Volkswagen Amarok gets woody

The V6 Volkswagen Amarok and the soon-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz X-Class have transformed the humble one-tonne ute from rugged workhorse to swanky urban truckster.

Now Aussie owners of these upmarket Euro pick-ups can further extend their recreational capabilities, not to mention stand out from the crowd with a new range of flexible camping cabinetry and accessories from German company VanEssa Mobilcamping available in Australia.

Also available for European vans, the modular camping cabinetry is designed to easily bolt in and out using existing attachments where available, while delivering a factory and fashionable look in the process.

On display at the Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow recently was a fully kitted up Volkswagen V6 Amarok ute, complete with slide-out kitchen, timber tonneau cover and roof-top tent – all available through the VanEssa catalogue.

Three 'Rok Camper' packages are currently available for the Amarok ute: the basic 'Cook' kit, which consists of dual rear slides plus kitchen with sink, two 12-litre water tanks and Dometic 35-litre fridge, priced at $5660.

The mid-range 'Cook & Camp' kit, also includes a James Baroud Evasion Evolution roof-top tent, for $9995, while the full 'Cook & Camp & Deck' package, which also includes a marine grade waterproof wooden deck lid for the tub, including gas strut assists and chrome sports bars, costs $15,690.

You can also buy the stylish 'woody' deck separately for $5695. Made from hard-wearing teak, it's strong enough to carry one or two people, so could also possibly be used as dancefloor for an impromptu Outback 'rave' party!

The display ute was also fitted with an ArkPak portable battery pack, in a gap behind the wheel arch, that could power the fridge or other 12-volt appliances.

With the sturdy slide rails bolted into place in the ute tub, VanEssa says it's a quick job to remove the kitchen module when not being used, leaving space in the tub for other recreational or work gear.

A long list of other German-built VanEssa slot-in camp kitchens and mattresses is also on offer to Australian owners of Volkswagen Multivan, Transporter and Caddy vans, as well as the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo. Meanwhile, the Amarok ute accessories should also be available for the upcoming X-Class ute.

VanEssa Mobilcamping Australia is promising "full factory support" across Australia from this month,  with the camping accessories  currently available at seven VW dealers along the eastern seaboard (Canberra, Victoria, Queensland and NSW) and five Mercedes-Benz outlets (Victoria, Queensland, NSW, Western Australia).

For the full range of options visit the VanEssa Australia website.