Mehrzeller Camper Prototype in Düsseldorf |
Tuesday, 02 September 2008 |
Quickly
now, name a cool camper, caravan, trailer, motorhome or RV. Indeed, the
only thing even close to cool in this category is a something retro.
But this may be changing. Forget the 1973 Winnebago Mini Winnie, forget
Shasta Airflyte, forget even the shiny retro Airstream, because a new
generation of caravans is just being introduced at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf (August 30-September 7, 2008)
Visitors to Europe’s biggest camper show are getting a first look at the prototype of Mehrzeller,
a completely customizable trailer. While RV designers and manufacturers
the world over were nodding off at the wheel, Theresa Kalteis and
Christian Freissling, two students at Austria’s Graz University of
Technology’s faculty of architecture, decided to make a move. Their
thesis project on “mobile living solutions” under professor Peter
Schreibmayer was going to be not just a theory; it was going to become
reality and something that will change the world of trailers.
They
made the very simple assumption that the people who know best what the
ideal camper needs are the people who will use it. On the Mehrzeller’s
project website, the designers explain (in German) that when their
“configurator” interface is fully functional in the spring of 2009,
potential buyers can input their data and wishes, and order their
unique Mehrzeller camper online. The name Mehrzeller can be translated
as “moreceller,” i.e. something with more cells. The name is fitting as
the pods or units that form the Mehrzeller in various configurations do
look somewhat “cellular.”
The production will be based on the
principle of mass customization, and production costs will not be
significantly higher than those of standard campers. The basic
architecture and design parameters remain the same, while the customers
get to choose pretty much everything else. Using the configurator
interface, they input the number and age of the people and animals that
are going to be using the camper. Then they input the usage of space —
eating, sleeping, cooking, working, entertaining, relaxing and so on —
and the relative importance of each function. The system will then
determine the floor plan and generate a 3D rendering. Next, the buyers
select the materials and appliances. The program then calculates the
price and creates the production specifications.
Mehrzeller
will most likely move forward, and not remain just a crazy one-off
prototype, because it has the backing of such heavyweights as BMW, 3M
and many others. If you cannot catch the camper in Düsseldorf, you can
see it at the Caravan Salon Austria, held in Wels October 15.-19, 2008. By Tuija Seipell (via squob)
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