How it all began...

SpaceCamper asked us at the beginning of 2021 if we would like to show our vehicle at Abenteuer & Allrad. This is THE off-road trade fair. I think it's even one of the biggest off-road trade fairs in the world. The trade fair in Bad Kissingen has cult status. Year after year, there are various exhibitors of series all-wheel drive vehicles, overlanders, long-distance motorhomes and quads, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), up to Offroad & travel technology tuners. Even amphibious vehicles are represented. However, the trade fair is also known above all for its Camp Area. This is where fans of the off-road scene meet. But who has never been here before? Marc & me. And frankly, we first had to look up where Bad Kissingen is. This event, which usually always takes place in summer, had to be postponed to October 21-24, 2021 due to Corona. The end of October is not quite our time in Germany. We like to visit family and friends in summer. But after that, we're actually already on our way back to the warm south for the winter. But we love getting to know and trying out new things. So we spontaneously said yes. And neither of us had any idea what we were actually getting ourselves into.

In the run-up to the event, we are giving away 2×2 tickets for Abenteuer & Allrad. It's super nice to see how happy the winners are. And we are looking forward to meeting the winners.

With SpaceCamper at a trade fair

Markus, the sales manager of SpaceCamper, calls at some point and asks if we would like tickets for Ferropolis and the Göppingen bus festival. We've never been to a bus festival before. To be honest, we've never even been to a festival. Aren't we already too old for that? Does it fit into our schedule? Yes, even if you live wild and free in a van, you have appointments. We think about it for a while. And then we say yes. Our company headquarters in Berlin is not that far away from Ferropolis. So it makes sense.

Many people are now thinking again: If they only get one euro when they mention SpaceCamper ... Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you. We don't get a cent for it. SpaceCamper customers are one big family and are happy to go to trade fairs for SpaceCamper. In Göppingen there were probably more than 20 SpaceCampers on the exhibition grounds. SpaceCamper sometimes thanks them with a bag, or a repair is sometimes cheaper. But no money is paid.

Our journey to the Adventure All-Wheel Drive

We arrive on Wednesday afternoon. Marc jokes that the police used to check visitors' cars around the tuning fairs. And of course they found one or two vehicles there that were perhaps not entirely compliant. On the last few meters to Abenteuer & Allrad it really happens: the German police stop us. The first time ever since we got our Butch. Which many people can't believe. But we've never really had any problems with the police. There have been various checks on our tours outside Germany. But always nice, friendly and courteous. But at some point it's always the first time, even here in Germany. We are kindly asked if we are exhibitors. "Then please follow us and the other 2 exhibitor vehicles. This road here does not lead to the exhibition grounds". Our navigation system has led us a little astray. And not just us. I think the police have a lot to do that day. 10 minutes later we are standing in a long queue on a small forest road. We roll towards the entrance at a stop & go snail's pace. Daniel from SpaceCamper comes towards us on foot with our exhibitor wristbands. Super great service. Thank you very much, Daniel!

A warm welcome

And then I'm really happy: a video is playing on a big screen next to the entrance. And it shows the cover of CamperVans magazine, where we are on the cover. That's what I call a warm welcome.

At check-in, everything happens very quickly. We show our vaccination certificates and receive the appropriate wristband and a voucher for a mulled wine. We are guided to the VW tent by quad bike. This tent is mega big. Much bigger than I had imagined. There are already lots of vehicles in the back. Only now do we realize that we are standing on the SpaceCamper stand right at the entrance to the tent. Pole position, so to speak. What have we done to deserve this?

The floor is covered with wood pellets. Super. I was afraid we'd be standing in the mud. Because of course it starts raining just in time. 

TerraCamper

Next to us is TerraCamper again. We had already made friends with Danika in Göppingen. TerraCamper sees itself as a bus manufacturer for travel and expeditions. We have been thinking about a TerraCamper for a long time. A photo of a TerraCamper even used to hang on our vision board. The basis for every TerraCamper is the Volkswagen Transporter. What we particularly liked about the TerraCamper was the Xtreme Open-Sky pop-up roof. Sounds extreme? It is, the roof is made of aluminum and is equipped with an additional roof hatch with convertible function. Advantage: Extremely stable, a raised roof shell creates space for bedding and an 8 cm cold foam mattress. Disadvantage: It is higher than the alternative, flat roof. The furniture system made of aluminum profiles and composite panels is extremely robust. But it was precisely the aluminum profiles that made us decide against TerraCamper in the end. The material was simply too cold for us. However, if you like it functional, TerraCamper is certainly the right choice.

