As the appetite for outdoor tourism grows throughout the world, many accommodation providers and campsites are working hard to realise new ways in which to meet the demand.
In recent years, many manufacturers of recreational vehicles such as caravans and motorhomes have begun to produce larger, more mobile home-like accommodation options to help people enjoy open-air tourism and to help campsite operators offer places to stay that require less administration and installation.
This has not only been happening in Europe, but also in the United States, as Winnebago Industries-owned brand Grand Designs recently revealed its Foundation RV.
Designed to be a semi-permanent installation, this large RV looks and feels much more like a mobile home than it does a caravan, including a host of high-end home features.
“It’s easy to imagine the path,” said Matt Eppers, Product Manager at Grand Design. “Someone discovers camping with a small trailer like a Transcend, upgrades to a fifth wheel like a Reflection as they start travelling more and eventually finds either the perfect seasonal or year-round site they never want to leave. With Foundation, that same customer can stay with a brand they love without compromising on the comfort, design and quality they’ve come to trust.”
Grand Designs has partnered with GE to include a full range of appliances in the Foundation, including a refrigerator, a full-force range burner, residential-sized oven, a large microwave over the range and a dishwasher with a sanitation cycle.
It also features residential-sized queen and king bed options, motorised roller shades, an electronics drawer for storage and charging of devices, a three-stage water filtration system, a full fibreglass, one-piece TekModo roof, and a two-level external deck.
Matt Eppers continued: “We asked ourselves, ‘what does the customer want?’ and put an intentional focus on residential features and finishes, as well as comforts and aspects that are different than what you’ll see in the competition.
“It was time to enter this space and put our own spin on it,” Eppers says. With a clear directive, the Grand Design team set out to create a destination trailer like no other, with residential comfort a priority.”
Debuted at the Florida RV Supershow at the start of the year, the Foundation is another indication that the boundaries between the RV and mobile home markets are becoming more blurred as holiday makers and holiday providers strive to grow the open-air tourism market.
All images © Grand Design RV/Winnebago Industries
