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German brand Dethleffs will debut a ground-up rebuild of a camper caravan at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon. The E.Home Eco tops the Dethleffs tradition of eco-friendly Düsseldorf show vehicles, featuring sustainable materials and construction on its all-electric Ford chassis. Synthetic materials have been replaced with natural alternatives, such as a flax-composite shell, furniture made from corn, and sheep’s wool upholstery.
In previous Salons, the company has featured a solar panel-covered E.Home concept, and the E.Home Coco concept, which kickstarted the idea of a self-propelled motorized trailer. That innovation is now making its way to market. Now Dethleffs is previewing what the next generation of environmentally influenced design could look like in RV manufacturing. The company notes that while its previous eco models were centered around electrification of powertrain and onboard RV equipment, its new direction will extend beyond vehicle usage into material selection and supply strategies.
In addition to solar panels, the RV’s body construction incorporates a natural fiber (flax) composite. This doesn’t eliminate plastic completely because the natural fibers are still set in a resin, just as glass fibers would be in fiberglass. Dethleffs does stress that the resin, in this case, uses 40 percent natural content, including linseed oil from the same type of plants from which the flax is harvested. According to Dethleffs, the flax fibers themselves offer comparable structural properties to glass but with a carbon footprint that’s 80 percent lower. To insulate the walls, the company uses a foam made from recycled PET bottles. The company says that the material is also recyclable, allowing it to be repurposed at the end of the RV’s lifecycle.
Inside, the company uses “popcorn panels,” made from non-food-grade maize for the kitchen counter and dining table tops. It’s encased within outer veneers made from oiled oak, offering properties comparable to plywood but with half the weight, the company says. The floor is made from a formulation of linoleum that incorporates a mix of jute fabric, linseed oil, cork and natural resins. The upholstery fabric is processed sheep’s wool for a comfortable feel and durable, stain-resistant and flame-retardant performance.
SOURCE: Information provided by Dethleffs to newatlas.com