Abenteuer & Allrad, the off road trade fair!
This outdoor and experience fair is being organised in BAD KISSINGEN (Germany) for the 26th time. From may 30 to June 2 with more than 350 stands and 110.000 m2 of exhibition space.
This fair is one of the largest in the world for 4×4 travel – adventure vehicles. In addition a temporary campground has been created around the town, where thousands of visitors stay with their camping equipment. That is already an attraction in itself.
We were here in 2021 with our Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 to gain inspiration for the construction of our Mountain Yacht. It not only gave us good ideas, and the builder of our Box, but it was also great fun. The official opening of the campground is Wednesday afternoon, but we have heard from several acquaintances that it is possible to arrive at the Abenteuer & Allrad earlier. So we decide to drive to Bad Kissingen on Monday and take our chances.
Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen is best known for the many thermal baths here. The old center is full of beautiful old hotels, aimed at wellness holidays and has a nice center with shops and restaurants. The average visitor is a Boomer who goes to the thermal baths, but for one week a year, birds with different feathers appear in town. We arrived on the campground 1 on Monday afternoon and to our surprise we saw already quite a few vehicles here and there. We can drive on and pick our spot. We choose a spot on the grass behind the Aldi because this is a nice central location onthe high side of the terrain. The weather forecast for the coming days is dramatic (rain) and it wouldn’t hurt to choose a strategic spot.
Towards the evening our friends Agnes and Niels arrive with their kids Jasper and Martijn with their similar MAN HX60. They have been travelling fulltime for almost a year now (Lion Family on Tour) and are taking advantage of the fair before traveling to Scandinavia. We build our camp together and already stretch the tarps against the rain.
The Woodstock of the 4x4 travel scene
Abenteuer & Allrad is not just about the fair, but especially about the stay around it. There are a total of 4 campgrounds and more than 2.500 travel and Expedition vehicles can be found every year. It is almost impossible to imagine what there is to see. People find their way to Bad Kissingen from every corner of Europe. From vintage 4×4’s where people sleep in the back, via rooftop tents, Sprinter 4×4’s to 8×8 Expedition trucks, it comes in all shapes and sizes. For many the A&A is an annual event that has been given a permanent place on the agenda. World traveler’s meet each other and every evening you see groups forming and exchanging stories around the campfire. You can see the campgrounds as an extension to the fair, because many visitors stroll around to feast their eyes and gain inspiration.
Anticipation
We decide to take a mountain bike tour through the area on Tuesday and also cycle to the A&A exhibition grounds. This site is about half an hour by bike from the campground. When we arrive everything is still under construction and the exhibitors are coming and going. On the way back we eat and drink something in the cozy center and then cycle back to our Mountain Yacht.
It is now starting to get busier and we are happy that we decided to drive there on Monday. Although the weather forecast is not good, the rain is still not too bad. Occasionally a juicy shower, but that shouldn’t spoil the fun. We regularly walk around the camp to admire all the beautiful vehicles that have arrived. People are also coming and going at our place. If we had a Euro from all the people who take pictures of our trucks, we could travel almost permanently!
The trade fair
On Thursday we leave for the fair in the morning. There is a queue at the boarding point, but free buses run back and forth. After waiting about 10 minutes it is our turn and after a fifteen minute ride we are at the fair founds. It is very busy and we shuffle along the different stands with our dog Scotty. The range is immense: many major brands that build 4×4’s are present, but also suppliers of travel refrigerators, batteries, rooftop tents, fire bowls, bridging ladders, recovery materials, tires, roof racks, etc. Just about everything that has to do with 4×4 and adventure travel is available.
Beautiful off-road trailers, some even caravan-sized. There are relatively a lot of Quads, ATV’s and electric dirt bikes at the fair this year. This of course has to do with the growing popularity of these vehicles. You also see more and more Expedition trucks that take a quad on a lift behind the truck. There are also stands from providers of off-road travel and there are regular lectures by world travellers who talk about their experiences in words and images. We meet many acquaintances and the fair itself is a lot of fun.There are also a lot of food- and beverage stands, so no one has to go thirsty or hungry.
