The UK market is becoming increasingly important to Dethleffs, as it now ranks in position behind the home German market and France.

It seems that models such as the Alpa, the overcab initially produced to a design by an existing Dethleffs customer, have been going down particularly well in the UK.

Generally for 2020, major changes are new layouts and updates in the manufacturer’s Trend and Pulse ranges. The Magic Edition has also been discontinued.

The Trend offers more

Dethleffs is particularly proud of its long-standing mass-market brand this year, with a report in German motorhome magazine ProMobil recently revealing that ‘Dethleffs Trend’ is the most popular search term among customers looking for used motorhomes in Germany.

The big news for the range this season is the launch of two models at just under 7m, in both A-Class and low-profile format.

The company’s 6.96m-long I/T 6757 DBL is a rear-island-bed layout with the currently fashionable parallel seating format in the lounge. It also includes a large washroom.

The I/T 6617 EB, meanwhile, puts two single beds in the rear over a large garage, but still manages to come in at 6.96m in length.

The Trend range is available in all coachbuilt motorhome formats, however, and this season, Dethleffs hasn’t forgotten overcabs, either.

The A 7877-2, at 8.60m the longest Trend overcab, has had a considerable facelift. In the interior, Virginia Oak woodwork has been reduced in total area to make way for the new Welsh White decor, while the table surface has been correspondingly changed.

There have been big changes in the kitchen, too, with backlighting for the Plexiglas rear panel, changes to the work surface to match the table, and a multiplex rail system for storage.

Coat hooks and brackets are now all in chrome, while wardrobe and bathroom doors get fabric covers.

All Trend overcabs also now come with a floor with a natural stone finish.

Pulse gets heftier

The Pulse range, introduced last year and aimed at a more design-conscious customer, provided a more rounded front and rear, while inside, among other things, it benefitted from a highly sophisticated lighting scheme.

Dethleffs has been very pleased with the result, and export manager Michael Bosch says that sales have exceeded expectations. So it’s no surprise that these successful design details will be continuing for 2020.

But there will also be a new version of the Pulse, launched at the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf in August. Pulse Classic, initially in two layouts, aims to have a more timeless look, with a perhaps more conventional interior.

As with the Trend, there are also two more layouts, available in both A-Class and low-profile format, only this time they are in the 7.40m-long bracket.

The I/T 7051 DBL has an island bed in the rear, parallel seating in front and a slimline fridge, while the I/T 7051 EBL has the same floorpan, but with single beds fitted in the rear.

The shorter-island three-berth 6651 DBM, meanwhile, now comes with the option of a stool located to the right of the entrance door.

Other changes

Although the company’s Magic Edition has been discontinued, the Esprit Eighty Eight double-floor range continues with two layouts, both in low-profile and A-Class versions, and now with the Fiat Ducato 140bhp engine fitted as standard.

The low-profile motorhomes also now include Fiat’s assistance package as an optional extra.

The company’s compact Globebus range now comes with Isofix fittings for children’s travel seats, as another optional extra.

All Dethleffs motorhomes are also being fitted with a new generation of sockets and switches.

But apart from these updates and improvements, the Alpa, Globeline and Globetrotter ranges remain much the same as they were.

Dethleffs’ prices, in the main, seem to have gone up by between £500 and £1000 for continuing models.

Our pick – Dethleffs Trend I 6757 DBL

The drop-down overcab beds you see in some relatively compact A-classes often obscure everything underneath when lowered.

In this neat, modern-looking ‘van, however, there is plenty of space for you to sit, read a book and make use of the table, even when the bed is down. If you have children who rise at different times, or like to think they need to go to bed at different times, this could be a godsend.