funflair
LIFE MEMBER
Well not really a Grand Tour but we decided to attend the annual Niesmann+Bischoff factory bash at Polch in Germany, the event is the first weekend in November and is open to all comers, no booking is required and no money changes hands, you don't have to arrive with a Niesmann van but beware you might leave with one.
We travelled for the first time on the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry as it is closer to home and was cheaper than the Hull crossing, also being Amsterdam it means we can have a few nights there on the way home, the ferry was nice and level to get onto and the selection of things to eat was better that the Hull crossings so all good.
As I missed Dusseldorf show this year I was feeling in desperate need of my annual fix of looking at nice vans and really fancied calling in at Vario-Mobil to see what they had in the showroom, they responded very quickly to my e-mail enquiry and confirmed showroom stock. To cut a long story short we had a lovely drive through the Netherlands to Bohmte near Osnabruck where the Vario factory is.
At the factory we were met by an English speaking sales and deliberations guy and he took us into the factory while they finished washing the Star 800 as it had been out on a road test. The factory was very interesting as they hand build everything to your design so no two vans are ever the same. The chassis work is in one area and the body in another, all the external surfaces of the Vario are fibreglass which for the sides comes in on a big roll and is vacuume pressed to the foam insulation before being bonded to the front and rear moulding and finally painted, all in house. Once the body is built they manufacture the interior furniture from a tree, all to the customers design including full wood veneer locker doors with the grain matching all around the van. When they are happy with everything it all comes out to be sprayed with lacquer. Finally the vehicle is trimmed in your choice of soft furnishing and you pick it up from the factory, YES these are not the cheapest vans in the world but you are getting something very special that you can design yourself right from the start.
If you want a look Broken Link Removed
After visiting the factory showroom we could have stayed outside their gates but they suggested the guard dogs might keep us awake so we moved about 20 miles down the road to Lotte and stayed behind the tennis hall.
On next destination still on the way to Polch was Durwang at Dortmund a big dealer for the Hymer and N+B marques, the showroom puts our UK offerings to shame and had a large stock of Hymer group vans at sensible prices.
Lots of used vans outside.
This one is a rare Hymer liner built in the N+B factory on an Iveco chassis to a Flair layout but with Hymer mouldings and cupboard fronts.
We travelled for the first time on the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry as it is closer to home and was cheaper than the Hull crossing, also being Amsterdam it means we can have a few nights there on the way home, the ferry was nice and level to get onto and the selection of things to eat was better that the Hull crossings so all good.
As I missed Dusseldorf show this year I was feeling in desperate need of my annual fix of looking at nice vans and really fancied calling in at Vario-Mobil to see what they had in the showroom, they responded very quickly to my e-mail enquiry and confirmed showroom stock. To cut a long story short we had a lovely drive through the Netherlands to Bohmte near Osnabruck where the Vario factory is.
At the factory we were met by an English speaking sales and deliberations guy and he took us into the factory while they finished washing the Star 800 as it had been out on a road test. The factory was very interesting as they hand build everything to your design so no two vans are ever the same. The chassis work is in one area and the body in another, all the external surfaces of the Vario are fibreglass which for the sides comes in on a big roll and is vacuume pressed to the foam insulation before being bonded to the front and rear moulding and finally painted, all in house. Once the body is built they manufacture the interior furniture from a tree, all to the customers design including full wood veneer locker doors with the grain matching all around the van. When they are happy with everything it all comes out to be sprayed with lacquer. Finally the vehicle is trimmed in your choice of soft furnishing and you pick it up from the factory, YES these are not the cheapest vans in the world but you are getting something very special that you can design yourself right from the start.
If you want a look Broken Link Removed
After visiting the factory showroom we could have stayed outside their gates but they suggested the guard dogs might keep us awake so we moved about 20 miles down the road to Lotte and stayed behind the tennis hall.
On next destination still on the way to Polch was Durwang at Dortmund a big dealer for the Hymer and N+B marques, the showroom puts our UK offerings to shame and had a large stock of Hymer group vans at sensible prices.
Lots of used vans outside.
This one is a rare Hymer liner built in the N+B factory on an Iveco chassis to a Flair layout but with Hymer mouldings and cupboard fronts.
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Vario are something else....
so all is well and the Hymer order is safe.
