Hobby’s Beachy RV lineup has been recapturing the surfy, sun-soaked coastal vibes on which the original Volkswagen T2 camper vans built their long, storied history of global adoration. In fact, we’d say Beachy caravans and camper vans better encapsulate those vibes than anything Volkswagen has made in years. The newest Beachy 420+ adds even more verve to the family, using a multifunctional floor plan with false walls to adjust interior space around the changing needs of each day.
The Beachy 420 was one of the original models Hobby launched when it injected some fresh, new life into the travel trailer scene in 2021. It was easily one of the most memorable small campers of the year, and it remains one of the more stylish camping trailers today.
At least on the outside. The Beachy caravan interior, from the smallest 360 to the largest 450 floor plan, has always left a little something to be desired. And that something that can be summed up quite concisely: a bathroom. The interior of the 420 has the space for at least a small toilet room, as is included in the similarly sized Coco Lounge from Dethleffs (now defunct), but Hobby instead eats up all the space with extended bench seating and a front corner closet.
It’s an odd choice since the 420 trailer only sleeps two adults and a child, all on the same extended bed, but has enough seating for at least two times that many people … but nowhere for anyone to go to the toilet. We suppose if you camp exclusively in campgrounds equipped with their own bathrooms, it makes sense, but the lack of bathroom doesn’t quite match up with marketing focused in on camping out on open, empty beach.
Beachy/Hobby
The good news is that the 420+ floor plan solves this major shortcoming and makes better use of its space. The “+” doesn’t actually indicate a longer trailer; in fact, the 420+ actually has a slightly shorter 426-cm (168-in) body atop its 569-cm (224-in) chassis. The standard 420 body measures 432 cm (170 in) atop a chassis of the same length.
Instead, the “plus” happens entirely inside, where the reshuffled floor plan does more with slightly less space, accommodating families of four while also offering a toilet room. A part-time space, that toilet room is created via the optional expandable closet door/wall system that repurposes some of the open floor space into a private enclosure that can also be used as a changing room. The optional portable toilet stores in the same closet, making it a fairly seamless changeover when one needs to have a seat on the to-go bowl.
Hobby
This same optional multifunctional wall system can be used to separate the trailer into two sides, creating “bedrooms” for two pairs of campers, whether it’s parents with two children or two pairs of adults.
In turning the 420 layout into the 420+, Hobby moved the kitchen off the front wall and over to the central space between the entry door and rear dining bench. The kitchen loses a little size in the process but clears room for another multipurpose convertible space: a two-person dining/sitting area that transforms into a pair of bunk beds to complement the oversized rear super-queen.
Hobby
It’s this space that gives the Beachy 420+ its four-person sleeping capacity, an extra berth over the original 420. The versatile front furniture set has three separate configurations, working as a two-person dining nook, rear-facing sofa with backrest and, finally, two bunk beds measuring 197 x 69 cm (78 x 27 in) and 193 x 79 cm (76 x 31 in), respectively.
Those bunk beds have enough length for most adults, and a weight rating of 220 lb (100 kg) each will also easily accommodate the average European adult. So the 420+ can be used for a couples’ or buddies’ retreat as well as for family camping.
Hobby
The 420+ doesn’t really need the extra dining area, given that the large dual-bench lounge at the rear offers enough seating for all four occupants, but the extra functionality certainly beats fixed beds. The front dinette/sofa gives campers a little extra space to spread out in the evening or on rainy days spent inside.
As for the rear dining lounge, it features vis-a-vis benches at the sides of two folding dining tables. One of those tables can also fold down to create a larger U-shaped sofa that wraps around the single remaining table. At night, the whole space drops down into a 200 x 170-cm (79 x 66-in) bed.
Hobby
The central kitchen remains a very simple space, featuring a slide-out 39-L electric cool box, sink plumbed to a 25-L fresh water tank via submersible pump, waste water roller tank and worktop. Buyers are left to bring their own portable stove or grill, as even the 420+ options list lacks one.
The Beachy 420+ has a gross vehicle weight rating of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).
Hobby introduced the new Beachy 420+ at this week’s CMT show in Germany, and the trailer starts at €19,340 (approx. US$20,150), including VAT. The multifunctional wall adds on €895 and the portable toilet another €343, bringing total price for the model with part-time bathroom to €20,578 (US$21,425). Other options include a 230-V interior heater, bike rack, front storage box and side awning. Deliveries will begin in June.
Source: Hobby
