Camping Trade World – Issue 12

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 12 | CAMPINGTRADEWORLD.COM 

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Contents 

WELCOME TO ISSUE 12 

06 

Dispatches 

30 

Pundmann warms up camping 

18 

Doing business with Canada 

32 

Winning products with Carframo 

22 

Spotlight on roof tents 

34 

Awards rain on Peggy Peg 

26 

Company profile: Carthago and Malibu 

36 

Making Contact 

Click here to subscribe today and never miss an issue 

02 www.campingtradeworld.com

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Dispatches 

OPPORTUNITY AWAITS 

■n estimated €15 million of 

A 

revenue was generated for 

German tourist regions in 

the last year by vacationers 

in motorhomes and caravans 

– a trend that, according to the country’s 

Caravan Industry Association (CIVD), looks 

set to continue to rise. CIVD sees opportunity 

and it is trying to act on it. The organisation 

believes that caravanning is an often misjudged 

driver of tourism and many underdeveloped 

tourism regions in Germany could benefit from 

embracing it. August 2022 alone recorded 9.3 

million overnight caravanning stays in Germany, 

which represents a 14.7 per cent increase on 

August in 2019. CIVD vice president Dr Holger 

Siebert says by focussing more on developing 

infrastructure, less popular destinations could 

cash in. 

“There is great potential for sustainable 

development and value creation through 

tourism” he said. “In order to exploit this 

potential in a prudent and sustainable manner, 

the various levels must work together more 

closely. The federal government, the states, the 

municipalities, and the destinations should find a 

common path to this end, which we are happy to 

support actively with our know-how.” 

Discover more at www.civd.de 


Dispatches 

CARAVAN SALON AND DUSSELDORF: 

THE PERFECT MATCH 

■ne of the world’s leading caravan and 

O 

motorhome exhibitions, Caravan 

Salon, has committed its future 

to its current venue of the Messe 

Düsseldorf in Germany until at least 

2028. The agreement between Messe Düsseldorf 

GmbH and the German Caravanning Industry 

Association (CIVD) means that the two partners will 

face the future together, offering stability and security 

to the industry as a whole. 

The show was originally hosted in Essen between 

1962 and 1993, but in 1994 the show moved to 

Dusseldorf and has been there ever since. It was even 

one of the very few international shows that did not 

miss a live, in-person event during the worst of the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

Erhard Wienkamp, managing director of Messe 

Düsseldorf, said: “This trade fair’s move to 

Düsseldorf in 1993 was a stroke of luck – both for 

the event itself and for us as the organising trade fair 

company. Jointly with the CIVD we have developed 

Caravan Salon further and, ultimately, made it what 

it is today – the world’s biggest and most relevant 

trade fair for the caravanning sector.” 

Daniel Onggowinarso, managing director of CIVD, 

added: “Cohesion, continuity and innovative power 

are the hallmarks of the caravanning sector and 

the guiding idea of our association. Thanks to this 

trust-based cooperation Caravan Salon has become 

established as a beacon for our industry and a 

fixture without which the caravanning year is hard 

to imagine. 

The 62nd edition of Caravan Salon will take place 

from 25 August to 3 September 2023 in Düsseldorf. 


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Dispatches 

Photos: Landesmesse Stuttgart 

CMT ‘EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS’ 

■fter what seemed like a lifetime 

A 

of empty hallways at the Stuttgart 

Messe, one of its most successful 

and popular shows, CMT, returned 

with a bang in 2023. The month 

of January just doesn’t seem like January in 

the German city without thousands of industry 

professionals and end users in the caravanning and 

camping world descending on the city. And they 

did so in style with the return of the show this year 

– 265,000 people kind of style. 

“Our expectations were greatly exceeded,” said 

Roland Bleinroth, president of Messe Stuttgart. 

“We welcomed 265,000 visitors to the Stuttgart 

Trade Fair Centre. Our exhibitors were also very 

satisfied: the visitors not only looked at and 

compared the offerings, [but] they also made 

purchases and placed orders. This CMT is one of 

the best we have ever experienced.” 

While the show encompasses holidaying and 

tourism of all kinds – in fact this year it featured 

specific areas for golf, cycling and other outdoor 

pursuits – caravanning and motorhoming will 

always be at its heart. And that heart was beating 

stronger than ever in 2023. 

“The visitors here did not just include people 

wanting to look at the exhibits, but also those with 

a genuine interest,” explained a delighted Hermann 

Pfaff, president of the German Caravanning 

Industry Association (CIVD). 

“CMT is also an important indicator for the 

caravanning industry at the start of the new season. 


Dispatches 

Our presence went down very well with the visitors, 

it was a successful start to the new year!” 

Matthias Euch, a member of the Executive 

Committee of the German Caravan Trade 

Association (DCHV), concurred: “It was fantastic 

to see how many visitors were here, we had an 

incredible number of initial contacts. The suppliers 

were delighted with the great interest shown in 

all areas of caravanning, in all vehicle categories 

and in the after-sales segment – and were able to 

conclude some excellent deals. We also welcomed 

the product innovations and digital solutions which 

are becoming increasingly better and making 

business easier.” 

