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SaabO camper. Notice the low set window.
Only one Saab 401 hovercraft was built.

SaabO (official name Saab Typ 260-3 Saabo[1]) is a caravan created and manufactured by Saab from 1964-1968 in Ljunga, outside Norrköping, Sweden.[2] In total, 390 units were manufactured.[3]

The project was started by Bo Bjernekull of the Ljunga plant and Birger Lindberg at Saab in Linköping.[4][5] Officially they were working on a project called MEFAN that was supposed to produce hovercraft for the military. Unofficially they made a camper caravan.

The idea was to get a product to even out the workload at the helicopter department, that at the time mainly assembled helicopters manufactured in France. After making a model in 1:10 scale they received the OK for production. A first prototype was made at Fisksätra boatyard and the pre-production prototypes at Marieholms Bruk. The first prototypes were made without brakes, but these were soon added.[2] It was important to keep the weight down as the caravan would be used with automobiles with as little as 25 hp (19 kW), like the 38 hp (28 kW) two stroke Saab 96.[6] Another reason to save weight was that Swedish regulation at the time allowed unrestricted speed with a caravan if the weight was low enough.

The SaabO included space enough for a family of four, or five (with bunk).[2] It was designed with large, low-set windows so the driver of the towing vehicle could see through the caravan when looking in the rear-view mirror.[2] The interior consisted of two sofas, a dining table, galley sink and two wardrobes. Liquified petroleum gas was used for cooking, heating and lighting. The design was made with two half shells of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) enclosing an insulation of folded cardboard.[7]

Specifications

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At time of launch[2]

  • Total length: 3.60 metres (141.7 in)
  • Width: 1.84 metres (72.4 in)
  • Height: 2.10 metres (82.7 in)
  • Inner height: 1.80 metres (70.9 in)
  • Weight: 230 kg (507 lb)[8] – 290 kg (639 lb)[9]
  • Cost at launch: 4950 SEK

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saabo Camper.


References

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  1. ^ "Saabo". Saabklubben (in Swedish). 2023-07-12. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The 1967 Saabo – Saab USA Heritage Collection | Saab History". Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  3. ^ "Vitsiga Saabo finns bara i 125 exemplar". Östgöta Correspondenten (in Swedish). 2007-08-24. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. Husvagnen byggdes i 390 exemplar, men i dag finns det bara 125 kvar. [The caravan was built in 390 copies, but today there are only 125 left.]
  4. ^ Möller, Thomas (2009-12-08). "Saabo med plats för familjen" [Saabo with room for the family]. Norrköpings Tidningar (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. När man startade projektet var det under stort hemlighetsmakeri. Två män från Saab, Bo Bjernekull och Birger Lindberg, höll i projekteringen. [When the project was started, it was shrouded in secrecy. Two men from Saab, Bo Bjernekull and Birger Lindberg, were in charge of the project.]
  5. ^ "Udda Saabprodukter" [Odd Saab products] (PDF). Försvarsmakten. 2024-02-27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. Bo Bjernekull och Birger Lindberg för. Saabs ledning, som gav dem klartecken att fortsätta med utveckling och tillverkning av husvagnen "Saabo". [Bo Bjernekull and Birger Lindberg for. Saab's management, who gave them the go-ahead to continue with the development and production of the "Saabo" caravan.]
  6. ^ "Saab-husvagnen: "Riktigt häftig på campingen"" [The Saab caravan: "Really cool on the campsite"]. Carup (in Swedish). 2020-06-05. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. Det var viktigt att hålla vikten nere eftersom husvagnen måste kunna dras av bilar med så lite som 25 hästkrafter (19 kW), som till exempel de 38 hk (28 kW) hos en tvåtakts Saab 96. [It was important to keep the weight down because the caravan had to be towed by cars with as little as 25 horsepower (19 kW), such as the 38 hp (28 kW) of a two-stroke Saab 96.]
  7. ^ "1967 Saab SaabO Camper: A Rare Gem from the Swinging '60s". SAAB Planet. 2023-10-16. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. It consists of two polyester hulls made from glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) that were fused together.
  8. ^ "Nostalgi: Saab Typ 260-3 Saabo" [Nostalgia: Saab Type 260-3 Saabo]. Husvagn & Camping (in Swedish). 2014-11-20. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. Med en lätt glasfiberkaross, den vägde bara 80 kilo, enkel rörram, samt avsaknad av bromsar, parkeringsbroms och stödben hölls nettovikten nere på endast 230 kilo. [With a lightweight fiberglass body, it weighed just 80 kilos, simple tube frame, and lack of brakes, parking brake and outriggers, the net weight was kept down to just 230 kilos.]
  9. ^ "Udda Saabprodukter" [Odd Saab products] (PDF). Försvarsmakten. 2024-02-27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16. Saabo tillverkades ("bakades") i glas- fiberlaminat i ett enda stycke och vägde endast 290 kg. [The Saabo was manufactured ("baked") in fiberglass laminate in a single piece and weighed only 290 kg.]
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