Demand for Motor Caravans and Caravans Still at Record Level

German holidaymakers’ enthusiasm for caravanning continues unabated in 2021. In the first seven months of the year, 74,957 motor caravans and caravans were newly registered – an all-time high. This corresponds to an increase of 6.2 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, which had also reached a new record figure. Even the declining July result did not change the positive overall trend this year. A total of 12,118 new leisure vehicles were registered last month. This means that new registrations fell by 24.8 percent compared to July last year. On the one hand, this was due to the extremely high July figure of the previous year, in which there had been a strong catch-up effect (+85.6 percent) after the first lockdown. If one compares last month’s new registrations with the reference figure for 2019, there is a significant increase in both vehicle segments. In addition, the caravanning industry is struggling with supply problems at the moment, as Daniel Onggowinarso, Managing Director of the caravanning industry association CIVD, explains: “Many components and raw materials are currently hardly available due to the pandemic and faltering supply chains, so that the still very high demand cannot be met in some cases.”

Despite minus in July: motor caravans set to break next record

Demand for motor caravans remains particularly high. From January to July, 57,400 new motor caravans were registered – more than ever before in this period. However, even the vehicle segment so accustomed to success had to report declining figures in July. New registrations fell by 20.8 percent after doubling in July 2020. The high base value from the same month last year therefore distorts the market picture. Added to this are the aforementioned bottlenecks in production. Nevertheless, 8,672 newly registered vehicles are the second-best July figure in history and the comparison with July 2019 is also more than clear with an increase of 58.1 per cent. New registrations are up 13.5 per cent over the first seven months of last year and are on course for an eleventh consecutive record year.

Inhibited production – new caravan registrations falling despite high demand

The problems in caravan production are even more noticeable. “Manufacturers have hundreds of vehicles that are practically finished but cannot be delivered because a certain part is missing,” explains Onggowinarso. Accordingly, since the beginning of the year, new registrations have fallen by 12.1 per cent to 17,557 units. In July, 3,446 vehicles were newly registered. Compared to the exceptional July 2020, this means a decline of 33.3 percent, but the comparison with July 2019 (3,196 new registrations) is clearly positive. “There is no sign of a decline in demand for caravans at the dealerships – on the contrary. Caravanning is one of the safest forms of holiday in these times, as you travel individually with a leisure vehicle and only with people from your own household and are largely self-sufficient thanks to your own sleeping, living, cooking and sanitary facilities,” says Onggowinarso.