Playmobil 4859 Summer Fun Family Camper

Product Information

Here is the first group, camper vans: vehicles with their own engines, not towed. There have been nine Playmobil camper vans in four basic styles. Inside, there is a shower and toilet (with a lid but still no door), sink, table and superior storage for all the plates, pans, cutlery and food containers. There is a bed for everyone, in the roof. Above the driving area are the two children’s beds and a flat screen TV is attached so the adults can watch TV while lying in bed. Holidays are great for getting away and doing something different!

The first style is represented by three examples: a white camper in set 3258 from 1979, a blue camper in version 2 of set 3258 from 1987 and an orange and yellow version in 1990 with set 3148. 3258 version 1 The occupants are a woman and child, ready for the beach or swimming pool and a dog on a lead. The accessories include a barbecue, a toy boat and a map.

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The next caravan to be produced, in 1991, was 3728, the circus strongman’s home. This is a substantial dwelling, with four sturdy wheels and a towing bar. I have included it here (I could have included the clowns’ caravan 3477 as well) because it has some accessories which show it can actually be lived in. Not many accessories though; a jug and two cups, a set of grey cutlery, two chairs, a table with parasol, a radio and a TV. Inside it has a cooker, sink, table and chairs and two beds. At night, the shutters at the four windows can be closed, but only if the window-boxes are removed first. The strongman and his strong boy live here. It’s a lovely set! There are three drawers on the outside of the caravan, two for extra storage and one to remove the toilet cassette for emptying. One peculiarity of these early caravans is the clear plastic windows in the front and rear ends. On all the examples I have seen, the windows don’t fit, they are too small horizontally and too large vertically. I think the plastic used must have shrunk over the last 40 years, or else this is a rare example in Geobra plastic components of poor manufacturing. The second group of ‘live-aboards’ are what we call caravans in the UK; these are towed by a vehicle. There have been six Playmobil caravans in five different designs.

This is my favourite PM camper. It has several unique features and is certainly luxurious! Inside, at the rear there is a ‘bathroom’ with loo (including seat and paper), wash basin, mirror and a shower, all behind a sliding DOOR (hooray!). Next there is a kitchen area with gas hob, sink and excellent storage drawers. In the seating area the table can be put into a lower position (its fiddly to do) so the parents’ double bed can be set up (it is stored inside the roof when not needed, a very neat arrangement). The next design of camper van also came out in 2005. This was set 3647 with its yellow and orange van, larger than its predecessors with wing mirrors, roof bars, aerial, pull-out awning and rear ladder to access the top box. A rear compartment has space for a bicycle and a gas bottle (the smell of an LPG gas cooker is one of my most abiding memories of camping, along with the smell of Tupperware containers, wet canvas, grass and my brother’s feet). 3647The Playmobil Family Fun Camper Van (70088) set is a great gift for kids and will bring hours of fun and entertainment. The van includes 4 beds, a kitchen area and a camping table with 4 chairs for outdoor dining. It comes with 3 Playmobil figures as well as outdoor accessories including bikes and a BBQ. A toy electricity box can be used to power up the camper during overnight stays. Plenty of Playmobile Pieces The awning framework has 8 pieces. I thought adding two extra horizontal struts might make it stronger, but unfortunately these prevent the vinyl from fitting without over-stretching it. When I were a lad, my parents bought a VW camper van (known as a caravette in those days). In this vehicle (and its later successors) we had many happy holidays in Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and elsewhere. As a result I have a soft spot (or a sinkhole, that too would work) for such vehicles, so I have assembled a collection of Playmobil campers and other ‘mobile homes’. Inside the boat are orange seats and a table, plus green shelf units. There is a strong resemblance here to the first caravans, the houseboat even has the same orange-yellow colour for its roof as 3152x.