Camping Trade World – Issue 11

C O N N E C T I N G T H E G L O B A L C A M P I N G I N D U S T R Y 

ISSUE 11 | CAMPINGTRADEWORLD.COM

WELCOME 

C O N N E C T I N G T H E G L O B A L C A M P I N G I N D U S T R Y 

ISSUE 11 | CAMPINGTRADEWORLD.COM 

MEET THE TEAM 

DAVID GUEST 

EDITOR 

David has worked in B2B publishing since 2006 and has edited 

several major titles in that time. He has also worked on the UK’s 

biggest consumer camping magazine, Camping & Caravanning. A 

keen camper and outdoorsman, David will bring you the very latest 

international industry news. 

david.guest@dhpub.co.uk 

JUSTIN FOX 

PUBLISHER 

Justin is hugely experienced in publishing and oversees the running 

of all of David Hall Publishing’s titles, which includes not only B2B 

titles, but also some enthusiast consumer brands too. Justin’s 

organisational and sales skills are invaluable to the business. 

justin@dhpub.co.uk 

WILLEM BONNEUX 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 

Fluent in several languages, Willem is hugely experienced in 

helping outdoor industry brands realise their global communication 

ambitions. He has a broad background in sales, marketing and key 

account management. 

willem.bonneux@dhpub.co.uk 

GUIDO KNEGT 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 

Guido has a wealth of experience in helping companies grow their 

international export businesses. He speaks numerous languages 

and is well-known for going that extra mile for all of his international 

customers. 

guido.knegt@dhpub.co.uk 

MARK GRAFTON 

DESIGNER 

Mark is the man who takes our essential trade info and turns it into 

something beautiful. A freelance designer with more than 20 years of 

experience as a magazine and digital designer, we trust him to make 

us look good. 

housegrafton@gmail.com 

PAUL EVANS 

ART EDITOR 

Paul is the Art Editor of our publishing house and he runs the rule 

over the creative direction of our titles. He has worked in the company 

since 2008 and keeps our vision in focus. 

HOW’S YOUR CULTURE? 

H 

■aving a good culture is 

something we all want 

in our business, right? 

We want our staff to feel valued, 

to feel important, to feel like they 

belong. But because good culture 

can be a somewhat elusive and 

hard-to-pin-down thing, it can also 

be a hard thing for us to cultivate 

within our companies. Having a 

good culture isn’t about having 

slogans printed out on the walls or 

about giving your staff the option 

to play table tennis in the canteen 

(though in the right context these 

kinds of things can help), it is about 

the behaviours, attitudes, and work 

ethics of the people inside your 

business. And that means every 

single person – from the CEO 

down to the cleaners. Actions 

matter louder than words in this 

area of business. There have been 

countless studies on how much 

money companies around the 

world lose each year to so-called 

toxic cultures within workplaces – 

the win-at-all-costs mentality often 

has many, many costs, including the 

wellbeing and happiness of your 

staff. You staff need to buy into 

your company and its values with 

genuine feeling, you have to get 

them on board that what they are 

doing individually and what you 

are trying to achieve collectively as 

a company are worthwhile. 

When was the last time you 

spent some time away from dayto-day 

firefighting and analysed 

what you want your culture to be, 

but also what it actually is? Talking 

to your staff is the single best way 

to do this – find out what they 

want, find out their motivations, 

their turn-ons, and turn-offs. You 

can then start to work out what 

problems there are, if any, and how 

you communicate your culture 

in an authentic and effective way. 

Sure, having slogans in company 

literature or in the minds of your 

staff can help, but actually the old 

adage that ‘actions speak louder 

than words’ can really help you 

grow the culture you want to. It’s 

sometimes easy to get wrapped 

up in writing the cultural values 

on the wall instead of focussing 

on whether the values are being 

represented in actions on a daily 

basis. Having your management 

team adhere to the ideals of your 

culture on a regular basis will have 

far more affect than simply writing 

down what you want your company 

to be like. Leading by example can 

be one of the most effective ways to 

spark a culture change. Maybe it’s 

something you should set some time 

aside in your schedule to consider. 

Enjoy the issue, 

David Guest 

02 | www.campingtradeworld.com

CONTENTS 

08 

14 

18 

36 

56 

BASECAMP 

06-13 Our usual round-up of the latest happenings in the 

industry – what will you learn from the latest news and 

trends taking place right now? 

THE DETAIL 

14-15 Are we running out of people to build RVs? And if so, 

what do we do about it? The German Caravan Industry 

Association (CIVD) has some ideas. 

16-17 It’s official: camping makes you happy. A new study 

commissioned by the UK’s Camping and Caravanning 

Club explains why. 

18-19 The dates are set for the return of Chinese show All in 

Caravaning, which will take place next summer in the 

capital city of Beijing. 

20-21 Is Croatia the king of the vanlife nomad? According to a 

new study that has ranked countries on a varied index, it 

could well be. 

22-23 New figures have shown just how important the outdoor 

recreation industry is the the US economy, now what do 

we do with that information. 

FEATURES 

24-29 Want to know more about the camping and caravanning 

market in Spain? Look no further than the latest edition of 

our popular ‘Doing Business With’ feature. 

30-31 Having a versatile product is perhaps more valuable than it 

ever has been – we examine how SEEKR has maintained 

success with its Sirocco II fan. 

32-35 Stuttgart is calling – get ready for the triumphant proper 

return of one of Germany’s biggest caravanning and 

holiday exhibitions CMT. 

36-39 Check out our wrap-up of the Motorhome and Caravan 

Show in the UK back in October, including video highlights. 

40-41 Supersprings International has done it again. The 

American suspension expert has launched a range of 

levelling kits, specifically designed for towing. 

42-45 Exclusive interview with Dan Yates, the founder of 

one of the largest online campsite booking platforms 

Pitchup.com. 

46-51 Energy products and portable power have become very 

important product categories for the camping industry, we 

examine why. 

52-55 How to make email marketing work smarter for your 

business in our regular Become a Better Business feature. 

MAKING CONTACT 

56-59 See some of the latest and greatest products that have hit 

the market in the last two months in our regular product 

highlight section. 


BASE CAMP 

▲ Australian caravan parks can now apply for their share of $10 million worth of grants given out by the federal government. 

CARAVAN PARKS CELEBRATE AUSTRALIAN CASH BOOST 

■dvocacy works. Simple as that. to the Australian economy, and also that 

When you have a good industry it should be something that is nurtured 

A 

body that works closely with for future growth. 

its government to reemphasise the 

Stuart Lamont, chief executive of the 

importance of an industry and help those CIAA, said: “Caravanning has long been 

in charge understand what that industry Australian domestic tourism’s largest 

needs, you will always be onto a winner. visitor and economic cohort, an almost 

In Australia, that model has been seen $24 billion economic driver in tourism 

working to the maximum after the and local manufacturing activity. This 

federal government recently announced well-targeted funding will go directly into 

$10 million of grants would be made our world-leading caravan park product 

available to eligible caravan parks to help across the nation. 

support upgrades and new facilities – a “Delivering more compelling 

move that has been warmly welcomed accommodation and holiday stopover 

by the Caravan Industry Association experiences in caravan parks we know 

of Australia (CIAA). The CIAA has will appeal to Australians from all 

worked closely with the Australian walks of life as well as returning 

federal government to hit home the international visitors.” 

importance of the caravanning industry Meanwhile, Australia’s Minister for 

Trade and Tourism Don Farrell, added: 

“The $10 million grant funding will assist 

caravan park owners to upgrade or create 

new infrastructure and visitor facilities, 

including improvements to accessibility. 

“This is a welcome boost for regional 

tourism and another important 

investment in the visitor economy. It 

will improve the visitor experience of 

travellers around the country. 

“Domestic tourism is recovering 

strongly and in many parts of the country 

has already rebounded to pre-pandemic 

levels. Upgrading caravan parks will 

further encourage Australians to hit the 

road and experience the very best of 

Australia’s coastal and inland regions.” 

More information is available online at 

www.austrade.gov.au/caravanparks 

IT’S A MARATHON 

“It shows that our efforts 

in optimizing production, 

organization and products is 

very valued by our customers,” 

the words of Benjamin Baur, 

CEO of RV and caravan door 

manufacturer Konrad Baur. 

Benjamin was reflecting on 

the fact that his company 

has reported its highest sales 

figures ever for the months 

of September and October 

this year – a reward that 

has been a long time in the 

making. Founded in 2007, 

Baur is a company that has 

had to overcome the harsh 

challenges of financial crashes 

and pandemics while still 

being small and family owned. 

Through staying within its 

means, nurturing long-term 

relationships, and doing what 

it says it will do, Baur has put 

itself into a position of strength. 

“We are happy that our 

growth in production and sales 

keeps on going. We grew around 

25 per cent from 2020 to 2021 

and it seems that we will come 

out at another sales growth at 

around 15 per cent. It shows 

that our efforts in optimizing 

production, organization and 

products is very valued by our 

customers. 

“There have been so many 

positive things that have 

happened with our company 

in the past. To work with 

prestigious partners like Hymer, 

to have our products supplied in 

more and more countries around 


BASE CAMP 

▲ Konrad Baur is reaping the rewards of its business strategy. 

the world like Turkey and South 

Korea, a new driver cabin door 

we plan to launch in 2022 – all 

of these things add up to make 

us feel extremely positive.” 

4X4 FOR MORE 

A movement towards 4x4-style 

campervans has been building 

momentum for several years 

now with those looking to 

utilise RVs for their outdoor 

adventures buying them in good 

numbers. By its very nature – 

due to the slightly more extreme 

places people use them, and 

the high cost of these vehicles 

– it would be natural to expect 

that a plateau might be reached 

sometime soon in terms of sales. 

Premium German campervan 

manufacturer Alphavan is 

attempting to re-stimulate that 

market and attract a previously 

untapped corner of potential 

customers for this type of leisure 

vehicle with its new Active Line. 

This new van brings a groundbreaking 

layout in a panel 

van that has never been seen 

before in the campervan class 

in conjunction with a payload 

capacity at benchmark level. 

As a 4x4 vehicle with a gross 

vehicle weight of 4.1 tons, the 

Alphavan “Active Line” allows 

a payload of up to 700kg. The 

newly created FlexPort with 

its dimensions of 225cm x 

170cm x 131cm (almost 5,000 

litres) allows the storage of 

two Enduro bikes including 

equipment and tool cases. At 

the same time, the multi-awardwinning 

living space in the 

front area of the Alphavan is 

not constraint as compared to 

the former Alphavan concept. 

The FlexPort is something 

Alphavan says has set itself 

the goal of reaching customer 

groups who would not have 

yet switched to a panel van 

campervan due to the space 

available. 

In its early days, it has 

received high praise indeed 

from Hard Enduro World 

Champion and KTM works 

rider Manuel Lettenbichler, 

who said: “What the guys 

from Alphavan have created 

here absolutely surpasses 

anything I’ve seen in this class 

of campervans so far. While I 

store my two enduro machines 

and all the material and tools 

in the back, a hotel room of the 

extra class with all amenities 

awaits me in the front. As a 4x4 

vehicle with my machines in the 

back, nothing can stop me now. 

And Alphavan’s Starlink system 

allows me to produce my stories 

on the go and be connected to 

everyone. Dope!” Dope, indeed. 

▲ Hard Enduro World Champion Manuel Lettenbichler. 

INDUSTRY INSIDERS 

IN THIS ISSUE 

We learn about why 

making a product versatile 

is the key to success in the 

modern RV industry from 

SEEKR’s Andreas Maechler. 

P30 

Hear from the exhibitors at 

the UK’s Motorhome and 

Caravan Show, including 

innovative German tent 

peg expert Peggy Peg’s 

Samantha Reinhold. P36 

Exclusive interview with 

Pitchup.com’s founder Dan 

Yates on the current state 

of the industry and a record 

year for his company. P42 

www.campingtradeworld.com | 07

BASE CAMP 

THE LATEST RESEARCH IN 

AUSTRALIA SUGGESTS THAT: 

▲ Road and towing safety should be the responsibility of the caravan industry. 

SAFETY IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS AN INDUSTRY 

■he Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) is getting behind a road 

safety campaign to help remind Australians of important safety tips ahead of the 

T 

country’s busy summer holiday period. The ‘Caravan & Camping Safety Campaign’ 

runs through all of November and is designed to help Australians thinking of caravanning or 

camping over the summer to take personal responsibility for their safety and others. There are 

approximately 840,000 registered RVs in Australia and camping holidays are increasing in 

popularity with each passing year – the CIAA estimates than more than 14 million nights and 

4 million camping trips will take place across the country during its summer. 

CIAA chief executive officer, Stuart Lamont, said “Caravan and camping is a great 

activity enjoyed by many millions of Australians and in particular over the summer break. 

Importantly we want to see all those who go caravan and camping over the upcoming 

holidays, not only have a great time while at their destination, but also return home safely. 

Getting to your destination safely is only one part of the safety discussion. Caravan Parks 

across the country provide a safe, family friendly and exceptional holiday experience, 

however, with the number of campers choosing to spend their holidays in parks we’re 

reminding holidaymakers to remember the importance of pool safety and shared spaces 

within caravan holiday parks.” 

Caravan Industry Association of Australia has developed in partnership with other state 

caravan associations, professional service providers and other relevant bodies such as the 

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and Queensland Trucking Association, free to access 

consumer digital and print educational assets. This information will be presented using easy 

to digest videos, engaging online quizzes and written content across email, social media, and 

digital platforms. Each year tens of thousands of handbooks are distributed free of charge. 

RV road users are most likely 

to have a crash on Monday or 

Sunday as drivers return from 

their holidays. 

Crashes are most likely to occur 

between 10am and 12pm. 

