Renault TRM 200 Rustikab expedition vehicle

Solid construction from screen printing plates

Back to the roots - that could be the motto of Horst Fischer and s of a company' Rustikab '. The name says it all, because the cabins do indeed look a little rustic. Here, the form actually follows the function, because Fischer has very own ideas about how to build a cabin suitable for long-distance travel. It has to be stable, says Fischer, so he builds stable. From screen printing plates, many are familiar with the material from the floor panels in car trailers. Quite heavy compared to modern plastic sandwich panels, but also practically indestructible. So he has built his own first 'Rustikab', with which he will soon be going on a big South American tour. And because it worked so well, Fischer and his company Rustikab have long been manufacturing on behalf of customers.

The wood construction is carried out with aluminum profiles, internal insulation made of PUR rigid foam and a final plywood lining allow the wall thickness to be up to Grow by 85 mm. All cut edges are sealed with adhesive against the effects of the weather, the finished expansion is so stable that you can jack up the entire vehicle on it.

The base vehicle is relatively irrelevant, the standard cab is for trucks up to 7.5 Tons - whether a larger MAN or a compact Iveco shoulders the Rustikab cabin is largely irrelevant.

Expedition vehicle based on Renault TRM 2000

Fischer has a clear favorite for his own long-distance travel - the Renault TRM 2000. In the off-road scene, the Frenchman is more of a case for insiders. The Renault TRM 2000 was delivered for the first time in the early 1980s and, in line with its intended use as a military truck, is equipped with solid off-road technology. One advantage of the six-tonner is its compactness - with a width of 2.2 meters and a length of 5.5 meters, it only takes up a little more traffic area than a normal double-cab pickup.

The Renault, which weighs 3.4 tons when empty, also has a special feature: portal axles. These axles, which are equipped with gear reduction, give the TRM 2000 enormous ground clearance. The 3.6 liter engine delivers 117 hp, enough for a maximum speed of 90 km /h with a consumption of between 20 and 25 liters. The biggest advantage of the Renault, however, isIts price: compared to a similarly sized Unimog, it is a downright special offer, good examples can be found from around 6,000 euros at the relevant military vehicle dealers, especially in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Pragmatism instead of swank

If you compare the cost situation for Fischer's Rustikab with the providers of the representative all-wheel-drive villas, as they leave the halls at Action Mobil, you feel like you are in a bargain paradise anyway. According to Fischer himself, he put less than 20,000 euros into his expedition vehicle - not including working hours, of course. For customers who want to do their own thing with the interior design, he builds an empty cabin for around 14,000 euros. The prices for fully developed cabins are of course open to a certain extent - depending on what the future globetrotter wants in terms of equipment.

At the same time, Fischer remains grounded: he builds his furniture appropriately, with no frills, but just as stable as the cabin. Poplar plywood is forbidden in Rustikab furniture construction, but the cabinets are manufactured in such a way that heating air flows through them and thus they are kept dry even in extreme weather conditions.

With new customer vehicles, however, it will not continue until a little later, in August Fischer takes a break and goes on a voyage of discovery through South America with his own Rustikab.