The success of CMT after not holding its 

celebration of tourism in either 2021 or 2020 

showed that absence can indeed make the heart 

grow fonder, but a larger question looms as to 

whether the winter is actually a better time of year 

for such a show. Sure, Caravan Salon draws big 

crowds with many people including it in their own 

caravanning holidays thanks to its late summer 

dates, but in the winter many more people are 

planning their future trips on the long, dark winter 

nights. Is there a case to say that visitors may be 

more serious in winter or in a better position to 

actually part with their cash? Perhaps. What is 

more likely is that caravanning is still enjoying a 

strong period despite coming down slightly from 

the post Covid high. The business is out there, 

if you can meet your promises and deliver what 

people want, you can make some serious gains. 

www.campingtradeworld.com 

11

Dispatches 

DESIGN BY DEUTSCHLAND 

■otorhome, campervan, and RV 

M 

brands including Alphavan, 

Eriba, Hymer, Niesmann + 

Bischoff, and Supersonic are 

celebrating 

after picking up various prizes 

in the prestigious German 

Design Award for 2023. The 

awards are held each year 

and celebrate the very 

best in innovative and 

creative design from 

German companies 

in a wide range of 

categories – an 

international panel 

of experts selects 

products based on design, technical performance, 

ergonomics, longevity, and sustainability. 

Innovative, luxury campervan brand Alphavan 

was the big winner collecting the GOLD Excellent 

Product Design Passenger Vehicles award for its 

latest 4x4 version. Judges praised its optimum 

design for offering the true feeling of 

freedom that off-road brings. The 

other Excellent Product Design 

Passenger Vehicle award winners 

were Eriba’s new Touring 

generation of caravans, 

Hymer’s Venture S 

motorhome, Niesmann 

+ Bischoff’s new Flair 

motorhome, and 

Adria’s Supersonic. 

Photos © Alphavan and Hymer 

Learn more at www.german-design-award.com 

12 www.campingtradeworld.com

Dispatches 

THIRD BEST YEAR ON RECORD 

FOR AMERICA’S RV INDUSTRY 

■efore it ended, the RV Industry 

B 

Association (RVIA) was 

predicting that 2022 was still 

on course to be a ‘top five 

year’ in terms of wholesale RV 

shipments, despite some decline in numbers 

compared to 2021. Well, the data is now 

confirmed, and guess what? They were right. 

2022 was in fact the third best ever year for 

RV shipments after the final monthly survey of 

manufacturers in the industry in the USA showed 

that 493,268 were made. 

RVIA president and CEO, Craig Kirby, said: 

“Coming off of the all-time high in 2021, the RV 

industry continued to post strong shipments 

through the first half of 2022. As expected, we saw 

shipment numbers normalize off of those record 

highs in the second half of the year as the industry 

returned to production numbers seen pre-COVID.” 

The 2022 figure was down on that all-time 

record of 600,240 by 17.8 per cent. Within that, 

towables were down 20.1 per cent, motorhomes 

were up 3.9 per cent and park model RVs were up 

20.4 per cent. 

Learn more at www.rvia.org 


13

Dispatches 

INNOVATION BRINGS 

ITS OWN REWARDS 

■he most innovative products 

T 

from the caravan, motorhome, 

campervan, and camping 

world for 2023 have been 

named at the annual European 

Innovation Award. The award ceremony took 

place in Stuttgart, Germany as part of holiday 

and tourism exhibition CMT and saw winners 

selected in 17 separate categories, chosen by 

a panel of expert judges mostly comprised 

of editors from trade magazines around 

Europe. In total, 145 different entries were 

presided over before the eventual winners 

were selected. Notable winners included 

Hymer’s unique Venture S motorhome, which 

picked up the Exterior Design prize, the new 

Flair by Niesmann+Bischoff, which claimed 

the Interior Design and Safety awards, and 

QUQUO, which claimed the Innovative 

Vehicle Related Equipment prize and 

Blogger’s Favourite award for its BusBox-4 for 

the Volkswagen ID Buzz. 

THE FULL LIST OF 2023 WINNERS: 

Interior Design: the new Flair, Niesmann+Bischoff 

Exterior Design: Venture S, Hymer 

Technology & Connectivity: AZUR, Knaus 

Layout: LMC Style 400 F, LMC Caravan 

Safety: the new Flair, Niesmann+Bischoff 

Vehicle Equipment: Smart Level Control. KABE 

Innovative Vehicle Related Equipment: BusBox-4 for ID Buzz, QUQUO 

Sustainability/Environment: Powerstation, Bosswerk 

Audience Focus: Adria Altea, Adria Mobil 

Marketing & PR Campaign: MAXIA VAN, Hobby 

Innovative Start-Up: Real-Time Seat Reservatiom and Availability Display, Camigo 

Overall Concept Motorhome: Lyseo Gallery TD, Bürstner 

Overall Concept Caravan: New Eriba Touring Generation, Hymer 

Overall Concept Van: TOURER CUV, Knaus 

Overall Concept 4x4: SUNLIGHT CLIFF 4x4, Sunglight 

Overall Concept Equipment: TRIGO-VAN, AL-KO 

Blogger’s Favourite: BusBox-4 for ID Buzz, QUQUO 

Blogger’s Favourite 2nd Place: Travelfix DIY, Froli. Revision of Hymer Camper Van, Hymer 

Blogger’s Favourite 3rd Place: Peg&Stop Heavy Duty Stainless Steel, Peggy Peg. California on 

Tour App, Volkswagen. help2camp App, Brecht Caravan 


Dispatches 

Photo © VWCV 

THE NEXT BIG BUZZ IN CAMPERVANS? 