Whilst crashes are more likely 

to occur in urban centres, 

fatalities are more likely to 

occur on regional roads. 

Rear Ends are the most 

common reason for a crash 

(18%) followed by angle 

collision i.e. turning (14%) and 

losing control (13%) 

Over 330 Australian’s lost their 

lives in drowning incidents last 

year, with double that estimated 

to have suffered serious nonfatal 

drowning incidents 

SIZE MATTERS, BUT NOT 

HOW YOU THINK 

Automotive giant Mercedes- 

Benz is hoping to prove that 

size matters this winter when 

it showcases the first look of 

its Concept EQT Marco Polo 

campervan – a fully electric 

micro campervan that it hopes 

will help even more people 

embrace having a campervan 

as their everyday vehicle and 

also utilising the benefits of 

electric vehicles. Mercedes 

says of the van: “[It] not only 

forms the basis for the two 

camping solutions, but also offers 

private customers an attractive 

entry into the fully-electric 

world of Mercedes-EQ. The 

premium small van combines 

the variability and high-quality 

equipment level of the T-Class 

with the advantages of allelectric 

drive for families as 

well as active recreationalists. 

It combines compact exterior 

dimensions with ample space. 

Thanks to protected, spacesaving 

installation of the 

battery in the underbody, with 

a favourably low centre of 

gravity, it offers almost the same 

variability and practicality in the 

interior as the conventionally 

powered T‐Class.” 

Photo: Mercedes-Benz 

▲ Smaller campervans are catching on throughout Europe. 


BASE CAMP 

MOVERS AND SHAKERS 

The who’s who of hires and promotions 

The American arm of Japanese 

camping brand Snow Peak has 

announced a significant reorganisation 

of its leadership structure to meet its 

remarkable growth trajectory in the 

country – it has tripled its sales in the 

last four years. The changes included 

Noah Reis being named as the vice 

president and chief operating officer of 

Snow Peak USA, Matt Liddle assuming 

the role of chief futures officer, and 

Yuichi Uchida becoming the chief 

brand officer. The chief financial 

officer Ross Halbach and chief revenue 

officer Jason McGibbon will remain 

in their current roles. RV component 

expert Lippert has announced that 

Andrew Mock has been promoted to 

Senior Vice President of RV Sales, as 

he prepares to take the helm from 

Andy Murray, Chief Sales Officer, who 

has decided to leave the company to 

pursue more time with family and focus 

on missions work beginning January 

1, 2023. The company also recently 

announced that Dan Serafini has been 

promoted to Director of Marine Sales 

for Aluminum Products, Grant McGinnis 

has been promoted to Regional 

Director of Sales for Utility Towable 

Products, Chris Scheetz has been 

promoted to Director of Exterior Sales 

and Matt Lebaron has been promoted 

to Director of Sales for Chassis. 

The RV Industry Association Board 

of Directors elected Kevin McArt, 

Forest River General Manager, as 2023 

Chair of the Board during the group’s 

organizational meeting on November 

8, 2022. McArt most recently served 

as Vice Chair. “The experience and 

industry knowledge Kevin brings to the 

RV Industry Association Board makes 

him an excellent choice to serve as 

Chair,” said RV Industry Association 

President & CEO Craig Kirby, “We also 

want to thank Jeff Rutherford for his 

incredible leadership over the past two 

years as Chair of the Board.” 

Have you got a new job or made a new hire? 

Let us know at david.guest@dhpub.co.uk 

and we can get a news story up for you on 

www.campingtradeworld.com 


BASE CAMP 

Photo: Winnebago Industries 

▲ Winnebago Industries is opening a new Advanced Technology Innovation Centre to help continue to make great RVs. 

LOOK AFTER R&D AND IT WILL LOOK AFTER YOU 

■t might seem an obvious point a new Advanced Technology Innovation 

to make, but investing in your Center to focus on next-generation 

I 

research and development will outdoor recreation technologies. The new 

help you achieve big things in the long facility, to be located in the Twin Cities in 

haul. Innovation doesn’t happen by Minnesota, will focus on incubating and 

itself, it requires careful planning, smart prototyping new technology applications 

thinkers, time and money to make it across a wide range of technical and 

happen – which is why even the biggest product-feature categories, including 

of the big boys pay attention to R&D. The alternative energy management and 

latest example is Winnebago Industries, autonomy. Winnebago says it will be wellequipped 

with leading-edge which recently announced it is opening 

technology 

and sized to meet the needs of the 

Company’s outdoor product portfolio. 

“Innovation is a cornerstone for 

Winnebago Industries. Our ability 

to excel in the market and further 

our industry leadership will hinge on 

our ability to advance the consumer 

experience through technology,” – wise 

words indeed from the company’s 

president and chief executive officer 

Michael Happe. 

LIGHTING THE WAY ON 

SUSTAINABILITY 

There are plenty of ways in which 

we can make our businesses 

greener, but one of the most 

obvious is investment in more 

energy efficient technologies. UK 

caravan and motorhome brand 

is proof of the pudding with 

this one by recently completing 

the installation of new energy 

efficient LED lighting 

throughout its Liberty Lane 

production facility in Bristol, 

England. 

Bailey says the investment 

is part of a company-wide 

programme targeting the 

reduction in overall power 

consumption, which is part 

of a plan to switch to a fully 

Photo: Bailey of Bristol 

▲ One of Bailey of Bristol’s facilities in the United Kingdom. 

renewable energy supply from 

October 2022 onwards. 

Bailey managing director Nick 

Howard said: “The introduction 

of our new internal energy 

conservation programme is the 

next important step in helping 

us achieve our sustainability and 

social responsibility goals. As 

well practical changes such as 

the recent installation of new 

LED lighting systems we are 

also looking to better educate our 

team on how reduce our overall 

energy consumption as part of the 

positive action we want to take to 

help safeguard the environment 

for the future.” 

As well as the obvious 

environmental benefits, the new 

lighting system will use 70 per 

cent less energy than before, 

which will result in a significant 

financial saving for the company 

at a time when energy prices are 

climbing. 

THE CAMPING DISPATCH 

As if our website, digital 

magazine, and podcast weren’t 

enough – we now have another 

way in which you can get a dose 

of essential business insight into 


BASE CAMP 

your working week courtesy of 

our new LinkedIn newsletter: 

the Camping Dispatch. Every 

two weeks we’ll be dropping 

content on the newsletter that 

will inform and inspire you 

to be a better business and 

help you keep abreast of the 

latest happenings in the RV, 

caravanning, and camping 

industries around the world. 

To check it out and be notified 

about new issues with a nonobtrusive 

LinkedIn notification 

click the button below. 

DEALS ON WHEELS 

Leading United States-based 

outdoor camping trailer 

manufacturer Taxa Outdoors has 

partnered with Dick’s Sporting 

Goods subsidiary Public Lands 

to showcase its adventure 

equipment in stores. The first 

Taxa Outdoors showcase took 

place in Public Lands’ newest 

retail store in Framingham, 

Massachusetts on 14 October. 

Global RV industry leader 

Thor Industries has entered 

into a strategic partnership with 

commercial electric vehicle expert 

Harbinger Motors in a bit to 

accelerate the electrification of 

the RV consumer experience. 

Thor believes that powered by 

Harbinger Motors’ proprietary 

technology it can bring superior 

electrified experience to its 

electrified RVs including larger 

models like Class A motorhomes. 

Australian RV rental company 

Camplify has reportedly 

entered an agreement to acquire 

Germany’s leading peer to 

peer RV rental marketplace 

PaulCamper. The deal will 

help Camplify continue its 

global expansion – it is already 

a rental market operator in 

countries including Australia, 

New Zealand, Spain, the UK, 

Netherlands, and Austria. As 

part of the acquisition, Camplify 

will acquire the PaulCamper 

Insurance Broking division. 

RV components manufacturer 

and supplier, Lippert 

Components Inc, has 

entered into an agreement to 

acquire exclusive rights from 

audio technology company 

Resonado, Inc. to the Resonado 

Performance Audio (Resonado) 

brand for the recreational 

vehicle, marine, powersports, 

specialty trailer, rail, and 

commercial bus industries. 

Koala Marketing US 

Corporation has announced 

that RVLI LLC will represent 

its famous Omnia stovetop oven 

and accessories to the camping 

and marine aftermarket for the 

United States and Canada. The 

Omnia has been a huge success 

in the RV and camping market in 

Europe by allowing users to cook 

like they’re using an oven but on 

a gas burner thanks to its smart, 

three-layer, heat-trapping design. 

www.campingtradeworld.com | 11

AROUND THE WORLD 

CANADA 

The Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association, 

RV Industry Association, and RV Dealers 

Association of Canada are working together 

to exempt the RV industry from Transport 

Canada’s 2019 regulation mandating 

electronic logging devices for commercial 

carriers in Canada. This regulation includes 

companies engaged in the “Drive-Away/ 

Tow-Away” industry for motorhome and 

towable RV deliveries from US and Canadian 

manufacturers to RV retailers located in 

Canada. The Canadian Recreational Vehicle 

Association, with the support of the RVDA 

of Canada and the RV Industry Association, 

submitted an exemption request in January 

2022. They argue that approving the request 

was in the public interest of Canadian RV 

retailers and their consumers who would 

most assuredly experience severely delayed 

RV shipments into Canada with a diminished 

number of carriers should the exemption not 

be approved. Keep updated at www.crva.ca 

01 

Around the world 

Camping and leisure vehicles are a global business, but 

each corner of the world faces its own unique challenges 

and enjoys its own successes. Here’s a snapshot of what’s 

been happening on planet camping the last few months. 

What’s happening 

in your part of the world? 

Contact us today and 

tell us your story: 

david.guest@dhpub.co.uk 

02 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

Results for the RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) September 2022 survey 

of manufacturers determined that total RV shipments ended the month 

with 28,333 units, a decrease of 48.5 per cent compared to the 55,014 units 

shipped in September 2021. Through September, RV shipments are down 

8.2 per cent compared to the same point last year with 415,594 wholesale 

shipments. RVIA CEO Craig Kirby said: “This latest shipment report shows 

that RV production is continuing to normalize off of last year’s record 

production and tracks with our latest forecast for 2022. Campgrounds 

continue to report strong reservations as many people who bought RVs are 

spending quality time with friends and family.” Learn more at www.rvia.org 


AROUND THE WORLD 

03 

SWITZERLAND 

The biggest camping and caravanning show in Switzerland, Suisse Caravan Salon, 

was held at the end of October and featured more than 400 exhibitors showcasing 

more than 1,000 new models of camping unit to an excited public. Exhibition director 

Mario Kovacevic said: “The Suisse Caravan Salon impressively proves how trade fairs 

are an indispensable platform for offers and innovations. After all, the core of the 

largest exhibition for camping and caravanning in Switzerland is comparing products, 

viewing the latest models before closing a sale to check one’s own decision and 

ordering the vehicles made to one’s personal requirements with which one would like 

to go on holiday next year.” Find out more online at www.caravaning-suisse.ch 

04 

JAPAN 

The Japan RV Association (JRVA) 

has been busy working together 

with RV parks around the country 

to help them promote and make 

money from the increasing trend 

of car camping in the country. 

The organisation has been keen 

to promote this as a legitimate 

camping method in Japan 

since 2012 and has managed 

to recently help nine RV parks 

add such facilities to their sites, 

taking the nationwide total of 

facilities available up to 288. 

Some of those new RV parks 

are in Fukushima, Chiba, Aichi, 

Shiga, Fukuoka, Gunma and Saga 

prefectures in Japan. To learn 

more about the JRVA and its 

work, visit www.jrva.com 

05 

ITALY 

Italy’s Associazione Produttori del Camper (APC) has made the important move of 

being present at the country’s General States of Tourism event in Chianciano Terme. The 

event, which is organised by Italy’s ministry of tourism, sees the meeting of the main 

representatives of the international and national organisations in the travel and tourism 

sectors to share ideas and find ways of working better together. Ludovia Sanpaolesi, 

director general of the APC, said: “The motorhome owner has changed a lot over time, 

there is now talk of a way of living the traveling experience that provides a high level 

of comfort, attention to the environment and advanced technologies. With 18 million 

itinerant tourists traveling in Europe we see an overall economic potential that exceeds 

€23 billion for the territories. See more at www.associazioneproduttoricamper.it 

06 

AUSTRALIA 

The Caravan Industry Association 

of Australia’s ‘Road to a Million’ 

stimulus campaign has proved to 

be a roaring success with more 

than 78,000 individual entrants 

registering their caravan park 

stays. The campaign was designed 

to aid domestic tourism recovery 

within the caravan and camping 

sector. Many positive changes in 

consumer behaviour have been 

observed during the campaign 

period. Of the more than 6,300 

entrants who took part in our 

consumer experience survey; 68 

per cent said the campaign will 

likely influence a further booking 

this year, 33% said it influenced 

a winter holiday they otherwise 

might not have taken, and 18 per 

cent said they booked additional 

nights. For perspective, up to 

AUS$335 in visitor expenditure is 

generated for every extra night 

stayed. Find out more online at 

www.caravanindustry.com.au 


WORKER SHORTAGE THE DETAIL 

Photo: Dometic 

Are we running out of 

people to build RVs? 

It’s a problem that we have known has been coming for a while, and we think we 

have the solutions to combat it, but what do we do about the shortage of new people 

entering the RV manufacturing sector? 

G 

■ermany’s caravan 

industry association 

(Caravaning Industrie 

Verband or CIVD) recently 

released some of its latest 

figures relating to new leisure 

vehicle registrations in the 

country from January to 

September this year. The 

figures, at least on the face of 

it, seemed largely positive. The 

third highest number of new 

vehicle registrations for this 

period in the country’s history, 

and despite a decline of about 

13.6 per cent compared to 2021, 

still trending way above the 

figures of pre-pandemic years. 

