Marije Onderwaater
EditorMarije has been camping under canvas for as long as she can remember. She travels with her partner and their two sons in a Campooz Fat Freddy trailer tent, and writes about motorhomes and camping gear for Campingtrend.
Mercedes Marco Polo is now built in its own plant in Ludwigsfelde
A significant milestone for Mercedes-Benz: production of the Marco Polo is now taking place at the company's existing factory in Ludwigsfelde, Germany. Mercedes set up a dedicated production hall for this purpose, which recently went into operation. By moving the finishing process to Ludwigsfelde, Mercedes has brought the entire production of the Marco Polo in-house. And that has major implications for Westfalia, which sees the Mercedes camper van disappear from its factory floor.
The foundation of the famous Marco Polo camper van – designed for both daily life and holidays – is the V-Class. Its production takes place at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vitoria, Spain, which remains unchanged. The change lies in the vehicle’s conversion and finishing process. Until recently, fitting out took place at the Westfalia factory in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany. Westfalia has now been parted with, and final assembly is carried out in Ludwigsfelde, where Mercedes-Benz has operated its own factory for over thirty years. Among other models, the Sprinter is produced here.
Adapting the Ludwigsfelde plant
To welcome the Marco Polo, the Mercedes-Benz factory in Ludwigsfelde was equipped with a dedicated production hall featuring state-of-the-art technology. Everything needed to transform the V-Class into a camper van is housed under one roof: from installing the pop-top sleeping roof to fitting the furniture. Production processes are fully digitalised and streamlined for optimal efficiency. Mercedes-Benz also placed a strong emphasis on working conditions, incorporating new transport technology, among other enhancements. In addition, all employees received specialised training for Marco Polo production.
Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo 2027
The new production hall at the Ludwigsfelde plant will also produce the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo for model year 2027. A key new feature of this 5.14-metre-long camper van is the aluminium pop-top sleeping roof, which provides extra headroom and features integrated LED ambient lighting. Earlier this year, we wrote an extensive article about this new camper van.
Impact on Westfalia
Losing the Marco Polo production is a heavy blow for Westfalia. Last March, the camper builder already announced that around 130 out of 320 jobs would be lost at its Rheda-Wiedenbrück factory and that temporary contracts would not be renewed. At the time, Westfalia spoke of losing a major customer, which has now been confirmed to be Mercedes.
Spotted an error?
Spotted an error? Email us. We appreciate it!