Polycomposit campers from France

[haven]

I took notice when Doug Hackney saw a Polycomposit camper in Peru and called it his favorite design that fits into a shipping container. Here is more information about the campers and the company that designs them.

Polycomposit is a French firm that uses composite materials to mold campers of all shapes and sizes. The company web site, with models and
current price list, is in French: www.polycomposit.com

Some are designed for smaller vehicles common in Europe (Hi-Lux pickups, VW T5 Transporter cab/chassis, and so on), and others are designed to fit the European light and medium duty 4x4 chassis, such as Land Rover, Iveco, MAN and Unimog chassis. There are lots of interior options, too.

Some Polycomposit designs have a fixed high roof, like a typical USA RV. Others have a pop-up top. Some sit atop a pickup bed, and others are designed to be attached directly to a truck chassis.

Here are a couple of variations on the theme of 4x4 truck, with pop-up roof:

light pickup:

Land Rover 130 double cab

cab-forward medium duty 4x4 (this one definitely won't fit into a container)

and here's the vehicle that Doug saw in Peru

See lots more of Doug's photos of this and other expedition vehicles he
has encountered on his visit to South America here:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10612&page=21

Chip Haven

 

[HMR]

Thanks for posting this.
I looked at the website but my French is even worse than my English...

Does anyone know of a N. American distributor for these things?

:drool:

 

[HMR]

:Wow1:

 

[whatcharterboat]

Polycomposite

Hi Chip, Thanks for those. Do you know anything else about this vehicle?

My Francais is about the same as HMR's and so I didn't get far on their site. I was wondering if the dark blue section at the front of the camper was removable for facilitating cab tilt or if it was fixed. Body mounting would be intertesting too.

Also is this a Nissan??? Not something I have ever seen here but it sort of looks Japanese.

Regards John

 

[DiploStrat]

Sent 'em an e-mail ...

suggesting that they join this thread if they have an Anglophone on staff.

Let's see what happens.

UPDATE: Got an e-mail from the president of Polycomposit - he is trying to scare up someone with enough English to answer.

It the meantime, The blue Nissan "Cabstar" 4x4 is his and he is of to Libya to play in the sand in November.

 

[DiploStrat]

Interesting Link in English

French family in Alaska last month with their Land/Poly AND and trailer!!

http://www.globetour.fr/accueil_framesENG.htm

 

[ExpoMike]

Man, these things rock. Wish there was something like these in the US. I like the fact they replace the bed on a pickup. Looks more purposeful and I am sure you get some added space.

 

[DiploStrat]

Possible, but perhaps pricey?

If you go to the Outfitter Camper (they make pop top truck camers) website, you will find a link to some Brits who ordered a camper in the US and had it shipped to the UK to put on their Nissan pickup. (Which they then drove to South Africa.)

Dig around on the Polycomposit site - they make "cellules" for US pickups and I'm sure they would be glad to ship you one. The best formula would probably to:

-- Contact Polycomposit about what you want.
-- Pick your truck and have it delivered w/out bed.
-- Fly to France to finalize your design (w/out electrics or LP gas, for example to avoid problems with voltage and gas fittings).
-- Enjoy the south of France.
-- Have the beast shipped back to your home in the US.

Can't say if this would be cost effective or not.

 

[Lynn]

-- Contact Polycomposit about what you want.
-- Pick your truck and have it delivered w/out bed.
-- Fly to France to finalize your design (w/out electrics or LP gas, for example to avoid problems with voltage and gas fittings).
-- Enjoy the south of France.
-- Have the beast shipped back to your home in the US.

Can't say if this would be cost effective or not.

I think it could be considered close to cost effective if you wanted to do an extended tour of France/Europe/the world, in which case you would probably be thinking of shipping costs already. Or, at least, justifiably cost effective

I posted a variation on this theme a while back when someone was bemoaning the fact that we (US) can’t get a 4wd crew-cab Fuso:

--Buy 2wd crew-cab truck
--Build camper
--Ship to converter (someone with access to OEM 4wd parts, like in Australia)
--Once truck is complete, fly to converter country
--Set off on your country/continent/world tour
--Ship it back.

And, end the end, have a US-legal 4wd crew-cab Fuso-based camper.

It seems to me that if you were planning on using the vehicle for an international expo anyway, then the shipping cost is offset (versus shipping it just for a conversion). You just have to ship early. Way early.

With the international membership of the site growing, this approach might be more reasonable than ever. I don’t want to speak for someone else, but as an example we have at least one member here who is involved in building expo campers on Mitsubishi trucks. I’ll bet international Expo members like that could really help out with logistics, if nothing else (and should be well compensated for their services).

 

[DiploStrat]

Write him an e-mail

There are long discussions possible about the benefits of using a US version of a Japanese/European vehicle vs. simply going with a US beast. (US versions are often almost totally different/US vehicles may or may not be better - you may still need to ship in parts in any case.)

Whether you go with a US built truck or a US legal import, shipping the beast to Valance and then letting Polycomposit fix it up might be a lot of fun, especially if followed by a Euro/Africa/Asia trip.

Shoot Jacques CONTRE [polycomposit@wanadoo.fr]an e-mail, he is, as he puts it, "passionate about sand!" (je suis un passionné du sable!) Sounds like just the sort of kindred spirit that would be easy to work with.

 

[jerdog53]

Very interesting!

 

[Zorro]

I speak both french an english, if anyone needs any specific stuff translated lemme know, I'll be glad to help!

 

[mhiscox]

I speak both french an english, if anyone needs any specific stuff translated lemme know, I'll be glad to help!

Thanks for that great offer. It's embarrassing that so few of us speak any language beyond English, so it's a real benefit to have you offer to help us investigate the Polycomposit campers, which certainly seem promising.

 

[LukeH]

Just down the road

Hello everyone. New here.
I've been lurking for quite a while since Charlie (unimog/Unicat) linked from the HUBB, which I've followed for years now.
I was inspired to register when this thread popped up, and it's taken me this long to actually get round to it (oops). I brought up Polycomposit when a friend asked about downsizing from his Mercedes to a Canter; and it kind of ties in with the subject here.
Here's the link:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/4wd-overland-tech/mitsubishi-fuso-fg-canter-4x4-39213

If I can be of help for anyone who wants to find out more about a Polycompsit box/rig, it would be a pleasure.
Cheers for now,
Luke

 

[haven]

Polycomposit, the French manufacturer of innovative campers, fell off the web for a couple of years. I think they may have been victims of the economic downturn that forced many recreational vehicle manufacturers into bankruptcy.

The name Polycomposit is back, now associated with a manufacturer called RB Mobile. If I remember correctly, the original Polycomposit had a facility near Paris. RB Mobile is located in the south of France, between Lyon and Avignon in a town called Valence. I don't know if the original Polycomposit staff is still involved in the business, but the designs offered seem to be the same.

Polycomposit has three product lines, suitable for pickup or cab/chassis
-- Mangue, fiberglass box campers for light and medium chassis
-- Dynamis, fiberglass popup campers, narrower than Manque models
-- Grand Large, extra long versions of either Manque or Dynamis designs

Here's the Polycomposit design that Doug Hackney came upon while traveling in South America. Doug said this is the best camper he has seen that fits into a shipping container

View the new website (in French) here http://www.polycomposit.fr I found that Google Translate does a fine job of rendering the text into English.

RB Mobile says they will have an exhibit at the Paris Air Show in October. Anyone going to the show?