CIVD’s managing director 

Daniel Onggowinarso went as 

far as to say that leisure vehicle 

manufacturers’ order books are 

“full to the brim” and that the 

pandemic gave “a long-term 

trend a further boost”. 

Unprecedented demand can 

sometimes bring unprecedented 

problems. 

One such problem that has 

been highlighted by CIVD is 

an acute lack shortage of skilled 

workers in the manufacturing 

sector for motorhomes, caravans, 

campervans et al. Not only is 

the pandemic still causing havoc 

with staff absences, but CIVD 

says there is a fundamental 

shortage of young workers 

entering the manufacturing 

sector for leisure vehicles, which 


THE DETAIL WORKER SHORTAGE 

when compounded with the 

well-documented supply chain 

problems and shortages of 

components and even chassis, 

is causing what should still be a 

golden era for camping to have 

a slightly bitter aftertaste. 

Daniel Onggowinarso 

explained: “It’s a frustrating 

situation for everyone involved. 

Under normal conditions, the 

industry could build and deliver 

significantly more vehicles. 

But in view of the problems 

in production, dealers and 

customers unfortunately have to 

wait longer than usual for their 

motor caravans and caravans.” 

Is the answer simply to try 

and persuade people with 

similar skills to switch to a 

booming industry? Perhaps not. 

Unlike in the car or truck sector, 

the production, repair and 

maintenance of a motorhomes 

or caravan also requires 

knowledge of things such as 

sanitary installations and liquid 

gas. In addition, materials such 

as wood and GRP are used in 

the living quarters of leisure 

▲ Can we build RVs fast enough for their current demand? 

vehicles, which the classic car 

mechanic is usually untrained 

to handle. So, people need to 

be encouraged and trained to 

join this industry so that it can 

continue to meet the demand, 

which while it may be levelling 

off after the gold rush of the 

pandemic, is still hugely inflated 

compared to before. 

This is a problem that CIVD 

has seen coming for some time. 

In June this year alongside 

the German Association of 

Car Body Technology (ZKF), 

it created a new training 

occupation specialisation 

with the aim of helping to 

increase the number of skilled 

and qualified leisure vehicle 

technicians in the country. 

“The creation of a separate 

specialisation takes into account 

the growth and change in the 

caravanning industry,” said 

Daniel Onggowinarso. “Not 

only is the technology of 

the vehicles becoming more 

and more complex, but our 

customers are also becoming 

more demanding in terms 

of services. The need for 

skilled workers is increasing 

accordingly. We assume that 

around 300 apprentices will 

be needed by manufacturers 

as well as dealerships and 

workshops every year. The new 

specialisation – Caravan and 

Motor Caravan Technology – is 

a milestone for us and makes 

an important contribution 

to making the caravanning 

industry fit for the future.” 

This specialisation was 

promoted at the recent Caravan 

Salon Düsseldorf show, in front 

of one of the biggest attendances 

it has ever drawn. Will this be 

enough to help remove at least 

one of the barriers preventing 

the leisure vehicle industry 

from achieving its current full 

potential? Only time will tell, 

but it certainly wouldn’t hurt if 

manufacturers themselves got 

involved in trying to encourage, 

train, and employ new blood into 

an ageing workforce. 

Photo: Dometic 

This article was first published on our new LinkedIn newsletter: the Camping Dispatch. Head over to 

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OUTJOYMENT REPORT THE DETAIL 

says major new study 

Happiness is the top motivator for people to go camping according to a new large-scale study 

conducted by the UKs Camping and Caravanning Club alongside two top universities. 

A 

■major new study 

conducted by the 

UK’s Camping and 

Caravanning Club alongside 

academics from Liverpool John 

Moores University and Sheffield 

Hallam University has revealed 

that camping in the great 

outdoors makes people happier, 

more connected to nature, and 

increases their overall general 

wellbeing. The Outjoyment 

Report surveyed almost 11,000 

campers and non-campers to 

assess their attitudes towards 

all kinds of camping, including 

in tents, caravans, motorhomes, 

and glamping units. 

One of the key findings of 

the report was that 97 per cent 

of campers say happiness is 

their top motivator for going 

camping, and that 48 per cent 

of campers report feeling happy 

almost every day compared to 

just 35 per cent of non-campers. 

The study also revealed that 

93 per cent of campers carry 

out the pastime to enjoy being 

in nature, while 93 per cent 

of campers value it because 

of the benefits to their health 

and well-being. An impressive 

88 per cent of campers say 

they use camping to take time 

out of everyday life, which 

subsequently makes them less 

stressed. 

“The findings of The 

Outjoyment Report have never 


THE DETAIL OUTJOYMENT REPORT 

been so relevant as they are 

today,” said the Camping and 

Caravanning Club’s director 

general, Sabina Voysey. 

“Camping in all its different 

forms puts us on the doorstep of 

the great outdoors and provides 

a clear pathway to a healthier 

and happier lifestyle – one in 

which people appreciate nature 

more and are active outdoors. 

Given the many negative events 

that have been happening 

in recent times at home and 

abroad, anything that helps 

people to feel better about 

themselves and each other is 

vitally important.” 

Dr Kaye Richards, senior 

lecturer in psychology at 

Liverpool John Moores 

University, said: “Camping 

connects people – to the 

outdoors, to nature, to each 

other, and most importantly to 

themselves. Positive emotions 

generated from outdoor 

enjoyment help to alleviate 

everyday stressors and promote 

feelings of life satisfaction. It is 

no surprise then, that the more 

people camp the more this can 

improve happiness and wellbeing.” 

Dr Adele Doran, principal 

lecturer in tourism management 

at Sheffield Hallam University, 

added: “Campers really enjoy an 

outdoor lifestyle. They pursue 

a range of outdoor activities 

while camping, which fuels their 

sense of adventure, keeps them 

physically active and connects 

them to nature. In fact, campers 

are more connected to nature 

than non-campers.” 

The Outjoyment Report 

also examined subjects such 

as the importance of children 

going camping as part of 

their formal education, and 

how survey respondents felt 

about healthcare professionals 

prescribing spending time in 

natural settings as a remedy for 

poor mental health. 

83% of respondents 

felt positive about health 

professionals prescribing 

spending time in nature as an 

effective remedy for poor mental 

health, a significant rise from 

58% in our previous study. And 

94% believe children should 

learn outdoors while 93% think 

pupils should camp as part of 

their formal education – a big 

rise from the 59% of the 2011 

report. 

Sabina added: “Our vision is 

for a society in which camping 

and memorable outdoor 

experiences can play a full part 

in building a happier, healthier 

nation. Our goal is to raise 

the profile of camping and 

the countryside, and to urge 

policy-makers in government 

to harness the findings of our 

report to shape people’s outdoor 

enjoyment – especially through 

camping – as it will ultimately 

help to make them healthier 

and happier people.” 

THE NUMBERS 

97% 

of campers say 

happiness is their 

top motivator for 

going camping 

93% 

go camping to enjoy 

being in nature 

98% 

of campers take part 

in outdoor activities 

91% 

go walking 

39% 

cycle 

▲ Happiness is by far and away the number one motivation for people to go camping. 

See the full study online at www.theoutjoymentreport.co.uk 

26% 

enjoy bird-watching 


AIC SHOW PREVIEW THE DETAIL 

Photos: All In Caravaning 


THE DETAIL AIC SHOW PREVIEW 

AIC STATS 

RV industry aims 

to bounce back 

in China 

200+ 

Exhibitors 

25,000+ 

Visitors 

T 

Seizing the opportunity created by the recovery of the camping 

and caravanning industry in China, preparations for the 2023 All In 

■he last few years have 

been undeniably tough 

for the camping, 

caravanning, and RV industry in 

China. Recurrent outbreaks of 

COVID-19 combined with the 

country’s strict ‘zero COVID’ 

policy have meant travel 

restrictions, factory closures, 

and general disruption to both 

industry and tourism. However, 

that trend which has caused 

increasing stress to those who 

make their living from these 

industries now seems to be 

changing. RVs have become 

increasingly popular in China, 

and even in situations where 

cross-province travel is not 

possible, people are enjoying 

using them to have safe family 

holidays. The upturn in fortunes 

towards the second half of 2022 

has meant that the industry’s 

leading show, All In Caravaning 

(AIC), is confident enough to 

announce that it will take place 

once again in 2023. The Beijing 

Etrong International Exhibition 

Caravaning show in Beijing are well underway. 

and Convention Center will 

play host to the show from 16 

to 18 June, with the AIC team 

promising that it has dedicated 

thoughtful planning and 

preparations for next exhibition. 

A statement from AIC said: 

“In terms of exhibition content, 

we are committed to expanding 

the RV life circle and advocating 

‘breaking the circle’ to lead a 

new RV lifestyle. Meanwhile, 

we will also adjust the layout 

of the exhibition area to make 

the classification of exhibits 

even more clear, with an aim to 

improve the visitor’s experience 

and visiting efficiency. 

“In terms of concurrent 

events, AIC will continue to 

follow the market hot issues 

and hold a number of summits 

and seminars related to industry 

trends. Additionally, AIC also 

plans to set up an interview 

room on site to facilitate closer 

communication between visitors, 

exhibitors, and experts. Official 

new media IP AIC Lab will 

make its debut at the exhibition, 

at which renowned KOLs in 

the RV and outdoor industry 

will be invited to share their 

insights with visitors. A series 

of innovative thematic columns 

on mobile travel will be unveiled 

for the first time to enrich the 

experience of end-users and 

promote the popularization and 

dissemination of RV culture in 

civil society. Moreover, a variety 

of trendy elements, including 

the Campground Zone, Vanlife 

Experience Zone, and the 

Recreation Market, will also land 

on AIC 2023.” 

Over the last decade, AIC has 

grown in prominence, not only 

in China but also on the global 

stage. The last event to take place 

was in 2021 when more than 200 

brands showcased their wares 

to an attendance of more than 

25,000. The show is promising 

bigger and better things for 

2023, with booth applications 

open in mid-November. Learn 

more at www.aicshow.com 

39,000 

sqm+ 

Floorspace 

3 

Days 

277% 

Increase in number 

of exhibitors 

since 2012 

148% 

Increase in number 

of visitors since 2012 


VANLIFE STUDY THE DETAIL 

Croatia revealed 

as top country in 

Europe for vanlife 

A study conducted by online platform Campsited has revealed the 

best countries in Europe for campers to enjoy vanlife, considering 

factors such as the number of campervan sites, average weather, 

number of outdoor activities, price of fuel and more. 


THE DETAIL VANLIFE STUDY 

A 

■study conducted 

by online platform 

Campsited has 

revealed the best countries 

in Europe for campers to 

enjoy vanlife, considering 

factors such as the number 

of campervan sites, average 

weather, number of outdoor 

activities, price of fuel and 

more. The country that ranked 

number one on Campsited’s 

index was Croatia, with the 

Netherlands and France 

following in second and third 

respectively. Making up the 

rest of the top ten is Slovenia, 

Italy, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, 

Belgium, and Germany. 

Croatia, with its 347 

campervan sites, more than 650 

outdoor activities, and large 

area of 56,594sqkm achieved 

the best cumulative score. Its 

average summer temperatures of 

mid-to-high 20s (Celsius) also 

helped to make it appeal more 

to campervan users – it’s tagline 

as the land of 1,000 islands 

certainly helps with this thanks 

to the very common sea breezes 

on many of its campsites. 

The sturvey also revealed that 

France has the most campervan 

sites with almost 9,000, while 

Malta was the country with 

the highest average annual 

temperature of 19.61C. 

Finan O’Donoghue, founder 

of Campsited, said: “Travelling 

in a campervan can open up offthe-beaten-track 

destinations 

and help you really get to know 

new countries.” 

He also shared his top three 

tips for enjoying a campervan 

break: “In a campervan or 

motorhome, you are generally 

much higher up and can enjoy 

great views of the surrounding 

countryside, with a totally 

different aspect than in a car. 

So, take full advantage of this 

and avoid the motorways, 

taking more scenic routes on 

smaller roads! 

“One of the great benefits 

of travelling to your final 

destination in a campervan is 

being able to take your lunch 

stops in beautiful out-of-town 

locations, rather than being tied 

to restaurants and towns. So, 

make sure you have your first 

few meals in the van before 

you leave, to be able to take full 

advantage of this. 

“Make full use of the 

campsite facilities for 

showering, washing up etc., to 

reduce the work of filling your 

campervan water tank - no 

matter what size water tank 

you have, they empty quickly! 

You can also use a campervan 

holiday to help all the family 

become more conscious of water 

conservation.” 

Rank Country Index Score 

1 Croatia 170 

2 Netherlands 162 

3 France 158 

4 Slovenia 155 

5 Italy 154 

6 Spain 153 

7 Portugal 151 

8 Andorra 150 

9 Belgium 149 

10 Germany 146 

Rank Country Campsites 

1 France 8,990 

2 Germany 2,191 

3 Netherlands 2,035 

4 Italy 1,541 

5 Spain 1,163 

Rank Country Avg Temp (ºC) 

1 Malta 19.61 

2 Portugal 15.62 

3 Greece 14.24 

4 Monaco 13.95 

▲ Croatia came out on top of Campsited’s camper index. 

5 Spain 13.93 

See the study in full online at www.campsited.com 


INDUSTRY REPORT THE DETAIL 

Outdoor recreation is 

$862 billion industry 

The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau 

of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released 

new data that shows that the outdoor 

recreation industry is worth a recordbreaking 

$862 billion to the US economy. 