■lready viewed by many as 

A 

the heir to the Volkswagen 

campervan throne, the allelectric 

VW ID. Buzz appears 

to be showing some signs of 

living up to the hype. By its own admission, 

Volkswagen has said that the vehicle exceeded 

its expectations in 2022, with more than 10,000 

vehicles on the way to customers and production 

of the van significantly up in the fourth quarter of 

last year. Around 6,000 of those 10,000 orders 

have already made it to customers, and now the 

talk within VW is how to ramp up capacity. 

“We are very happy with the launch of our first 

all-electric Bulli from Hannover,” explained Lars 

Krause, member of the board of management at 

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV). 

“Now, our task is to further ramp up production 

of all models and to deliver the vehicles to our 

customers and fans.” 

That ramping up will of course prick the ears of 

camping fans around Europe. The thought of an 

electric campervan has been on everyone’s mind 

for some time now and it appears that the electric 

‘Bulli’ could be the ticket to the promised land. 

Indeed, there are already serious plans by some 

serious players to make the ID. Buzz the campervan 

of the future. Spencer Grey, managing director 

of one of the UK’s biggest campervan conversion 

companies CamperKing, said: “The prospect of an 

electric campervan is an exciting one, and what 

better model to base it on than the Buzz, which by 

its very nature will now start to take over in people’s 

minds when they think of the iconic ‘splitty’ or ‘bay 

window’ campervans of the 1960s and 70s. It’s an 

interesting challenge to attempt to convert it into a 

campervan, so we’ve been taking a very close look 

at it for a while and will continue to do so over the 

coming months. We sincerely hope to be able to 

make the Buzz campervan a reality.” 


15

Dispatches 

UK PREPARES FOR ‘GO-TO’ 

CAMPING EVENT 

■reparations are being carefully 

P 

made by camping, caravanning, 

and motorhome brands from 

across the UK and Europe for 

one of the biggest events of the 

year set to take place at Birmingham’s National 

Exhibition Centre from 21 to 26 February 

2023. That’s right, the Caravan, Camping 

and Motorhome Show is back – but this year, 

organisers are promising a dedicated new tent 

and camping hall that will bring more than 150 

new season tents and trailer tents for the masses 

to explore. Bring comfortable shoes because the 

14 per cent increase in exhibition space for these 

products represents four acres. 

Besides the new focus on tents, the show 

will have the usual 400+ exhibitors covering 

caravans, motorhomes, campervans, and all 

associated accessories too – with new launches 

very much the flavour of the event. 

Terry Dullaghan, managing director of NCC 

Events, said: “We’re excited to present an even 

bigger show than our sell-out 2022 event – over 

400 exhibitor stands across almost 20 acres. 

Hundreds of new leisure vehicles from UK and 

Europe’s finest manufacturers and dealers will 

be on display ready for visitors to step inside 

and compare, and with more campervans, micro 

caravans and a whole hall dedicated to quality 

adventure tents, family tents, trailer tents and 

camping accessories – they’ll be spoilt for choice!” 

The show lays claim to being the UK’s largest 

start of year display of campervans, motorhomes 

and caravans, visitors will be able to step 

inside and compare new for 2023 models from 

leading manufacturers including Adria, Auto 

Sleepers, Auto-Trail, Bailey, Barefoot Caravans, 

Coachman, Compass, Chausson, Elddis, Frankia, 

Globecar, Hillside, Knaus, Pilote, Rapido, RP 

Motorhomes, Roller Team, Swift, Westfalia 

Mobil, Wildax, Vantage Motorhomes and more. 

That’s not to mention camping brands such as 

Outdoor Revolution, Zempire, TentBox and 

Isabella to name but a few. 

To learn more or to book your tickets, head online to www.ccmshow.co.uk 


Dispatches 

400+ 

exhibitors covering 

caravans, moterhomes, 

campervans and all 

accessories too 

150+ 

new season tents 

and trailer tents in a 

dedicated new tent 

and camping hall 

14% 

increase in 

exhibition space, 

that’s an extra 

four acres! 

Photos © NCC Events 


17

Doing Business With... 

CANADA 

DOING BUSINESS WITH... 

