Press releases

The new Hobby OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION van’s compulsory date with the test track was a resounding success. The course, which is designed to test road safety and driving quality, features all of the challenges that are encountered in day-to-day life, such as potholes, road bumps or rumble strips, and simulates driving roughly 100,000 kilometres on the road. The vehicle is regularly inspected by the Hobby motorhome design and quality assurance teams in between the tests.

Messe Düsseldorf is honouring Harald Striewski, the owner and founder of Hobby, as an “Extraordinary Entrepreneur in the Caravanning Industry”. The award honouring the success story of the north German company will be presented as part of a ceremony at this year’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. Innovations such as the introduction of the automatic reversing system, the development of the cassette toilet, as well as the on-board management system developed by Hobby are key milestones in the caravanning industry, which were brought about by Harald Striewski and Hobby.

With its extremely successful participation in the Caravan Salon 2019 in Düsseldorf, Hobby is looking forward with confidence to the 2020 caravanning season. Especially well-received in the motorhome segment were the two new entry-level ranges OPTIMA ONTOUR and OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION. Hobby customers were impressed with the fully equipped models and their top price-performance ratio. In the caravan segment, family layouts again proved to be particular favourites. The two new models in the PRESTIGE range, the 560 FC and the 720 WQC, were popular with buyers due to their spacious interiors.

Hobby successfully started the first weekend of the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. Whether young or old, motorhome or caravan, the leisure vehicles of the North German manufacturer are very popular with customers all over the world. New doors are opening for Hobby in the Asia-Pacific region: A contract with a new trading partner in China was officially signed at the Hobby trade fair stand.

The new Hobby OPTIMA ONTOUR will be unveiled to the public at this year’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. Thanks to its excellent price-performance ratio and four attractive layouts, the model perfectly complements the company’s semi-integrated portfolio. With the new 560 FC and 720 WQC models from the PRESTIGE range, Hobby focuses on intelligent space solutions and a home-from-home atmosphere in the caravans. Visitors can take a look at all the latest from Hobby and its extensive product range at the impressive stand in Hall 9.

The Wacken Open Air Festival, W:O:A for short, has been sold out for many months, and Hobby is helping out once again this year by providing a number of caravans for the backstage area. In return, the north German manufacturer of caravans and motorhomes will be given an attractive plot of land right in front of the main entrance to the festival site. Together with the Hobby dealer “Ostsee Campingpartner” based in Lensahn, a few of the brand’s latest vehicles will be on show and can be admired by visitors from 29 July to 3 August 2019.

In the 2020 season, Hobby will continue to focus on six existing model ranges with 58 different model variants. The primary focus this year is on intelligent space solutions combined with a cosy ambience. With the 560 FC and 720 WQC, Hobby is presenting two new, attractive layouts in the PRESTIGE model range, which perfectly reflect these qualities. Furthermore, all Hobby caravans, with the exception of the PREMIUM model range, will feature the same rear design as the PRESTIGE model launched last year.

In the 2020 season, Hobby is presenting eight model ranges with 26 different layouts. The biggest changes relate to semi-integrated vehicles and the successful OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION range of vans, which is being expanded for the forthcoming season with the unique and new V65 GQ queen-size bed van. Despite its compact external dimensions, it feels extremely spacious. As for semi-integrated vehicles, the new OPTIMA ONTOUR is being added to the product portfolio in the entry-level segment. It represents exceptional value for money and boasts four attractive layouts.

Hobby, the leisure vehicle manufacturer from Schleswig-Holstein, is celebrating the 600,000th caravan rolling off its production line today. The hard-working Hobby employees were full of pride as they pulled the caravan out of the production hall, before getting straight back down to work on the next one. With over 50 years of experience in the leisure vehicle industry, Hobby produces up to 13,500 caravans every year. On top of this, up to 2,800 motorhomes and vans are also produced each year.

Together with the heating specialist Truma, Hobby is carrying out cold chamber testing on its new range of vans under extreme conditions. The OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION’s practicality had already been demonstrated on the winter tour in Norway, but is being proven once again in various test cycles in impressive fashion. At a defined outside temperature of - 20 degrees, the temperature inside the vehicle is measured at critical points, while a thermal imaging camera analyses any weak spots.

The 26 Hobby employees couldn’t wait any longer: the season has finally begun for the dragon boat team “HOBBY DRAGONS” and their weekly training sessions have commenced. Twice a week, they’re taking to the water with their paddles to get themselves in shape for the upcoming competitions in August and September. The company sports group has active members from all areas of the business, from trainees and carpenters to department heads.

