Frankia Platin 7900 GD: Luxury loft on wheels
Eight meters long, 5,000 kilos heavy: the new Frankia Platin 7900 GD can safely be counted among The Big Boys. But then a big boy on a Mercedes chassis, with all possible luxury on board. A luxury loft on six wheels.
Frankia is a camper manufacturer in Southern German Franconia: an area in Bavaria. A specialist in camper construction, with an annual production of about 450 campers – mainly large vehicles for which you need a C driving license. This also applies to this Frankia Platin 7900 GD: with an unladen weight of almost 4 tons and a maximum permissible mass of 5,300 kg, it far exceeds the maximum possibilities of a normal B driving license.
But: no more worries about payload and thanks to the wonderful Mercedes six-cylinder automatic and the (optional) air suspension, the Frankia Platin 7900 GD drives as if you have stepped into a much smaller camper. For this camper test, we are looking at Frankia's top model, in the 7900 version. It can get even crazier: there is also an 8400, with a total length of 858 cm.
Exterior
The Frankia Platin 7900 GD uses the Mercedes Europsprinter 516 as its base vehicle. Standard with the 190hp Mercedes V6, combined with the 7-speed automatic transmission – an excellent choice for such a heavy vehicle. The vehicle keeps up well in traffic; only when maneuvering do you realize that you are traveling with an 804-centimeter-long camper. The car is standard equipped with ABS, ESP, and double airbags. The vehicle has 'double air': two wheels on each side of the rear axle, which is also equipped with the optional air suspension – controllable with a remote control in the cabin.
The Frankia Platin 7900 GD is equipped with a spacious double floor, in which the technical installations, as well as the water tanks, have been placed. The remaining space can be used from all sides for luggage: many hatches all around and also inside there are deep storage cupboards hidden in the floor. An advantage of a double floor is also the extreme winter resistance – especially in combination with the Alde liquid and underfloor heating, which also heats that double floor. At the back, we see a huge garage, which – unique to Frankia – is also accessible via an enormous tailgate.
Construction Frankia Platin 7900 GD
The construction of the camper is made of polyester with styrofoam insulation – aluminum profiles provide stability and are applied in such a way that no cold bridges are created. Frankia uses the term ThermoGuard for this construction method. By covering the inside of the roof with textile, a heavy rain shower sounds less loud in the interior. And there are many more clever details to be found in this Frankia. Such as a separate space behind a service hatch where all electronics are hidden, an automatically retractable 230 Volt cord, a separate service hatch behind which the water hose is neatly hidden on a reel, and central locking on the cabin and access door. Just to name a few.
Comfort and space
Inside, we see a comfortable seating area where the comfortable SKA cabin seats are, of course, swiveling. A modern control panel above the entrance door provides information about, among other things, the battery status and the level in the water tanks. Here we also see the controls for the Alde heater and the TV satellite receiver: everything neatly concealed behind a cabinet door. In this version, the drop-down bed has been replaced by extra overhead cabinets – it gives even more sense of space and an enormous amount of extra luggage options.
Cleverly arranged corner kitchen
The corner kitchen is equipped with a Maxi Flex hob with two large gas burners with an easy-to-clean glass base plate. In the cooking area, you can also choose a third, large gas burner or electric hob, concealed under a Corian cover plate. Sink covers (equipped with a pull-out hand shower) can be used as extra workspace by clicking them into convenient holders, and the space behind the sink is used for a handy waste bin integrated into the countertop.
To the left of the entrance door, we see an illuminated cabinet with wine glasses, and below it, the flat-screen TV. A little further back, we find the tall fridge/freezer combination with the oven/grill above it. Towards the bedroom, on the left side of the vehicle, we see the separate toilet room with a ceramic toilet, small sink, and cabinet space whose doors are fitted with mirrors. Opposite the toilet room is the separate shower cabin, with designer fittings. In this version, two spacious single beds have been chosen lengthwise, which can be transformed into a more than spacious double bed with an intermediate piece.
Technical installations
Alde liquid heating is installed throughout the vehicle, and the floor is also equipped with Alde underfloor heating. Outside, there is a gas locker with space for two gas bottles, including Truma Duo Control (with remote control), Eis-Ex, and a crash sensor. The fresh water tank and the grey water tank are integrated into the double floor of the vehicle. Outside, at the rear left, behind a service hatch, we see a man's paradise illuminated with blue LEDs, where the electronics are meticulously concealed: inverter, battery charger, switching units for the solar panels, you name it. The separate fuse box, near the driver's door, is also impeccably built-in. In the same area, the drainage systems for the water tank and boiler can also be found, along with frost protection. The water hose reel is also concealed here, and we see a handy drawer for, for example, the 230 Volt adapter cables.
Conclusion test Frankia Platin 7900 GD
The Frankia Platin 7900 GD is rightly the top model of camper specialist Frankia. Installations are impeccably concealed, as are pipes and cables. Satellite system, solar panels, Alde heating: the complete wish list can be found in this camper. Including the 190hp Mercedes version, the automatic 7-speed gearbox, and the optional air suspension on the rear axle. We have nothing left to wish for. Or maybe still: the 8400 version.
Plus & Min
+ Generous standard equipment
+ Driving characteristics
+ Neat installations
+ High payload
Facts & Figures
CHASSIS/ENGINE
Chassis original raised Mercedes chassis
Engine 190hp/6cyl instead of standard 163hp/4cylinder Mercedes
DIMENSIONS
Length: 804 cm
Width: 230 cm
Height: 309 cm
Headroom: 203 cm
Wheelbase: 4525 mm
Maximum mass: 5,000/5,300 kg
Ready-to-drive weight: 3,990 kg
Payload: 1,010/1,310 kg
Number of seats/berths: 4/2
Beds: 195/200 x 80 cm
Price from: € 174,500, incl. BPM, VAT, transport/registration costs
For more information, visit www.frankia.com
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