Enterprise
Prologue
My wife Evelyn and I are active camper van enthusiasts. In 1972, we converted our first camper, a VW T2, ourselves according to our needs. After the first instructive experiences we converted the next camper van and the following and so on. Each time, our campers improved in functionality, comfort and autonomy - we also immediately supplied our vehicles with photovoltaic conversion panels, when these were introduced to the market. But our camper vans wouldn't be larger because we didn't want to relinquish manoeuvrability and off-road ability. Therefore, our largest camper was "just" a VW LT 1 with long wheel base, but with taut and higher chassis.
Nevertheless, we used to come back again and again to the little and manoeuvrable VW camper van, which is more fun to drive, also off-road, and can be parked anywhere without problems.
Our hobbies have been/are diving, fishing, surfing, sailing - simply everything to do with water - skiing, horses, dogs, converting camper vans and naturally our daughter Diana, who, at the age of three months, went on her first trip with a camper van to Greece.
In order to realize all these activities with a relative little camper van, we had to be "creative" and time and time again we had to conceive equipment, which wasn't available on the market or didn't meet our needs. We didn't only need a good camper van, but functional equipment that really solved our problems. Furthermore, it had to be easy to stow away and of a certain quality, because we didn't have enough space to take tools with us and didn't want to spend our holidays with repairing.
On the road we met a lot of other campers asking whether we could make one or the other part of equipment for them. Particularly purchasers of "off-the-peg" camper vans needed a lot of equipment, as those vehicles were not designed for individual necessities but are made for a wide range of customers and thus had to be individualized after purchase with needed equipment.
This was a broad field of activity, which meant a lot of fun for us.
Since then, BRANDRUP Camper & Van Equipment is still a family business, and the market leader in the equipment sector for serial recreation vehicles of the Volkswagen AG, equipment manufacturer for the recreation vehicles of the Daimler AG and supplier of well-known recreation and camper van manufacturer.
BRANDRUP-products are as well internationally known and popular: Our export quota in 2016 was over 80 %.
Enterprise
1985 Business start-up by Robert Brandrup in Munich.
1986 Presentation of BRANDRUP accessories at national trade fairs.
1990 Beginning of a very close co-operation with VW retailers and development of special accessories for VW recreation vehicles. We convinced more and more dealers that their customers do need adequate accessories in order to make them even happier with their camper vans.
1994 Since 1994, we are guest exhibitor at national trade fairs on the stand of the Volkswagen AG, which, at that time, started to build up a network of retailers specialized in recreation vehicles.
1998 A lot of our VW retailers became BRANDRUP authorized dealers; thus we could offer our end customers an even better service. Beginning of co-operation with the Volkswagen importer PORSCHE AUSTRIA.
2000 The first BRANDRUP importer's contract with a Volkswagen importer is signed with PON/Volkswagen Campercentrum Nederland, which is the first to found a company resolutely specialized on recreation vehicles outside Germany.
2001 Due to our success and loyalty of our customers we were able to expand: Moving of our company headquarters from Munich city centre (Sendlinger Street) to the beautiful Bavarian Forest, where we own a site of approx. 24 hectare and could unite all sections of the company.
2003 Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf: exclusive presentation of BRANDRUP accessories for the VW T5 California and Multivan on the stand of Volkswagen AG commercial vehicles together with the initial presentation of the VW T5 California. Production of initial equipment for the HYMER AG.
2006 The Accessories Shop of the After-Sales Service Department of the Volkswagen AG commercial vehicles in Hannover became a BRANDRUP authorized dealer. Intensification of co-operation with VW retailers in France and Belgium. Development and production of equipment for the recreation vehicles of Mercedes-Benz.
2007 Domingo Alonso S.A., Volkswagen importer to the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar becomes our authorized importer. Expansion of our dealer network in Spain.
2008 Reorganisation of our retailers’ network in Switzerland: one VW retailer (E. Baschnagel AG/Windisch) becomes our direct authorized dealer; all other VW retailers are provided with our VW-equipment by AMAG, the Volkswagen and BRANDRUP authorized importer.
2009-2010 Development of equipment for the new VW T5 as from model year 2010. Expansion of our production by a computer-controlled machine for producing seat covers with documented tear seams for the new lateral airbags of the VW cabin seats.
2011-2013 Instead of "being modern" and moving parts of our production to countries with a low-wage economy, swimming upstream we expanded our production at our site in Lower Bavaria to ensure even better quality.
In the R & D department we wondered, if it is possible to considerably improve the sleeping comfort and simultaneously achieve an enlargement of the storage room.
There was a possibility: iXTEND PAD for the VW T5 California Comfortline made it possible. Over and above that, we developed an entirely new FLYOUT mosquito net line.
2014 Presentation of the Mercedes-Benz V Class by Daimler AG and therefore presentation of new recreation vehicles, for which we developed a wide range of BRANDRUP equipment.
2015 The company exists for 30 years.
The VW T6 California Ocean, Coast and Beach are presented in 2015, for which we improved our equipment even further. Our equipment adapts to the new design of the interior of the VW T6 California models.
