Kiwi Van Manufaktur

What does your dream campervan look like? Would it have a mountain bike garage in the back so that you can go on an unforgettable adventure? Or an integrated office space and full networking connectivity so that you could enjoy your working day with a view of the sea or mountains?

Whatever you desire, German company Kiwi Van Manufaktur (Kiwi) can customize your campervan accordingly. Its founders – who include a master carpenter, an engineer and a software developer – combine outstanding engineering with groundbreaking ideas and precise carpentry to deliver vehicle interiors that are reminiscent of a five-star hotel, just on wheels. 

“Together, we want to revolutionize the caravan industry,” said Thomas Mussner, one of Kiwi’s  founders. “Our expertise enables us to implement creative custom campervan solutions for every customer need and make the seemingly impossible possible. We use the highest quality materials that are local, sustainable and durable such as larch wood and cork insulation. Close cooperation with regional partners strengthens our craftsmanship and ensures quality control.” 

In addition to its custom van solutions that meet the exact specifications of its customers, Kiwi has also created Senja, a camper with an interior borne out of the founders’ desire to build the perfect camper for a dream holiday. Promising the ultimate in design, functionality, innovation and comfort, Senja’s features include a variable lighting system, underfloor heating, real oak furniture and an intelligent sleep system. The result is what Kiwi describes as a truly unique lifestyle investment.  

From innovative, space-saving sleeping constructions and bodywork adaptations to comfortable interior fittings made from wood optimized for lightweight construction, Kiwi leaves nothing to chance. This approach requires detailed planning and implementation, which can only be achieved  with best-in-class engineering software. 

That’s why, from the outset, Kiwi sought technology that could help it plan all elements of its campervan interiors with precise detail. This includes the layout, materials and surfaces, in-vehicle technology and even the fixtures, such as hidden screws that allow easy maintenance without compromising on aesthetics. 

“Our challenge is to adapt various interior designs to different van chassis, such as those from Mercedes, the Stellantis series or Volkswagen,” said Alexander Mussner, Thomas’s brother and the second founder. “We might need to adjust surface flaps on the exterior of a van, for example, or incorporate features like a drop-down bed.” 

Kiwi’s chosen solution needed to support collaboration between both its internal teams and regional partners. It also needed to be quick and easy to implement, since Kiwi didn’t want to host its own infrastructure or configure its own servers.  

Kiwi turned to local partner Schwindt Digital for assistance. Since several of Kiwi’s founders were already avid users of CATIA V5 for design, Schwindt advised that, by adopting the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud, which includes the CATIA design app as well as ENOVIA for product data management, the Kiwi team would have a best-in-class solution that they wouldn’t have to learn how to use from scratch.

“I used CATIA V5 throughout my entire studies and learned a lot about the software over the course of my program,” said Thomas Mussner. “That’s why CATIA was the only option for me.”

Schwindt proposed the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for startups offer, which is designed to equip young businesses with the tools they need as they grow. Kiwi was particularly taken by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s cloud environment, which meant it could offload the burden of hosting and managing the software to Dassault Systèmes. Choosing a cloud-based solution also gives the Kiwi team greater flexibility. “Through the cloud, we can access all data anytime and from anywhere, which makes it much easier to work on a project from different locations,” Thomas Mussner said.

Schwindt assisted with the implementation by running a series of onboarding sessions, setting up the cloud environment and configuring the 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s dashboard to meet the individual needs of Kiwi’s users. 

With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud, Kiwi now has all the tools it needs to collaboratively develop, visualize and validate its campervan interiors so they can be built in its factory right first time, with minimal waste.

In most instances, Kiwi receives a 3D model of the vehicle from the manufacturer which they then import and configure in CATIA. “This saves us work and allows us to operate with the utmost precision,” Alexander Mussner said. “We use CATIA to create concepts that provide our customers with an initial insight into their custom conversions. This step is crucial for the subsequent design and development of new products, leading to full implementation.”

After establishing a customer’s requirements, Kiwi’s design team then works alongside its regional partners directly within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, where they can leverage multiple capabilities in CATIA to plan every part of the vehicle.

CATIA’s surface designer app, for example, allows all aspects of a campervan’s interior to be carefully engineered and planned out without any limitations on creativity. This includes both the simple and complex surfaces that make up Kiwi’s bespoke furniture, soft furnishings, lighting and technology.

CATIA’s Generative Shape Design app, meanwhile, allows the creation of complex parts such as coverings, wastewater tanks or heating vents. “Another application area is service flaps, where we always consider the vehicle’s external geometry and Generative Shape Design is a significant help in this regard,” Thomas Mussner said.

Meanwhile, CATIA’s Mechanical and Shape Designer app allows Kiwi’s designers to create and complete advanced mechanical products and parts. “It is possible to optimize the heating vents to ensure efficient distribution of warm air,” Thomas Mussner said. “We can also precisely shape drawn parts or fiberglass-reinforced plastic components such as shower trays or water tanks to meet both functional and design requirements. And, to ensure the best fit and comfort within our interiors, we can customize a shower with the optimal standing height.” 

The Kiwi team also benefits from the ability to create and share photorealistic 3D renderings of their campervan designs on the platform to ensure they meet customers’ expectations. “The 3D models give our customers an initial, realistic glimpse of how the individual interior of their campervan will look,” Benedikt Schlagberger, the third in the trio of founders, said.

The 3D models also help validate components. This digital approach to validation cuts costs since there’s no need for physical prototypes and a far lower chance of expensive mistakes that need to be fixed post-production. It also helps Kiwi to meet its sustainability goals. “Visualizing our developments in a 3D model helps to avoid unnecessary resource wastage,” Schlagberger said. “By precisely managing material usage with the software, we can optimize our materials and minimize waste.”

Ultimately, by adopting the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Kiwi is better equipped to ensure that every campervan interior it produces is functional, safe and made to last. “Functionality and design are our top priorities, in an unprecedented quality that is not available on the market,” Alexander Mussner said. “This is what makes a Kiwi van so unique and perfect.”