Yes, they do things differently in Europe. Forget the usual rear-entry toy hauler arrangement: Volkner Mobil has created space between the axles and equipped its RV with a car-sized hydraulic platform that lowers itself to the ground.

You drive your car onto the platform, press a few buttons, and watch it disappear into the warm, metallic underbelly of the coach. It’s neat and it’s clever. If you’d feel foolish towing a Saturn Vue behind your Class A, this baby is for you.

The smallest model is 35 feet (10.5m) long, but only has enough room for a Mini Cooper. Go up a couple of feet to the next size, and you’ve got room for a Mercedes SLK or Audi TT.

The biggest 40-foot model (12.3m) model has three axles, and gives you considerably more flexibility. Volkner Mobil suggests a Porsche 911, a Jaguar XK8 or BMW 6-Series convertible, or that Maserati Quattroporte. By our calculations, a Chevy Volt will fit too—if GM is still operating in two years.

The other stats are equally impressive. The engine pumps out 338 KW (460 bhp)—and it’s a pusher, as with most US-built Class A motorhomes. Water capacity is an incredible thousand liters, some of which feeds the massage showers in the luxurious bathroom. (There’s underfloor heating, of course.)

Talking of floors, you can specify parquet floors in wenge wood with maple inserts. Or marble floors with granite inserts. Other options include a slide-out external grill and a remote-controlled generator, which is totally enclosed for soundproofing.

It’s all very high tech. So, fortunately, the heart of this RV is the Volkner Brainpilot system. It’s a computer connected by fiber optics to modules scattered around the vehicle, putting everything from the heating systems to the solar panels under your control.

Even before Top Gear happened across this RV, Volkner Mobil was famous in Europe for producing crazy motorhomes for racing teams. Check out the Racing Car Truck: it’s based on a Mercedes Travego coach, and comes with a crane at the back to lift the car into a mini-garage.

But if you haven’t heard of Volkner Mobil, that’s perfectly understandable. It’s a relatively young company, based in the picturesque town of Wuppertal, near the German-French border. It started out building custom trucks for the garbage and construction industries in the 70s, but has since moved on to bigger things.

The price? Don’t ask. Volkner Mobil builds each Performance RV to order. If you’re serious, drop company boss Gerhard a line. Otherwise, enjoy the pictures …

See also:
If you need to haul vehicles in style, check out Airstream’s recent PanAmerica. Open the gullwing door at the back and you’ll find an 11-foot garage with wheel clamps and tie-downs for motorcycles, kayaks and mountain bikes. With a sticker price of $85,000, it’s a little cheaper than the Volkner too.

These awe-inspiring vehicles were designed by the legendary Harley Earl. Their story begins in 1933, when General Motors was persuaded to create a traveling technology roadshow. The first ‘Parade of Progress’ hit the road in 1936, and in 1940 twelve ‘first generation’ Futurliners appeared.

Are they still around? Fo’ shizzle. In 2006, one sold for a cool US$4m at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona, and earlier this year, another was delivered to a new owner in Sweden.

The Futurliners carried up to 90 gallons of gas—oh, those were the days—but the first incarnations only had four-cylinder diesels for motive power.

World War II put the brakes on the Parade, and the Futurliners were mothballed. After the war, they resurfaced in Detroit for another parade, this time commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the invention of the automobile.

In ’53, no doubt embarrassed by the lethargic performance of its dream machines, the General sent the Futurliners back into the workshop. They were rebuilt and upgraded, and the Parade of Progress started up again. This time, the Futurliners had a more appropriate 302 cubes, and four-speed Hydramatics to drive through. But three years later, television provided a better window on the world than the Parade, and GM sold or gave away its Futurliners.

For some of these vehicles, the history is a little murky: most are accounted for, but four are apparently beyond restoration. Much as we like originality, we’d love to see one of these RV forerunners given a modern drivetrain, and a chassis to match the extraordinary looks—top speed in original trim is only around 40mph (65kph). And then perhaps Airstream interior design guru Christopher Deam could weave his magic on the interior …

In fact, one Futurliner has already been converted into a motorhome by a guy called Bob Valdez, who did most of the work himself. Bob put his rig up for sale earlier this year, and if you’ve got more than a million in the bank and a taste for leather, chrome and maroon velvet, it might not be too late to call him.

