Gritty Volkswagen camper bus tames chaotic wilds with modern comforts

Known best for its highway-oriented caravans and motorhomes, Dethleffs is starting to support more ambitious adventurers who yearn to travel deeper into the unknown. It started last year with the versatile Yoka Go toy-hauling motorhome, and it continues in 2024 with a more dedicated off-road motorhome, the Globebus Performance 4x4. The new Volkswagen-based Class B+ camper combines a rugged, all-terrain-ready spec with an amenity suite aimed at multi-day off-grid living, fit even for those who can't imagine leaving behind all the latest mod cons.

Famous for whipping up Germany's first caravan all the way back in 1931, Dethleffs is one of the oldest names in the RV industry. It's long since grown out a complete lineup of RVs that encompasses not only camping trailers of various sizes but also camper vans and larger Class A and C motorhomes. It's also taken a worldwide lead in innovating more eco-friendly RV solutions, from self-powered electric trailers to PHEV camper vans.

Given that deep history of RV contributions, we were quite surprised to learn that the soon-to-launch 2025 Globebus Performance 4x4 will be its very first motorhome with standard all-wheel drive. Given the rugged AWD offerings from sister brands like Hymer and Sunlight, we'd have assumed its decades-long history included at least one or two AWD motorhomes somewhere along the line.

But the 685-cm-long (270-in) Globebus 4x4 is a new style of Dethleffs, aimed at a new generation of hardy nomad. It finds its bearings atop a 161-hp VW Crafter van chassis with all-wheel-drive, reinforced front axle, differential lock, suspension lift and rear air suspension. It's not quite as rugged as some of the burliest Crafter camper vans we've seen roaming Europe, but Dethleffs aims it at off-grid escapes down forest roads, sandy washes and snow-covered mountain approaches.

Upon arrival to wherever those unbeaten paths lead, the Globebus supports seriously comfy homestead life. It aims to offer several days' worth of off-grid autonomy, starting with a 263-Ah multi-battery lithium-ion setup that powers onboard electrical equipment. The camper isn't completely LPG-free, as we've seen some manufacturers do with similar builds, but it lessens reliance on LPG by running everything except the dual-burner stove off of a combination of the battery system and the base vehicle's diesel tank. Only the dual-burner stove relies on the single 2.8-kg LPG bottle.

Not only does decreasing reliance on gas cut the need to journey back to civilization for tank fill-ups, the single 2.8-kg stove tank frees up exterior cabinet space that would otherwise be dedicated to larger LPG tanks, allowing for a rather cavernous pass-through rear garage. And if campers do run out of gas before they're ready to cross back over to civilization, they can always follow the path of the original self-sufficient off-grid cooks and use a campfire.

Dethleffs also fortifies the Globebus 4x4's plumbing for off-grid life, installing an available waterless Clesana C1 dry flush toilet in the wet bathroom. Instead of a holding tank, the C1 uses an electric foil-wrapping system to package solid waste up like doggy bags. The wrapped bags then drop into the integrated holding basin, and a fill level indicator lets users know when it's in need of emptying. The bags are then emptied into the garbage, eliminating the hassles of dealing with black waste water.

We've seen electric foil toilets like the Wrappon Trekker used for overlanding and custom RV purposes, but their integration into factory motorhomes seems to be a growing trend. In addition to the C1 in Dethleffs' latest, Dethleffs/Erwin Hymer competitor Knaus Tabbert's own Cleanflex film-wrapping toilet system debuted at the 2024 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon last month with the promise of being installed in a number of future RV models.

Beyond the basics, Dethleffs ensures that campers are able to access those comforts of everyday life that have come to feel more like necessities. To start with, it wires in a Campernet 5G internet WLAN router with data transfer speeds up to 20 GB/sec. Campers stay connected, whether necessary for remote work and communications or simply desired for headline browsing, media viewing and even gaming. An available 32-in smart swivel TV provides some sizable screen space.

Dethleffs wraps all those various amenities up with a stylish, comfy cabin dressed in bright, modern ash gray- and wood grain-styled trim and soft-touch gray fabric surfaces. It organizes the floor plan into a classic camper van/B+ motorhome layout with a front dining area that incorporates the rotated cab seats, a wet bath behind the rear dining bench and a passenger-side "gourmet" kitchen that includes a tall 131-L compressor fridge.

The rear of the Globebus 4x4 is carved out into a proper master bedroom, complete with individual 200 x 80-cm (79 x 32-in) and 192 x 75-cm (76 x 30-in) beds. The raised beds have a combination of wood-slat platforms and 15-cm-thick (6-in) mattresses and are supported below by spacious wardrobe closets.

Dethleffs introduced a "near-production study" of the 2025 Globebus Performance 4x4 at the 2024 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, where it put the "First Edition" model up for preorder at a price of €119,999 (approx. US$131,325), including VAT.

Source: Dethleffs