The winter performance of the new OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION has now been tested us-ing the first prototypes in the icy wilderness of northern Norway. Over several days, em-ployees from the Hobby factory and international press representatives put the new van through its paces. The heat insulation, heating system and handy gas bottle pull-out shelf were particularly impressive at an extremely chilly -20 degrees. From March onwards, the new OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION will also be available for test drives by end customers at all participating dealers.

Hobby’s wide range of products went down a storm with visitors to the CMT in Stuttgart once again in 2019, attracting huge crowds of potential customers. The new OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION motorhome range, which was officially unveiled at the Holiday Exhibition in Stuttgart, was one of the crowd-pullers. Visitors were completely bowled over by the affordable yet fully equipped van.

There’s never been an offer like it! For the first time, anyone interested in the new OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION can take it for a preliminary test drive. It all kicks off at the annual spring event held at Hobby dealer centres. The test drives can be arranged directly with all participating HOBBY dealers. The affordable yet fully equipped VAN was officially unveiled at the CMT Holiday Exhibition in Stuttgart.

To kick-start the year, Hobby is unveiling two new HOBBY VANS at the CMT in Stuttgart under the name OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION. The two entry-level models – the V65 GE and V65 GF – are absolute bargains and come fitted with all the equipment you could ever need when they leave the factory. Thanks to their many ingenious solutions, they also have ample storage space and a generous payload. On 11 January 2019, trade experts will get their first glimpse of the new OPTIMA ONTOUR EDITION during the guided tour for the press at Hobby’s stand in Hall 5. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see the new models for themselves from 12 January 2019 onwards.

Hobby is all set for the last trade fair of 2018 in Germany. The market leader from Schleswig-Holstein will be presenting its latest products and tried-and-tested model ranges in the caravan and motorhome sector at “Touristik & Caravaning” in Leipzig. One of the major highlights will be the redeveloped popular VANTANA van – available in three different versions for the first time as of the 2019 season. The use of smartphones and tablets to control the onboard systems will also play an important role for Hobby.

Caravanning market leader Hobby builds an additional production hall and warehouse at its Rendsburg site. This will allow the company to simplify in-house logistics and manufacture more efficiently in the future. The new hall should be complete by early October 2018. The costs for the new building amount to approximately 1.2 million euros.

Hobby has got the 2019 caravanning season off to a successful start. The Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, the world’s largest motorhome and caravan trade fair, is closing with a record number of visitors.The revamped Hobby VANTANA range of vans and the mobile on-board control system using the HobbyConnect app were very well received by the general public in particular.

Compact vans and connectivity are Hobby’s focus at this year’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. The manufacturer from Schleswig-Holstein will be putting its popular van VANTANA on the market in three different equipment variants for the first time ever in the 2019 season. The “MyHobby” app will also play an important role, as it makes it possible to control various vehicle functions with a smartphone or tablet. Hobby will be presenting its comprehensive product portfolio as usual at the main stand in Hall 9 and with a stand in Hall 15 specifically for the vans.

Good news for all van fans: Hobby is offering a 2018 limited edition of the popular Vantana with a top-of-the-range equipment package – bells and whistles included!

To keep up with the growing demand for Hobby caravans, the company from northern Germany has opened up an additional assembly plant. Fockbek has had a total of three high-capacity production lines at its disposal for caravan production since the beginning of the year.

Hobby is taking huge steps towards the digital age. This is not only true of the equipment packages for its leisure vehicles, but also of motorhome and caravan production at the company's site in Fockbek. For around six million euros, the owner-run company has constructed a new prefabrication warehouse where the production processes are fully automated thanks to a whole ensemble of state-of-the-art machinery.

No cold chamber, no artificial ice, just bitter cold conditions, real snow and doubledigit sub-zero temperatures: Hobby has tested two caravans in subarctic conditions in the Arctic Circle.

The Stuttgart-based CMT is the first important spring exhibition of the year, whilst also acting as a barometer of a brand’s success. Hobby impressed the crowds in Stuttgart with its wide range of leisure vehicles, which were presented on a redesigned exhibition stand in Hall 5 for the first time.

One queen-size bed, two separate bathrooms, a generous seating area and a stylish design – Hobby’s new semi-integrated T65 GQ, which is available as both an OPTIMA DE LUXE and OPTIMA PREMIUM, offers luxury in compact form.