See also:
GM stunned the RV world again in 1972 with the GMC Motorhome. It’s Thunderbirds and The A-Team rolled into one, a low and sleek sportscoach that was also years ahead of its time.

As you’ve probably guessed, Tonke Campers are not injection-molded by machines. They’re not made in giant factories owned by conglomerates. Instead, Tonke shows how you can marry ‘oldtimer’ materials and aesthetics with thoroughly modern fittings.

All Tonke Campers are hand-built the traditional way by craftsmen. The two- and three-berth interiors are timeless and classy: they’re inspired by gypsy caravans, and the classic yachts created by Dutch boatbuilders in the 1920s.

Gorgeous polished mahogany fittings provide a pleasing contrast to the teak floors. The sinks are porcelain, and the faucets are chrome. The windows are flat, clear and bright. You can specify solid wood doors and enjoy the view through safety glass, not molded or tinted plastic.

There’s a built-in shower and an environmentally-friendly vacuum toilet. The water tank holds 126 liters and there’s also a ‘combi’ boiler for hot water and heating. A large fridge freezer keeps food cool; you cook it using a very solid stove with burners fed by not one, but two gas cylinders.

The overall effect is unusually authentic: it’s rustic luxury. And we can’t imagine a better motorhome for a leisurely meander around Europe, from Holland to Tuscany — with perhaps a stop on the shores of Lake Como. And then, when you get home, you can take the camper unit off the van chassis in 15 minutes. You can put the Tonke’s living area to good use all year round, as a self-contained guest room or office.

Tonke is the creation of Dutch documentary maker Maarten van Soest (pictured) and based in the small town of Wagenberg, around 100 km south of Amsterdam. The company produces two models, the Explorer and the Fieldsleeper, which both meet the EURO 4 emissions regulations.

There are two basic configurations for each model. One gives you a slim but very useful storage slot, accessed from a door right behind the cab. It’s big enough to hold two or three pushbikes — yes, very Dutch — or a baby’s pushchair.

The dinette converts to a double bed, and because it’s at the back of the van, you can leave the doors open and enjoy the feeling of (almost) sleeping under the stars.

The alternative layout offered by Tonke deletes the storage cupboard to create a larger living area, with a permanent double bed immediately behind the cab. And because these motorhomes are hand-made, the opportunities for customization are virtually limitless.

The Explorer is based on the Renault Master van, with a six-speed stick shift and a 2.5 liter diesel with 260 Nm of torque. The longer Fieldsleeper model sits on a VW Crafter or the identical Mercedes Sprinter van chassis. That gives you a range of engine options up to a powerful V6, plus 4×4 if necessary. This is good news for customers in distant lands; Tonke just ships the unit and the steel platform which supports it. You buy a Sprinter at your local dealer, and you have no trouble with car import regulations or huge shipping costs

Although the Tonke is hand-built, it is not astronomically expensive. Prices start at €69,800 ($95,000) for the two-berth Explorer and top out at €85,017 ($115,000) for the Fieldsleeper. If you buy direct from the company there’s a substantial discount on these figures, and you get a thorough warranty covering various parts from two to six years.

We’re convinced, but if you’re not, you can rent a Tonke to try it out. It’ll cost you between €495 ($670) and €920 ($1,250) per week, depending on model and season. (This is a pretty good deal if you compare it to the cost of renting a large sedan in Europe.) The rental campers are booked up for the rest of 2008, but there’s still availability in 2009.

We’re betting that the Tonke will be a success. Around the world, factories squirting out identikit plastic motorhomes are shutting down, but Tonke subverts Brooks Stevens’ concept of planned obsolescence. It’s obsolete already, in the best possible way, and will mature rather than date.

There’s an heirloom aspect to this RV, and in these uncertain times, there’s something reassuring about that.

See also:
Another blast from the camper past comes with VW’s potential resurrection of the iconic Microbus. If you prefer travel trailers, check out our online guide to The 7 Essential Airstream Websites.

