Action Mobile
More than 40 years ago, the couple Stefanie and Otfried Reitz also shared this dream and travelled through a number of countries in northern Europe and the north of Africa. Later on, the fascination of these long-distance trips and the job held at the time were to result in the foundation of ACTION MOBIL.
In the seventies Mr. and Ms. Reitz were running a full-service advertising agency with an own industrial photo- and film studio plus stage workshops in Saalfelden. Beside customers from the furniture industry, more and more companies, engaged in the fashion business, came to take an interest in the services of the company, which at the time was called FULL ACTION TEAM.
In the production of sport fashion catalogues, Mr. and Ms. Reitz wanted to leave the beaten track and therefore chose spectacular African landscape as a backdrop for their fashion shots. The idea met with the approval of the clients, however it was less popular with the models, most of them female, since working in the often dust filled areas was a lot more strenuous than posing for shootings in and around hotels or in a studio.
Being aware of these drawbacks, the company owners came up with the idea of designing an all-wheel motor home. The vehicle was to prove its worth in the off- road terrain of the Sahara, it was to provide shower and make-up facilities for the models, and a small kitchen for making coffee was another prerequisite.
Vehicles of this type were not being offered in Europe in those days. Therefore it was decided to build a customized cabin in the stage workshops of the advertising agency and to mount it to the chassis of a Chevrolet Blazer. It was already this very first prototype that garnered quite some attention on its trips through northern Africa. Further improved prototypes were to follow and it was not long before Africa freaks wanted to know by whom and where such vehicles were being constructed.
Construction tests with GF sandwich elements were started in co-operation with German manufacturers and this is how the first pick-up cabins on the chassis of a Land Rover originated. In Africa, the experience gained in tests was collected and gratefully taken up by the panel manufacturers in Germany. Reports first published in German caravan magazines created quite a stir. Something quite novel and unprecedented had caught people’s interest. Was this to be a market niche? So far the vehicles had been designed for use by Mr. and Ms. Reitz only.
In 1979, the couple decided to found the ACTION MOBIL Company. As early as 1984 the first ACTION MOBIL vehicle with a hydraulically operated rising roof was constructed. This was later on followed by the spectacular cabins mounted to the military chassis of the type MAN-KAT, which was presented in the print media worldwide. Only recently the apparently largest all-wheel motor home in the world was built for a customer from the Middle East.
Already in the year 1989 Stephan Wirths joined the ACTION MOBIL team. An industrial clerk by training and a specialist in the area of axles for commercial vehicles, he placed his skills and knowledge at the disposal of the company. During 10 years he studied the special field of all-wheel motor homes. In 1990 Mr. Wirths married the owner’s daughter, Daniela Reitz.The co-operation between Mr. Reitz and Stephan Wirths has been amicable and fruitful right from the start.
In the year 2000, Mr. and Ms. Reitz decided to hand over the company to the next generation, to Ms. Reitz-Wirths and Mr. Wirths. Although retired by now, Mr. Reitz still has close ties with the company and now mainly takes care of marketing issues and of designing and maintaining also this homepage. The personal style in dealing with customers and the intense after-sales service for buyers of an ACTION MOBIL cabin has been adopted also by the new Management and will for ever be the basis of a reliable business relationship. First and foremost it is the technical competence of the Management together with a team of hand-picked specialists that will guarantee the company’s high reputation.
The ACTION MOBIL Company is seen as a provider of innovative ideas and again and again comes up with technical novelties that are gladly taken up by the competitors. The ACTION MOBIL team, however, is always proud of being first. To date some 250 ACTION MOBIL vehicles have left the workshops in Saalfelden and the ACTION MOBIL Team would be happy to also welcome you as their customer.
Constructing motor homes for touring the world or going on expeditions involves a high degree of responsibility for the entire ACTION MOBIL team, given that your “house on wheels” is to guarantee safety, no matter how far away from civilisation and good infrastructure you may be. This is why ACTION MOBIL is making every effort to provide you with the latest state of the art. Of course this means to be constantly looking for the latest innovations and top modern planning, as well as carrying out continuous material tests. It is our principle to use nothing else but the best components and materials that have been tried and tested by ACTION MOBIL. All the troubles we go to are naturally reflected in the higher than usual price of the final product.
The ACTION MOBIL models are often referred to as the “ROLLS ROYCE” among the motor homes for extreme conditions. You will understand that we are pleased with this image. However, this does not mean we wouldn’t want to produce cabins at a more reasonable price. A lot of people who are interested in our products do not seem to be aware of the fact that we also offer “economy versions” of some of our models. After all, we too started out from humble beginnings when first travelling. One aspect we certainly do not economize on is quality, but we do save on the equipment of the cabins and do without luxurious accessories. Do not hesitate to approach us for information on these models.
ACTION MOBIL will never save on fundamental safety systems, such as the intermediary frame that is necessary for properly mounting the cabin to the vehicle chassis. To date we have heard of no other company that uses three-point bearing which meets the standards chassis manufacturers set for the cabins. Failing to fulfil these requirements entails a high safety risk for the customer, not only off-road but also in particular when driving on roads.
Only a short while ago an ACTION MOBIL mounted to a MAN TGM has passed a rigorous and comprehensive series of tests at the MAN plant with flying colours. Therefore ACTION MOBIL takes pride in reporting that modifications and mounting works necessary for fixing ACTION MOBIL cabins onto MAN chassis have been certified by the manufacturer, which shows that the cabins meet the most stringent requirements. This goes for any future chassis of the type MAN-TGM and TGA.
After Sales is not only an empty catchword at ACTION MOBIL, much rather it is part and parcel of our business philosophy. Being confronted with a technical problem way out in the outback may be a serious strain on your nerves. However, you may rest assured that you have a partner who will go out of his way to provide support. Most of our customer vehicles that tour around the world are equipped with internet or satellite positioning systems and with a satellite telephone. This enables you to contact ACTION MOBIL from almost any point in the world. Everything in our power will then be done to help our customers as fast as possible.
When constructing a tailored vehicle, it is our aim to be in contact with our customers and to consider any individual wish they might have. This means sufficient time has to be allowed for intensive counselling. Such services can only be provided if the size of the company does not exceed a certain scale. The ACTION MOBIL team will bear this aim in mind also in the future and will make every effort to come up to the high reputation of our product name.
