Ultimate mini-camper

[mumkin]

I don't recall seeing this posted here although the article is from 2011, and I can't really tell if these are Class B or Class C. They are a maximum of 11 feet long by 6.6 ft high... by Japanese auto rules.

I want one... I think it would fit in my underground parking garage.

Japanese kei camper

[Davydd]

When we went to England and Wales, Wales especially, I would have been uncomfortable even in a Class B van I think. Many of the roads they called highways were not even 16 feet wide and in Wales they had stone walls with tight to the highway with no aprons. Commercial trucks, buses, etc. had 4 x 4 steel tubes welded to the frame used as a rub guide gauge on the stone walls.

[Bill_Lynch]

Not everybody wants the hugest, fattest thing possible...

[Fastpaddler]

RobertRyan wrote:

Fastpaddler wrote:

gerrym51 wrote:
You know what i think. I think the people in Japan and europe wish they had our rv's.

I agree. Those little grinders would drive us all nuts. Noisy and uncomfortable. I have seen B Rvs RVs from Canada in Tokyo during the 1980s when i was working there and the Japanese loved them. But you have to have a parking spot for a vehicle and there is the rub!!!Plus the Japanese tax the pants off our vehicles ie US cars are an anomoly there.

These Mini Motorhomes, somewhat larger are killing Caravan sales in Europe.
Other reasons why the Japanese do not buy US vehicles and tax is not one of them. They are buying more and more European ones though.

Yes. Probably because they are more compact. Length, width and height are big concerns on Japanese roads, especially off the autoroutes.
AL

[RobertRyan]

Fastpaddler wrote:

gerrym51 wrote:
You know what i think. I think the people in Japan and europe wish they had our rv's.

I agree. Those little grinders would drive us all nuts. Noisy and uncomfortable. I have seen B Rvs RVs from Canada in Tokyo during the 1980s when i was working there and the Japanese loved them. But you have to have a parking spot for a vehicle and there is the rub!!!Plus the Japanese tax the pants off our vehicles ie US cars are an anomoly there.

These Mini Motorhomes, somewhat larger are killing Caravan sales in Europe.
Other reasons why the Japanese do not buy US vehicles and tax is not one of them. They are buying more and more European ones though.

[Fastpaddler]

gerrym51 wrote:
You know what i think. I think the people in Japan and europe wish they had our rv's.

I agree. Those little grinders would drive us all nuts. Noisy and uncomfortable. I have seen B Rvs RVs from Canada in Tokyo during the 1980s when i was working there and the Japanese loved them. But you have to have a parking spot for a vehicle and there is the rub!!!Plus the Japanese tax the pants off our vehicles ie US cars are an anomoly there.

[mumkin]

RobertRyan wrote:

Bill.Lynch wrote:

mumkin wrote:
....the English at this RV show was odd unless they are marketing these units to Australia or New Zealand - which is a possibility that I hadn't thought of when I first posted about it.

Or India?

No not in Australia or New Zealand, way too tiny, Local builder AVIDA is launching several 35-40ft models in 2015. 23-28ft is the range of European based Motorhomes here.

There were a few decent sized units at that show... not all of them were so tiny. I doubt that there is much of a market for RVs in India since there are, as yet, few (any?) organized RV parks.

And Robert... The first time I ever heard the term "hoovering" was from a Brit overseas. So it isn't that common in the US. But we of a certain age do still "xerox" our paperwork even though the copy machine is a different brand. Even many Americans use the term Winnebago for any "motorhomes."

[mlts22]

Bill.Lynch wrote:
Hymer is coming to America

That would be cool if they did. Last time I checked, they were at best watching the waters, but had no real interest in stepping in. One problem I read is that Truma (their main supplier of furnaces and other items) refuses to do business in the US (other than selling a propane level gauge), so all of Hymer's products would have to be re-engineered for appliances sold in the US.

As for roofs on the Sprinters, Sportsmobile offers a pop-top in the Sprinter, but only the low-roof, 144" wheelbase model, and not the longer ones.

[bar_20]

So why does MB allow European RV manufactures to cut the roof on the Sprinter Van but not North American manufactures without losing the warranty. RT can't even put the three windows in front. They have to use vinyl stickers.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/142848619404300843/

[RobertRyan]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
:B

Wow, Robert-

I must ask:
Do you have some kind of webcrawler that notifies you whenever someone says "Australia" here at RV.net? 😉

Francesca you know I can Channel thoughts:) Actually using the search button is an easier alternative. Seems a lot is happening locally. From what I have heard everything from ABS for Caravans to very new construction techniques.

[Bill_Lynch]

Hymer is coming to America

[Francesca_Knowl]

Oops- hit the button twice!

[Francesca_Knowl]

:B

Wow, Robert-

I must ask:
Do you have some kind of webcrawler that notifies you whenever someone says "Australia" here at RV.net? 😉

[RobertRyan]

wincrasher65 wrote:

timmac wrote:

MickD wrote:
Japan has a lot of interesting offerings to the RV world.

click

I bet the quality of those RV's are a whole lot better than here, if those started to hit our shores we could see some America RV builders shut there doors to lack of sales, maybe this is what is needed to shake up the RV world..

:E

I agree completely. Think the European RV's would do very well here. Lot's of ingenious features and attention to detail. Price wise might be a shock for Americans though. Americans still love the cheap, no matter how shoddy the RV really is. Winnebago has several models that look influenced by their overseas operations (mainly Australia I think). Those folks down there have alot of interesting ideas for RV's too.

The biggest thing, I think working against the European style RV is the use of cassette toilets. That would have to change. I have a Dry Flush toilet I use on my boat and in a small tag-along that works very well - it uses a bag system (search it on google). Otherwise a regular commode and 10 gal black tank would have to be fitted.

Correction AVIDA the new name for Australian Winnebago HAS and I will emphasis that NO CONNECTION to the US Company. They AVIDA will be bringing out models labelled "Winnebago" in 2015. With the disclaimer these are not associated with the US Company. You are correct in saying US Winnebago has been influenced by AVIDA models and also the German HYMER company.
"Winnebago " is a generic name for a large Motorhome in Australia , like Hoovering means vacuum cleaning in the US.

[RobertRyan]

Bill.Lynch wrote:

mumkin wrote:
....the English at this RV show was odd unless they are marketing these units to Australia or New Zealand - which is a possibility that I hadn't thought of when I first posted about it.

Or India?

No not in Australia or New Zealand, way too tiny, Local builder AVIDA is launching several 35-40ft models in 2015. 23-28ft is the range of European based Motorhomes here.

[Bill_Lynch]

mumkin wrote:
....the English at this RV show was odd unless they are marketing these units to Australia or New Zealand - which is a possibility that I hadn't thought of when I first posted about it.

Or India?