furnace also operates in two ranges, for 230V mains electricity and for gas, and thanks to extensive settings in the control panel, we can set what type of power supply should be treated as a priority and the computer will decide on its own whether to use gas or electricity.

The same stove, of course, also heats the water in the boiler and does it very efficiently and quickly.

Kitchen in Frankia Platin

Very spacious cabinets above the kitchen and many drawers in appropriate sizes - this is how I remember the kitchen in Frankia Platin, but what charmed me the most was the huge countertop.

The countertop has a stove with two burners and an additional third burner, hidden under the cover, so the countertop is large enough if the third burner is not used. In addition to the burners, we have, of course, a large sink and a small waste bin hidden in the countertop - this is a great solution that allows you to easily throw away the waste generated during cooking. It also made it easier for us to sort bio waste.

On the other side of the camper there is a large fridge with a separate freezer (operating in 3 modes - gas, 230V and 12V). There is a space above the fridge for a gas oven, which can be replaced with a microwave when ordering. Personally, I am in favor of the oven because we can use it without having to connect it to electricity and I am a big fan of crispy toast for breakfast.

Sliding table in the living area

For the first time I saw a table in the living area integrated with the rails on the floor. This is a really great patent that allows you to move the entire table right under the dashboard when you are not using it, thus gaining a huge floor space.

We appreciated it very much, especially when traveling with kids in winter, when we sat inside the camper more often than outside because they simply had a larger playground. Unfortunately, since 2020, Frankia has moved away from this solution. I hope it will come back at least as an option someday.

360 camera

It was also the first time I saw a 360 camera from Dometic installed in a camper. This camera allows us to watch in real time what is happening around the entire camper - it looks as if a drone with a camera pointing down is constantly flying above us and displays the entire camper on the screen.

This works very well when maneuvering in tight parking lots, but it also reduces the blind spot to zero. The image quality may not be as good as what we can get in popular sports cameras, but I think it is sufficient.

See how this camera works when stationary: < LINK >

Stabilizing supports in a camper

This is something I definitely wouldn't give up when buying my own private camper. Especially with such a heavy car, leveling using ramps can sometimes be downright impossible, and this solution gives us great convenience. Just one click and the camper levels itself within a few dozen seconds and remains stable throughout the parking period.

Unfortunately, I was unable to connect to the support controller using a special application that I downloaded to my phone. The application was supposed to work like a remote control and that's exactly what I needed - to be able to extend the supports from the driver's seat. Getting the stabilization to work was quite tedious as it only works while the engine is running. When driving alone, you have to run a little, and when driving with children, make sure that none of them gets behind the wheel. Such remote control would also be useful when performing camper service, because the stabilization system helps empty the gray water tank by tilting the camper to one side.

Service hatch in Frankia campers

In every car, whether a passenger car, a truck or a camper, there are elements of equipment without which it will be difficult to operate the vehicle. In a camper, such basic items are a hose for refueling fresh water and a cable that allows you to connect the camper to electricity when parked.

Frankia used a special service hatch in each of her campers in which these items were permanently installed. This is a great solution because the electric cable extends from the wall of the camper like a cable from a home vacuum cleaner.

The fresh water refueling hose is permanently connected to the tanks and simply unrolls it from the service hatch and connects it to the nearest tap.

Dirty water is also drained from the same hatch by connecting a flexible drain hose that can be connected to the sewer grate.

This is a great solution, but the electric cable could be a little longer because twice during our test I had to use an additional extension cord to connect to the power supply (both times I missed 2-3 m of cable).

Interior lighting

As in many campers, the Frankia Platin also has many lighting solutions. Thanks to the wide range of settings for each lamp, we can illuminate or darken appropriate places in the camper and create appropriate conditions for work or evening relaxation with a glass of wine.

Garage opening from the side and rear

A large garage door opening at the back of the camper and an additional door to the garage on the right side is what distinguishes Frankia from other camper manufacturers. Thanks to these wide doors on the back wall of the camper, we have very easy access to all the things transported in it.

The garage itself may not be very big and at the beginning I was afraid that it would be difficult for us to pack all our things (chairs, a table, 2 additional gas cylinders, a bicycle trailer, a sled and 5 plastic ROBUSTO boxes with a capacity of 50 liters) but everything fit. no problem. Combined with many other compartments where you can hide various things, there is enough storage space.

Huge bathroom, shower and toilet

The toilet and shower are located at the rear of the vehicle just before the bedroom. A large shower with dimensions similar to "home" ones is placed on the right side of the camper, and the toilet and sink are on the other side.

A ceramic, not plastic, toilet proves that the manufacturer really does not have to worry about weight and uses very solid products everywhere.