CANADA 

■ike its neighbour directly to the 

L 

south, Canada has enjoyed some 

unprecedented highs in its camping 

and recreational vehicle industry 

over the last few years. Driven by the 

post-Covid boom, Canada reported record growth for 

RV shipments in recent times, with the first quarter 

of 2022 being almost 30 per cent up on the previous 

year as just one example. Canadians are no strangers 

to taking vacations in the amazing wilderness that the 

nation has to offer, but with more of a focus on the 

safer way of holidaying that RVing represents, this has 

only grown. The overall health benefits of camping 

and RVing are not lost on a nation where you are 

never too far away from some breath-taking scenery 

and wilderness that most countries would be jealous 

of. It is estimated that there are in excess of 4,000 

campgrounds throughout Canada – from secluded 

woodland shelters for tent campers looking to escape 

it all, through to fully developed RV stops that have 

all the bells and whistles. The sheer size of the country 

means that there is a wide assortment of different 

landscapes and climates to camp in – though being a 

northern country, spring and summer tend to be more 

popular than winter. There is also a growing appetite 

for glamping in Canada as more people look to sample 

this kind of vacation without committing to buying 

their own rig or gear right away. 



CANADA 

TRADE BODIES 

Canada has two strong trade bodies of note that 

help its RV industry to protect and promote itself. 

The first is the Canadian Recreational Vehicle 

Association (CRVA), which has been in existence for 

more than 45 years. The body is comprised of leading 

RV manufacturers and component suppliers and 

works closely with United States-based RV Industry 

Association to help develop the standards and codes 

designed specifically for Recreational Vehicles with 

a mandate to ensure that professional standards are 

maintained in the best interests of the consumer. 

Another important body of note is the Recreational 

Vehicle Dealer Association (RVDA) – a national, 

volunteer federation that works on behalf of all retail 

businesses involved in the RV industry. The core 

objective of the RVDA of Canada is to bring together 

and represent the retail businesses involved in the 

recreation vehicle industry across Canada. 

Learn more at www.crva.ca or www.rvda.ca 

FACT FILE 

Capital: Ottawa 

Population: 39,000,000 

Dial code: +1 

Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau 

Official languages: English and French 

Time zone: UTC-3.5 to UTC-8 

Currency: Canadian Dollar 

Internet domain: .ca 

ECONOMY 

GDP: US$2.2 trillion nominal 

GDP per capita: US$56,000 nominal 

GDP growth: -1.5% 

Main export partners: 

USA 

EU 

China 

Japan 

Mexico 

Main import partners: 

USA 

China 

EU 

Mexico 

Japan 


19


CANADA 

Photo: Tegan Mierle, Unsplash 

▲ Canada has a strong heritage in camping and a general love of the great outdoors. 

The RV industry in Canada is healthy. According to 

the country’s Recreational Vehicle Dealer Association 

(RVDA) the industry is worth 3.3 billion Canadian 

dollars with Canadian RV dealers producing more 

than 1.5 billion Canadian dollars’ worth of income. 

About 90 per cent of all Canadian RV dealers are part 

of the RVDA, so the figures can be assumed to be 

quite accurate. 

Like its counterparts in other nations, the 

Canadian RV industry is an important economic 

driver in the country and one that is also well joined 

up and well organised. By working closely together, 

Canadian companies have managed to defend 

and promote the importance of their industry to 

ensure its long term survival and growth. Every key 

indicator – from retail revenue, to number of nights 

camped out – has been on a steady growth curve 

since 2010, and there are no clear indications that 

that growth will stutter too much anytime soon. 

There may be a slight return to more normal growth 

as the post-Covid bubble slowly bursts, but Canada’s 

growth is a long-term thing. 

SHOW BUSINESS 

Canada is a country that has many regional RV shows 

throughout the year, largely down to the sheer size of 

the country. Many of the shows are supported by the 

Canada Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA), with 

each usually hosting several hundred units from major 

brands across North America. Some of the major 

shows for 2023 include Toronto Spring Camping 

and RV Show (2-5 March), Moncton RV Show (10-13 

March), Halifax RV Show (24-27 March), Toronto Fall 

RV Sale and Show (14-16 October), and Quebec City 

RV Show (27-30 October). 

Another noteworthy event in the industry is the RV 

Dealers International Convention Expo, which takes 

place in Las Vegas, Nevada in the USA from 6 to 10 

November 2023, but is very well attended by people in 

the Canadian industry as well from the United States. 



CANADA 

COMPANIES OF INTEREST 

Caframo 

Producer of fans and other ventilation, heating, and 

cooling solutions for all kinds of RVs – owns brands 

such as SEEKR. 

D 

www.caframo.com 

Aqua Quest 

Producer of high-quality waterproof outdoor gear 

such as tarps and tents – tested in the wet climate of 

the Pacific Northwest. 

D 

www.aquaquestwaterproof.com 

Northern Lite Mfg. Ltd 

Builder of true four-season truck campers with 

more than 30 years of experience – boasts quality 

workmanship. 

D 

www.northern-lite.com 

Durston 

Premium ultralight tent manufacturer that designs all 

of its products from one of the world’s wildest places: 

the Rocky Mountains. 

D 

www.durstongear.com 

Leisure Travel Vans/Triple E Canada 

An RV builder with more than 50 years of 

experience behind it that claims to be driven by 

innovation. 