T 

■he US Department of 

Commerce’s Bureau of 

Economic Analysis (BEA) 

has released new data that shows that 

the outdoor recreation industry is 

worth a record-breaking $862 billion 

to the US economy. As well as this 

huge revenue generation, which means 

that the outdoor recreation industry 

contributes more to the US economy 

than oil and gas extraction, mining, 

and farming, it also supports an 

estimated 4.5 million jobs. 

“The BEA data underscores 

how important it is to invest in 

public lands, waters and recreation 

infrastructure from coast to coast and 

for recreation activities of all types,” 

said Jessica Turner, president of the 

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. 

“From the creation of jobs and 

increased profit for small businesses 

in local economies, to larger boons to 

our national economy, this sector is 

a consistent driver, even in times of 

economic uncertainty. The strength 

of the outdoor recreation economy 

reflects what many in the industry 

have long known to be true: there 

are infinite benefits that come from 

more people spending time outdoors, 

and they’ll only grow with continued 

investment.” 

The record-breaking value of the 

outdoor recreation industry also means 

that it accounts for 1.9 per cent of the 

United States’ overall gross domestic 

product. RVing and camping are a 

huge part of the outdoor recreation 

space, and the key stakeholders in 

those markets have welcomed this 

news warmly. 

Craig Kirby, president and CEO of 

the RV Industry Association, added: 

“The RV industry has seen a record 

number of younger and more diverse 

customers flock to RVs as a way to 

fulfil their desire to get outdoors, take 

part in all kinds of outdoor recreation, 

and live an active outdoor lifestyle. 

RVs provide a basecamp for every 

form of recreation included in these 

new economic numbers, from boating 

and fishing to hiking, biking, and 

climbing. 

“What these new numbers show 

is that outdoor recreation is not just 

good for people’s physical and mental 

health, it is also a significant economic 

driver across the entire country.” 

Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO 

of Kampgrounds of America Inc, said: 

“This data solidifies what we have seen 

over our sixty-year history – that there 

is intrinsic value in the outdoors. 

“Over 20 million new households 

started camping since 2020 with 

six in ten planning to continue. We 

are increasingly seeing camping and 

the outdoors vacation becoming a 

preferred form of travel. The economic 

impact of camping and the greater 

outdoor industry underscores how 

critical natural spaces are to our 

communities.? And, even more 

importantly, the outdoors remains vital 

for overall health and well-being and 

in fostering connection to others.” 


THE DETAIL INDUSTRY REPORT 

THE STATS 

$862B 

The value of the 

outdoor recreation 

industry in the USA. 

4.5M 

The amount of jobs it 

supports in the USA. 

1.9% 

The amount it 

contributes to the 

total gdp of the USA. 

20M 

The amount of 

new households 

that have started 

camping since 2020. 

60% 

The amount that are 

planning to continue 

to camp. 


SPAIN DOING BUSINESS WITH... 

DOING 

BUSINESS 

WITH... 

Spain 

Often billed as Europe’s holiday destination, Spain has a lot to offer in terms of its camping 

and caravanning industry. It’s home to manufacturers, distributors, dealers and campsites that 

could be well worth you getting to know if you’re looking to break into the market. 


DOING BUSINESS WITH... SPAIN 

S 

■pain could easily stake a 

claim to the title of king 

of tourism in Europe. The 

country has long been a favourite 

destination for holidaymakers 

around the continent thanks to 

its warm climate, well-established 

beach resorts, and fantastic food 

and drink options. But away 

from the all-inclusive resorts and 

the 18-30 holidays, Spain has 

a very well established tourism 

industry based around camping 

and caravanning too. Campsites 

around the country have thrived 

in recent years, as have dealers, 

suppliers, and manufacturers who 

supply tourists with motorhomes 

and caravans. There is a very 

strong rental market in Spain, 

with many tourists taking flydrive 

motorhome holidays in the 

country. Besides tourism, Spain is 

also well-known for its automotive 

manufacturing industry, and this 

extends to several well-known 

names in the RV industry, such 

as IVECO, Benimar, and Ilusion 

Caravaning. Times have been 

good for the market in Spain 

over the last decade – the country 

followed the same trend as most 

of the rest of Europe with RVing 

becoming ever popular up until 

the COVID-19 pandemic at the 

start of 2020. Spain had some 

very tough lockdown rules, which 

hindered the industry for a time, 

but since things have relaxed, it 

has begun to take off once again. 

At present however, the market 

has begun to stall thanks to the 

problems that practically all 

markets are facing: chassis supply, 

lack of stock, and vastly increased 

interest due to the return of large 

fairs and events such as Caravan 

Salon Düsseldorf and Salone del 

Camper in Parma, Italy. 

In September, the latest 

motorhome and camper 

registration figures from Spain’s 

industry association ASEICAR 

showed a 27.6 per cent fall 

compared to the same month in 

2021. Towable caravans suffered 

ABOUT ASEICAR 

Spain has a very strong industry association called the 

Asociación Española de la Industria y Comercio del 

Caravaning (ASEICAR), which protects and promotes the 

interests of manufacturers, dealers, renters, campsites and 

more who all make their living from the leisure vehicle 

industry. It was founded in 1988 and permanently analyses 

the economic activity of the sector in Spain in order to 

propose solutions to improve the market in general. It is a 

great source of information and news about the latest state 

of the caravanning market in Spain. 

Learn more online at www.aseicar.org 

an even larger year-by-year drop of 

around 30 per cent. Despite these 

troubles, the second hand market 

in Spain seems to be receiving a 

boost as anxious buyers seek to 

secure a camper any way they can. 

Second hand caravan sales for 

September 2022 stood at 575 and 

motorhomes at 1,489. ASEICAR 

estimates that the average price 

of a second hand motorhome has 

increased anywhere between 20 

and 30 per cent in recent months 

and claims that buyers do not 

want to wait a year to have a 

€60,000 motorhome delivered but 

would rather spend €50,000 on 

one that is a few years old simply 

to get it now. In general, these 

issues alongside the rising costs of 

fuel, food and other amenities in 

Spain mean that the RV market 

is facing a period of uncertainty. 

ASEICAR president José Manuel 

Jurado said: “This uncertainty is 

punctual. We trust that, when the 

war in Ukraine, the lack of product 

and the doubts in the national 

and international economy are 

overcome, the trend of the sector 

will recover the path of growth 

since we do detect that there is a 

lot of interest among citizens in 

general in discovering caravanning 

and among future buyers in 

being able to enjoy it as soon as 

possible.” 

The challenge for Spain, as with 

many other European nations, is 

to try and maintain the level of 

interest and demand the market 

is currently experiencing with 

limited stock to fulfil it – perhaps 

the importance of rental and 

ownership sharing models could 

come to the fore? 

FACT FILE 

Capital: Madrid 

Population: 47,100,000 

Dialling code: +34 

Prime Minister: 

Pedro Sánchez 

Official languages: 

Spanish 

Time zones: 

UTC+1 

Currency: Euro 

Internet domain: .es 

ECONOMY IN FOCUS 

$2.2 trillion 

GDP (USD) 

$46,500 

GPD per capita (USD) 

4.3% 

GDP growth 

13.5% 

unemployment 

TOP IMPORT PARTNERS: 

Germany 

France 

China 

Italy 

Netherlands 

TOP EXPORT PARTNERS: 

France 

Germany 

Italy 

Portugal 

UK 



Photo: Single Earth, Unsplash 

ECONOMY IN FOCUS 

Spain is a highly developed 

Western European 

economy – estimated to 

be the fifth largest on the 

continent and among the 

15 largest in the world. 

It is a hugely active and 

important part of the 

European Union, with 

many of its major import 

and export partners being 

neighbouring countries 

such as France, Portugal, 

Italy and the UK. Spain’s 

economy lives and dies by 

tourism, which is the single 

most important market it 

has. Some studies claim 

it is the second biggest 

in the world and survey’s 

by the World Economic 

Forum in 2015 and 2017 

said that it’s tourism 

industry was the most 

competitive in the world. 

This bodes well for the 

country’s camping and RV 

industry – while much of 

its tourism has traditionally 

come from beach holidays 

and resorts, camping 

and caravanning have 

been gaining popularity. 

To further highlight 

Spain’s importance in the 

camping and RV world, 

the automotive industry is 

one of its largest employers 

– generating about 8 per 

cent of the country’s GDP 

before COVID. 

WHO’S WHO 

As a country known for both strong tourism and automotive industries, Spain is somewhere that caravan 

and motorhome makers and sellers thrive. The country has several big name manufacturers, and also a host 

of wholesalers and distributors who bring foreign brands into the country too. While this is not every single 

Spanish brand of note, we think this gives a good insight into the market in the country to help you get a feel 

for the landscape of the market there. 

BENIMAR 

Founded in 1974, Benimar is one of the biggest motorhome names in Spain and has been 

the market leader in the country since around 2009. It employs more than 350 people and 

from its 130,000sqm production facility in Peñíscola it produces somewhere in the region of 

4,000 leisure vehicles per year. The company is present around the world and is now a part of 

the Trigano Group. 

www.benimar.es 

INACA 

Family-run caravan and motorhome awning expert Inaca was founded in Barcelona in 1974. 

The company prides itself on manufacturing a wide range of premioum quality awnings for 

a wide range of leisure vehicles to help campers in Spain and beyond enjoy the pastime. It is 

a company that constantly monitors the needs of the market and updates and expands its 

range top produce products that meet the ever-changing demands of modern campers. 

www.inaca.es 

TICAMO 

Tents, awnings, shelters, and gazebos are all products you’ll find under the name of Ticamo, 

another Barcelona-based expert in all things canvas. It has a modest 2,000sqm facility from 

which it produces a wide range of camping products to high quality standards. It describes 

itself as an agile company that is already to use and take advantage of the most modern 

business and manufacturing techniques. 

www.ticamo.com 



IVECO 

One of Spain’s best-known automotive brands specialising in vans and trucks, Iveco is wellknown 

as a base vehicle and chassis provider to many motorhome brands around Europe. 

In recent times it has even created its own campervan that you can buy directly from Iveco, 

after seeing the continued growth and expansion of the camping and leisure vehicle sector 

at home and abroad. 

www.iveco.com 

COMANCHE 

A company that has been making trailers for more than 20 years, Comanche not only makes 

traditional storage and transportation trailers, but also trailer tents too. The company has 

become more and more involved with the camping sector as time has gone on and has 

used much of expertise from manufacturing general use trailers to make trailer tents of 

some distinction. 

www.comanche.biz 

ILUSION CARAVANING 

Another Spanish caravan and motorhome manufacturer, Ilusion is based near Zaragoza 

and has been in the game for more than 20 years. It’s whole ethos is based around letting its 

customers reach the destinations of their dreams in style, comfort and ease. The company’s 

entrepreneurial spirit has seen it rise to become one of Spain’s most popular brands and also 

expand its reach around Europe too. 

www.ilusioncaravaning.com 

SHOW BUSINESS 

There are several industry 

shows and events that take 

place in Spain throughout 

the year, and one of the 

most significant is Salon 

del Caravaning that 

happens in Barcelona 

in October each year. 

Attracting more than 

60,000 visitors and 130 

exhibitors each year, this 

show is easily one of the 

largest and is also one that 

Camping Trade World 

attended in 2021. It attracts 

many large, international 

brands, as well as smaller, 

local ones too. You can 

learn more about this one 

at: www.saloncaravaning. 

com. Other shows around 

Spain include Caravaning 

Alicante, Feria del 

Caravaning y Camper del 

Levante, Caravantur and 

B-Travel. Find out more at 

aseicar.org/ferias-eventos 

▲ IVECO’s own campervan as debuted at the Barcelona Caravaning Show in October 2021. 



SPANISH MARKET STATS 

750+ 

Campsites in Spain 

(estimate) 

A BIG CAMPING COUNTRY 

Spain has a huge coastline, which is already 

well known as a tourist destination, but it 

is perhaps lesser known that campsites are 

dotted along the coast at regular points. In 

many instances, camping offers a much more 

affordable way to stay in some of Spain’s most 

popular locations such as Andalusia and Costa 

Brava. There is a wide variation of the types 

of campsites you will find in Spain, from basic 

and low-key affairs, to luxury sites that have 

all the bells and whistles to cater for families 

who want home comforts, there is something 

for everyone. Naturally, the weather is one of 

the things that attracts people to Spain, but it 

isn’t all about the beach and baking sun. Spain 

also has interesting mountainous locations 

such as the Pyrenees, the Iberian Chair, the 

Cantabrian Mountain Chain in the north and 

the Betic Chain in the south. In short, Spain 

is a much more varied camping affair than you 

might expect, and the camping possibilities 

are almost endless. 

6 

Consecutive months of 

falls in number of RV 

registrations in 2022 

230 

New motorhomes and 

campers sold in Spain in 

September 2022 

20-30% 

Estimated increase of 

second hand RVs in Spain 

90% 

Of companies in the sector 

are members of ASEICAR 

8-18 months 

Estimated time for a new 

motorhome to be delivered 

from order time 



65 YEARS IN THE SUN 

▲ Spain is not just about the beaches, there are plenty of locations in the mountains for camping. 

“If you like caravanning, you care about the 

environment and you don’t mind lending a hand 

when others need you, then you are an Ecovanner.” 

ECOVANING 

The aforementioned 

ASEICAR association 

does more than just help 

the companies within the 

industry, it also aims to 

help make the pastime of 

camping and caravanning 

more sustainable. A few years 

back it launched a campaign 

called ECOVANING, the idea 

behind which is help campers 

collaborate and care for the 

environment. A statement 

from ASEICAR explains: 

“Through ECOVANING , 

we are going to participate 

together with motorhome 

groups and individuals, and 

with the collaboration of Zalba 

Caldú and autocaravanas.es in 

environmental initiatives such 

as cleaning our mountains and 

beaches and we will be there 

where they need our solidarity, 

with the reforestation of our 

forests after a fire or cleaning 

riverbeds and rivers after a flood. 