Hobby is coming up with the top innovations of the 2018 season for the 50th anniversary of the Stuttgart CMT trade fair early in the year. This includes models from the completely redesigned caravan series ONTOUR, the vans from the VANTANA programme, the semi-integrateds from the series OPTIMA DE LUXE and OPTIMA PREMIUM and the family-friendly SIESTA alcoves. Other trade fair highlights are the “50 Years Anniversary Edition" models, which Hobby is offering in both the motorhome and caravan segments.

Hobby is reorienting its activities in the important European sales markets of the UK and Ireland. In future, the motorhomes and caravans from the North German brand will be distributed in both countries by the company Hobby GBI run by John Hindle.

Party, have a look around and with a bit of luck win a caravan worth around 30,000 euros. On 14 and 15 October 2017, Hobby business partners are inviting their customers to the great “Golden Times” autumn event. Not only will the visitors have an opportunity to personally get to know the innovative product lines for the 2018 season - they will even get a chance to win a superbly equipped caravan from the 50 Year Anniversary Edition.

In the DE LUXE 515 UHK, Hobby is presenting a caravan with a fold-down bed for the 2018 season for the first time. This model offers seven berths in total.

In the OPTIMA DE LUXE and OPTIMA PREMIUM Hobby is offering two stand-alone semi-integrated series for the 2018 season. Both are starting with high quality full equipment as standard.

Hobby has been winning friends for three years with its compact models from the entry-level series ONTOUR among caravaners who place a special emphasis on high mobility. For the 2018 season the agile travel caravan is presenting itself with a completely new look inside and out.

Bright sunshine, blue skies, live music, great artists, games, fun, delicious food for young and old and as the grand finale a world class laser show – the day of the big street party for the 50th anniversary of Hobby really couldn’t have been any better.

Hobby was successful in two categories at the European Innovation Award 2017. The new SlimLine refrigerator in the van series Vantana was selected as the winner in the area of interior design and technology by the jury of international experts. In the marketing category Hobby won due to its extraordinary PR campaign for the Wacken-Vantana apprentices project.

Hobby is now represented in numerous Asian countries, including China, Mongolia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and South Korea. In order to offer optimal service for mo-torhomes and caravans from the Hobby brand in these countries too, our Asian retail partners’ employees have been given practical training at headquarters in Fockbek by well-versed experts.

Alongside Facebook and YouTube, Hobby is now flying the flag on Instagram too. The North German caravan and motorhome manufacturer has been represented on the popular social media portal with its own presence since summer 2016.

A new partnership is formed: Starting September 2016, Hobby and the Finnish company Touring Cars will form an exclusive partnership in the world of RV rentals. Touring Cars has 34 years’ experience in the rental business and is the leading provider of rental RVs in northern Europe.

Hobby is very happy with this year’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. At the world’s largest trade fair for recreational vehicles and caravans, the northern German brand set a new sales record with its RVs.

In this year’s reader’s poll for the magazine AUTO BILD REISEMOBIL the Hobby Optima De Luxe has won in the semi-integrated class. In a strong field of 20 candidates the elegant mobile home from Fockbek drove to 1st place and secured “The Golden Motorhome 2016“.

Hobby is significantly strengthening its future activities in Europe’s second largest motorhome market after Germany. In Pierre-Louis Guerineau (51) the North German company has been able to acquire an experienced industry expert and well-versed sales professional to take over responsibility.

Hobby proves a compact motorhome can be not only agile and practical, but also really stylish. So all models from the Vantana series are driving into the 2017 season with chic exterior and interior design, numerous innovations and a completely new fridge.

Double acknowledgement: At this year's ‘Caravan Salon’ in Düsseldorf, Hobby founder and proprietor Harald Striewski (78) received two honours for his life's work, from both the German Caravanning Retail Association (DCHV) and the magazine 'Auto Bild Reisemobil'. An entire industry shows its appreciation for the achievements of the successful businessman.

Hobby has won multiple awards, not only as a brand, but also for its new models: the new OPTIMA came in second in the 'Goldenen Reisemobil 2015' ('Golden Motorhome 2015') readers' awards, organised by the magazine 'Auto Bild Reisemobil', while the VANTANA successfully beat off the competition in the longdistance van test conducted by the same magazine.

Moreover, Hobby caravans were again winners in the 'Value for money' category of the 'König Kunde Award 2015' ('King Customer Award') given by the magazine 'Camping, Cars und Caravans'. As a brand, Hobby also won special prizes for its family friendliness, the intensive social media contact it maintains with its fans, and its particularly affordable vehicles and high safety standards.

Holger Schulz (49), managing director of Hobby-Wohnwagenwerk in Fockbek, has been elected onto the executive board of the CIVD. He will be responsible for export and international trade fairs within the Caravanning Industry Association.