Winter holidays in a motorhome are no longer such a big adventure these days. Thick sandwich components for the body and additional foam insulation keep the cold out, and if all the water pipes are laid inside the warm interior and the fresh water and waste water tanks are heated, the living room stays cozy even when the temperature is in the two-digit range below zero thanks to the forced air or hot water heating. The situation is different with panel vans, which naturally struggle with thermal bridges on the removed body. However, a camper comes from Sweden whose manufacturer tests functionality down to minus 35 degrees. Kabe is the name of the Scandinavian brand that, in addition to partially and fully integrated motorhomes, has this panel van in its range, called the Van 690 LB. It is 6.97 meters long and tailor-made for two, based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
To avoid thermal bridges, the Swedes put a complete cabin with a double floor in the cargo hold of the Sprinter. Small plastic balls are then blown into the cavities, forming an insulation layer up to five centimeters thick. Well, we weren’t in deep winter, but it was noticeable that despite the low outside temperature of six degrees, the interior climate stayed at a pleasant 19 degrees without heating. The living area is tempered with an Alde hot water heater, which can heat up properly with additional convectors in the driver’s cabin. It can be operated not only with gas, but also with electricity. Optionally, it draws one to three kW from the electrical connection of the campsite or parking space, depending on the fuse.