Terranger

Directly behind them are the Terranger vehicles. We have already reported on Terranger several times. Terranger sees itself as a specialist for off-road and travel technology. This includes conversion to larger off-road tires, the installation of a vehicle lift or air suspension, increasing the fording depth, add-on parts such as spare wheel holders on the tailgate, underride guards, reinforced towing eyes and much more. All these products are specially developed for use in the Volkswagen Transporter T5 - T6.1 or the Mercedes-Benz Vito and the V-Class. So you don't have to drive a van to be served here, even with a star you are welcome 😉 

From our seat, we look directly at the Terranger monitor. Our Pyrenees videos are shown there. A monitor will also be set up in front of our butch. The movie we made for Göppingen will be shown there. I have tears in my eyes. I'm that happy. And I'm a little bit proud. 

Seikel

Anyone who is interested in the subject of off-road in connection with VW will certainly be familiar with this name. For many years, Seikel was the institution in this field. When The company's highlight is certainly the SEIKEL VW T5 Extreme. Among other things, Seikel gave the vehicle portal axles, making it an absolute hardcore off-roader. With this Buliden, he achieved a climbing ability of 100 % (equivalent to 45°). Unfortunately, this version will probably never exist again. So anyone who owns one can count themselves lucky. 

However, Seikel is presenting its next coup for the first time at the Abenteuer Allrad. Although it is still in the test phase, it makes a very good impression. This is the Seikel ProAir, the first off-road air suspension from Seikel. The description on the homepage still sounds relatively unspectacular. But the combination with Bilstein dampers creates excitement. 

QUQUQ

Have you also heard or read Kukuk? QUQUQ is the manufacturer of a mini camper van box. It promises to convert a station wagon into a camper in 1 minute. We quickly get talking to Ulrich Vielmetter, who covers the micro camper sector here with a VW Caddy. Anyone who thinks we are minimalist on the road should take a look at a Caddy Camper. Nevertheless, everything we need is on board. 

We have already been able to see this for ourselves in the past. Micro campers are all the rage. And not just for singles. We ourselves have already met a small family with such a vehicle on tour. And they seemed anything but unhappy. We think the concept is a cool idea. Especially for city dwellers, as the Caddy fits into any garage, not just selected ones.

You can find more information about QUQUQ here.

The new T7 Multivan

Tucked away in the far corner is the new Volkswagen T7 Multivan. Next to a T6.1 California, so that you can make a direct comparison. I only have to say this much: every facelift seems to polarize. But no picture we've ever posted on Instagram or Facebook has received so many green smiley faces. 

Wednesday - The set-up day of the Abenteuer Allrad

First of all, we settle in comfortably. Then we take a short walk around the grounds. It's quite big here. There's a hustle and bustle everywhere. Vehicles arrive and are positioned. Pavilions are erected and advertising banners and beach flags are put up. It's cold, windy and drizzling from time to time. We start by cooking a hot soup. Just the right thing for this weather. Towards evening, an announcement comes with a storm warning. We exhibitors should secure everything well. Thank you, dear organizing team. You took good care of us.

The storm

During the night, the storm increases even more and a gale warning is issued. Gusts of wind repeatedly tug at our large tent. The metal beams groan menacingly. Will the structure hold? What will I do if the tent collapses? In which direction will the metal beams fall? Which way will I jump?

Our butch also wobbles all night long. We don't really get much sleep. Perfect before a busy day at the fair.

Thursday - The Abenteuer Allrad remains closed

We take it easy. The fair starts at 10 am, our alarm clock goes off at 7.45 am. So we can start the day in comfort and drink our first coffee in bed as usual. I hand Marc the coffee grinder and go for a shower. The sanitary building is not far away. On the way to the toilets, I notice that nobody but me is wearing a surf poncho and flip-flops. Am I embarrassed now? Oh, we're the bloggers who got out. Well, I'll play the cliché. I always walk around in a surf poncho. Why should I change that here and now? For whom? We are authentic. As Marc says: "Once you've ruined your reputation, you can live a carefree life!"

While we are still drinking our coffee, the announcement comes at 9 o'clock that the fair is not allowed to open on police orders. The hurricane is too dangerous. We vacillate between disappointment and the knowledge that it is the right decision. Advertising banners flutter in the wind. No, actually it's no longer a funny fluttering, they are flapping dangerously in the storm. Time and again, stewards collect the flying pavilions. The tent erector is on site and checks everything. We feel we are in good hands and safe. Despite the heavy metal smiling above us.

