A POP UP YOU'VE NEVER SEEN- The FERNWEH MOBIL

[trailnewt]

Thanks for posting this! Looks like a nicer pop up camper for my style of camping than anything else I've seen. I spent the last hour looking through their website: Maybe you can answer a couple of questions.
1- It doesn't appear that they include a refrigerator, though it looks like a Engle type electric ice chest would fit on the shelf by the back door. Is that what you have planned?
2- They seem to offer an "insulation" kit. Do you know what that is?
3- A camper for a "single-cab" truck is $4,000 EU more expensive than for a "double cab." Any idea what the difference is? Shorter overhang?
4- I couldn't find a picture of the latch mechanism for the tilt top. Is it on the inside of the camper?
Thanks again,
Brent

 

[escadventure]

Hi Brent, maybe I can answer your questions.

1- they do offer a fridge, and it does fit where you saw it in the pics. It is a chest style fridge, I don't know which brand. Personally, I don't plan on being on any camping trips of more than a week or so for probably the rest of this year, so I'm planning on using a Yeti for awhile then upgrading to an Engle fridge later.

2- They install some sort of upholstered insulation on the interior. It's hard to explain, but it gives the inside a cozy feel. In my opinion nicer than wall paper board or paneling. As mine gets that far, I'll try to post some pics of it. Also they offer an extra insulation curtain around the cab over bed, which the builder says always kept him and his wife warm enough to not need their heater. I'll be getting that. And I might add an insulation cover to the inside of the tent area something like the U.S. builders do.

3- In Europe usually the single cabs have longer beds than double cabs, so the single cab camper would theoretically be longer, thus the higher price. In reality they will build it to whater length (of the main body of the camper- not affecting the cab over dimensions) you want. They are building mine 9 inches longer than the double cab camper.

4- the latch mechanisms are mounted on the inside.


We'll be stopping in this weekend to check progress on our camper and talk about custom cabinet dimensions.

 

[trailnewt]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I am definitely looking forward to your pictures as the project progresses!
Do they have anyone who can correspond in English?
Brent

 

[escadventure]

The company is run by a married couple. The guy speaks some english and the wife is quite fluent in english.

 

[escadventure]

Update on the Fernweh Mobil camper build

Went to visit the builder last weekend to see progress on our camper.

The inside of the roof is finished out. Wires are for swivel LED lights.

Outside of roof is set up with rail mounts and ready for the 150 watt solar panel. Roof is rated to hold 100lbs.

Back of the camper. Galvanized steel ladder, aluminum jerry can mount for the heater fuel supply, and door frame are in place.

Interior build in process. Decent looking flooring is in, insulation and upholstered wall covering is roughed in

 

[trailnewt]

Looks Great!
I'm curious about the black material that can be seen on the inside of the roof and walls in your March 21 post. Sound deadener?
What sort of insulation do they use under the upholstery?
Planning a diesel heater? Will it be piped directly from the jerry can?
Brent

 

[escadventure]

Thanks Newt.

The insulation- to use very laymans terms, because I don't know any better...- it is rubberized foam. Something kind of strong like you might use for a shop floor mat. It's probably around 3/8 to 1/2 in thick. Glad to see they didn't use that flimsy poly styrene white stuff.

They offer a bezin/diesel heater and will be setting up the camper for that, although not installing the heater during this build. I plan on installing it this fall. Just to break up the cash flowing out of my wallet... It will he plumbed directly to the jerry can. So in a pinch the heater fuel can be used as emergency reserve fuel for the truck.

 

[escadventure]

More progress on the Fernweh Mobile

Interior build in progress - the all fiberglass cabinets and benches

 

[escadventure]

Progress Update on the Fernweh Camper

A few more pics on the camper build...

Closet door installed in the front wall of the camper. The closet is nine inches deep and runs the width and height of the front wall. I expect to be able to install much of the onboard electrics as well as some food and clothes. All completely out of the way of the living space. Also in this pic you can see the installed upper bed deck (folded up). In fact you can see how the bottom of the cabover is not truely flat but actually slightly arched to add strength to the design. This is one of the many little details which led us to choose this camper.

Here is the extended upper bed. In the European style, it is a boxspring of interconnected wood slates suspended from the side rails. A bit more comfortable than just laying the mattress on plywood.

A bootom view of the upper bed. You can barely see, the cabover part of the boxspring is also slightly elevated and suspended by the side rails.

 

[bob91yj]

Very cool build. Nice that you have pics along the way. Keep it up, looking forward to some trip reports!:sombrero:

 

[escadventure]

A bit more progress on the Fernweh camper

A quick progress report:

Sandplate nount is installed

Beadlock awning mount for our Howling Moon awning is installed

And a bit more progress on the cabinets

 

[escadventure]

BUILD UPDATE - NEARING COMPLETION

Ok it's nearing completion and starting to look like something we can comfortably live in. Kind of exciting ( with the small downer of realizing the time is drawing near to shell out the greenbacks to qualify as the owner...)

The upholstery is done and this is the top bunk extended. My wife chose the "anthracite" material. There was never even the hint that I had a say in the matter of color choice. Not even the facade of a dialogue about it...

Another interior pic

Another interior pic. We like the open-ness of the interior. The only tall cabinet is by the back door, so even though it is really sized for a Taco size truck, it feels big and open. Yet lots of storage under the bench seating all around the cabin, and of course the cabinets on the left side.

A pic of the table down in bed configuration without the cushions so you can see the set up. Not the best pic but you get the idea how roomy it is...

We're hoping it'll be done in the next couple weeks.

 

[Sock Puppet]

That looks really, really great! Congratulations!

 

[escadventure]

Fernweh camper build complete!!

Got an email from the factory today. Camper build is complete. Waiting for the check to clear so we can pick it up.

They sent a few pics of the finished exterior:

 

[geordie4x4]

Nice, very nice.
Wish we had someone in Australia that would build something like that.

Bet you can't wait to get it on the truck and get out for a first camping trip to test it out.