Westfalia, the German firm known for its camper conversions, is making a North American comeback with an official launch in 2024. It has yet to provide details on its model lineup but is planning a reveal for potential dealers at the RV Dealer Open House in Elkhart, Indiana, later this month.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the Westfalia brand is most often associated with Volkswagen in the US, the company makes camper conversions for other brands. It was acquired by DaimlerChrysler in the early 2000s and made the James Cook camper based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A few James Cook campers made their way to the US shores as the Dodge Sprinter Westfalia and were sold by Airstream. However, sales never lived up to expectations, and Airstream stopped importing them in 2006.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Westfalia was later acquired by France’s Rapido Group, a consortium that also owns Roadtrek, a Canadian camper brand. Recently Roadtrek began working to secure Westfalia’s return to the North American market to complement its core lineup of camper vans. It believes the Westfalia brand still has value despite being gone from North America for almost two decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No details were provided about the Westfalia camper itself. Based on what can be seen in the lead picture, the Westphalia appears to be a full-size van with a front bumper that resembles the Ram ProMaster. Using the ProMaster as a starting point makes sense. Westfalia offers the Columbus camper in Europe based on the Fiat Ducato, the ProMaster’s Italian sibling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Europe, the Ducato-based Westfalia Columbus camper van features a classic floor plan and is equipped with an optional pop-up roof. It includes a raised rear double bed, a kitchenette on the passenger side, and a bathroom on the driver’s side. At the front, a dinette includes a two-seat rear bench and uses the swivel cab seats. On some models, the dinette can be converted into a bed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We expect to learn more details after the\u00a0RV Dealer Open House, which is scheduled for\u00a0September 25-27, where Roadtrek is one of the exhibitors. Roadtrek currently offers 10 models based on the Ram ProMaster, including the Play Slumber and Zion Slumber, two campers that feature pop-top sleeping areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n