Suddenly I see Marc talking to a rather strange man with a camera. And I hear English. Oh oh. Poor Marc. Unfortunately, our English is very rusty. Later, Marc hands me a completely crumpled business card. Well, that looks very trustworthy.

We go for a walk around the square, stretch our legs. And take a video or two. We uploaded these videos as a story on Instagram and saved them for you as highlights.

We think it's a bit of a shame that you could only look but not buy. We would have liked to have picked up a few more bags, because they are really good. You can find out more about the deltabags here.

delta4x4

At the entrance to the delta4x4 tent we see a familiar vehicle: the Camptiger from @outsidehoweverinside aka Daniel from delta4x4. It's amazing what he has done with his Fiat Ducato. In the meantime, he's also added sand plates and a roof terrace. While we are chatting with Daniel especially the Porsche 911 4S Safari on the red carpet. An awesome machine, with Bilstein suspension lift and Unterumbach Package.

Ineos Grenadier

What happens when you take away a billionaire's toy? He reinvents it! The Ineos Grenadier was actually only intended as an attempt to revive the off-road legend Land Rover Defender when Land Rover discontinued production of the Defender in the summer of 2016. But Land Rover did not want to cede the rights to the Defender name.

But British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe doesn't let that stop him. When you're the richest man in Britain, you can afford to be a little quirky. Why not just build a new car? The recipe for a genuine off-road vehicle is clear to him: ladder frame, rigid axles and 4×4 permanent drive.

What has become of it only resembles a Defender at first glance. The whole thing combined with the right partners, BMW as engine supplier and Magna Steyr as development partner. The balancing act between tradition and modernity at least appears to have been successful.

UAZ Buhanka @offroad_erwin

And then we can hardly believe it. There's a beautiful green UAZ Buhanka called @offroad_erwin in front of us. We've come across one before in the Western Alps. And now we finally have the opportunity to take a closer look at it. You will look in vain for luxury and modern technology, and it is probably the smallest of all off-road campers that we have seen live. Have you ever sat in a buhanka? You simply have to experience it. Cuddling is completely impossible. The best thing is the auxiliary heating. It just sits on top. 

Thursday evening

The wind slowly dies down a little in the afternoon. Our kitchen remains cold today. The organizer invites all exhibitors to the catering tent. As I don't eat meat, the only thing left is chips. But they are delicious.

Only now do we find out that the hurricane has pulled the cotter pins and struts out of the ground anchoring on some of the tents. That was a close call.

Friday - The Abenteuer Allrad finally opens its doors

The night is quiet. We sleep well. The alarm goes off at 7.30 am. The temperature has dropped overnight, it's cold. Everything around us is frozen. The way from the VW tent to the toilets is not far, despite the cold we can do it in a surfer poncho and flip-flops. There are 3 showers each for men and women. The queue for the men's showers is already quite long. I'm lucky, one of the girls' showers is free. Warm is different, but never mind. Quickly back to the warm butch. We drink our coffee in bed in peace before tidying up Butch for the trade fair. How does it feel when strangers want to enter our living room? I feel a little queasy. What have we let ourselves in for? Do I have to put things away so they don't get stolen?

The first visitors are a long time coming. I quickly realize that I'm not wearing enough. It's even colder than I thought. So I quickly go back inside and put on another pair of jogging bottoms. A shrug, T-shirt, hoody, vest and down coat. Hat and scarf. That's all I have. That will have to do.

We spend the day talking to nice people. A few times we hear: "I've seen your van on YouTube" or "I follow you on Instagram". Can anyone imagine how happy we are about that? The little girl from the village and the boy from the Bergisches Land are conquering the big wide world.

Holger from Team Simba also visits us. We know him from the Terranger Transpirinaica Tour. He arrived on Thursday morning and was faced with closed gates. He then took a hotel room, because unfortunately his van had just been cleared out and wasn't suitable for an overnight stay. Too bad. In front of the monitor with our Transpirenaica videos, melancholy quickly sets in. All three of us would love to set off again straight away.

We only find out in the evening that there were problems with the shuttle buses to the exhibition grounds. Some of the visitors must have waited 2 hours. There are even said to have been fights. We receive news with videos of very long queues.

Throughout the fair, we keep seeing videos or photos of our Butch on 5 screens. And I can hardly believe it. Who would have thought that when we got our Butch in June 2020? I wouldn't even have imagined it.

Saturday - The 2nd day of the all-wheel drive adventure

Saturday is similar to Friday. Nice conversations with interesting people. Many know our Butch and ask specific questions.

