German camper parts specialists Reimo supplies many of the bits and pieces that you’ll find on the campers throughout the NEC – everything from water screws to upholstery to furniture units.
The company two biggest products are elevating roofs and rear seat benches, though, and these are most commonly found in the UK on Concept Multi-Car (CMC) (who are on stand 11-145), a longstanding Reimo agent, although they’re also used by other manufacturers such as Wellhouse.
It was while looking over Wellhouse’s new Ford Tourneo-based camper (which you can view on stand 12-150) that I discovered Reimo’s new seating system, which involves mounting rails that are bonded rather than bolted to the vehicle chassis. This reminded me a lot of Elddis’ Solid system, and is a sign that adhesives are slowly making their way across the motorhome and campervan industry. The entire system, from the adhesive preparation and application to the seating design, has been devised by Reimo and is patented, so converters who elect to fit it will buy not just seats, but also adhesive mixing machines, all from Reimo. Currently the only converters I know of who are using it in the UK are CMC and Wellhouse.
[tl:gallery index=0 size=420×327]
Reimo’s Variotech seat system
Most people react with skepticism when they hear that adhesives are being used for a job that was previously tackled by metal bolts. This is an understandable reaction – bolts are sturdy physical objects which give you a clear, visible indication of how two things are attached to one another, whereas adhesives are far less tangible, and to the untrained eye it can still seem like there’s nothing holding together two adhesive-bonded surfaces. And the desire to have something tangible is understandable too, when you consider the importance of seat mounting rails – they’re the most important link between the chassis and the seatbelts that keep passengers safe.
However, most fears about adhesives are unfounded, because the benefits involved are manifold – firstly, they’re lighter than bolts, and they provide more even load distribution across the structure, rather than isolated to the bolting points. In many cases, adhesives are actually stronger than metal fixings, although they need to have undergone lots and lots of testing to ensure that they remain as powerful after many years of use.
In addition to the modified seating mounts, Reimo’s latest Variotech bench seating also has an improved mechanism for switching between bench and double bed modes. It’s incredibly easy to use, just a three step process that transforms a pair of comfortable moulded travelling seats – with three point belts, of course – into a flat, spacious double bed. If you’re at the show you should definitely drop by at CMC or Wellhouse’s stands to see it in action.
