Every owner of a hobby motorhome has been confronted with the saying “If you have a hobby, you don’t need another hobby.” But the exact opposite is the case. Many owners of a motorhome use it to pursue their other hobby.
Of course, caring for and maintaining a Hobby 600 is hobby enough. But if you can also go hiking or mountain biking with the Hobby 600, then two hobbies are wonderfully combined.
Things get interesting when you have two motorcycles as another hobby. If the motorcycles are iconic Harleys, then they also fit perfectly with the iconic Hobby 600. But what if you don't necessarily want to drive to the next Harley meeting with a motorcycle trailer? It's very simple: you convert your Hobby 600 into a motorcycle transporter!
What sounds so easy is of course a real challenge. That was my answer when our user 162-DRUH asked the question in the forum: “Has anyone ever seen a Hobby 600 with a tailgate?? Is there even a technical way to realize something like that without breaking the style?" In short: "No. At least not me yet!”
Six months have now passed and I have to correct my answer.
At the 2017 annual meeting in Bad Mergentheim I had the opportunity to view Gerd and Marina's renovation. Even if everything wasn't completely finished and the two Harleys weren't there, it's still worth introducing this conversion. To get straight to the point: According to the papers, this is a conversion to transport an electric wheelchair.
The built-in folding ramp also comes from a transport vehicle for the disabled.
Before the first cut in the rear wall, there were numerous discussions with the TÜV experts and tests with the folding ramp. To do this, the rear bed was first removed. After all, the “wheelchair” had to be somewhere. You could also deal with the sleeping option later.
Then the rear window was first replaced with a plate. A continuous, stable surface was now available for the cutout.
Reinforcements were installed from the inside at the planned cut edges. Ultimately, the cut out middle section was later intended to be used as a tailgate. Particular attention was paid to the roof/roof connection. Rear wall, as this is where the new tailgate was attached.
This was of course designed as a hinge. Suitable gas pressure dampers were attached to the reinforcements of the cut edges. They make it easier to open and close the flap. In addition, it must be secured with a rod when open.
The rear edge of the floor had to be reinforced to accommodate the folding ramp, especially since the attachment to the bumper was no longer necessary because it was shared with the flap.
All cut edges will be covered with sheet metal in a later phase. There are also locking options for the tailgate on the bumper: two disc locks.
A total of 7 visits to 3 different test engineers were necessary.
Among other things, it was about the required tightening torques for the fastening screws and whether it would be better to install a carriage bolt here or there. Ultimately, the conversion of the rear received the blessing of the TÜV and was therefore also recorded in the vehicle documents.
The lack of a rear bed was no problem, nor were the lashing points for securing the load. Ultimately, this is the responsibility of the driver.
This completed the first part of the project. Part 2 consists of increasing the load to 3500 kg while simultaneously reducing the empty weight. ...and the interior also has to be redesigned so that two Harleys can be placed or braced one behind the other.
So first the fresh water tank under the seat was removed and replaced with two 10l water canisters with a pump connection. There is no more water for traveling. The waste water tank under the rear of the vehicle had to be removed as part of the reinforcement work on the floor. Two flying canisters replace it if necessary.
As you can already see, the use of the Hobby 600 as a motorhome with the longest possible self-sufficient standing time is quite limited. Since Gerd and Marina want to go to campsites anyway, they accept this and even went one step further: the entire gas system including the stove and heating were removed.
In addition to the weight savings, there is another aspect that comes into play here.
The furniture had to be made narrower so that the motorcycles could be pushed through to the front. ... and the heating simply got in the way. (It may need to be replaced by a diesel-air heater). Let's start by looking at the interior at the rear.
The rear bed was converted so that the slatted frames and mattresses are divided into the middle of the vehicle and can be folded up to the sides when a motorcycle is traveling along. The next obstacle is the laundry room and wardrobe with heating. Even without the sideboard, the 60 cm is not wide enough for the handlebars.
So it's time to make space.
As already mentioned, the heating was completely removed. The wardrobe was also made approx. 10 cm narrower in the lower area. A slightly bigger problem arose on the other side with the washroom. The entrance door and the walls were, or are still being, redesigned so that they can be pushed towards the wall like a slider when the washroom is not in use.
The seat chest of the former fresh water tank can also be made narrower, so that a motorcycle can ultimately be pushed through to the front of the Hobby 600.
The closed cabinets under the sink and the absorption refrigerator were removed and replaced with open shelves.
A small compressor refrigerator is on the sink and can later be reached even with a tensed motorcycle.
An induction hotplate with a 230V connection is used for cooking; You're on a campsite anyway. Not all details had been implemented at the annual meeting. In the meantime the project has progressed. However, there was a small downer:
Due to the entered axle loads of 1600 kg at the front and 1700 kg at the rear, the expert only wanted to enter a permissible total weight of 3300 kg. The expert did not recognize FIAT's report and no approval could be obtained from Peugeot.
So the scales now became the preferred parking space. The arrangement of the motorcycles also had to be changed slightly to achieve better load distribution. It's tight, but it fits. The conversion from a motorhome to a transporter now takes exactly 30 minutes and at the destination it takes another 30 minutes to prepare the Hobby 600 for living again.
I can already imagine the situation at the campsite: Gerd and Marina will drive up with their Hobby 600, open the big hatch, take out two Harleys...and the neighbors will stand around it, gaping in amazement. …and Gerd then says:
“Everyone said THAT CAN’T BE WORKED……… Until someone came along who didn’t know it couldn’t be done… and just did it!”
Text and image credits: Wilfried Leske & Gerd-Hermann Sewelies
Thanks for the great review! Please also take a look at https://hobby600.de , there are more of these stories there.
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