Caravan winter test at 18 degrees below zero

Fockbek, February 2018 – Jokkmokk, northern Sweden: January and February are the coldest months of the year here. At this time of year, it’s not unusual for the temperatures in Swedish Lapland to plummet below the -20 degrees Celsius mark. In spite of this, the capital of the Sami people is a popular destination, especially in winter. This is particularly true at the beginning of February when the Winter Market is held in the town with a population of 3,000. Some 40,000 visitors attend the three-day event in the Arctic Circle to experience the traditional Sami festival in person, do some shopping, join in the celebra-tions and, with a bit of luck, gaze in wonder at the awe-inspiring northern lights.

In the spirit of the centuries-old nomadic tradition of the Sami people, the Swedish Hobby dealers set out on a tour of their country this winter to showcase the new Hobby models and put them through their paces in wintry conditions. In Jokkmokk, the people who visited the Winter Market were able to form their own impressions of the outstanding winter performance of the new caravan generation, since Hobby was represented there with a 650 KFU and a 720 KWFU from the Prestige model range.

In addition to the ALDE hot water heater, which Hobby offers as an optional extra, both caravans were also equipped with hot water underfloor heating, which became available this season. A combination that’s the ultimate benchmark for any winter camper. The two test candidates proved this in impressive fashion in freezing cold conditions in the Arctic Circle: with an outside temperature at night of 18 degrees Celsius below zero, the interior of the Prestige models heated up to a cosy 24 degrees above zero within no time. Thanks to the well insulated exterior walls, roofs, floors, skylights, windows and doors with high-quality insulating glass – all of these components have been included in Hobby’s standard equipment for years – the inside temperature desired can be kept constant at all times. During this field test in northern Sweden, the performance capabilities of the 8,500 Watt ALDE hot water heater 3020 HE were not even fully utilised. Incidentally, it doesn’t only supply the convector heaters in the caravan and the pipework of the underfloor heating system with hot water, it also ensures that the integrated 8.4-litre boiler is able to dispense hot water at any time.

The high-performance ALDE heating system is also characterised by its unlimited digital functionality. Thanks to the “My Hobby” app, for example, it can even be controlled and managed remotely using a smartphone or tablet, as long as the caravan or motorhome is equipped with the HobbyConnect system, which was specially developed by Hobby. This means that caravan enthusiasts can turn on their heating system or programme it to the desired temperature when they’re already home or on their way back from a day out. A convenience that’s appreciated and taken advantage of by more and more caravan enthusiasts all across Europe.