D 

www.tripleerv.com 

OFF GRID Trailers 

Builder of rugged off-road trailers and towable 

RVs that are put to the test in the wildest locations. 

Inspired by overlanding and off grid camping. 

D 

D 

www.offgridtrailers.com 

ATUK Tents 

Located in Quebec ATUK is a producer of tents, 

tarps, and other outdoor shelters for a wide range of 

climates and conditions. 

www.atuktents.com 

Wilderness Excursions 

A company established with a mission to help 

provide high quality outdoor gear at more affordable 

prices to Canadians. 

D 

www.wexgear.com 

Panoramic RV 

An RV builder that says its mission is to design 

and manufacture RVs of the highest quality with 

innovative designs. 

D 

www.panoramicrv.com 


21

Sector Spotlight: 

ROOF TENTS 

Photo © Dometic 

SPOTLIGHT ON... 

ROOF TENTS 

■hat could have been quite an obscure 

W 

and niche market just a few short 

years ago seems to have pushed 

itself into a position of prominence 

in the camping industry, at least on 

the face of it. Seeing a roof tent at a campground, in 

some PR material, or at a tradeshow has become a 

very common thing, which would imply it is a market 

experiencing some growth. Naturally it has, based on 

the general post-Covid boom that the entire camping 

and RV market has experienced, but how big could 

roof tents become? It’s a hard question to answer 

because the market still feels like it is very much in 

its infancy with young companies, new consumers, 

and no real tried and tested patterns. But that doesn’t 

mean it’s not a market worth considering. 

Roof tents are relatively cheap to produce when 

compared to larger units such as RVs, caravans, 

and even some high-end tents. Because of this, they 

represent good profit margins for manufacturers 

and also for dealers and retailers. They have also 

seen some technological advancement in the last 



ROOF TENTS 

Photo: Alfred Boivin, Unsplash 

few years. A roof tent arms race has been occurring 

to make them lighter, easier to erect, and more 

accessible for a wider range of vehicles. This clamour 

has seen not only small, family-run businesses 

getting involved in the market, but also big multinational 

companies such as Swedish brand Thule, 

or global RV giant Dometic via its purchase of Front 

Runner Outfitters. It is now not uncommon to see a 

roof tent that can fold down to an incredibly compact 

size and can be installed on the roof of almost any 

vehicle – we have seen roof tents mounted on cars 

as small as the Fiat 500 at shows around the world 

in the last year. There is also a wide multitude of 

technologies for how these tents are erected: from 

pop-up box designs similar to campervan pop-top 

rooves, to poled tent styles, to inflatable models. The 

variation and innovation of the roof tent market has 

exploded as more companies have diverted their 

attention towards it. 

Don’t be surprised to see a few more roof tent 

brands come and go over the next few years as this 

relatively small market sector figures out exactly 

where it stands and what its market share is. 

Top 5 countries with highest Google search 

interest for ‘roof tent’ 

Australia 

New Zealand 

United Kingdom 

Canada 

South Africa 


23


ROOF TENTS 

TRENDING 

If there is one thing you can say about the rooftop 

tent sector it’s that it is very much en vogue. If you 

spent any time at all at Caravan Salon 2022, you 

will have noticed a trend that seems to have gained 

momentum to an almost unsustainable level – in 

short, roof tents are everywhere. It seems that in the 

last 18 months, roof tent brands have been popping 

up (pun intended) almost everywhere. They offer a 

perceived level of freedom that other camping units 

simply do not – and with the increase in lightweight 

models that can be mounted on almost any car 

type, they have become very accessible. But is their 

usage really that widespread? In Europe, it is still 

only a relatively small part of the market, with some 

countries such as the UK not accepting them at many 

large campsite chains. It’s probably fair to say that 

the market is popular but still fairly niche and in its 

infancy. It’s for that reason that the number of brands 

currently around in this market sector is probably a 

touch unsustainable and will likely start to plateau 

and even shrink a tiny bit in the next few years. That’s 

not to say roof tents have reached their ceiling (we’ll 

take that pun too), but more likely that the market will 

only grow at a fairly slow pace as consumers convert 

to this new mode of camping. While roof tents might 

attract interest and attention at shows and events, 

actual sales of the tents have remained fairly steady, 

with no signs of any great boom to come. 



ROOF TENTS 

COMPANIES OF INTEREST 

TentBox 

Founded in 2014 by two brothers, TentBox has 

quickly grown to become one of the first names in 

roof tents in the UK and beyond. 

D 

www.tentbox.com 

Gentle Tent 

A small start-up from Vienna, Austria, Gentle Tent 

produces impressive, lightweight, inflatable roof tents 

for a wide range of vehicles. 

D 

www.gentletent.com 

Front Runner Outfitters 

A South African firm that is now part of the Dometic 

Group, Front Runner’s designs are rugged and built 

to last. 

D 

www.frontrunneroutfitters.com 

Camp Werk 

German brand that has been a prominent and eyecatching 

part of the roof tent landscape for some 

time, particularly at Caravan Salon. 

