Germany’s ABT, best known as a high performance car tuner and motorsports sponsor, is now entering the RV market. We have transformed the Volkswagen T6.1 into a very attractive camper with an exterior body kit, a 4-seater floor plan and both indoor and outdoor cooking capabilities. Rather than entering new markets alone, we work with experienced motorhome converters to transform your Volkswagen commercial midsize van into a warm and comfortable motorhome.
For years we’ve been quietly searching for ABT’s Volkswagen Camper. But the version we wanted was not just a regular van, but a camper based on his all-electric T6.1 e-Transporter ABT co-developed with Volkswagen. It seemed only natural that his ABT e-Transporter would be one of the first electric campers on the European continent, but with an ID. Halfway through the buzz, Volkswagen discontinued it before the camper version even came out. This is probably the best result, as it is much lower than the NEDC figure of 248 miles (400 km) that was previously reported.
Instead of an e-camper, ABT launched the first camper in its 125-year history with a 209-inch (530 cm) long wheelbase T6.1 powered by a 148 hp diesel engine. It’s called XNH, which stands for “Explore New Horizons,” a moniker that would suit any camper, but the ABT e-Transporter camper van might be a better fit.
ABT
ABT concentrates on the van’s exterior and electrical systems, leaving the interior floorplan to campervan van specialist Vaning GmbH to keep the lane. The body kit includes a foil graphics package featuring side, front and rear skirts, a new front grille and topography contours. Between the skirts are his ABT bolts on 18-inch glossy black wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.
We love the graphics on the Topo, but the real highlight of the XNH is on the other side of the sliding door. Veening contrasts the white of scratch-resistant high pressure laminate (HPL) furniture bases with the surfaces, surfaces and trim of natural wood drawers, turning what could be a cold, clinical interior into a homely space. Keeps you warm. Sheep wool provides natural insulation inside the walls of fiberglass panels.
ABT
A 3-seater rear bench slides flat into a 79 x 51 inch (200 x 130 cm) double bed, and a second 79 x 42 inch (201 x 106 cm) bed lowers from inside the pop-up. Upper bunk roof. The bench doubles as the main seat for the removable indoor dining table, and the passenger seat swivels as his fourth dining space.
The small XNH has separate indoor and outdoor cooking areas, making it a big cooking powerhouse when it comes time to eat. Inside, the main kitchen block behind the driver’s seat houses two his induction hobs, a 45-liter Dometic refrigerator, and a brushed stainless steel sink with an oak chopping board lid. A 10 L fresh water tank supplies water to the sink and a second 10 L dirty water tank receives water at the other end.
Outer side-by-side drawer units under the tailgate hold a portable Primus Tupike gas stove on the left and a Eurobox-sized storage slide on the right. An included ax mounted inside helps prepare firewood and kindling.
ABT
ABT draws on its experience developing automotive-grade electrical systems to power the XNH more than your average VW camper van. The system includes a 1,900 Wh Clayton LPS II lithium power station with a 230 V outlet, a separate 75 Ah AGM leisure battery, and a 350 watt roof-mounted solar array. That system powers the aforementioned induction cooker and refrigerator, as well as LED lighting and outlets throughout.
The XNH is a Volkswagen camper van all-around package, but we’re not sure if it’s worth nearly €138,900 (approximately US$148,000). It’s about double the price of some Volkswagen midsize camper vans and well worth it. electrified. It certainly packs more style and potential than Volkswagen’s own California 6.1, but €60,000 more?!
ABT seems confident that the price is reasonable enough to sell 500 limited XNH vans, and that’s what is planned. Leisure and travel show in his F.re.e. Munich this week.
Source: ABT
