Frankia Platin 7900 GD: Luxury loft on wheels
Eight meters long, weighing 5.000 kilos: you can confidently count the new Frankia Platin 7900 GD as one of The Big Boys. But a big boy on a Mercedes chassis, with every possible luxury on board. A luxurious loft on six wheels.
Frankia is a camper manufacturer in the southern German Franconia: an area in Bavaria. A specialist in camper construction, with an annual production of around 450 campers – mainly large cars for which you need a C driving license. This also applies to this Frankia Platin 7900 GD: with an empty weight of almost 4 tons and a maximum permitted mass of 5.300 kg, it far exceeds the limits of the normal B driving license.
But: never worry about loading capacity again and thanks to the wonderful six-cylinder automatic transmission from Mercedes 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 look at Frankia's top model, the 7900 version. It can be 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 190 hp Mercedes V6, combined with the 7-speed automatic transmission – an excellent choice for such a heavy car. The car moves smoothly in traffic, only when maneuvering do you realize that you are out and about with an 804 centimeter long camper. The car is equipped with ABS, ESP and double airbags as standard. The car is equipped with 'double air': two wheels on each side of the rear axle, which is also equipped with the optional air suspension - operated with a remote control in the cabin.
The Frankia Platin 7900 GD is equipped with a spacious double bottom, in which the technical installations, but also the water tanks, have been placed. The space that remains can be used from all sides for luggage: many hatches all around and deep pantry cupboards have also been concealed in the bottom inside. The advantage of a double floor is also its extreme winter resistance - especially in combination with the Alde liquid and underfloor heating, which also heats the double floor. At the back we see a whopper of a garage, which - unique to Frankia - is also accessible via an enormous tailgate.
Construction Frankia Platin 7900 GD
The structure of the camper is made of polyester with styrofoam insulation - aluminum profiles provide stability and are used 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 will be less loud in the interior. And there are many more smart details to be found in this Frankia. Such as a separate room behind a service hatch in which all electronics are concealed, an automatically retractable 230 Volt cord, a separate service hatch behind which the water hose is neatly concealed 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 can of course be rotated. 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 stove and the TV satellite receiver: everything neatly concealed behind a cupboard flap. In this version, the fold-down bed has been exchanged for additional upper cabinets - it gives an even more feeling of space and an enormous amount of extra luggage options.
Smartly laid out corner kitchen
The corner kitchen is equipped with a Maxi Flex cooker with two large gas burners with an easy-to-clean glass base. In the cooking area you can also choose a third, large gas burner or electric hob, concealed under a Corian cover plate. Sink cover plates (equipped with a pull-out hand shower) can be used as additional work space by clicking them into handy holders and the space behind the sink is used for a handy waste bin integrated into the worktop.
To the left of the entrance door we see an illuminated cupboard with wine glasses, below which is the flat-screen TV. A little further back we find the high fridge/freezer combination with the oven/grill above it. More towards the bedroom, on the left side of the car we see the separate toilet room with ceramic toilet, sink and cupboard space, the doors of which are equipped with mirrors. Opposite the toilet room is the separate shower cabin with design fixture. In this version, two spacious, single beds have been chosen in the longitudinal direction, 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 cupboard with room for two gas bottles, including Truma Duo Control (with remote control), Eis-Ex and crash sensor. The fresh water tank and the gray water tank are integrated in the double floor of the vehicle. Outside, at the rear left, behind a service hatch, we see a men's paradise illuminated with blue LEDs, in which the electronics have been concealed with great attention to detail: inverter, battery charger, switching units for the solar panels, you name it. The separate fuse box, near the driver's door, is also impeccably installed. The drainage systems for the water tank and boiler can also be found in the same room, as well as the frost protection. The water reel has also been 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 truly the top model from camper specialist Frankia. Installations are impeccably concealed, just like pipes and cables. Satellite system, solar panels, Alde heating: the complete wish list can be found in this camper. Including the 190 hp Mercedes version, the 7-speed automatic gearbox and the optional air suspension on the rear axle. We have nothing left to wish for. Or maybe: the 8400 version.
Plus minus
+ Extensive standard equipment
+ Driving characteristics
+ Neat installations
+ Lots of loading capacity
Facts & Figures
CHASSIS/ENGINE
Chassis original raised chassis from Mercedes
Engine 190 hp/6 cyl instead of standard 163 hp/4 cylinder Mercedes
DIMENSIONS
Length: 804 cm
Width: cm 230
Height: 309 cm
Headroom: 203 cm
Wheelbase: 4525 mm
Maximum mass: 5.000/5.300 kg
Curb weight: 3.990 kg
Load capacity: 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/license plate costs
For more information, visit www.frankia.com
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