D 

www.campwerk.de 

Thule 

A Swedish accessory provider that is famous for 

putting things on vehicle rooves – roof tents were a 

natural progession for Thule. 

D 

www.thule.com 

Dare to be Different Outdoor 

What started with a family camping trip in the 

Netherlands grew into one of the biggest players in 

Europe in roof tents. 

D 

www.dtbdoutdoor.eu 

Auto Home 

With a wide range of made-in-Italy rooftop tents, 

Auto Home has been in the business in some shape 

or form for more than 60 years. 

D 

www.autohome-official.com 

Quechua 

Brand of French sporting retail giant Decathlon, 

Quechua has some impressive lightweight roof tents 

that borrow features from regular tents. 

D 

www.quechua.com 

Cascadia 

What started as a family business specialising in 

rooftop tents was acquired by the Gathr Outdoors 

Group back in early 2022. 

D 

www.cascadiatents.com 


25

Company Profile 

CARTHAGO GROUP 

A NEW FOCUS ON 

THE FUTURE 

■he name Carthago is not unfamiliar 

T 

to most in the caravan and RV 

industry. The German group, which 

produces premium Class A and 

coachbuilt motorhomes as well as 

campervans under its brands Carthago and Malibu, 

has been in the business for more than 40 years. 

But even when you have that much experience, to 

be a success in the future you must always keep a 

finger on the pulse, stay adaptable, and be ready to 

change to meet the challenges and opportunities 

on the horizon. That is very much the vibe within 

the Carthago Group at this moment. The company 

has taken time to self-analyse and is now ready to 

push forward into what it believes will be a bright 

future despite some of the difficulties still facing 

manufacturers. Carthago and Malibu are approaching 

these subjects with a new level of transparency for 

end customers – it recently revealed a YouTube video 

that allows people to see behind-the-scenes in the 

production facility and see how the challenges are 

being tackled by staff. It’s a refreshing openness that 

can only set the company on firm footing with its 

customers and potential customers in the future. In 

the video, Bernd Wuschack, the company’s managing 

director of sales, marketing, and customer service, 

explains: “In our manufacturing operations, we are 

still dealing with the effects of the supply bottlenecks 

from the last two years. The good news, however, is 

that we can at least assume with a certain degree of 

confidence that supplies will stabilise from the second 

half of 2023. 

“During the European autumn shows held at the 

end of 2022, we experienced that interest in our 

motorhomes and vans and in the associated holiday 

form of caravanning remains as high as ever, even if 

delivery times, which cannot be precisely predicted, 

and the increased prices [which are largely out of the 

control of motorhome makers and coming from base 

vehicles] have triggered a momentary reluctancy to 

buy. We will continue to focus our attention on these 

two points over the next year.” 





27



TALENT TRANSPARENCY 

Part of any plan for a brighter future is investing the 

talent of the future. With that in mind, Carthago has 

recently given the employment and job exchange 

section of its company a complete rebrand, placing 

as much emphasis on getting the marketing right for 

this as it does for selling its products. After all, if you 

can’t sell your company as a great place to work how 

can you expect to encourage the best people to join 

your team? 

“The focus here is on showing what our company 

stands for and that those ideals will align with the 

kind of people we want in our team,” explains Tobias 

Reutlinger, team leader international marketing. 

“What we offer is so much more than just a place to 

work. It’s a place where people feel like they belong 

and feel like they can express who they are – a great 

work-life balance, real teamwork, many employee 

benefits, flexible working hours, team events, and the 

opportunity to be part of a company that cares about 

innovation, respect, and community are just some of 

the things we offer as an employer. 

“We are a growing, owner-run company and what 

we do is build products that deliver freedom and 

sometimes dreams come true to our customers. It’s a 

great business to be involved in. 

We have talked in this magazine extensively 

about culture and how to create a good one within 

your company, and it seems like Carthago has this 

interest at its heart too. As it says on its own website, 

the company could write a lot about the benefits of 

working there, but they find it best to let the current 

employees do the talking. Employees like Catherine 

Jaster who works in the final assembly production 

area. She says: “I like the diversity that this job brings 

with it. And finally seeing the finished motorhome is 

a great feeling. But above all, the colleagues and the 

team make this job something special.” 

▲ Carthago and Malibu aim to be more than just ‘places to work’ for their employees and staff. 




▲ The Malibu Van is making a strong impression in the European campervan marketplace. 

MOMENTUM IN VANS 

While the Class A and coachbuilt motorhome 

business has long been the mainstay for the 

Carthago Group, it wouldn’t be the forwardthinking 

company it claims to be without focussing 

its attention on the exploding world of smaller 

motorhomes and camper vans. This is where 

the Malibu brand has come to the fore in recent 

years with the latest edition of the Malibu Van 

– a leisure vehicle that offers the premium luxury 

and innovations you would expect from a larger 

Carthago brand motorhome in a smaller, more agile, 

and some would maybe say more stylish package. 

The flexibility of this van is further increased by the 

wide range of models – customers can create their 

dream van from four different model classes, three 

worlds of style, and eleven well-planned layouts. 