At first glance, the new LEV and X-Pedition models look like regular Class C motorhomes. But appearances are deceptive: they’re actually 4×4 ‘light expedition vehicles’, built on Mercedes’ tough Sprinter chassis. They bridge the gap between compact cab-over RVs and hardcore truck-based expedition vehicles.

In the UK, this cab-over style is known as the ‘Luton’, after the grey and unattractive English hometown of Vauxhall Motors. But we prefer to imagine the Weinsbergs in sparkling sunshine, climbing the snow-bound roads of the Swiss Alps, or cloaked in mist while ploughing through thick Scottish peat bogs.

No matter which model you buy, you get the choice of two Mercedes CDi diesels. These turbocharged, intercooled V6 motors are pretty trick: despite being veritable powerhouses, they also meet the EURO 4 emissions regulations.

The 2.2 liter pumps out 330 Nm of torque, while the 3.0 liter boosts that to 400 Nm. It’s good pulling power, enough to put Toyota’s 4.0 liter Tacoma to shame.

The LEV and X-Pedition share six-speed manual transmissions. They also have a reasonable 4,400 lb (2,000 kg) towing capacity—enough to tow the new breed of stylish Euro Wohnwagens such as the Hymer Troll, or perhaps a camping trailer with a couple of dirtbikes.

Both vehicles have ABS. But the road-oriented LEV also gives you the safety gizmos found on upscale automobiles—like ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and ASR (Automatic Skid Control).

The X-Pedition does without the electronic driver aids. It’s more hardcore. It sits 7” (18 cm) higher on its springs, has bigger wheels, and can wade through almost 20” of water. It’s also got a differential that can be manually locked by the driver, and a respectable departure angle of 24 degrees. (Most motorhomes have substantial rear overhangs, but the X-Pedition maintains its offroad cred by having a cutaway design at the back.)

The Weinsberg options list includes a tow coupling and a rear ladder with roof rack and kick plate, which looks rather natty in the press shots. You can also add a Multimedia Package with all the usual entertainment options, including a 17” TV, satnav and a video reversing system.

Tempted? Entry level into this range is nearly as steep as the ramp angles, at around €130,000 ($185,000). But unfortunately for well-off Stateside RVers, Weinsberg only sells the LEV and X-Pedition in Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark.

Still, if you’re planning that Grand European Tour, these are two vehicles well worth checking out at the hire shop.

See also:
If you’re after a smaller but more hardcore camper that you can buy in the US, check out the Jeep-based EarthRoamer XV-JP. And for the ultimate in big expedition trucks, try on a Unicat for size.

The GMC is the muscle car of the RV world. It holds the land speed record for motorhomes, clocking 106mph at Bonneville last year. It’s been immortalized several times as a Hot Wheels toy.

It’s even had a movie career, starring in the 1981 Bill Murray comedy Stripes. But for those of you who grew up in the 70s, the GMC will always be known as Captain America’s van.

That’s pretty remarkable for an RV that only had a six-year production run. But there are many, many remarkable things about the GMC. For starters, it was the first RV created and built by an automaker—and to this day, no other automaker has taken that risk.

GM called the project TVS-4 (‘Travel Vehicle Streamlined, model 4’). For maximum grunt, it dropped in a mighty 455ci V8—an engine that also powered the ’68 Toronado. A claimed 260 horses were fed through a three-speed gearbox to the front wheels; with no driveshaft running to the back axle, this gave the living area an extra-low floor and lots of headroom.

The GMC looked sharp from the start, sitting low on its haunches. But the front wheel drive gave traction problems on uphill grades, especially in heavy rain or snow. Handling was otherwise decent, helped by a low center of gravity and an air spring setup for the four wheels at the back.

You got the choice of a six-berth 26-foot or a (relatively rare) four-berth 23-foot. The sleek styling gave an amazingly low drag coefficient of 0.31, fractionally lower than the contemporary Corvette. And the interior was funky even by 70s standards, designed with the help of House and Garden magazine. The wraparound glass looked cool, but in hot weather the large windows put a huge strain on the roof-mounted air conditioner.

