jb6981 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 When this turned up everybody on the campsite was gobsmacked. It is German, a company called Rotel Tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 First saw them on a French camp sit about 20 years ago, your one seems to be missing the kitchen trailer. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 We saw a similar work of art in the upper Rhine Valley a few years ago. After worries that it was mass immigration it turned out to be a touring group of keen cyclists who travel to scenic rides and meet up back at the coach at the end for a party and maybe even a bit of kip eventually! Must admit they were having a whale of a time and it looked like great fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 As Lenny said, we also saw this many years ago in France on a camp site, with the kitchen trailer :looks like you sleep in box! don't fancy it myself When we saw it the coach was also red. We had to move pitch so that the site could accommodate this monster PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheer lunar-see Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Yes, I remember seeing one of these in Greece with the kitchen trailer, and he was made to back onto a small ferry, like a landing craft, as the arrival point was not good for reversing off the ferry. The driver was brilliant, and made it look easy. That was a long time ago in the early 80s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the general Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 They get about saw one in Scotland ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanS Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 We have seen this 'coach hotel' each year in the Loire on the same site. The trailer houses all the bikes and the kitchen is the first locker from the front where various sections slide out. The other lockers house the long tables and numerous chairs for the entourage. The people who are on the tour appear to be very keen cyclists who wear the full racing team kit and are out most of the day - I should imagine when they get back to their 'box' they just crash out. The tour guides are very slick at breaking it all down and storing items away ready for the off the next day. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Thety have been around for a long time. Our 1st encounter was in Scotland in summer of 1972 or 1973. All sleeping pods & kitchen in a trailer as long as the coach. Feet first entry into the sleeping pod was hilarious, I think it must have been their 1st night of the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 We came across a Rotel Campercoach at the Acsi campsite in St Emilion in June 2014. We wondered why the site info said they were" popular with coaches" and then it arrived! It was not towing a trailer and it had a pullout kitchen in one of the underfloor lockers.The guests were mainly German women of a certain age but we were shown their brochure showing tours in most continents and were told the more far flung trips attracted a younger clientele and not just Germans. We expressed interest in their trips in South America but have yet to follow it up. The tour guide then offered us some of their evening meal as they had a surplus. We readily accepted as did our neighbouring Irish campers but the others we spoke to declined being suspicious that anyone would offer something for nothing. Nowt so strange as folk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 This is awesome. Want one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 euroserv - 2016-05-04 11:38 AM This is awesome. Want one. To add to your rental fleet (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Reminds me of the "Sleeping Pod" hostel-type accommodation being offered in Japanese cities. I think you would need to be japanese-sized and immune from claustrophobia to cope with sleeping in one of these! We were parked outside a Chateau in France last year and got blocked in by one of these -e were in no rush so we watched the arrival of the cyclists, the serving of the meal etc - all very jolly and German-style sociable. Each to his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 We thought it was an interesting/cheapish/safe way to travel to different places like South America provided no one snored! And you do not mind meat and potatoes for dinner says my wife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 euroserv - 2016-05-04 11:38 AM This is awesome. Want one. Just wait until you have to empty the cassette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I cannot imagine there are separate commodes in each pod so presumably each one has de-bunk and search for it at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 AliB - 2016-05-06 1:04 PM euroserv - 2016-05-04 11:38 AM This is awesome. Want one. Just wait until you have to empty the cassette. AliB. I hope you are not trying to start a gassing thread are you? 8-) :D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Obviously they have a sense of adventure as they certainly don't fanny around doing the usual tourist spots. http://www.uniqhotels.com/rotel-german-bus-hotel http://www.rotel.de/ http://www.gizmag.com/rotel-hotel-on-wheels/14625/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 When we looked at the Rotel brochure it reminded us of the Minitrek brochure in the mid to late sixties selling similar tours to the "Hippy minded" and advertised in such devious publications as Exchange and Mart and Time Out! Some of their tours could be done in a 52 seater coach rather than a LWB LandRover they used but in places further afield they had a good reputation as the guides loved their job and the country they were guiding. Now in our late sixties our concern is how can you leave your "sleep capsule " in the middle of the night for a wee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordie01 Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Seen one at Abbey Wood a few years ao with the kitchen trailer seemed a slick operation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodach Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Saw one many years ago with a kitchen trailer at John o' Groats site. They ate outside under a canopy. Fortunately the weather was good unlike normal J o' G storms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 We also saw one of these (an earlier model, obviously) on a campsite on the south of France many years ago - from which disembarked hordes of kids....I guess it's for sleeping only though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirles Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Saw something like this at camping Fucina near Venice in 1994 but had the kon-tiki logo on it. Not sure kon- tiki tours exist anymore. Certainly a cheap way to see Europe, but you must have to be a fairly sociable type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 My daughter did an overland adventure trip during a gap year, from London to Katmandu (Nepal) and they went in an army-type off road lorry which carried them (on benches) and lots of camping gear. They stayed in hostels and even hotels sometimes, but sometimes they camped in isolated areas such as dessert, under the stars. They had to travel from London to Dover by public transport because it is illegal (except for the military) to carry passengers in the back of a lorry - and thereafter they did the whole journey perched on wooden benches. The left UK in February and as they got to Romania they were driving through snow, on ice. No heating of course but it warmed up soon after, as they got into the Middle East. Their route had to take account of which countries would let them in after their passports showed they had been through Israel and when they got to Pakistan the females has to dress with a full covering robe - which my feminist daughter really resented. From her viewpoint it was the worst and most humiliating element of the trip - but fortunately she seemed to manage not to say that out loud until after she had left that country. The roughing it in squalid accommodation and camping in the wilderness she took in her stride. It was mostly young people on the trip but there was an "old couple" (in their fifties!) who apparently took it all in their stride. The rough terrain would have made mincemeat of even a German built coach-type vehicle, so it had to be a tough military lorry. Good character-building stuff but not my cup of tea - well not nowadays anyway. I like my motorhome's proper shower, comfortable bed, twin TVs and air conditioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Maybe interesting on TV tonight. MORE 4 @ 18:50 George Clark Amazing Spaces. Double decker coach into pod hotel for 20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.