That's right - just stretch out your hand and press a button, and after 45 seconds, a car that looks like a regular Volkswagen T5 will extend and rise upwards. The Danbury Motorcaravans vehicle is a bold cross between a van and a motorhome. Although the British invented the Doubleback version, it is not the first construction of this type in the world. Previously, telescopically enlarged vehicles were used in the military. The difference, of course, is in the application. Doubleback was developed for completely peaceful purposes - thanks to it we can go on a picnic and relax almost as well, as in a motorhome.

Volkswagen T5 - Doubleback

So finally we managed to move on to the European stage. After touring around half of Poland on Friday, taking care of the last things, and playing with electronics on Saturday, we finally set off. By us, I mean myself and Dominica, who will accompany me to Marseille. On Friday, thanks to Teo, we managed to find some space on the car's roof. Such a trip is one of those moments where every scrap of space makes a difference. Especially that I couldn't leave my shisha, already famous among my friends, at home.

Through Europe and Morocco with putty

Holidays are a thing of the past, but we still remember hot days, warm water and the sun that made our skin brown. Let's go back for a moment to the landscapes straight from the catalogs of tourist offices and let's breathe the sea breeze. Let's take a trip of the imagination to Turkey. Antalya is waiting for us - the city nestled in the bay of the same name, lying at the southern foot of the Taurus Mountains. It is the beautiful and proud capital of the Turkish Riviera . Antalya is one of the most famous Turkish resorts. Apparently, at the peak of the tourist season, the city's population increases to as much as 2 million people. Therefore, it is not a place made for contemplating the sound of the waves and listening to the squeals of gulls. It is a resort for those who want to live the vacation of a lifetime, have fun until they drop, and enjoy all the entertainment options available. And they have adequate funds for it - on the main pedestrian street of the city, Atatürk Caddesi , there are two rows of buildings with boutiques of renowned companies, and expensive hotels cover almost the entire coast line.

Antalya - Turkish Riviera

We have described the most spectacular vehicles that have visited the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf in a separate article. However, the largest trade fairs in Europe are dominated by vehicles that are much less effective, but more practical. The Hobby brand has changed the Hobby Siesta motorhome series. 12 variants of this vehicle are already on sale. They are available at a price of approx. 40 thousand. euro. Customers can choose the Siesta Van models, in which the cargo space has been converted into a relaxation area, Siesta - higher and longer than standard models, and Siesta Alkoven - with an additional sleeping area above the driver and passenger area. None of these vehicles exceed the permissible total weight of 3.5 tons. The width of the narrowest models is 2.18 m, thanks to which the Siesta can also cope with narrow streets. The novelty is also more modern interiors in light shades of beige and gray.

Caravan Salon 2013 - continued

The camping vehicles of the German brand Morelo are usually integrated vehicles, resembling small buses. But the Palace Alkoven model is different. The fact that it was based on the MAN TGL truck is a very important difference. You may ask, what's the difference? After all, it is actually a car with an alcove above the driver's cabin, and there are many of them on the market. However, this angular vehicle has something that sets it apart. Despite the apparent integration, the driver's cabin is in this case completely separated from the camping area. This necessitates a slightly different use of the car, if only because the driver has no contact with the rest of the vehicle .

Morelo Palace Alkoven - a bit different than all of them

The organizers expect that the currently ongoing Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf will attract a total of 160,000 people. visitors. 570 exhibitors from 22 countries show their products in and around nine exhibition halls. Two trends can be noticed during the fair in Düsseldorf. On the one hand, manufacturers are trying to offer smaller and lighter versions of their motorhomes and caravans, on the other - luxury vehicles, even more expensive and even better equipped than in previous years, are sensational. Technical innovations are also popular, such as controlling the on-board equipment of a motorhome with a tablet.

The largest caravanning fair is taking place in Dusseldorf

Weinsberg produces caravans and motorhomes in van, semi-integrated and alcove versions over the driver's head. Let's look at the latter option. All Weinsberg motorhomes are based on Fiat Ducato. There are three drive units to choose from - 2.0 l., 2.3 l. And 3.0 l. Multijet. We have six body versions. The shortest 600 MG model is available with one interior layout. The 650 MG model comes in three variants, and the longest 700 MX - in two. This already shows which version the manufacturer pays the most attention to, probably expecting that the "medium" version will be the most popular. The permissible total weight of each model is 3.5 tonnes.

Weinsberg motorhome - lots of different interiors

Going on vacation does not have to be off-line. More and more often we want to have Internet access in our place of rest. Fortunately, this is possible both in a motorhome and in a caravan. There are more and more offers on the market aimed at drivers who would like to "catch" the Internet in their car. There are, for example, car navigations using the Internet provided by a mobile phone. In addition, we can easily buy, for example on Allegro, an antenna that can receive a signal from public Wi-Fi networks.

Wi-Fi internet in a motorhome or caravan

We decided to relax and today we invite you on a trip to Amsterdam - the city of tulips, coffee shops and many cultures. Of course, we are going to the Netherlands in a camper because driving on the local roads is a real pleasure. There are many routes and they are usually well marked. What you need to be especially careful about, however, is the speed at which you are driving. Speed cameras and the police do not forgive anyone, and the penalties are severe. Exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h. threatens to confiscate the car, take away the driving license and take the case to court. Detailed regulations regarding traveling in the Netherlands can be found on our website: Road traffic regulations in the Netherlands .

Amsterdam - the city of freedom

Our journey began right after the end of the Warsaw Orange Festival at the end of May. We left Warsaw around midnight, the first destination was Cavallino in Italy, from which we were to get to Venice by public transport. We got there after about thirteen-hour journey through the Czech Republic and Austria. We spent the first Italian day enjoying the sea and local wine. The next morning we went on the bus to Punta Sabbioni, from where we took the vaporetto to Venice. I think that the idea of getting to Venice in this way was very good because for buses and trams in both directions, we paid more or less as much as for the parking in the city of lovers. In addition, accommodation at the campsite is several times cheaper than any sleeping place in Venice.  After two days in Italy, on the third day we had a trip to Croatia. We did not have any specific plans for the rest of our holiday, we arranged everything on a regular basis. On the way, we decided to go to Pula.

Croatia via Venice

When we got up on August 15 in the morning, nobody expected that the first day would be full of surprises. The weather was bad, it was cloudy and rainy, and we had to hand over our bus to a mechanic to fix the first failure that delayed our trip by several hours. When we were finally complete, in the evening we set off towards the border crossing in Zwardoń. We spent the first two days in Austria , where we saw the tourist town of Villach, visited the Alpenarena - the famous ski jump complex, and even rested on one of the Danube's tributaries - the Drava River.

By Melangebus around Europe - Balkans - 6500 km - 11 countries

Niesmann + Bischoff GmbH is a German company that currently offers only two vehicles. They are fully integrated Arto and Talent motorhomes . Let's take a look at the cheaper one. There is a reason to dedicate an article to the Arto model. In the plebiscite of The Motorhome Awards 2013, this motorhome won the title of Luxury Coachbuilt Of The Year 2013 . Although what you like is a very subjective issue, let's agree that beauty is not the greatest asset of this vehicle. It will be undisputed that the appearance is original. It is impossible to find any connections with the Fiat Ducato it is based on, and it is easy to distinguish it from other motorhomes.

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Volkswagen T5 - Doubleback