At launch, the recommended prices (sans options) were $14,569 for the 26-foot, and $13,569 for the 23-foot. And what a launch it was: the stock prices of all the other major RV manufacturers fell the very next day. Their vehicles suddenly looked very old. As the GMC sales brochure said, you could now buy a “motorhome that doesn’t look like a box or ride like a truck.”

GM originally envisioned its project as a ‘multi-purpose vehicle’ for extended living. This notion was dropped once the Motorhome was launched, but in 1975 GM did launch an unfurnished Transmode model. Soon, GMCs were being turned into everything from mobile recording studios to laboratories. The Transmode shells were farmed to conventional coachbuilders such as Coachmen.

Towards the end of the production run, limited editions proliferated. Rather strangely, two ‘Coca-Cola’ models also appeared: a standard model in Cameo White with a red horizontal stripe, and a specc’d-up version called the GadAbout.

And then, suddenly, the wheels came off the bus. The fuel crisis may have played a part, but the GMC’s 8 to 10 mpg thirst was actually pretty good for a Class A with a big V8. The bigger problems were rising production costs and the impending demise of the Toronado drivetrain. Major surgery would be required to install a replacement, and GM didn’t have the stomach for it.

In 1977 GM shrank the engine to 403 cubes, but the sticker price by then had soared to $38,000. There was no place for the world’s coolest RV any more: in 1978, the production line in Pontiac, Michigan was shut down.

Some 13,000 GMCs were made in all, and many are still on the road today. Winnebago released a thinly-veiled copy in the late 80s called the Spectrum 2000, and GMC body parts were combined with Revcon mechanicals to create a strange hybrid replica produced by Silver Motor Coach.

Today, thirty years on, the originals are relatively easy to keep on the road. Rebuilt engines are available for around $6,000, and the bodies are made from long-lasting aluminum and fiberglass.

Some owners restore their GMCs to showroom condition, while others update the interiors in superyacht or Airstream CCD style. The only real bugbear is the underlying frame—which could cost up to $10,000 to fix if decayed. But a thriving restoration industry makes it easy to keep the mechanicals in good running order, led by specialists such as Cooperative Motor Works.

GM itself briefly raised hopes for a Mk II Motorhome with the award-winning GMC Pad design concept in 2005 (pictures below). But nothing more has been heard of this. The future of modern RV design probably lies more in the direction of VW’s acclaimed 2001 Microbus Concept.

There are plenty of GMC links to stoke your appetite, from Flickr sets to extensive histories. The best GMC fansite of all is probably bdub, with its archive of GMC brochure eyecandy and a thorough GMC FAQ for newbies. If you’re hankering after a GMC for yourself, keep an eye on eBay or the big RV classifieds such as rvt.com.

Just remember to set aside $20,000 on top of the purchase price, and then you can create a personalized RV that looks like it’s just rolled off the set of The Jetsons. A much better—and cheaper—proposition than a 40-foot white box with cheesy graphics.

See also:
Almost three decades earlier, GM released the mind-boggling Futurliner. A restored example sold for a cool US$4m at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona in 2006, and you can see why.

The question is, which cars are safe to use as dinghys, and which ones will smoke their fancy schmancy auto transmissions faster than it takes you to smoke a doobie? Unless you enjoy poring over owner’s manuals, you need the free 2008 Dinghy Roundup PDF from MotorHome Magazine. It not only tells you which vehicles are safe to ‘flat tow’, but also what precautions you need to take—such as getting a Neutral Tow Kit fitted by your dealer in the case of Ford, or letting the dinghy car engine idle for a few minutes every 500 miles in the case of Nissan and Infiniti models.

There are some surprises to be found: most RVers know that the humble Saturn Vue has long been configured for towing, but few know that the current Hummer H2 is perfectly towable too, all 3 tons of it. Honda, long popular with RVers, now has a CR-V officially sanctioned for towing, so you don’t need to worry about busting that Warranty any more.

Check out MotorHome’s Dinghy Towing Basics page for more advice and links on hooking up when you’re on the road.