“Caravanning is not just a 

way of traveling. It is a way of 

living and being respectful of 

the environment that gives us 

so much and that we enjoy so 

much. For this reason, nature is 

a travel companion who must be 

cared for and pampered. Also, 

solidarity is our other hallmark. 

We do not hesitate to help a 

colleague who needs it or who 

has a problem. Therefore, if you 

like caravanning, you care about 

the environment and you don’t 

mind lending a hand when 

others need you, then you are an 

Ecovanner.” 

The industry in Spain 

recently celebrated a 

significant anniversary – it 

has been 65 years since the 

first ever caravan was built 

in Spain by an insurance 

appraiser and keen 

camper. The van was built 

in Barcelona and features 

a metal frame, no brakes, 

and a design that featured 

larger than ideal amounts 

of papier mache. However, 

this started the trend in 

Spain and the country’s 

two associations, ASEICAR 

and GREMCAR, celebrated 

the milestone at a special 

event in Barcelona in 2022 

that was attended by the 

country’s general director 

of tourism. 

That first caravan was 

built by Pedro Martinez 

Aznar under the brand 

name Caravanas Tuset 

– just three years later 

and it was sold for 

60,000 pesetas at the 

Barcelona International 

Trade Fair. 65 years later, 

and caravanning is big 

business in Spain, with 

that showing no sign of 

slowing down in future 

years. Like most countries 

in Europe, its path to where 

it is today has been one of 

innovation, exploration, and 

perseverance. 


CAFRAMO AD FEATURE 

The vitalness 

of versatility 

In a world of rising energy costs and space being at a premium, having a 

versatile, compact product with super low power draw can pay dividends. 

Canadian brand SEEKR is proving that point with its Sirocco II fan. 

W 

30 | www.campingtradeworld.com 

■hen you have a great 

product that’s well 

designed and performs 

at the top level, that’s something 

to be proud of. When you have 

a product that ticks those boxes 

and is extremely versatile, that 

takes things up to another level. 

This description is something 

that easily describes the 

Sirocco II – a lightweight, low 

power draw fan that is rapidly 

becoming a sensation in the 

RV and camper world. Made 

in Canada from SEEKR by 

Caframo, the Sirocco II began 

life gaining a solid reputation 

by being installed in high-end 

yachts all over the world, with 

boat users appreciating just how 

versatile it is thanks to three 

speed settings (1,200, 1,500 or 

1,800RPM), four timer settings 

(3, 6, 9, or 12 hours), and a 

unique lightweight gimble that 

allows it to be mounted almost 

anywhere and adjust to provide 

360-degree airflow. These 

attributes combined with its 

extremely quiet operation and 

low power draw (0.06A at 24V 

and 0.12A at 12V) that also 

features 12/24V auto-sensing 

capability meant the versatility 

of the Sirocco II quickly spread 

to the world of RVs. This small 

yet powerful fan soon started 

popping up on the sleeping and 

living quarters of RVs across

AD FEATURE CAFRAMO 

Canada, to the Caribbean then 

America, and now as far afield 

as Australia and Europe too – 

further proving the products 

versatility. Another huge benefit 

for RVers is that the fan can be 

folded flat for transport when 

not in use – meaning that it can 

be put out of the way when not 

needed. It also has a FingerSafe 

blade, which means that if you 

accidentally touch it while it is 

in operation you won’t be cut or 

injured. It allows campers to go 

further, stay longer, and enjoy 

more time doing what they 

love with people they love. It 

is also backed up by a two-year 

warranty. 

GLOBAL POTENTIAL 

The Sirocco II made its 

European debut in 2022 at 

the Caravan Salon show in 

Düsseldorf, Germany, once 

again proving that it’s a versatile 

product that can be sold into 

diverse market. SEEKR also 

has an Amsterdam-based 

warehouse, offering speedy 

European shipping. In a market 

as complicated as the RV and 

RV components segment, this 

is quite a rare trait indeed. The 

low power draw in particular 

is a feature that has given this 

product extra reach in the RV 

world, as it is ideal for use in 

off-grid situations without 

draining too much of the 

portable power on offer. 

SEEKR’s Andreas Maechler 

told us at the show: “The 

Sirocco II is the staple of what 

the SEEKR brand is about. It 

perfectly showcases the quality, 

the performance, and the 

diversity that SEEKR products 

can offer. We are very proud of 

this made-in-Canada product, 

it has carved out a position for 

itself in the market as a reliable 

product that vastly improves 

the experience and comfort of 

RV users around the world – 

the authentic Sirocco II is the 

original and, in our opinion, 

still the best of its kind.” 

Whether it’s attached to 

the bedside cabinets in a huge 

Class A motorhome, on the 

dashboard of a campervan, or 

in the kitchen of a caravan, the 

Sirocco II is easy to install or 

spec into new builds for OEMs, 

providing perfect and naturalfeeling 

cooling to RV users 

around the world. 

To learn more about the Sirocco II, head online to seekr.caframobrands.com 


CMT STUTTGART PREVIEW 

Stuttgart’s 

time to shine 

In the bleakness of European winter shines a bright light in the 

caravanning and tourism worlds: CMT is back and ready to do business as 

one of the biggest exhibitions of its kind. 

T 

■he camping and 

leisure vehicle market 

in Germany is still 

hot property, despite some 

recent declines in the number 

of new vehicle registrations 

when compared to last year. 

Figures from the Caravan 

Industry Association in the 

country, CIVD, say that 

despite continuing problems 

with the supply chain and 

shortage of skilled workers 

in the manufacturing sector, 

Germany recorded its third best 

result for new leisure vehicle 

registrations from January to 

September, 2022. A total of 

78,011 new leisure vehicles were 

registered in Germany during 

that time, which despite being 

a decrease of about 13.6 per 

cent on 2021, is still trending 

far ahead of figures from before 

the pandemic in 2020. In a 

All photos: Landemesse Stuttgart GmbH 

▲ Stuttgart and CMT will host the caravan industry in January. 

further breakdown, towable 

caravans recorded a decline of 

2.7 per cent to 21,110 units, 

while motorhomes dropped 17 

per cent to a figure of 56,901 

units. With all that in mind, it 

makes more than perfect sense 

that if this market is in any way 

important to you, you should 

consider attending CMT – 

one of the country’s leading 

caravanning, tourism, and 

holiday shows that is set to take 

place in Stuttgart from 14 to 22 

January. If you are planning on 

heading to CMT this winter, 

expect to find no less than seven 

halls with more than 1,200 

caravans, campervans, vans and 

other recreational vehicles, 120 

new products, numerous world 

premieres, accessories, and 

much, much more. 

One major change for CMT 

this year is that the show 

will benefit from subsidiary 

shows running alongside the 

caravanning and general tourism 

aspects, including the Bicycle 

and Hiking Travel Show, Golf 

and Wellness Travel Show, 

and Cruise and Ship Travel 

Show, giving a more complete 

experience to visitors. CMT 

continues to build its claim as 

being the number one holiday 

show in Europe. 


PREVIEW CMT STUTTGART 


CMT STUTTGART PREVIEW 

PROGRESS THROUGH 

ADVERSITY 

After such a tumultuous few 

years, CMT is keen to emphasise 

that exhibitors and visitors for 

2023 can book with renewed 

confidence – all the signs are 

green according to member of 

the management board at Messe 

Stuttgart, Guido von Vacano: 

“The trade fair centre is already 

almost seamlessly booked up. 

In addition, there are a large 

number of event formats that 

will be presented to the public 

for the first time. In particular, 

the current market changes make 

CMT 2023 more important 

than ever as an exchange and 

innovation platform for one of 

the most important economic 

sectors in our country, the trade 

fair will provide answers to the 

current challenges. 

“For example, the specialist 

programme of the CMT will 

be expanded to include various 

events on the topics of sustainable 

tourism and international 

understanding. In addition, 

the Stuttgart holiday trade fair, 

together with its four partners, 

will be presenting attractive and 

topical themes that fit perfectly 

into these times.” 

This year represents the 15th 

anniversary for Messe Stuttgart 

since it moved to its current trade 

fair grounds at Filder – a milestone 

that was celebrated late in 2022 

during a special ceremony. 

“The move to the Filder is a 

success story for us. Since then, we 

have been able to celebrate records 

time and again and push into new 

spheres with our now ten halls,” 

said Stefan Lohnert, managing 

director of Messe Stuttgart. “Of 

course, our anniversary is also 

accompanied by the effects of 

the Corona pandemic. In the 

meantime, our trade fairs such as 

südback, VISION or hy-fcell have 

shown that we are already back at 

the level of the past with almost 

identical or even higher visitor 

numbers than in the pre-Corona 

years. But it is also clear that 

without the break, 2020 would 

have become a new record year in 

terms of total turnover and profit.” 

CMT not only showcases 

brands from around Germany 

and the world, but it also 

maintains a focus on local 

tourism in the Baden- 

Württemberg area too. Recent 

stats on that show that the 

downfall in tourism this area 

has experienced due to the 

pandemic is recovering nicely. 

State Secretary for Torusim 

Patrick Rapp said: “Our travel 

areas in the state can benefit 

from the new travel boom. Even 

if the numbers have not yet 

reached pre-crisis levels, it is 

noticeable that people want to 

discover new things again. At 

the Stuttgart holiday trade fair 

CMT, the world’s largest public 

trade fair for tourism and leisure, 

the state will present itself with 

its regions, districts and cities in 

Oskar Lapp Hall 6.” 

MONGOLIAN MAGIC 

Each year CMT has a 

destination partner country and 

for this year that destination is 

Mongolia. The world’s second 

largest landlocked country after 

Kazakhstan, Mongolia attracted 

approximately 637,000 tourists 

in 2019, generating about 

€540 million for its economy. 

The country is geologically 

characterised by endless and 

untouched steppes, high 

mountains as well as deserts 

such as the well-known Gobi. 

Mongolia is a particularly 

popular destination for nature 

lovers and adventure tourists, 

as the varied landscape offers 

something for everyone. The 

capital is Ulan Bator, which 

is also often called the coldest 

capital in the world. In January 

and February, temperatures of 

minus 30 degrees Celsius are not 

uncommon here. The best time 

to travel for temperate Western 

Europeans is therefore the 

months from May to October, 

with temperatures again reaching 

up to 40 degrees Celsius in 

summer. If this is somewhere 

you’ve always wondered about, 

then this show can help – 

there will be opportunities for 

camping, caravanning, and RV 

manufacturers too. Learn more 

at www.messe-stuttgart.com 

▲ Many camping and camper brands will exhibit at CMT in 2022 – an estimated 2,100 exhibitors will be there. 


PREVIEW CMT STUTTGART 

THE SHOW 

Messe Stuttgart hosts the 

show from 14 to 22 January 

2023. This visitor and trade 

event will showcase more 

than 1,000 leisure vehicles 

and also cover other different 

aspects of tourism and 

holidaying, which could help 

you further expand your 

thinking and markets. 

THE VENUE 

CMT will once again take place at the 

Messe Stuttgart – a very accessible 

venue that is perfect for visitors who 

arrive by air or land. The exhibition 

centre is connected to the high-speed 

ICE train network, just 27 minutes from 

the city centre via the S-Bahn urban 

railway, close to major roads including 

the A8 and A81, and roughly 500m from 

Stuttgart Airport. 

THE CITY 

Stuttgart is the sixth largest city 

in Germany and is located in the 

state of Baden-Württemberg in the 

southwest of the country. The city 

itself has a population of around 

630,000 and has long been known 

as one of the central hubs of the 

automotive industry in Germany, 

being the birthplace of Mercedes- 

Benz and also Porsche. 

THE EXHIBITORS 

There will a staggering number of 

exhibitors at the show (more than 2,100 

at the time of writing) covering a wide 

aspect of caravanning and tourism 

across 10 different halls. They will be 

presenting holiday ideas, the most 

beautiful travel destinations from around 

the globe, the largest novelties show for 

camping and caravanning right to the 

start of the season. 


MOTORHOME AND CARAVAN SHOW REVIEW 

Demand still sky high 

at sell-out UK show 

More than 104,000 people flocked to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in the UK for 

the triumphant return of October’s Motorhome and Caravan Show after a three-year absence. 

Camping Trade World was among the crown to take a temperature check of the industry. 

D 

■espite the challenges 

the industry faces, it 

seems the appetite 

among consumers for all things 

camping, caravanning, and 

leisure vehicles is as ravenous as 

ever. The fact that most UK and 

European RV manufacturers’ 

order books are bursting at 

the seams is one indicator of 

this, another could be seen in 

clear view at the return of the 

Motorhome and Caravan Show 

in the UK this October. The 

show, which is twinned with 

February’s Caravan, Camping 

& Motorhome Show, had not 

taken place for three years due 

to the pandemic – so when its 

return was met with a record 

attendance of 104,521 visitors 

over its six-day duration, it 

was clear the demand is here 

to stay for now at least. And 

while the cancellation of the 

2021 edition of this show was 

said to be met with satisfaction 

by many manufacturers who 

simply didn’t want to stoke 

further demand that they could 

not meet, the names on display 

in this 2022 edition show that 

that fear has subsided for the 

time being. Coachman, Swift, 

and Bailey – three of the UK’s 

biggest caravan and motorhome 

players were there alongside 

huge European names including 

Adria, Carthago, Erwin Hymer 

Group and Knaus Tabbert. 

