The longing for nature - Without compromise!
Today, you no longer have to compromise on convenience and comfort if you have a love for nature. The market has produced well-built solutions that suit a single individual as well as the whole family, without costing as much as a smaller apartment.
The longing for nature, without compromise!
The beginning of the 2020s was a turning point for many, especially when the pandemic took hold of our societies. The impact was great for many, even though we in Sweden were spared many of the harsh measures that other countries took to slow the spread. When we fika lovers suddenly had to avoid each other, many of us looked to the forest to find peace, space and security, including the undersigned. This shift created several new trends and also gave momentum to old ideas. The camping lifestyle had a huge revival.
The clearest trend was undoubtedly the roof tent for the car, a relatively cheap solution compared to many other camping alternatives. The invention dates back to late 1957, when Stefano Stogl patented the “Autocampeggio Stogl”. The company was later called “Autohome” and offered a total of 7 different roof tent solutions. The idea was simple; that you didn’t have to worry about fully booked hotels, expensive nights or other hassles along the way, think “freedom above all”. Folding up the tent took only 20 seconds, which the manufacturer claimed was a “world record” for the market. A clever sales ploy, as there were no other tents to compete with.
Since the 60s, there has been a steady interest in camping life in all its forms and the market has always been stable. In 2019, the market completely exploded and was expected to grow tenfold over the next 5 years. This led to a large number of new serious, and less serious, players emerging to share the pie. The trend was clearly visible when roof tents on cars were as common as roof boxes during the winter months. Since the pandemic unleashed its claws on us, the market has stabilized and weeded out most of the low-quality products. The individuals who have caught on to the trend and still practice “overlanding” are today very meticulous about quality and function and leave nothing to chance. Comfort is high on the list and you can now pay a small fortune for a well-built overlander or campervan.
I personally spend around 30 nights a year in a roof tent, from April to November, and have chosen to make it as small and simple as possible. The recipe is a small roof tent from GordiGear mounted on a 2005 Suzuki Jimny, barely bigger than a Nissan Micra. I won't lie that I dream of a really well-built rig with everything you could possibly need, but perhaps not at the cost of a small apartment. Prices have skyrocketed with many manufacturers and a well-built machine can cost a lot.
Through my interest, I have been lucky enough to meet Yahia Ibrahim, the founder of Northea, a Swedish company based in Värmland that focuses on quality construction for the right money, without compromising on comfort or function. One of the ideas behind the company is that you should be able to get high-quality products and solutions for a reasonable price, which I would like to think he has succeeded well in.
Bidders Highway has had the honor of providing an incredibly cool vehicle for Northea, which we are proud of. The tow truck is a fully kitted out Volkswagen Amarok with everything necessary for comfortable off-grid living. A standard Amarok is not cheap today, and for a little extra money you can get a used top-of-the-line model with living space and no limits to what you can do with the car (and life)! The camper trailer is just as impressive and built to handle tough environments all year round, and can be towed as far out into the forest as you dare. With knowledge of the industry, I would say that bidders have the chance to get a huge amount for their money, compared to what is offered on the market today!
See you out on the roads, hopefully with a roof tent strapped to the car!
Rasmus Christenssen, Auctioneer administrator