A van for everyday use or adventuring – what more could you want!
The reliability of MAN products has made Philip Göhl a true MAN enthusiast, in terms of both his business and his private life. Since this summer, the 38-year-old and his family have been on the road in their MAN TGE, which he and his wife, Veronika, converted into a camper van.
“We wanted a vehicle that would offer space for day-to-day use, but can also work well as a camper van,” says Philip, explaining why they opted for MAN’s smallest vehicle.
When the Göhls go on holiday, that means finding space for four children, a dog, and all the bikes. “The problem that we had with all our vehicles until now was a lack of space,” Philip explains. “We were always travelling with trailers and roof boxes, and at one point it became too much for us.” As safety and security are also important to the family, they finally turned to the MAN TGE as the solution to their problem. “After doing a lot of research, we decided that the MAN TGE suited us best,” says Philip. To make the MAN TGE – which they also use as a company vehicle – fit their needs for going on holiday, the couple from Wangen decided to modify it themselves.
From transporter to camper van
“We installed bench seats with storage space in the cargo area, above the wheel housing,” says Philip, describing one of the conversion steps. “It contains two solar batteries and an AC/DC converter on the driver’s side, so we can be more independent.” To have access to a reliable source of energy, the couple also installed a solar panel on the roof, where it is held in place by the existing stainless steel roof rack. On the roof there is even room for a roof tent to be attached. A cargo net provides the passenger area with reliable protection against the luggage and bikes stored in the cargo area.
Philip and Veronika also want to add more insulation to the interior of their MAN TGE, to make the rear of the vehicle quieter. Overall, the couple are very satisfied with how they have converted the van so far, as well as with the MAN TGE in general, which they also use for their business “Kid’s Bikes Göhl”. Philip came to appreciate MAN vehicles for their reliability from his many years of working in the trade fair industry:
“Most of the vans we used were MAN TGLs, in which we covered thousands of miles in Europe. It was always a joy to be on the road in an MAN vehicle, compared to some of its competitors.”
Since its arrival in June, the family has got off to a good start with their own MAN: “We’ve been to Tuscany, the Vinschgau, Sölden and the Montafon in our MAN TGE.” Where the camper van will take the six of them next remains to be decided. All that Philip would reveal was that the journey would definitely take them east. We wish him and his family a pleasant journey, and lots more fun with their MAN travel companion.