When we began planning the project "Cultural Trip along the Roman Roads” in 2011, the question was of course how the year-round travel activities could be implemented, as the overnight stays and of course daily life itself should be always take place as close as possible to the project locations, i.e. to the people, and internationally and in summer and winter.

It was therefore obvious that the best way to carry out this undertaking was with a caravan. This is how the first contact with Fendt-Caravan came about at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf in 2011, where we “inspected” various structures and extensions and weighed up the advantages and disadvantages.

The search for the jack of all trades

An active supporter of the project planning at his time was Roland Schmidt from the Goethe Institute in Izmir, who said, not without reason: “Your journey on the Roman roads should bring people closer to each other - through exchange, accompanied by cultural events - and it should, for example, with the medium of “blogging”, creating contacts beyond the borders of the countries travelled, generating local income and thus at least reducing migration.” The term “blogging” was almost something like an oracle or, better, a prediction.

It was already clear back then that we were looking for a mixture of a well-equipped lounge with comfortable overnight accommodation, a bathroom with shower, a well-equipped kitchen, good heating with insulation even in the winter, fast internet and a mobile multifunctional room, i.e. also an office. You could almost say that we were looking for the jack-of-all-trades - “that only has advantages, satisfies all needs and meets all demands”. But it also became clear that we definitely had to make some compromises.

Further project preparation was to take another two years, as organization and “procurement” took a long time. So it wasn't until 2013 that we came into contact with Fendt-Caravan again, which had brought the Fendt Saphir Scand model onto the market, a variant that largely corresponded to our objectives, as the vehicle had hot water heating, underfloor heating, stronger thermal insulation, and was more complete Kitchen with oven and grill as well as plenty of storage space. Discussions with Mr. Thomas Kamm, marketing manager at Fendt-Caravan, resulted in a solution very quickly and unbureaucratically, which continues as a partnership-based business relationship to this day. A solution for connecting to the Internet was also found with the company Ipcopter. Now it shouldn't be long before the project starts, because the project opening was also our thank you to the Goethe Institute Izmir for their upcoming “Celebration of 60 Years of the Goethe Institute Izmir”. So, the first tour went from Mertingen to Izmir.

Tight descent in Kavala and snow in Thessaloniki

Once again, the quality of the Fendt Caravan vehicles was evident on this first tour, not only due to the technical equipment of the chassis, which knew how to overcome all the hurdles very well, no swaying even if it sometimes got tricky when we got to the steep, narrow ones Departure in Kavala, the kitchen also left nothing to be desired. The bathroom was large enough to be able to shower properly, although our wish at the time was for a transversely installed bathroom. Later, when there was snow even in Thessaloniki, it became clear how pleasant the hot water heating and underfloor heating worked, especially in the transitional period. In short, the Fendt Saphir Scand always demonstrated its technical reliability, its timeless design and its proverbially comfortable living space, which was only confirmed by the many guests who repeatedly took a seat in the seating area along the way. Surely everyone is already waiting for this: But…. And actually, it comes.

No objection or problem at all for traveling, living and living there, even over a period of initially planned 3 years. Even when the extension was due to the great success of the project work, we were immediately ready to continue the trips, which were initially restricted and then ended by Corona and the associated travel restrictions.

The “but” always became apparent when our laptops were used when guests visited the vehicle for project presentations and/or almost business discussions (Caravan Fair Istanbul), which of course were only possible to a limited extent in the seating area. Of course, the Saphir Scand was not designed for this and there was hardly any need for mobile living and office space at the time.

But times are changing, as are the demands on workplaces due to Corona, just to bring the term home office into play. The desire for flexible open space with a presentation monitor, a workstation at the PC with a desk, microphone and camera for blogging often came to the fore: in short, the working conditions had changed, and so had the requirements. The question of self-sufficient travel supported by solar technology and continuous internet connection became increasingly important.

After the “experience” of the prototype Tendenza 650 SFD during this year’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, our first comment to Mr. Thomas Kamm was: “Were we too early with our project trip?”

World premiere at the Caravan Salon 2023 in Düsseldorf

“With the ‘Work’ and ‘Connect’ caravans, we are opening up a world full of possibilities in which innovation and freedom go hand in hand. Our aim is to change the way you live and work and to offer you a completely new dimension of mobile life and work,” says Fendt-Caravan Marketing Manager Thomas Kamm.

The combination of high-quality equipment, intelligent networking and ergonomic design sets the new caravans clearly apart from conventional models. The rooms become multifunctional work and living areas that can be seamlessly adapted to individual needs. This innovative concept opens up unimagined possibilities for business travellers, digital nomads and creative people who can now work productively, network and enjoy the freedom of mobility while traveling.

“Customers can look forward to a completely new way of traveling and working that is characterized by comfort, flexibility and the latest technology,” reports Hans Frindte, commercial director of Fendt-Caravan.

The caravans not only offer an efficient working environment, but also an inspiring ambience that promotes creativity and increases the quality of life. The integration of equipment partners allows users to revolutionize the way they work while experiencing the unparalleled feeling of freedom and adventure. The new caravans are more than just vehicles - they are mobile living spaces that enable a completely new way of traveling and working.

We will stay on the ball and see whether we can make the step from prototypes to series production, the need is certainly there. We are already looking forward to more information on the way to the series.

Those interested can find further information at adfendture.com.

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