The Hobby Maxia Van 680 DT Is a Mobile Home With Two Separate Lounges

In 2022, established caravan and motorhome maker Hobby announced a partnership with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, with the first entry in the lineup called the Hobby Maxia Van 680 ET. It was essentially a commercial van turned into a cozy mobile home for extended adventures for the entire family, inspired by the "hygge" concept of Scandinavian living.

Built on a VW Crafter chassis, the Hobby Maxia used sleek styling and muted tones to craft a self-contained mobile habitat that would allow as many as four people at once to travel and live inside it at camp. At the time, the Hobby Maxia styling was described as that of a tiny house, though the compact footprint made it much smaller option for tiny living.

Obviously made as a premium option for a DIY (do it yourself) or even professional conversions, the Hobby Maxia integrated all the basic creature comforts into a very compact footprint, with high-quality finishes and designer touches. It was still a very compact mobile home like every other van conversion out there, but it stood out for the styling and the increased number of options available.

At this year's CMT, Hobby introduced the second iteration of the Hobby Maxia Van, the 680 DT plan.

The van used as basis is the same, a VW Crafter Trendline BMT with a 174-hp engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, so exterior and interior dimensions are the same. What sets the two models apart is the way in which the interior is laid out, with the more recent model putting entertaining and socializing at the forefront, while reducing the number of passengers onboard in travel mode.

Where the 680 ET layout featured a sleeping area at the rear and a dinette in the middle, opposite the kitchen, the 680 DT model combines the two functionalities and moves them to the rear.

The entire rear of the van is taken up by a wraparound dining area with a removable table in the center. At nighttime, you remove the table and can fold down both sofas to create an XL double bed, or you can fold down just one for sleeping and leave the other as is for lounging.

In travel mode, you can still use the central aisle for storage of bulkier items or even a bike or two, by simply removing the table and folding up the couches. To highlight the modularity of this space, Hobby says that the Hobby Maxia 680 DT "adapts" to a variety of scenarios.

Right behind the two seats in the cabin, the 680 DT layout puts a swivel table that doubles as a workstation during the day or a dining table for two at mealtimes, as the passenger seat can be turned to face the interior.

That's the second lounge area promised in the headline, but it can very well work as secondary home office. This would seem to indicate that the 680 DT is designed exclusively for younger couples who work remotely, offering both enough space and privacy to get their work done efficiently, before being joined by friends at night.

Additional storage is available on the wall of the wet bathroom, where the previous model had a two-seat front-facing bench that could seat two passengers in travel mode. The bathroom itself is the same on both iterations of the Hobby Maxia, with a fold-down sink, a toilet, and a shower.

The kitchen seems to be identical on both models, as well. It's on the small side, but it's more than enough to put together decent meals for the two travelers and just snacks for a larger party. It includes a dual-burner gas stove and sink unit, a dual-hinged compressor fridge with a 90-liter (3.2 cu-ft) capacity, and a flip-down worktop extension that comes in handy during meal prep.

The Hobby Maxia 680 DT has an unladen weight of 3,167 kg (6,982 lbs) and a maximum loaded weight of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs), but the latter can be enhanced as an optional without modifications to the vehicle. There's a 75-liter (19.8-gallon) fuel tank onboard, as well as an 80-liter (21-gallon) waste water tank and a 100-liter (26.4-gallon) freshwater tank.

The Hobby Maxia 680 DT will retail for the same price as its predecessor (€89,750/$97,200 at the current exchange rate, before add-ons) but is now offered with a massive €20,000 ($21,700) discount as an introductory offer. Optionals range from Wi-fi to a Thule roof awning, a third bunk bed, and a Thule bicycle rack to a 12V 150Ah Lithium battery and a variety of color choices.

Here's a tour of the mobile home you get for this kind of money.