Raisins from the factory of legends - camper van Westfalia Joker and Sven Hedin

We do not need to introduce the Westfalia brand to anyone. For 60 years of operation, this iconic factory has already produced 550,000 motorhomes. Virtually every next series of motorhomes immediately becomes a benchmark for the competition and a market hit.

Westphalia's specialty has always been "campervan" motorhomes, i.e. "tins" based on most popular vehicles - from Ford, through Fiat, smaller and larger from the VW group, and even on the platform of the new Mercedes Sprinter. Today we will look at two model lines on VW and MAN chassis - namely Club Joker and Sven Hedin .

Westfalia Club Joker City - universal fighter

Westfalia Club Joker are serious motorhomes - contrary to the name given perversely by the manufacturer. This line includes two variants marked City and High Roof.

The City model is a more "urban" version of the standard Volkswagen T6.1 with a short wheelbase, additionally equipped with a pop-up sleeper roof. As standard, the car is powered by a 150-horsepower 2-liter diesel unit, and the drive is transferred to the front axle. The curb weight of the motorhome is 2400 kg, and the DMC reaches 2800 kg.

In the optional 4-Motion version, the permissible weight of the car increases to 3,200 kg. You can tow a trailer weighing up to 2000 kg. The length of the vehicle is 489 cm and the height is 199 cm.

Of course, such dimensions must be associated with a certain compromise in terms of space inside. However, those who think that this is another cliché project, which are many on the market, are wrong.

Here (literally) every practical aspect is thought out to the smallest detail - the German manufacturer has already got us used to it.

And so, at less than 490 cm long, we will find a wide range of amenities as well as excellent quality materials and finish. There are 4 places to ride and a double, comfortable bed in the raised sleeping roof .

On board there was also a place for ... a bathroom with a toilet. Although it is not physically separated from the living space, it is hardly expected in such a small area.

The motorhome takes 32 liters of clean water on board and has a tank for 42 liters of gray water.

The Joker City is a successful combination of an urban warrior and a motorhome for everyday use. We can even drive it to underground car parks, and if necessary, we can turn it into a house on wheels at any time.

Westfalia Joker High Roof - a full-fledged motorhome

Club Joker with a raised roof is, in turn, a "pure" motorhome based on the T6.1 base in the LONG version with a proprietary Westfalia construction.

GVW in this case is 3200 kg, and the total length is 529 cm. The higher roof, of course, translates into an increased height of the vehicle (it is 280 cm), but it also provides space for free movement around the vehicle.

The space from floor to ceiling is between 184 and 212 cm, depending on the room. When traveling as a couple, we simply use the pull-out bed at the front of the motorhome - without having to rebuild / modify anything.

A mattress with disk springs will ensure the quality of sleep at the highest level.

We also have a fully functional bathroom module separated by a door and a practical kitchenette with all amenities. The clean and gray water tanks are 70/70 liters respectively.

Optionally, in the Joker and Joker City models, an additional double bed can be ordered in the living room, which, if necessary, will allow a larger group of travelers to stay overnight. Original, indirect interior lighting and ports for charging mobile devices have been thought of - this is an important convenience.

In terms of design, both Joker models follow the latest trends. White and beige shades contrast and complement the interior with black, wooden front veneers and silver and aluminum accents. It is a successful, modern combination that will appeal to most potential customers.

Sven Hedin - motorhome for every trip

The legendary Swedish explorer, after whom the model is named, actively explored the farthest corners of the world, including Tibet, the Himalayas and the Silk Road.

This unique expedition motorhome is not the first model with this name to leave the Westfalia factory. Its ancestor was Sven Hedin produced in the 70s on the basis of the LT28.

The currently offered vehicle measures less than 600 cm in length and 267 cm in height and is characterized by a classic layout with a transverse bed located at the rear. It is worth paying attention to a few details and patents that, apart from the exemplary quality of workmanship, distinguish this model from the competition:

• Great layout of the bathroom separated from the living area by a door, with a perfectly sealed wet zone.
• The bed in the back is equipped with extremely comfortable springs in the Froli system , it also has a flexible height and allows you to carry even larger luggage and equipment (e.g. bicycles), and thanks to the open space under the bed, also skis or windsurfing boards.
• The kitchen, next to the 2-burner bathroom and plenty of cupboards, is equipped with a 70-liter slide-out fridge
• Important details in the bedroom: the side at the back electrically extends the bed surface (pop-out), and at the very end of the vehicle there is a suspended cabinet for the entire width of the motorhome - this significantly increases the "luggage" volume.

MAN TGE, on the basis of which this motorhome is built, is taking the market by storm thanks to the excellent driving characteristics and high working culture of the drive units - 2-liter engines with a power of 140 or 177 horsepower are available in versions with 6-speed manual gearboxes or 8-speed automatic gearboxes .

Heating is provided by a floor heating system based on glycol, powered by diesel fuel with a power of 4.8 kW - of course with a boiler. This is an economical solution and means that we only use gas for cooking - hence the space for a 2.5-liter cylinder.

A clean water tank with a capacity of 100 l and a gray water tank with a capacity of 84 l, as well as a battery with a capacity of 95 Ah complete the factory configuration. DMC is 3.5 tons, and the load capacity is according to manufacturer's declaration 498 kg.

The official representative of the Westfalia brand in Poland is the Elcamp Group . In addition to selling vehicles, the dealer is also an authorized service partner of the brand. Their current offer of available vehicles can be found in their profile in the CampRest company database, in the DEALER tab: https://camprest.com/pl/firmy/elcamp/dealer .