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A German auto supplier has created a $360,000 off-road RV meant to look like a 'Scandinavian boutique hotel' - see insidehttps://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/a-german-auto-supplier-has-created-a-360000-off-road-rv-meant-to-look-like-a-aposscandinavian-boutique-hotelapos-see-inside/slidelist/82481254.cms2021-05-08T19:09:08+05:30

A German auto supplier has created a $360,000 off-road RV meant to look like a 'Scandinavian boutique hotel' - see inside

Brittany ChangMay 8, 2021, 19:09 IST

Germany-based Darc Mono has unveiled its eponymous expedition vehicle inspired by yachts, private jets, and Scandinavian boutique hotels.

Darc Mono is a unit of KW Solutions, an German automotive supplier that has worked with automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Despite its boxy exterior, the Darc Mono expedition vehicle's interior looks like an upscale tiny home on wheels with a queen bed, kitchen, bathroom, and a lounge-office space.

In March, Darc Mono opened pre-orders for its 2021 batch available late summer. The vehicle was such a hit, it sold out within a few days.

Now, any additional Darc Mono order won't be available until late summer 2022.

Darc Mono has obviously caught the attention of many expedition RV enthusiasts, and the company says it has been "overwhelmed" with the response to its new vehicle.

"It seemed like people were waiting for such a vehicle, saying things like 'we always wondered why nobody came up with something like this,'" Tom Konecny, Darc Mono's head of strategy and brand, told Insider in an email interview.

The interior of the Darc Mono. Darc Mono

"It seemed like people were waiting for such a vehicle, saying things like 'we always wondered why nobody came up with something like this,'" Tom Konecny, Darc Mono's head of strategy and brand, told Insider in an email interview.

The boom in road travel has led many RV makers to see a boost in sales, but Konecny believes Darc Mono's popularity is not reliant on COVID-19 or travel behaviors that have appeared during the pandemic.

"We ... have found a sustainable niche through combining the utility of expedition traveling with the comforts and emotion of a boutique hotel," Konecny said. "Just like with supercars: as long as you differentiate through a desirable characteristic, there is enough room for everyone."

In general, the build's interior was inspired by yachts and private jets, while the exterior drew inspiration from sports cars and Dakar Rally trucks, according to Konecny.

To create a durable tiny home on wheels, Darc Mono created a recycled carbon fiber monocoque that "merges Formula 1 technology with highest mobile home requirements," according to its maker.

This monocoque helps keep the vehicle lightweight while still protecting it from exterior temperatures and noises.

Unlike other road travel vehicles that target weekend warriors, the Darc Mono was designed to be a "substitute for home," allowing its passengers to travel for months to years at a time, Konecny said.

The interior was created to look like a "Scandinavian boutique hotel" by maintaining a minimal and natural aesthetic.

This hotel-like interior can drive up to two passengers and can stay off-grid for up to two weeks using the vehicle's 360-watt solar panels, 2,000-watt inverter, and 270-amp-hour batteries.

It’s also tall enough to accommodate someone who’s six-foot, seven inches tall.

To bring in natural light, the vehicle is lined with side and roof windows, amounting to 270-degrees of windows.

When it's daytime and you're clocked in for work, you can work in the office space, which has outlets, a projector, and audio systems. The projector can also be used when the bed is down, creating a mini home theater.

And when it's time to sleep, passengers can lower the queen bed into the main living area. The bed is stored in the ceiling and can be lowered by pushing a button, New Atlas reported.

If you're looking for a quick meal, head to the kitchen, which has amenities like a stove, sink, and a fridge-freezer. There are also several drawers and shelves that come with their own dinnerware and silverware.

But if you'd rather cook outside, you can use the optional exterior barbecue grill.

Not interested in the neutral-toned look? The kitchen space can be customized with different materials and colors.

The vehicle can drive two people, but the dining-living room area can seat up to five. This seating area is also lined with Velcro pillows and extra storage.

Speaking of storage, the vehicle has 3,600 liters worth of storage that ranges from a shoe and coat closet to bathroom cabinets.

And on that note, onto the bathroom. The bathroom has a bamboo floor-lined shower, a toilet, storage, and a towel hook. There's even a little window for some natural light when you're getting ready in the morning.

All of these rooms and amenities sit inside of an all-wheel-drive 2021 Iveco Daily four-by-four with 37-inch all-terrain tires.

The Iveco chassis is disassembled when it arrives at Darc Mono's facilities, and is then reassembled into an overlanding vehicle over 1,000 hours of work.

The RV's suspension was created by KW Automotive. This - combined with features like an optional winch and bull bar - allows the vehicle to venture off-road.

The exterior is also lined with amenities like a roof and rear rack and underbelly protection.

According to Konecny, all of this offers new "innovations" in the expedition vehicle industry, which has stayed "stagnate since the late 1990s."

"The Darc Mono is the first mobile home vehicle living up to current innovation standards in the automotive industry," Konecny said. "We think our first-mover approach can trigger an innovation push in our market and improve future products overall."

The unit currently starts at €295,000, about $355,840. This price can then go up to €315,126, about $380,110, with all of the optional add-ons, which include the barbecue, an extra battery pack, and the winch.

The company may be based in Germany, but it has plans to release a US-specific version of the expedition vehicle in the next year.

Looking ahead, Darc Mono will also unveil a 2022 model, but not much information has been revealed about this upcoming vehicle yet. However, Konecny says it will be in a "different vehicle category than the Mono."

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