Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and the Erwin Hymer Group have finalised a framework agreement, paving the way for the delivery of 6,000 Crafter panel vans that will serve as the foundation for a range of camper van models. Alexander Leopold, CEO of the Erwin Hymer Group, and Lars Krause, who heads sales and marketing at Volkswagen, signed the agreement, with the manufacturer set to begin deliveries in 2024.

Lars Krause commented: “We are delighted to have gained the Erwin Hymer Group as a new partner that will offer its own camping solutions using our vehicles as the basis. We see the Crafter panel van as a benchmark in its class. It offers plenty of space and great flexibility for a wide range of solutions and is a first step in our collaboration. We are also looking forward to discussing further projects for other vehicles, such as the Crafter chassis and T6.1 successor.”

Volkswagen and Hymer agree on Crafter

Caravanning has emerged as a lifestyle trend appealing to individuals of all ages, with younger demographics and families particularly drawn to the freedom and flexibility offered by compact camper vans. This growing interest is evident in the rising popularity of camper vans across Europe; in 2020, camper vans accounted for 44% of motorhome registrations, climbing to 50% in 2021 and reaching 54% in 2022.

Mercedes based Hymer camper van will be joined by Volkswagen model
A current Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Hymer camper van

Alexander Leopold added: “With the Crafter as a base vehicle, we are in an even better position to meet the strong demand for powerful and compact camper vans. In addition, we can very well imagine joint projects with our partner VWCV in areas such as alternative drive systems, for example.”

Phil Huff
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