There was even presence from 

some of the USA’s biggest 

brands including Airstream and 

Lippert. Clearly, any lingering 


REVIEW MOTORHOME AND CARAVAN SHOW 

thoughts that it might be 

counterproductive to showcase 

products to growing new 

audiences when not being able 

to manufacture at full capacity, 

have fallen by the wayside. 

Terry Dullaghan, managing 

director at NCC Events, said: 

“It’s the first time this Show 

has taken place since 2019 and 

we’re over the moon to be back 

delivering another successful 

event with the biggest audience 

the Show has ever seen. We 

have seen a huge influx of 

people who have a brand new 

appreciation for the outdoors 

and exploring what’s right on 

their doorstep and it’s pleasing 

that this has resulted in a strong 

level of sales for our exhibitors. 

“We’d like to say thanks to 

all the visitors who travelled 

from across the UK to visit the 

Show, our exhibitors, partners 

and sponsors for their continued 

support and are looking 

forward to producing another 

fantastic Caravan, Camping & 

Motorhome Show at the NEC 

in February 2023.” 

As well as the big name 

producers of leisure vehicles 

themselves, the show was also 

a haven for those who make 

components and accessories. 

During our exploration of the 

show floor we spoke to many 

companies including Peggy Peg, 

Dometic, Westfield Outdoors, 

Pundmann, who were all 

impressed with the organisation 

of the event, as well as the 

strong attendance. 

While many may think that 

it doesn’t pay to continually 

hype up already high demand 

when there are such issues with 

supply and parts shortages, 

clearly the industry sees it a 

different way. There is a belief 

that this interest in leisure 

vehicles will continue to remain 

high – many believe the trend 

was already upwardly mobile 

long before the pandemic. 

Shows like this keep people 

interested and keep the fire 

burning inside them to be 

part of the great hobby that is 

camping. Some may be waiting 

for their new campervan to 

be delivered, some may be 

taking their time over a buying 

decision, others who already 

own campers or caravans might 

simply be here for the sense 

of community – one thing is 

certain, you cannot help but 

leave a show like this feeling 

positive about this industry 

and its long-term prospects, 

no matter what challenges the 

world throws up at us. 


MOTORHOME AND CARAVAN SHOW REVIEW 

What the exhibitors said: 

GERARD VREDENBURG & SAM REINHOLD 

PEGGY PEG INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS: 

“Overall we were very happy to be back in the 

UK and at the NEC. The turnout was a lot 

better than expected and we received a lot of 

good feedback from our customers. The show 

completely exceeded our expectations – we are 

seeking to go bigger in years to come.” 

SIMON HOWARD, 

MARKETING DIRECTOR OF BAILEY OF BRISTOL: 

“Great to be back at the NEC in October 

to showcase our new season caravan and 

motorhome ranges. The record breaking 

attendance audience delivered strong sales 

throughout the week meaning our order 

book for both product sectors extends well 

into the next calendar year.” 

ALISON MANNING, 

UK PARTNER AT QUQUQ: 

“We’ve had a great Show and it’s been 

amazing having so many people come to 

see us. Getting our product out there for 

people to physically see and understand 

how it works is exactly why we do this, and 

we will definitely continue to do so to show 

off our new and existing models.” 

BEN PARKER, 

SALES DIRECTOR AT COACHMAN: 

“The show exceeded our expectations and 

considering the current climate, the amount 

of people still coming and buying is really 

encouraging. We’re extremely happy with 

where we’ve finished and can’t wait to come 

back in February and October 2023!” 


REVIEW MOTORHOME AND CARAVAN SHOW 

BEN DAWES, 

GENERAL MANAGER AT VANTAGE MOTORHOMES: 

“The show was a record breaking 

show for us. We were tremendously 

busy every day from the moment 

the doors opened. We took an 

additional stand to launch our new 

pop-top campervans, (the Vantage 

Luna and the Vantage Fuze), and 

it was the perfect platform to 

introduce the new range. We had 

interest from the media as well as 

from customers and very strong 

sales. We’re already looking forward 

to the February show.” 

RACHEL MONCRIEFF, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT ERWIN HYMER GROUP UK: 

“The six-day-long show was the first time, since October 2019, that Erwin Hymer 

Group’s Brands have exhibited alongside each other, and, as such, we were delighted 

to be able to showcase the variety and breath of our product portfolio to this 

year’s show visitors. Erwin Hymer Group has over the years developed a strong 

engagement with our customers and we were thrilled that a great number of our 

community - with whom we enjoy regular online interaction - were able to come to 

the NEC Birmingham and meet us in person.” 

AMY MACDONNELL 

EVENTS AND MARKETING MANAGER OF SWIFT GROUP: 

“The Motorhome and Caravan Show has been 

the best place to showcase our 2023 ranges 

and launch our new models to market, coupled 

with meeting our customers in person and 

achieving record breaking sales – the show has 

been bigger and better than ever!” 


SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AD FEATURE 

Raise your level 

In its mission to continue to make the journey better for RV users around the world, 

SuperSprings International is set to release a series of levelling kits built for towing 

that will open up a whole new experience for towable RV and caravan users. 

F 

■or a company that prides 

itself on innovative 

solutions that provide 

a smoother, easier, and better 

journey for truck and RV 

enthusiasts, it should perhaps be 

no surprise that SuperSprings 

International (SSI) impressed 

the crowds that flocked to the 

recent SEMA trade show in 

Las Vegas with a new product 

launch that was hard to miss. 

Already known for its impressive 

suspension solutions such as 

SumoSprings, SuperSprings, 

SuperCoils and more, SSI 

revealed some new thinking at 

SEMA that it has been working 

on behind the scenes for some 

time now: Journey Better 

Leveling Kits. The idea is simple, 

but the potential is huge. These 

custom-designed and fine-tuned 

kits include all-new JBS levelling 

shocks for the front of the truck 

and SumoSprings for the read, 

which work together to help you 

level your truck and keep you 

there either while heavily loaded 

or towing. Already, the potential 

benefits for those who own 

towable RVs and caravans are 

numerous, so how exactly does 

it work? 

“The JBS front shocks feature 

a twin-tube steel body design 

which allows for the highest 

performance while creating 

the highest level of comfort 

that a monotube cannot 

match,” explains SSI director 

of marketing Tom Bateman. 

“Plus they come in signature 

SuperSprings International blue. 

“We’ve built and pre-tuned these 

▲ The grand unveiling of the first of several leveling kits SuperSprings International launched. 


AD FEATURE SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL 

shocks with damper valving 

that is engineered for loaded 

and unloaded payloads. The JBS 

shock runs at lower pressures 

than mono-tube shocks, so 

there is far less energy buildup, 

a smoother and softer 

ride, particularly on poor or 

uneven roads. The simplicity 

of this design allows for top 

performance with no external 

reservoir canisters. This is our 

approach to all our suspension 

- simple design with better 

control both on and off road 

whether loaded or unloaded.” 

To begin with, SSI will be 

launching three different kits 

in the series to help cater for 

a wide range of vehicles. First 

up is the Ford F-150 kit, the 

kit that was first shown to 

world at SEMA that got the 

ball rolling. This kit works 

with 2015-present non Raptor 

models of this truck including 

Lightening models – it’s ideal 

for F-150 owners who want 

to level their truck for more 

clearance and/or to add bigger 

wheels and tires. It’s also the 

right option to keep a level 

stance even when you tow a 

boat, trailer, RV or load up 

throughout the year. The second 

kit is for the Ram 2500 and 

includes SSC-52 for the front 

▲ SuperSprings International made a big splash at SEMA. 

and SSC-25 for the rear, and 

the third one in the works is 

for F-250/350 and includes 

SSC-33 for the front and SSR- 

128-40-2 for the rear. What is 

obvious about these kits is that 

this is very much phase one, 

and you can expect the range 

to be expanded as demand 

increases for different vehicles 

on the market. 

SSI President Adam Weisner 

added: “We are super pumped 

to release the Journey Better 

Leveling Kits – the first 

leveling kits built for towing. 

Kicking things off with the 

most popular truck in the 

USA - the Ford F150. Level 

your truck with a twin tube 

shock in front that is adjustable 

to 2” up from factory without 

compromising your ride when 

you load up or tow. Level up. 

Stay there.” For more, visit: 

superspringsinternational.com 

ASK THE EXPERTS 

TOM BATEMAN, 

SSI DIRECTOR OF 

MARKETING 

Can I run bigger wheels 

and tires with this kit? 

YES! With a shock that is 

adjustable to give you 2 

inches of lift in the front, 

we’re comfortable in saying 

you could run a 33 inch tire 

without any rubbing. 

Will the new front shocks 

change ride comfort? 

We’ve built this kit to 

improve ride comfort at 

the front of the vehicle, 

while keeping your factory 

ride in the rear. This kit will 

really excel when you’re 

loaded up with a full bed or 

towing. The SumoSprings 

will provide load-leveling 

support as well as vibration 

reduction and sway control. 

▼ There will also be a kit for the popular RAM 2500 truck, as well as Ford F-150 and F-250/350. 

Is this kit going to affect 

my unloaded ride? 

No. The SumoSprings 

won’t affect your unloaded 

ride since they’ll sit about 

1/2” disengaged until you 

go to load up. At which 

point you’ll realize what 

you’ve been missing this 

whole time. 

Can I buy just the shocks? 

Currently, no. We’ll be 

selling this leveling kit as 

a full solution - front and 

rear only. 


DAN YATES INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

Dan Yates 

Founder and managing director of Pitchup.com 

From humble beginnings to a campsite booking platform that hits 33 million web 

visitors a year, Dan Yates explains the story behind the Pitchup.com. He explains how 

the company achieved a record year, his views on the future of the industry, and why 

campers are booking shorter, closer, and later. 


INDUSTRY INSIGHTS DAN YATES 

▲ The Pitchup.com story has gone from strength to strength thanks to many new ways in which people go camping. 

For those who don’t know, 

can you give us a quick 

overview of the history 

of Pitchup.com – how 

you started it, how it has 

arrived at where it is today, 

and its ongoing aims and 

ambitions? 

I was born and brought up on 

a campsite in Devon, so it was 

probably inevitable I wouldn’t 

stray far! Each of us helped 

out in different areas of the 

business: when the internet 

began to take off in the late 

‘90s, I jumped at the chance 

to create the company’s first 

website. Working with local 

web designers and skipping 

lectures at university to work 

on the project, I knew there was 

an opportunity for something 

bigger after we achieved 

number-one rankings in Google 

UK and received half of the 

bookings online by 2002. 

After the business was sold, 

I kept wondering why such a 

large part of the travel market 

- the biggest type of domestic 

holiday by nights in the UK - 

was still so neglected online. 

High-profile online travel 

agents targeting all the other 

categories of accommodation 

were growing fast: campsites 

were losing out as customers 

moved online to find their 

holidays. Arguably campsites 

were in greatest need of all, as 

the market is so fragmented, 

with limited or non-existent 

marketing and technology 

budgets. 

It was only a matter of time 

before someone else spotted 

the opportunity. By 2008 I was 

working at lastminute.com 

and, witnessing the new world 

of online travel at first hand, 

realised that failing to act would 

be something I’d regret. 

Fast forward to now and 

Pitchup.com has grown to 

an international team of 70 

that lists 5,300 campsites, 

glamping sites and holiday 

parks worldwide and receives 33 

million website visits per year. 

What’s next? Expanding 

further in global markets, more 

booking system integrations 

and new mobile and desktop 

websites, making it even easier 

for customers to book their 

perfect break. 

How do you work with 

campsite owners to help 

them get the most out of 

using your platform? 

As well as posting detailed 

blogs, FAQs and regulatory 

guides, we have a dedicated 

team of account managers who 

work with sites to optimise their 

listing on our platform. 

With over 25m nights away 

booked with us so far, we have a 

wealth of data to draw on when 

advising sites on things like 

pricing, peak booking periods 

and the most popular new 

features and filters. 

We also have a team of 

content writers that develop the 

copy for their listing, and a team 

of translators that take that copy 

and translate it into 17 different 

languages for true global reach. 

Pitchup enjoyed one of 

its best summers ever on 

record – were you expecting 

that? How did you handle 

that demand? 

With searches for ‘camping’ on 

Google down 6% compared to 

last year, I think many people 

were expecting a slight dip from 

2021’s lofty heights. For us, 

however, this didn’t play out. In 

fact, we’ve had another recordbreaking 

year with over 110,200 

on a Pitchup holiday on our 

peak day this summer. 

In order to keep up with 

the increased demand, during 

the pandemic we more than 

doubled our team - with almost 

all joining remotely far from our 

original HQ - and migrated our 

servers to the Google Cloud, 

offering us more flexibility and 

stability to cope with the new 

influx of traffic. 

What trends do you see in 

the market at the moment? 

People seem to be booking 

“shorter, closer, later”: shorter 


DAN YATES INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

▲ Campers are looking for experiences as well as amazing places to camp, so says the research that Pitchup.com has conducted. 

“If we can build on the momentum of recent years to embed the 

unique attractions of an outdoor holiday in the popular imagination, 

we can permanently take market share from hotels and holiday lets.” 

DAN YATES – FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PITCHUP.COM 

breaks taken closer to home, 

with the time between booking 

and arrival shrinking. 

Dog-friendly stays have also 

become more popular, with 

48% more searches on our 

website compared to 2019, as 

has combining camping and 

angling, with searches using the 

‘fishing’ filter up 99%. 

The ‘electric’ filter has been 

used 43% more this year too, 

bolstered by higher expectations 

from new customers and the 

new flexibility to work remotely. 

Do you think the current 

boom in camping will 

continue? If so, will it 

change? 