Off-Road track
Every year there is an off-road course where different vehicles can be driven. From the Land Rover Defender via the Ineos Grenadier to a large Tatra or MAN KAT 1 truck. The lines are long, but worth the wait when you look at the big smiles of the people and children who get out after a spin on the track. For serious candidates it is also possible to take a test drive on the track, various brands offer their cars for this purpose.
Expedition Trucks
For us the Expedition trucks are the most interesting stands to look at. Almost all well-known builders are present, including the Dutch builders of Bliss and Twiga. Great innovations and smart solutions for taking bicycles with you, for example. Extendable terraces so that you can sit outside at entry height (often 1,5 meters). Beautiful extendable outdoor kitchens that are fully equipped. Huge 6×6 or even 8×8 trucks from Krug and Action Mobil are truly moving palaces with a price tag well over 1 million.
While back in 2021 the Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 was just about the most popular basis for a Campervan, or ‘base with camper structure’, this year we see that the Iveco daily 4×4 is the most popular basis among builders. We see them on many stands with all kinds of structures. A still relatively compact and imposing vehicle. Even smaller are the pick-ups with bodywork: entire camper units in a super compact size on a base with the size of a large passenger car.
There we see that the Toyotas are very popular with the builders, including the Dutch builder Tembo, whom we recognise from the Dutch 4WD festival. A German builder shows off bodies made entirely of carbon. Beautiful shapes and extremely lightweight. Given the hefty price, we don’t really see the advantage for an Expedition truck as they are already heavy. But for the segment up to 3500 kgs, this is of course a huge advantage. A complete structure for a pickup weighs less than 350 kg, including the interior fittings. A great innovation that we expect to be followed by other builders.
Family Sunday
The last day of the fair has been designated by the organization as a family day. A family entrance ticket at a reduced rate, but also activities for the kids such as riding mini quads and a drawing competition. The highlight of the Sunday is the guest appearance by Walther Rohrl. Two-time world rally champion and four-time winner of the Monte Carlo Rally. Walter gives a lecture about his life and career as a rally legend and answers questions from the audience.
Camp Holland
Besides the fair, in our opinion, the campgrounds is actually the best experience. All vehicles are criss-crossed, campfires are burning everywhere and new friends are quickly made. In our ‘Camp Holland’ it is ‘cabaret’ every night. Many acquaintances pass and spontaneously decide to linger. Fortunately, Aldi supermarket is just around the corner, so every day there is a group that goes shopping for the communal BBQ & drinks.
It is not just meat that lands on the fire, we even make apple crumble pies in the Dutch oven, thanks to Mark. There is banter and laughter until the early hours, just a fantastic atmosphere! Fortunately, the dramatic weather forecast did not come true. Most of the rain falls further South. There is a real inconvenience there with flooding and even thousands of people having to leave their homes. This does not alter the fact that the campgrounds have turned into large mud puddles. This produces spectacular scenes upon departure and someone regularly has to be towed away. Most vehicles look like they’ve had a solid day off-roading. The days fly by and before we know it, we are on our way home again.
Aftermath
Abenteuer & Allrad has become a household name in the 4×4 travel community, and as far as we are concerned, that is rightly so. It is not cheap because the campground costs around € 45,- a night (>8 meters), excluding admission to the fair. However, there are plenty of toilets and showers (for those who need them), a food court with live music and bus transport to and from the fairgrounds is also included. But the main reason come it is to stay on a festival-like campground with more than 2.500 vehicles from all over Europe, whom all share the same passion. In our opinion the atmosphere is great, so is the banter, laughter and the mud. The campgrounds are great for inspiration and on top of this you have a very well sorted 4×4 adventure trade fair where you can see or find everything of your liking.