Marc speaks into a camera again. Saarland TV. I'm very glad that Marc always does this part. Because that's not my thing at all. Stuttering and talking into a camera just don't go together. And then it happens: I don't pay attention for a second and the cameraman speaks to me. Well, what should I do? So I just chat away. Our experience so far has shown that very little remains of many, many hours of filming after editing. So I have hope that I will be cut out.

It wasn't until two days later that we realized who was filming us: Sven Herzog from German Television. He actually just wanted to film a quick 20-minute clip about us. And then he stayed with us for well over an hour. And the video on YouTube really is over an hour long. Nothing, absolutely nothing was cut out. Not when the camera light failed, not when our shower splashed water around uncontrollably. And unfortunately not my stuttering either. But as they say in Kölsch: It is what it is. And everything is good for something. Maybe THE one speech therapist who can do magic will fall from the sky.

You can find the video of Sven here.

Meet friends

Suddenly Lars from @domlontour and Mathias are standing in front of us with Marla. We were traveling with them in the Western Alps and are very happy to see them again. Unfortunately, it's very busy at the moment and we don't have time. But that's not how it should be. Of course we are happy to present our vehicle and answer all your questions. But we also want to have time for our friends. In this context, I notice that we haven't eaten anything yet. We haven't gotten around to it yet. So we arrange to meet our friends at 3 p.m. and have a sandwich first.

At the agreed time, we lock our vehicle without further ado and go for a nice little walk. Later I see photos on the internet saying 'Sorry, no one was there'. I'm very sorry about that. Maybe next time we'll put a sign on the car: 'Be back in 20 minutes'. And as I'm writing this, I wonder if I'm doing it wrong. Do you always have to be available these days? It's probably the luxury of our time to not always be available. But a trade fair is probably not the right time to start. Sorry, we'll organize ourselves better next time.

Please do not open the door

Speaking of signs: We have seen signs at other exhibitors saying 'Please do not enter vehicle' or 'Please do not open door' and cords hanging in the open door. At first we thought we didn't need anything like that. But the Abenteuer Allrad proved us wrong.

We had the sliding door on the driver's side open the whole time and our kitchen swung out. We had all the other doors closed because of the cold. Just as I was demonstrating our toilet, which we have in our sliding door on the passenger side, someone opens this very sliding door from the outside. Our toilet was almost torn off. Since then, we've also had a 'Please do not open door' sign. But don't laugh at me: It doesn't help. Some visitors open these doors anyway. We have then locked our vehicle so that only certain doors can be opened. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to create facts. 

Crocs Death by parking heater

As I head for the shower on Sunday morning, I have trouble putting on my right flip-flop. It seems much smaller than the other one and much tighter. It was probably too close to the parking heater. Unfortunately, it no longer fits. I have to get a new one. In the next Crocs store on Monday, the saleswoman succinctly refers to an information display that Crocs should not be placed in the sun. Aha. Another lesson learned:

Never place your Crocs or other things that could be damaged near your parking heater. Incidentally, a week later Marc had carelessly placed his new Uggs too close to the parking heater, so that the sole or the adhesive on the sole came loose. It cost us €20 to have them glued at our trusted specialist cobbler. Quasi a snap. 

Sunday - Family day

After having a lot of fun on Friday and Saturday, the audience on Sunday is completely different. Today there is less of a specialist audience, but instead the family is taking a trip to the Abenteuer Allrad. That's also very nice with a bright blue sky and sunshine. It's almost a bit too much and too busy for us. The people we talk to only want to look and not talk. Okay. And let your children play. With pleasure. Will you please take your muddy wellies out of my bed?

The first exhibitors pack up and dismantle their stands as early as 4 pm. From 5 p.m., long queues of vehicles form towards the exit. But no vehicle is allowed to leave the site until the last visitor has left and is on the shuttle bus.

It's nice to stand at the coffee and cake stand and watch the parade of vehicles rolling towards the exit. There is real fun and good humor there now.

We end the evening with good conversations with other exhibitors and stay until Monday.

Then it's off to Cologne via Berlin.

Conclusion on the 2021 all-wheel drive adventure

Afterwards we read rave reviews about our 1st four-wheel drive adventure. First of all, it has to be said that the organizer is not responsible for the weather. And if he's not allowed to open, I wonder who it's worse for: the organizer or the visitors. Yes, there were problems with the shuttle. We can only hope that we learn from our mistakes. At the exhibitor evening there was a clear statement that there will be no more Abenteuer & Allrad in October. So far, so good. There was criticism that there were no innovations. I can't confirm that. We have seen some new things, such as the Grenadier. But perhaps we are not the benchmark. How did you like Abenteuer & Allrad? Let us know your opinion in the comments. We would be delighted!