With environmental campaigns 

becoming more influential and 

sustainability moving up the 

agenda, outdoor holidays are on 

the right side of history. Few, 

if any, trips involve flights, the 

embedded carbon in campsite 

construction is a fraction of 

built accommodation and 

this type of holiday naturally 

promotes low-impact activities 

and getting closer to nature. 

This, coupled with the fact 

that it is an affordable holiday 

option that helps with our 

mental wellbeing, will stand 

our industry in good stead 

for the future. To this point, 

campsites and holiday parks 

that are conscious of these 

factors and adapt their sites 

accordingly will reap the 

rewards in years to come. 

How do you think the 

increasing financial 

pressure on consumers and 

general instability will affect 

camping? 

We expect to see more 

travellers swapping hotel or 

holiday let breaks for the 

cheaper alternative of camping 

or caravanning. Consumer 

watchdog Which? found in 

January that holidaymakers 

could save 84% on a trip to 

Cornwall by booking a tent or 

caravan pitch instead of a hotel 

room. For the Isle of Wight the 

savings were 72% for a tent and 


INDUSTRY INSIGHTS DAN YATES 

▲ The range of types of campsite or campground on Pitchup.com is continuosly growing with more added every week. 

69% for a caravan pitch and for 

North Yorkshire 66% for a tent 

and 60% for a caravan pitch. 

And you don’t have to wait 

until next year to start to see 

the shift in booking habits; the 

cost of living increase is already 

impacting the way people book 

on Pitchup.com. This year we’re 

seeing more winter arrivals than 

ever before as people snap up 

off-peak bargains, with arrivals up 

169% compared to pre-pandemic. 

What is currently the 

biggest challenge in the 

camping industry? 

Our industry has gained a host 

of new customers who’ve (re) 

discovered camping during 

the pandemic, the challenge is 

retaining them. 

The question will be: how can 

camping meet the expectations 

of a changing audience (goodquality 

facilities, on-park dining, 

wifi for digital nomads for 

example) while preserving and 

even enhancing the immersion 

in nature that sets it apart from 

conventional tourism? 

What is currently the 

biggest opportunity in the 

camping industry? 

Our biggest challenge 

also presents our biggest 

opportunity. If we can build on 

the momentum of recent years 

to embed the unique attractions 

of an outdoor holiday in the 

popular imagination, we can 

permanently take market share 

from hotels and holiday lets. 

And the shift is already 

happening. In Q3 last year, 

when Airbnb, Expedia and 

Booking.com were reporting 

reductions in room nights sold, 

we reported over 80% growth. 

What are the future plans 

for Pitchup? 

We want to make it even 

easier for our customers to 

book outdoor holidays and 

for our clients to offer them. 

We’re therefore in the process 

of launching our new mobile 

website, with a new desktop 

website to follow, and we’re 

building on our 80+ booking 

system integrations to help 

our clients manage booking 

admin. We are also expanding 

internationally, adding more 

staff members in more countries 

that speak more languages. 

If you could change one 

thing about the industry, 

what would it be and why? 

It is such a fragmented 

industry, made up mostly of 

thousands of independentlyrun 

sites, so it’s not always 

clear quite how significant its 

contribution is and it can often 

be overlooked. 

According to VisitBritain, it 

hosts more domestic bednights 

than any other accommodation 

type, despite online booking 

rates still some way below other 

categories. Imagine the potential 

if it enjoyed the ease of booking 

we’re used to elsewhere! 

It is by far the most 

important source of overnight 

visitors to the countryside, 

sending vital footfall to hardpressed 

rural high streets. Not 

only do campsites typically have 

few facilities onsite, but pitch 

prices are low - so campers 

can play a crucial role in the 

recovery of domestic tourism, 

which lost an estimated £150bn 

during the pandemic. 

*Source: National Statistics 


ENERGY PRODUCTS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT 

SECTOR 

SPOTLIGHT 

Energy products 

Portable power has gone from being ‘a nice thing to have’ to an 

essential for many campers and caravanners – and thanks to the 

advances of technology and more affordable products, it’s an area that 

caters to a vastly growing audience of consumers. 

I 

■n this modern world 

it’s difficult for us to 

go any great length of 

time without energy to help 

power our numerous devices 

that have become integral parts 

of our lives whether for work 

or play. Even when camping, a 

time that traditionally was about 

disconnecting from technology, 

many of us find it hard not to 

check emails, stream TV shows, 

play games, or communicate 

digitally with our nearest and 

dearest. Technology is part 

of life and is subsequently 

part of camping – no matter 

whether you are in a one-person 

backpacking tent or a luxury, 

state-of-the-art RV. Thankfully 

for modern campers, the way 

in which we acquire our energy 

while out on the campsite 

or in the great outdoors are 

easier, more efficient, and more 

sustainable than ever, with 

constant new developments 

occurring all the time. One of 

the key products to work its 

way into camping over the last 

decade has been that of lithium 

iron phosphate batteries or 

LiFePO4. This revolutionary 

product category has a huge 

range of benefits when compared 

to traditional colbalt or leadbased 

batteries. For starters, 

they are much quicker to charge 

and use less energy to do so. 

Secondly, they are much longer 


SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ENERGY PRODUCTS 

lasting and more efficient when 

expending their stored energy. 

And lastly, they are much smaller 

and lighter – they can pack 

way more power into a much 

smaller size than traditional 

batteries, which is perhaps where 

they really come into their 

own when being installed in 

campervans, caravans and other 

RVs. This market has exploded 

to such a degree that there are 

several companies out there 

who have grown exponentially 

off the back of creating highquality 

LiFePO4 products – 

LIONTRON, Bosswerk, and 

Super B to name just a few. 

It’s not just portable power 

that has come a long way in 

recent times, so have more 

sustainable ways to produce your 

own energy off grid too. Solar 

panels have gone from gimmick 

to highly usable in the RV and 

camping world, with smaller sizes, 

more efficient power generation, 

and more affordable prices. 

In fact, many portable power 

packs have built-in solar panels 

to help accelerate or elongate 

the amount of power they can 

deliver in an off-grid situation. 

There are even companies who 

merge the oldest technology with 

the new: Bio Lite has an amazing 

campstove that allows you to 

generate electricity and charge 

a small battery from a fire using 

natural materials. 

The possibilities for these kind 

of products within camping are 

growing all the time, especially 

with more and more people 

Global interest in Google search term ‘Portable power’ & ‘Camping battery’ in the last year 

100 

75 

50 

25 

31OCT 

2021 

spending more and more time 

in their campers. The idea that 

people are enjoying more nomadic 

lifestyles for at least some part of 

their years means that they need 

to be connected and fully powered 

when not at home, creating an 

even bigger demand for energy 

products. It’s not just about being 

able to post the odd picture on 

social media anymore, some 

people rely on these products to be 

able to live and work on the road 

– something that is becoming 

20 FEB 

2022 

Top five countries with highest 

Google search interest for the term 

‘portable power’ in last year 

South Africa 

Puerto Rico 

China 

New Zealand 

Australia 

Portable power 

12 JUN 

2022 

Top five countries with highest 

Google search interest for the term 

‘camping battery’ in last year 

Australia 

New Zealand 

United Kingdom 

Ireland 

Canada 

more common all the time. In 

fact, when you think about it, 

camping is the perfect market to 

help power and energy product 

companies push themselves to 

be more innovative. The natural 

challenges faced by campers 

when they are out enjoying 

their pastime alongside their 

attitude towards protecting and 

conserving the environment. 

is the perfect situation for new 

challenges to be solved by smart 

and clean energy products. 

Camping battery 

2 OCT 

2022 

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY 

Why LiFePO4 batteries are 

better than lead, according to 

LIONTRON. 

When considering the 

costs over the period of use, 

lithium batteries are less 

expensive than lead batteries. 

Persistent deep discharging 

of more than 50 per cent is 

not recommended with lead 

batteries, because the number 

of possible cycles is decreased 

disproportionately strong. 

In contrast to that a Lithium 

battery may be discharged 

up to 90 per cent regularly 

without causing any troubles 

or altering the number of 

cycles. Thus, a 100Ah lithium 

battery can usually replace 

a 200Ah lead battery. Lead 

batteries decisively lose 

capacity after a maximum of 

800 charging cycles. Contrary 

to this, a LiFePO4 Battery 

manages up to 3,000 charging 

cycles putting on a convincing 

performance with the 

following 7,000 cycles, too. 

In conclusion, a LIONTRON 

lithium battery persists at least 

as long as three lead batteries, 

even when used intensively. 

With regard to weight, lithium 

batteries should be the 

preferred choice in contrast to 

lead batteries. A conventional 

100Ah lead battery weighs 

about 32 kilograms. A lithium 

battery of the same capacity 

weighs a mere 14,5 kilogram. 

Thus, the weight reduction 

is more than 50 per cent. If a 

200Ah lead battery is replaced 

by a 100Ah lithium battery, the 

weight saving doubles again. 

www.liontron.com 



Photo: BossWerk 

▲ The sheer number of electronic devices that campers can’t leave home without means that portable power is now essential. 

Like in many different product categories, there is a clamour to make 

products that last longer, that are more energy efficient, and that can 

create the power they generate sustainably. 

TRENDING 

The most obvious trend for 

energy products right now is 

sustainability. Like in many 

different product categories, 

there is a clamour to make 

products that last longer, that 

are more energy efficient, and 

that can create the power they 

generate sustainably. This is 

happening in more innovative 

ways than just sticking solar 

panels on everything, it is 

coming in inventive ways such 

as LiFePO4 batteries that you 

can repair and replace parts for, 

such as those by LIONTRON. 

This gives them a life expectancy 

of anything up to 15 years, 

according to the German 

manufacturer, meaning there 

will be less waste as people can 

repair existing products rather 

than buy new ones. We are also 

seeing improvements in just 

how much energy solar panels 

can deliver, as well as how much 

more efficiently batteries and 

power packs can dispense of 

their charge. Not only is the 

ability to generate electricity 

off-grid a favourable option for 

environmental reasons, but it 

also appeals to campers because 

it gives them more freedom to 

roam away from the chains of 

power sockets. 

Other trends developing in 

the market are for portable 

power items to become smaller, 

lighter and altogether more 

portable than ever before. 

This is especially important 

when used in leisure vehicles 

where the overall weight of 

the vehicles can become a 

legal issue as well as a fuel 

saving one. It is also desirable 



for tent campers – whether 

that be family campers who 

want less to pack in the car, or 

lightweight backpackers, for 

whom low weight is invaluable. 

At Camping Trade World, we 

wonder whether we may also 

see new ways in which campers 

can generate electricity besides 

using solar power. Some 

brands such as Bio Lite have 

experimented with it, but we 

believe more innovation will 

surely come as many brains a lot 

smarter than ours try to figure 

out solutions to our energy 

problems – something that will 

become even more relevant if 

electric vehicles continue to 

grow in popularity. 

One thing is certain about 

the energy market, and that 

is that it will only continue to 

grow and evolve. Our reliance 

on technology has become 

more than just checking work 

emails or sending a few quick 

instant messages – it is vital 

to our social lives, our own 

personal admin with things 

like online banking, and also 

identification. If this is a market 

you are considering adding to 

your company or business, then 

it is a safe bet to say that it’s 

one that will be around for a 

while. However, that does not 

mean it will not continue to 

rapidly evolve or change. The 

crest of the wave with energy 

products is moving at a rapid 

rate and can only be expected to 

continue at that pace for some 

time to come. 

Photo: BioLite 

Photo: EcoFlow 

▲ Many portable power stations can be charged up themselves using sustainable sources such as solar power. 



BUSINESS CONNECTIONS 

By its very nature, camping takes you into places where electricity 

and the mod cons we have become accustomed to are outside of their 

usual habitat. That doesn’t mean that you have to go without – the 

innovation in the portable power and electrical products field is mind 

boggling at times, with efficiency, sustainability, and performance 

improving on an annual basis. We have attempted to curate a list 

of key and interesting companies who manufacture these kind of 

products to help you think more deeply about how you could make 

more of this sector. Hopefully, within the list you will be able to find 

a meaningful business connection. 

Alphatronics 

www.alphatronics.de 

Black Diamond 

blackdiamondequipment.com 

EmergoPlus 

www.emergoplus.de 

Goal Zero 

www.goalzero.com 

ANKER 

www.anker.com 

Bosswerk 

www.bosswerk.de 

EZA Energy 

www.eza130.com 

Hella 

www.hella.com 

Batterien Mueller 

www.batterien-mueller.de 

Dometic 

www.dometic.com 

FAWO 

www.fawo.de 

Jackery 

www.jackery.com 

Batterium 

www.ective.de 

EcoBat 

www.ecobat.tech 

Forster 

www.forster-batteries.de 

Lavi Sarl 

www.eza.fr 

Biolite 

www.bioliteenergy.com 

EcoFlow 

www.ecoflow.com 

Furnika 

www.furnika.pl 

LIONTRON 

www.liontron.com 

Photo: Jackery 

▲ Make the most of being outdoors and being off-grid with sustainably charged portable power when camping. 



Photo: Newpowa 

▲ As technology improves, portable power stations get smaller, easier to carry, and also have more stylish designs. 

Moscatelli 

www.moscatelli.it 

Newpowa America 

www.newpowa.com 

Nite Ize 

www.niteize.com 

Phaesun 

www.phaesun.com 

PNK Hitech 

www.pnkhitech.co.kr 

Power2Go 

www.power-2go.com 

Reich 

www.reich-web.com 

Remio 

www.reimo.com 

RKB Electronic 

www.rkb-ag.de 

Roamer Batteries 

www.roamerbatteries.com 

Solar Swiss 

www.solarswiss.de 

Solar Technology International 

www.solartechnology.co.uk 

Streamlight 

www.streamlight.com 

Super B 

www.super-b.com 

Teleco 

www.telecogroup.com 

Verne Power 

www.vernepower.com 

Votronic 

www.vortronic.de 

Wetronic 

www.wetronic-solutions.com 

Wolf 

www.wolfint.co.uk 

Worx 

www.worx-uk.com 

*Note: We know this isn’t every company that deals in energy 

products on the planet, but we hope you can make a meaningful 

business connection through it. If you feel we’ve missed you out, 

contact us today to talk about editorial opportunities. 