The Malibu Van range has picked up multiple 

awards over the last few years from industry 

institutions such as promobil and the European 

Innovation Award for the way it has helped bring 

something of unique quality and atmosphere to the 

camper van market. 

WHO ARE YOU? 

Company: Carthago Reisemobilbau Gmbh + Malibu GmbH & Co. KG 

Founded: 1979 

Location: Aulendorf, Germany 

Products: Premium A-class and coachbuilt motorhomes, as well as camper vans 

More: www.carthago.com, www.malibu-carthago.com 


29

Ad Feature 

PUNDMANN 

WARMING UP THE 

CAMPING BUSINESS 

■undmann will already be a wellknown 

name to many withing the 

P 

camping and RV space, but for those 

whom it isn’t, it’s time to discover 

how this mobile boiler expert is doing 

its best to change the space for the better. Founded in 

2012, Pundmann has built up a solid reputation in its 

native Germany and neighbouring countries such as 

Poland and the Czech Republic, where it has another 

base. It has aims to expand its reach even further, 

with the help of its compact, easy-to-use, and efficient 

water boiler systems. 

“We are experts in mobile boilers,” explains the 

company’s marketing manager Maurice Senfft von 

Pilsach. “Our product range includes various water 

heaters, components, and accessories from our own 

production. The RV and camper space is where we 

find many customers – from end users to conversion 

professionals and repair shops. We operate with all 

our customers with the same simple promise: we 

want our products to work for our customers through 

individual and high-quality service, an excellent 

range, and honest communication. Our flexible and 

solution oriented attitude helps us to solve complex 

challenges.” 

One great example of that is the recently launched 

Pundmann bpoilers that feature two heating rods, 

meaning users can choose bettween 12V and 24V for 

the first one, while also always having access to 230V. 

This is crucial for campers and also means that with 

the 12V, water can be heated while driving. The 230V 

is used to connect to power sources when stopped. 

This kind of warm air solution is pretty impressive, 

but warm water is another area Pundmann 

specilaises in – and in a much more sustainable way 

thanks to one of its latest inventions. 


Ad Feature 

PUNDMANN 

▲ The Pundmann Degreen eco shower system could revolutionise camping for many. 

A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY 

Imagine 60 minutes of shower time 

with 40C water in your campervan or 

caravan using just five litres of water… with 

German heating and water solution expert 

Pundmann, you no longer need to imagine. 

The company’s Degreen eco shower system 

provides exactly that thanks to an innovative 

water recycling and filtration system. Made 

in the EU, this system can be fitted by OEMs 

or it can even be retrofitted by end users – 

the whole system is designed to be compact 

and can be controlled via a very easy-to-use 

foot pump that means you can keep the 

water recycling while you shower. 

Learn more about Pundmann online at www.pundmann.de 


31

Ad Feature 

SEEKR BY CAFRAMO 

HOW TO MAKE A 

WINNING PRODUCT 

■hen a product makes it to market that 

W 

really is just the tip of the iceberg 

of how it came to be. So much goes 

on behind the scenes to make an 

innovative and successful product. 

Sounds obvious right? But it’s harder than you 

might imagine. To show how the elements combine, 

Camping Trade World takes a closer look at the 

Sirocco II 12V/24V fan to share behind-the-scenes 

knowledge of what makes it a winning product. 


Ad Feature 

SEEKR BY CAFRAMO 

IMPROVE THE 

DESIGN 

As the name suggests, the 

Sirocco II is the second 

iteration of the original fan. 

SEEKR by Caframo tested its 

original fan to its limits and 

decided to move production to 

its home in Canada to ensure it 

could be the best it could be. A 

second edition was launched 

with full faith that it would 

meet its own high quality 

standards. 

CO-ORDINATE 

PRODUCTION 

Caframo’s headquarters 

comprises not only a 

manufacturing facility but 

also the company’s corporate 

offices, research and testing 

facility, and warehousing. 

Having all this under one 

roof means it controls every 

aspect of every Sirocco II fan, 

from design to moudling to 

packaging and shipping. 

USE THE BEST 

MATERIALS 

The Sirocco II is made from 

marine-grade plastic. This 

decision was taken because of 

its UV properties, high-impact 

resistance, fire retardancy, 

flexibility, and enhanced 

weatherability. It is almost 

over-engineered – but if it’s 

good enough for use on boats 

and other marine crafts in 

harsh saltwater environments, 

its more than good enough for 

RVing. 

LEARN FROM YOUR 

SURROUNDINGS 

Caframo’s headquarters is on 

the shores of Georgian Bay, 

which is a dream location for 

many RV enthusiasts. Being 

able to imagine and test a 

product in one of the perfect 

places that it is likely to be used 

leads to a much more useful and 

authentic product that really 

understands and addresses the 

needs of users. 

GET SATISFACTION 

IN SERVICE 

When someone buys a Sirocco 

II fan, they are buying a level 

of customer service that many 

people probably thought was 

long gone. There’s always 

someone on the end of the 

phone at Caframo and it prides 

itself on offering the kind 

of customer service that its 

staff would expect to receive 

themselves. 