2016 The Daimler daughter “Mercedes-Benz Schweiz AG” got to be the authorized dealer for our Mercedes-Benz equipment in Switzerland.
The VW T6 California models and our equipment was very popular with the customers and so much desired, that not only Volkswagen’s vehicle production but our production as well reached peak capacity and we partly had longer lead times.
Additionally, the demand for our Mercedes-Benz equipment increased as well a lot.
2015 till mid-2016 we doubled our production capacity: Nevertheless it was not to be avoided to satisfy the extremely increasing demand for our equipment without lead times of partly 6 – 8 months.
In order to meet the increased demand rapidly, we decided in mid-2016 to further redouble our production capacity. Of course we stayed true to our company’s philosophy and keep producing all of our own products with fair conditions for our colleagues in Germany – predominantly at our site in Bavaria.
2017 At the end of May our production hall with additional 1.200 m2 area got ready to use at our Bavarian site.
Epilogue
Since our beginning a lot has changed. The "garage inventors" have nearly vanished as the automotive industry continuously produces better camper vans. Therefore, converting a camper van at home is neither worthwhile nor necessary anymore. Considering today's high purchase prices one also has to bear in mind that the maintenance of value of an "off-the-peg" camper van is considerably better than that of an individually converted vehicle, which has been designed according to the individual needs of its owner.
The advantages of serial vehicles at the same time bring along a lack of individual equipment as the serial camper vans have to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Our equipment, which has been specially developed for these kind of vehicles, individualizes and enlarges the field of application of a camper van according to the individual hobbies and needs of each customer, also in everyday life.
Therefore, for serial camper vans BRANDRUP Camper & Van Equipment is even more important nowadays than in former times. For this, we invented and developed products like the AIR-SAFE, AIRSCREEN, FLYOUT, ISOLITE, ISOLITE Extreme, ISO-TOP, iXTEND, FLEXBAG, MULTIBOX, MULTIBOX CarryBag, TOP-RAIL, TIALO and UTILITY storage pockets, Second Skin seat covers made in the original material and design, VARIOTENT etc..
Our basic attitude has never changed: from the beginning we have always put a high value on obligatory functionality and reliability of our products. In order to guarantee high quality and fair conditions for our employees permanently, we still produce all our own products in Germany. Hence, as pioneer in our line of business we have been able to offer a three-year warranty on all the BRANDRUP products since 1985 instead of the former legal warranty of six months.
It has never changed also, that we test all of our products ourselves thoroughly, before we offer them to you.
Have fun on our website!
Yours sincerely,
Robert Brandrup & team
My wife Evelyn and I are active camper van enthusiasts. In 1972, we converted our first camper, a VW T2, ourselves according to our needs. After the first instructive experiences we converted the next camper van and the following and so on. Each time, our campers improved in functionality, comfort and autonomy - we also immediately supplied our vehicles with photovoltaic conversion panels, when these were introduced to the market. But our camper vans wouldn't be larger because we didn't want to relinquish manoeuvrability and off-road ability. Therefore, our largest camper was "just" a VW LT 1 with long wheel base, but with taut and higher chassis.
Nevertheless, we used to come back again and again to the little and manoeuvrable VW camper van, which is more fun to drive, also off-road, and can be parked anywhere without problems.
Our hobbies have been/are diving, fishing, surfing, sailing - simply everything to do with water - skiing, horses, dogs, converting camper vans and naturally our daughter Diana, who, at the age of three months, went on her first trip with a camper van to Greece.
In order to realize all these activities with a relative little camper van, we had to be "creative" and time and time again we had to conceive equipment, which wasn't available on the market or didn't meet our needs. We didn't only need a good camper van, but functional equipment that really solved our problems. Furthermore, it had to be easy to stow away and of a certain quality, because we didn't have enough space to take tools with us and didn't want to spend our holidays with repairing.
On the road we met a lot of other campers asking whether we could make one or the other part of equipment for them. Particularly purchasers of "off-the-peg" camper vans needed a lot of equipment, as those vehicles were not designed for individual necessities but are made for a wide range of customers and thus had to be individualized after purchase with needed equipment.
This was a broad field of activity, which meant a lot of fun for us.
Since then, BRANDRUP Camper & Van Equipment is still a family business, and the market leader in the equipment sector for serial recreation vehicles of the Volkswagen AG, equipment manufacturer for the recreation vehicles of the Daimler AG and supplier of well-known recreation and camper van manufacturer.
BRANDRUP-products are as well internationally known and popular: Our export quota in 2016 was over 80 %.
Enterprise
1985 Business start-up by Robert Brandrup in Munich.
1986 Presentation of BRANDRUP accessories at national trade fairs.
1990 Beginning of a very close co-operation with VW retailers and development of special accessories for VW recreation vehicles. We convinced more and more dealers that their customers do need adequate accessories in order to make them even happier with their camper vans.
1994 Since 1994, we are guest exhibitor at national trade fairs on the stand of the Volkswagen AG, which, at that time, started to build up a network of retailers specialized in recreation vehicles.
