Dusseldorf Caravan Salon

This year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon was absolutely overloaded with new and innovative camper vans, including those carefully honed for distinct profiles of adventurer.

The 2018 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon was packed with camper vans of all lengths and heights, but most were built for summer highway driving. One exception was the Karmann Dexter 560 4x4. Based on an AWD Ford Transit, this rugged three-sleeper adds extra versatility for chasing big adventure.

We've seen plenty of motorhomes with expansion slide-outs, but a concept camper from Lippert is on another level. From an expanding wine bar, to a flip-out dog tent, Lippert's motorhome shows how slide-outs create a motorhome so roomy you could practically teach a karate class inside.

A fun-loving camper van with a fun-loving name, the Hymercar Free is the perfect camper van for buddies looking to travel, surf, bike, climb or ski, with an available individual-bed layout ensuring everyone has his or her own space to sleep. It's also ideal for couples and families.

Quite different from other camping trailers we've covered, the Udo iCamp rides to camp with a rear-end that looks like a sports coupe. Once there, the electric pop-top sheds any resemblance to a car, rising into a tall, vertical-walled shelter that sleeps and feeds up to four.

Ever since we checked out the Pössl Campster, we've been looking out for an equally versatile motorhome/passenger van. The Dreamer Cap Coast Select is it, relying on floor rails and individual seats to change between six-passenger people-mover, four-berth camper van and capacious gear-hauler.

An impressive motorhome by any measure, the Flash 634 from France's Chausson gets the most livability out of its small footprint. Chausson packs in Swiss Army knife-like multifunction with three beds that lift clean to the ceiling to open up two dining areas, a lounge chair and plenty of storage.

German camper van converter La Strada has adapted its flagship Regent S to the all-new third-gen Mercedes Sprinter platform. The new camper van rolls as a smart two-sleeper van with a bathroom and convertible rear bedroom for carrying bikes, surfboards and other large sports gear.

A camper van that sleeps two people and two bikes is a recipe for a seriously fun summer (and spring and fall), especially if it can sleep all four at the same time. With its new Twin Supreme 640 SGX, Slovenian converter Adria creates that exact 2+2 camper van layout in a Fiat Ducato.

The Peugeot Boxer Orange Camp T 740 EB lives much bigger than its compact size lets on, offering a smart home system, full kitchen with four burners and oven, and sleeping space for a family of four. Out on the road, it capitalizes on light, wood-free construction and BlueHDi engine technology.

The NordVan Crafter camper van carries two adventurers away from the grid and lets them live in comfort with a heated cabin, compact bathroom, dual-refrigerator kitchen and gas-free design that operates solely on diesel fuel and electricity.

FIM Caravans takes the idea of a "mini-caravan" in a different direction from the teardrop. Its Migrator shares some characteristics with the classic tear but looks quite different, with sharp angles and lines. FIM also brings some unique features, like gull-wing doors and a modular kitchen.