You’ve heard of a mobile home… Now introducing, the mobile lodge
It looks like no other caravan, and the reason is simple – it has been specifically designed that way. In only a few short months on the market, the Mobi Lodge has changed the way people think about caravans, and caravanning.
Company founder Marius Ras was frustrated when searching for an off-road caravan with the living space of a large road caravan. Inspired by this, he applied the design principles he had used to make mobile sound stages to create an expandable caravan.
The end result is a mobile home that is compact when towing, but grows to 12m² when set up in Camp Mode. To the basic spec, he added design features such as generous ground clearance and a chamfered rear to improve off-road ability, and he cloaked it all in a sleek aerodynamic body to make it both stable and fuel-efficient. In addition, the Mobi Lodge can be customised and various features such as air conditioning and solar panels can be added.
‘Caravanning,’ says Marius, ‘will never be the same again, and the company’s biggest challenge right now is meeting demand.’ A new production line will come on-stream shortly and the aim is to double production capacity at the Middelburg, Mpumalanga, factory. But that won’t come at the expense of quality, and they will continue to use top-quality components.
‘The Mobi Lodge represents a major step forward, providing those who like to get out with a home that is easy to tow, yet spacious and comfortable once pitched. It really is a home away from home,’ says Marius.
CHANGE IS KEY
The sliding bedroom is central to the Mobi Lodge’s exceptional interior spaciousness. Using a specially developed bearing system, the bed area slides out 1.4m and is then supported on adjustable stays. This Camp Mode set-up can be achieved in minutes.
Progressing to Rally Tent Mode is equally simple, and adds a spacious veranda. This can easily be enclosed to become a full tent, to which an additional two rooms and a veranda can be added. In this mode, the campsite becomes a full outdoor home, measuring almost 64m²!
THE NUTS AND BOLTS
Some of the key features of the Mobi Lodge:
• Sleeping compartment slides out 1.4m from the side of the caravan, greatly increasing the interior space
• Permanent island bed with deluxe double mattress
• Direct-flow gas geyser
• Fully equipped 2.3m² bathroom in the nose area (shower, chemical toilet, basin)
• Fold-out kitchen area with two-plate gas hob, microwave, fridge/freezer and separate wash-up area
• Modular tent design for adding side panels and creating extra rooms
A Mobi Lodge caravan is supplied full-house, which includes linen, kitchenware, camping chairs, electrical leads and all water pipes, so that camp can be set up in minutes. Pricing starts at R319 000.
To find out more, call 082 899 9999 or visit www.mobilodge.com.
Photography Courtesy images
(This article was first published in the winter 2015 issue of AA traveller magazine)