BUILD TRUST 

SEEKR by Caframo is a welltrusted 

name in the industry 

– not only because of the 

quality and innovation behind 

products like the Sirocco II, 

but also in the way they have 

connected and engaged with 

the RVing community. Trust 

comes from building something 

reliable that RV users want to 

use and know they can rely on. 

It’s a community that goes full 

circle. Learn more online at: 

seekr.caframobrands.com 

For trade inquiries, please contact salesteam@caframo.com 


33

Ad Feature 

PEGGY PEG 

See Peggy Peg at the 

Caravan Camping 

& Motorhome Show, 

NEC, Birmingham 

Hall 4 Stand 4353 

AWARD-WINNING 

MOTIVATION 

■ 

lot has changed since the last 

A 

time Peggy Peg exhibited at the 

CMT show in Stuttgart, Germany. 

But for this growing company 

the main thing it noticed on 

its first showing there for three years due to 

the pandemic was that a lot more people are 

interested in camping than before. 

“We were really happy to see how busy the show 

was,” explains co-founder Achim Reinhold. “For a 

company like us, which places so much emphasis 

on feedback from our customers, it was a delight 

to be face to face with the most important people 

to our business. It was especially pleasing because 

of how many more people were aware of our brand 

and our products than the last time we were here.” 


Ad Feature 

PEGGY PEG 

▲ The Peggy Peg team is motivated by industry recognition – there’s more to come in 2023. 

But that wasn’t the only delight Achim and the team 

experienced during the January show – the company 

was also honoured by the European Innovation 

Award, which took place during a special ceremony 

at CMT. Peggy Peg’s Heavy Duty – first launched 

at Caravan Salon and designed for helping people 

pitch in the hardest and most compact ground and 

soil types out there – picked up third place in the 

Blogger’s Favourite award category. 

While the award was a surprise for the team in some 

respects, for the company’s Gerard Vredenburg it was 

the culmination of a real team R&D effort. He said: 

“At first, it was a challenge to move away from the 

idea of lightweight products to create the Peggy Peg 

HD – a super-strong, saltwater resistant, and impact 

driller proof peg made from recycled marine-grade 

stainless steel. We spent many hours researching this 

product as well as a lot of testing out in the field in the 

toughest soil types out there. This award feels like a 

reward for a big team effort from everyone.” 

To add to the HD, the team worked together to 

develop the Lock Nut 2.0, which combines the system 

of Peggy Peg’s blue hooks from all orange pegs and 

aluminium pegs with the concept of its lock nuts. If 

the screw peg doesn’t go in all the way, but you can 

feel that it already grips, simply stop screwing and 

set the hook into the lowest position possible to set 

leverage force to zero when attaching guy ropes. 

The award joins previous German Design Awards 

in 2012 and 2014 as well as Caravanning Design 

Awards in 2011 and 2013 in the Peggy Peg trophy 

cabinet – they give the team immense pride and also 

motivation for the future. 

“We have a lot planned for 2023,” says Samantha 

Reinhold, Achim’s daughter. “We will be visiting more 

exhibitions than ever before and we have ambition to 

continue to grow the global Peggy Peg family.” 

Peggy Peg is looking for B2B partners in the UK, 

Europe and Australia, contact service@peggypeg. 

net for more or visit uk.peggypeg.shop 


35


D www.outwell.com 

OUTWELL 

OUTWELL NIGHLIGHT SYSTEM 

The highly acclaimed patented Outwell Nightlight System (ONS) generates 

soft illumination that allows a camper to move around and leave a Superior Air 

Touring awning without a harsh light waking other occupants. Several of the 

company’s new awnings are prepared for the ONS system while the optional 

ONS light unit set comprises two light units and a coded remote controller. 

TELECO GROUP 

TELAIR BLACK COOLFLEX SOLAR PANELS 

In response to the wants of RV users to reduce their CO 2 

emissions, Telair has expanded its family of flexible photovoltaic 

solar panels. At just 4mm think, Black Coolflex modules are also 

extremely lightweight (just 3.7kg for the smallest model). They are 

made with a nine-layer structure that is flame retardant, strong, 

and maximises sunlight transmittance. 

D www.telecogroup.com 



D www.wolfint.co.uk 

WOLF 

INTERNATIONAL 

SPB-16 SOLAR 

WIRELESS 

POWERBANK 

This wireless solar 

powerbank is an ideal 

choice for campers and 

caravanners thank to its 

16,000mAh capacity, which 

is ideal for charging phones, 

cameras, headtorches and 

other small tech items. 

It features Micro USB 

and Type-C inputs and 

Wireless, Type-C and USB 

outputs and can charge 

devices simultaneously. It 

also weighs just 357g. 

SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL 

LEVELING KITS 

The F-150 leveling kit features a brand new pre-tuned 

front shock, plus a rear SumoSpring. 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. This front JBS shock lets you chose to keep 

your factory ride height, or level the front of your 

F-150 with the removable leveling spacer. 

D 

www.superspringsinternational.com 


37

Camping Trade World – Issue 12

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