Above the washbasin there are three cabinets hidden behind a mirror, and what surprised me very positively - in the shelf of one of the cabinets there is a 230V electrical socket, of course integrated with the converter. There are also additional, very deep cabinets under the sink.

As I wrote earlier, there is a standard radiator on the bathroom wall connected to the ALDE heating system.

Clothes cabinets

There is a lot of space for storing clothes in this camper, which worked perfectly in our case. We must have had a lot of different clothes because during our trip we experienced all 4 seasons with temperatures ranging from -10 to +18.

Next to the fridge there is a huge wardrobe with shelves and hangers and a huge mirror on the inside of the door. My favorite wardrobes are under the beds at the back of the camper, because they are pull-out "cargo" cabinets with no standard shelves, but only a bar for hanging clothes. This is a fantastic solution, thanks to which our clothes do not get wrinkled and access to them is very convenient.

Above the bed, there are usually many cabinets placed around the bed, but their capacity is as large as the entire camper.

Sound system

I'm not an audiophile, but I like it when music plays simply well in the car. At Frankia Platin, it is done to the same high standard as the entire camper structure.

The factory MBUX multimedia system from Mercedes was supplemented with high-quality ALPINE speakers and a subwoofer in the living area. This way, high-quality music does not have to be enjoyed only by the driver and passenger, but also by all people sitting in the back of the camper.

This is, of course, standard in the PLATIN model, and the entire sound system is immediately integrated with the television, which is also included in the basic equipment package.

Beds in Frankia Platin

Frankia PLATIN in the GD arrangement means two separate beds at the back with the possibility of connecting them, giving us a huge bed across the entire width of the camper.

At the front of the camper there is an equally large bed, lowered electrically from the ceiling. It can be said that this is a standard solution in many other campers, but Frankia has gone a step further and you sleep on this bed along the length of the camper and not across it, as is the case in other vehicles.

This way, if someone wants to get off the bed, they don't have to jump over the other person.

Of course, each bed uses the Froli system, which we described in this article: Froli. Good sleep in a camper and trailer without unnecessary burden .

Electrical system in Frankia Platin

I am not an expert in the field of electricity and I approach the topic from zero to one, i.e. something either works or it doesn't.

Everything works perfectly in Frankia Platin thanks to the installation made by BÜTTNER ELEKTRONIK, which has specialized in solar systems and electrics for recreational cars for over 30 years.

In the Platina, we receive the highest quality electric package as standard equipment, which allows us to be highly energy independent when traveling and stopping far from civilization.

4 solar panels with a total power of 440 watts, 2 lithium batteries with a total capacity of 220Ah, a 1700W sine wave converter powering each socket with 230V, and chargers with amplifiers ensure that we never run out of electricity on board and that the parking batteries are recharged at an express pace.

A special computer integrated with the entire installation constantly checks the electricity demand of each device in the camper. For example, if we turn on the air conditioning in the living area while driving, the installed booster will provide the appropriate amount of electricity from the alternator to ensure that the air conditioning operates without any problems.

Traveling in a camper with a GVM over 3.5t

As has long been known, the problem of overloading campers with a GVW of up to 3.5t is quite big. We constantly have to limit the amount of things we take with us, and in the end we often travel in a camper that is more or less overloaded...

Overloading a camper may result in, at best, a fine and an order to get rid of excess weight. It may also end with the insurer not paying compensation, who will accuse us of the accident being caused by an overloaded camper (even if it was not our fault).

In the case of campers with a GVW above 3.5t, the above problem does not exist and gives us real peace of mind when traveling - and that is what holidays are all about.

However, we must have a category C driving license, but it is not difficult and the entire course can be completed within 1-1.5 months.

Driving a camper with a GVM above 3.5t also involves additional road tolls in some countries. Unfortunately, each country has a different pricing policy and it is difficult to provide the exact costs of traveling each kilometer in Europe, but I believe that these are not amounts that could influence purchasing decisions. Especially since we won't be doing 30,000 km a month with a camper...

When buying a camper for myself, I will definitely choose a vehicle with a GVM of over 3.5 tons.

Video of our test

At Frankia PLATIN, I liked it

• High quality of construction
• Mercedes Sprinter chassis
• ALDE heating
• Solar and electrical system from BÜTTNER ELEKTRONIK
• Huge kitchen
• The table moves on rails
• Service hatch

I would like it more if

• The name of the owner in the registration certificate was Piotr Kozłowski
• The ALDE heating grates in the floor were a bit stronger - they started to bend a bit during the test
• The driver's seat could have lowered a little more
• The windshield had a little better ventilation
• The Mercedes navigation system already had a map for vehicles with a GVW above 3.5t

Campers from this manufacturer are available from CarGO! from Poznań .

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