EMAIL MARKETING BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS 


BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS EMAIL MARKETING 

Enhance your 

email marketing 

Email marketing can often seem like a simple solution to reaching a targeted audience, 

but like any form of marketing, it has to be carefully planned, measured, and adapted in 

order to fully benefit your business. Here’s how, according to our marketing guru… 

T 

■he ability to be able to 

email your customers 

and potential customers 

is one of the most potentially 

powerful tools we have in our 

arsenal as marketeers. Getting 

our message under the nose of 

people in a place we know they 

have to at least read the subject 

line before deciding what to do 

with it is indeed powerful, but 

it is also something that has 

to be handled with poise and 

precision otherwise it can quite 

easily backfire. Like every part 

of the marketing mix, it should 

be used as part of your wider 

strategy and not the sole way in 

which you communicate. Used 

correctly, it can be very powerful 

indeed. Whether it’s to promote 

your brand, sell more product, 

engage with your community, or 

something else, you can usually 

achieve it to some degree with 

email marketing. 

The first thing to remember 

about this method of 

communication is that it is 

nothing new. Subsequently, 

you have to work hard to make 

your message stand out and 

your content engage against the 

backdrop of practically every 

other company on the planet. 

There are multiple ways to do 

this and they don’t all require 

you to think outside of the box 

or do something revolutionary. 

Perhaps the best thing to do 

with emails is to keep it simple. 

Focus on being concise, having 

clear goals with email you send, 

and not just sending things 

out for the sake of it. We have 

all experienced that feeling of 

annoyance or harassment that 

constant bombardment from 

email marketing can bring, so 

make sure your communication 

serves a purpose and actually 

brings some benefit to those who 

take the time to consume your 

content or message. Provided that 

your database is managed well 

and correctly, you can actually 

tailor specific messages to specific 

sectors of your audience and get 

a real focused message to them 

that will pique their interest 

in the right way. It is a form of 

marketing that certainly deserves 

your full attention and staff that 

are specifically employed to 

manage, monitor, and maintain 

good practices. 

Another huge benefit to the 

world of email marketing is 

just how trackable everything 

is – you can precisely monitor 

which messages work and which 

ones don’t and then adjust your 

plans accordingly. There is a lot 

of theory out there about when 

is best to send emails of certain 

types – should it be a Monday 

morning? Or maybe the weekend 

to catch people off guard? Often, 

experience shows that it actually 

depends on the type of email 

you are sending as to whether a 

certain time of the week or the 

day is best. That is one of the key 

aspects of email marketing that 

should be something you are all 

aware of – it is an ever-changing 

beast. You need to stay on your 

toes and stay adaptable for it to 

work – there are no one-sizefits-all 

solutions, but if you were 

serious about your marketing 

anyway, you’d know that. 


EMAIL MARKETING BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS 

01 02 

TOP TIPS 

TO QUICKLY 

ENHANCE YOUR 

EMAIL MARKETING 

STRATEGY 

LESS IS MORE 

This is perhaps the single 

most important thing to 

remember with any kind 

of email marketing. We 

all know how annoying 

and frustrating it is 

to have our inboxes 

bombarded with too 

many spam emails from 

the same accounts – 

what’s strange is that 

even know we all know 

this pain; we sometimes 

inflict in upon our 

customers with our 

own email marketing 

strategies. Think about 

it – you want people to 

associate your emails 

with good feelings, not 

with being annoyed. 

Make each email have a 

point and make it worth 

reading or opening. 

Don’t just send out an 

email for the sake of 

it because you have 

planned to send two 

a week, make sure it 

serves a purpose to both 

you and your customers 

and potential customers. 

CLARITY IS EVERYTHING 

In a world of dizzying 

messages from 

companies attacking 

our digital senses from 

every angle, it pays to 

keep your messaging as 

clear and concise as you 

possibly can. There are a 

whole host of technical 

tips on this front that can 

help you, such as writing 

subject lines that are 

less than 50 characters, 

so they don’t get cut off 

by mobile devices, or 

not using spam trigger 

words like ‘save’. But the 

overarching idea is to 

keep your messaging 

simple. People will 

likely give your email 

a second or two of 

consideration as they 

scan in it their inbox, 

so the trick is making 

it easy to understand. 

This is arguably more 

important than making 

it catchy or making it 

stand out. 


BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS EMAIL MARKETING 

03 

MAKE THEM MOBILE 

FRIENDLY 

More than half of emails 

are opened on mobile 

devices, so the latest 

studies indicate, so it 

would be a sure-fire 

way to waste your own 

time by not making 

your emails optimised 

for mobile viewing. Most 

email marketing clients 

nowadays will do this 

for you, or at least give 

you an option to create a 

mobile version, so there 

really isn’t much excuse 

to make sure it’s right. 

Test the mobile version 

specifically as well as the 

desktop one before you 

send anything out so you 

can avoid any obvious 

mistakes or errors and 

then subsequently help 

your open rates. 

04 

TRACK YOUR 

COMBINE 

PERFORMANCE 

The beauty of email 

marketing is that you 

can see exactly how well 

each one performs over 

time. This is obviously a 

great thing – but only if 

you actually record what 

did well and what didn’t 

and act on the data. If a 

certain time of day or day 

of the week outperforms 

others then try to 

understand why and try 

to stick to what works, 

without being afraid of 

the odd experimentation 

too. People’s lives are 

ever-changing, so no 

one formula is going to 

be bullet proof for you 

forever, so make sure 

you keep a keen eye on 

the behaviour of your 

recipients and adjust your 

methods accordingly. 

05IT WITH 

STAY 

PHYSICAL MAIL 

You’d be amazed 

just how effective 

traditional physical mail 

and physical media 

such as magazines 

still are. If anything, 

their effectiveness has 

become even more 

pronounced since 

digital media took 

centre stage. If your 

messaging from your 

emails is coherent and 

matches up with some 

direct mail into people’s 

mail boxes, there is more 

chance that the message 

will stick because people 

are seeing it on multiple 

fronts. Email marketing 

is powerful, but it can be 

made even more so when 

your other non-digital 

marketing platforms are 

signing from the same 

hymn sheet. 

06 

LEGAL 

Make sure you are 

following all the very 

latest email marketing 

protocols and laws 

relating to issues such 

as GDPR and data 

protection. Always 

make sure you handle 

the people’s data you 

have properly and give 

people a clear and easy 

way to opt out of your 

communications if they 

want to. More stringent 

rules are actually a 

good thing – they mean 

that the people who are 

happy to receive your 

messaging are the ones 

who are most engaged. 



BAILEY 

ADAMO 75-4T 

Built on a Ford chassis, the Bailey Adamo 75-4T is a brand-new 

motorhome from the British brand that features a wide range 

of fixtures and fittings that really help it stand out. The flexi 

lounge features twin Aguti convertible travel seats while the 

captain’s seats are fully adjustable too. The kitchen includes 

a Thetford 141l tower refrigerator with freezer compartment 

as well as a drop-down kitchen worktop extension. A Thetford 

K-Series combined oven, grill, and hob makes cooking easy. 

www.baileyofbristol.co.uk 

AUS J 

DUOETTO MK2 

The Duoetto MK2 is a 12v/340v, 10l water heater that features a digital 

readout, Incoloy 840 heating element that is corrosion resistant, single 

weld line tank for sturdy construction, SPCC steel and enamel tank, 

and polyurethane insulation to make it even more efficient. It also 

has a very low power draw (4.2amps at 240V and 25amps at 12V) and 

the internationally recognised Australian WaterMark accreditation. 

Just goes to show you that even when you think you have a winning 

product, improvement is always possible. 

www.ausj.com.au 

SEEKR 

SIROCCO II 

Featuring a unique gimbal design and 360-degree 

directional airflow, the Sirocco II fan is built to last 

and can provide thousands of hours of powerful yet 

quiet airflow in any leisure vehicle. The low pwer draw 

12V/24V fan draws just 0.35A on 12V on its highest 

setting, meaning its highly suitable for off-grid use. 

It is also adjustable so you can easily manoeuvre it to 

whatever angle best suits your motorhome or caravan. 

www.seekr.caframobrands.com 



THETFORD 

CARRY BAG 

It may seem a simple idea – a carry bag to store and transport the 

cassettes from cassette toilets – but it is a product that has been 

developed entirely through the feedback of its global audience of 

customer. The Carry Bag is made of strong PVC material, contains 

a solid zipper for effortless opening and closing, and features 

two strong carry handles. The interior material has a glaze finish 

for easy cleaning, and the bags are washable up to 40 degrees, 

without shrinking. 

www.thetford.com 

BOSSWERK 

POWER STATIONS 

Available in three different models, Bosswek’s Power 

Stations offer safe, long-lasting and more sustainable 

power than the average portable power product thanks to 

their LiFePo4 technology. This new generation of Power 

Stations can not only be recharged via 230-volt mains 

sockets at home, but also via 12-volt cigarette lighter 

sockets – they are also extremely versatile thanks to the 

wide range of charging ports and sockets they provide. 

The new solar generators provide various plugs for Schuko, 

USB, USB-C, Anderson or 12-volt cables, depending on the 

power class. 

www.bosswerk.de 

WANDERER 

CAMPERVAN 

Poland-based Wanderer is an expert in creating luxury 

campervans based on Volkswagen models, utilising its unique 

combination of expertise and passion for the sector. With 

fittings such as eco-leather trim and upholstery, a rear rock 

and roll bed with three-point safety belts, 180-degree swivel 

passenger seat that’s easy to use, a host of storage drawers 

and compartments, LED ambiance lighting, a 30l water tank, 

and amazing sound system, this van has a lot to offer. 

www.wanderervan.de 



ECOFLOW 

RIVER 2 

The River 2 is one of three new products recently launched by 

energy solutions brand EcoFlow, which it claims offer best-inclass, 

entry-level portable power. The key boasts for this new 

series are that it charges incredibly quickly, it offers lightweight 

and truly portable power that’s very suitable for camping, 

and that it has up to 10 years of use thanks to its LiFePO4 

technology. We trialled this product for several weeks and 

believe it hits these claims with ease. 

The River 2, which we tested, charges to full in just one 

hour and delivers 256Wh/300W output via traditional 

sockets, cigarette lighter sockets, and USB. It is also certainly 

lightweight for a product of this type, weighing in at just 3.5kg. 

Of course, there was no way we could test the 3,000+ cycle, 

10 years of use promise in just a few weeks, but we will take 

EcoFlow’s word for it – most campers will have experience with 

LiFePO4 batteries and know that they are almost impossible 

to kill. The battery can also be controlled and monitored easily 

via an EcoFlow mobile app – not essential but a nice perk that 

many consumers have come to expect in these modern times. 

For campers, whether that is in a campervan, motorhome 

or caravan, this battery could be easily stowed away in any 

storage area and used to help keep you powered up and 

connected when off-grid for several days and in many ways. 

It has multiple ways to offer power and also to be charged – 

versatility is definitely one of its key factors. It would also be 

very suitable for family campers who aren’t too concerned 

about weight – not that this is particularly heavy for what it is, 

and it does feature a useful carry handle built into the design 

– but this is for people who drive to the campsite with plenty of 

kit, not for lightweight backpackers. 

See more details about this portable power station in our 

video opposite. 

www.ecoflow.com 



SWIFT 

BASECAMP 3 

The Swift Basecamp is an 

iconic caravan and helped to 

kickstart the microcaravan 

movement in the UK, so 

when it announced it was 

launching a new Basecamp 

3, we had to check it out. 

Built on the same slightly 

larger body as the Basecamp 

4, this model is designed to 

hit a sweet spot for duos who 

need a bit more room, or 

maybe even small families. 

As usual you get smart fold 

away beds that provide 

ample living space, quality 

components such as Duvalay 

mattresses and smart tech 

like Swift Command and 

Command Tracker. 

www.swiftgroup.co.uk 

MALIBU 

VAN DIVERSITY 

The new Malibu Van diversity is available with two 

different layouts. As a 600 DB K with a transverse rear 

bed and an exterior length of 5.99 m, and as a 640 LE K 

with lengthways single beds in the rear and an exterior 

length of 6.36 m. Both have the “Maxi 4” XL lounge seating 

group at the front, with an extra-large, pull-out living area 

table. The versatility of the Malibu Van diversity is shown 

by its numerous variants: Both layouts are available with 

an overhead storage cabinet above the driver’s cabin, 

as a charming coupé with additional headroom or as a 

charming GT skyview with a panorama roof dome. Both 

layouts are also available as a family-for-4 model with the 

unique Malibu hybrid pop-up roof. 

www.malibu-carthago.com 

STREAMLIGHT 

SIEGE X 

This USB rechargeable 325 lumen outdoor lantern is perfect for 

all kinds of camping adventures. It is small and lightweight with 

a 4.5inch design and can be switched between traditional lamp 

and flashlight modes with the press of a button. It also has a useful 

hanger that can be used to attach it easily inside a tent or other 

camping unit. It uses one Streamlight SL-B26 protected Li-Ion 

USB rechargeable battery pack or two CR123A lithium batteries 

and features an integrated safety circuit protects battery from 

overcharge/overdischarge 

www.streamlight.com 


www.campingtradeworld.com

Camping Trade World – Issue 11

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