1998 A lot of our VW retailers became BRANDRUP authorized dealers; thus we could offer our end customers an even better service. Beginning of co-operation with the Volkswagen importer PORSCHE AUSTRIA.
2000 The first BRANDRUP importer's contract with a Volkswagen importer is signed with PON/Volkswagen Campercentrum Nederland, which is the first to found a company resolutely specialized on recreation vehicles outside Germany.
2001 Due to our success and loyalty of our customers we were able to expand: Moving of our company headquarters from Munich city centre (Sendlinger Street) to the beautiful Bavarian Forest, where we own a site of approx. 24 hectare and could unite all sections of the company.
2003 Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf: exclusive presentation of BRANDRUP accessories for the VW T5 California and Multivan on the stand of Volkswagen AG commercial vehicles together with the initial presentation of the VW T5 California. Production of initial equipment for the HYMER AG.
2006 The Accessories Shop of the After-Sales Service Department of the Volkswagen AG commercial vehicles in Hannover became a BRANDRUP authorized dealer. Intensification of co-operation with VW retailers in France and Belgium. Development and production of equipment for the recreation vehicles of Mercedes-Benz.
2007 Domingo Alonso S.A., Volkswagen importer to the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar becomes our authorized importer. Expansion of our dealer network in Spain.
2008 Reorganisation of our retailers’ network in Switzerland: one VW retailer (E. Baschnagel AG/Windisch) becomes our direct authorized dealer; all other VW retailers are provided with our VW-equipment by AMAG, the Volkswagen and BRANDRUP authorized importer.
2009-2010 Development of equipment for the new VW T5 as from model year 2010. Expansion of our production by a computer-controlled machine for producing seat covers with documented tear seams for the new lateral airbags of the VW cabin seats.
2011-2013 Instead of "being modern" and moving parts of our production to countries with a low-wage economy, swimming upstream we expanded our production at our site in Lower Bavaria to ensure even better quality.
In the R & D department we wondered, if it is possible to considerably improve the sleeping comfort and simultaneously achieve an enlargement of the storage room.
There was a possibility: iXTEND PAD for the VW T5 California Comfortline made it possible. Over and above that, we developed an entirely new FLYOUT mosquito net line.
2014 Presentation of the Mercedes-Benz V Class by Daimler AG and therefore presentation of new recreation vehicles, for which we developed a wide range of BRANDRUP equipment.
2015 The company exists for 30 years.
The VW T6 California Ocean, Coast and Beach are presented in 2015, for which we improved our equipment even further. Our equipment adapts to the new design of the interior of the VW T6 California models.
2016 The Daimler daughter “Mercedes-Benz Schweiz AG” got to be the authorized dealer for our Mercedes-Benz equipment in Switzerland.
The VW T6 California models and our equipment was very popular with the customers and so much desired, that not only Volkswagen’s vehicle production but our production as well reached peak capacity and we partly had longer lead times.
Additionally, the demand for our Mercedes-Benz equipment increased as well a lot.
2015 till mid-2016 we doubled our production capacity: Nevertheless it was not to be avoided to satisfy the extremely increasing demand for our equipment without lead times of partly 6 – 8 months.
In order to meet the increased demand rapidly, we decided in mid-2016 to further redouble our production capacity. Of course we stayed true to our company’s philosophy and keep producing all of our own products with fair conditions for our colleagues in Germany – predominantly at our site in Bavaria.
2017 At the end of May our production hall with additional 1.200 m2 area got ready to use at our Bavarian site.
Epilogue
Since our beginning a lot has changed. The "garage inventors" have nearly vanished as the automotive industry continuously produces better camper vans. Therefore, converting a camper van at home is neither worthwhile nor necessary anymore. Considering today's high purchase prices one also has to bear in mind that the maintenance of value of an "off-the-peg" camper van is considerably better than that of an individually converted vehicle, which has been designed according to the individual needs of its owner.
The advantages of serial vehicles at the same time bring along a lack of individual equipment as the serial camper vans have to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Our equipment, which has been specially developed for these kind of vehicles, individualizes and enlarges the field of application of a camper van according to the individual hobbies and needs of each customer, also in everyday life.
Therefore, for serial camper vans BRANDRUP Camper & Van Equipment is even more important nowadays than in former times. For this, we invented and developed products like the AIR-SAFE, AIRSCREEN, FLYOUT, ISOLITE, ISOLITE Extreme, ISO-TOP, iXTEND, FLEXBAG, MULTIBOX, MULTIBOX CarryBag, TOP-RAIL, TIALO and UTILITY storage pockets, Second Skin seat covers made in the original material and design, VARIOTENT etc..
Our basic attitude has never changed: from the beginning we have always put a high value on obligatory functionality and reliability of our products. In order to guarantee high quality and fair conditions for our employees permanently, we still produce all our own products in Germany. Hence, as pioneer in our line of business we have been able to offer a three-year warranty on all the BRANDRUP products since 1985 instead of the former legal warranty of six months.
It has never changed also, that we test all of our products ourselves thoroughly, before we offer them to you.
Have fun on our website!
Yours sincerely,
Robert Brandrup & team
