Camping Trade World – Issue 05

C OC NO N EN CE TC IT NI NG G T THHE E G LLO B A L C A M P II N G I INNDDU US ST TR RY 

Y 

ISSUE ISSUE 05 05 | CAMPINGTRADEWORLD.COM 

| SuperSprings 

I NTE RNATIONAL

WELCOME 

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. 

WALK BEFORE YOU RUN 

W 

■ith the crazy growth 

that the camping sector 

has experienced in the 

aftermath of the pandemic, it can 

be easy to get wrapped up in the 

idea that your company needs to 

be growing at a rapid rate too. Fast 

growth, however, may not always 

be the best long-term strategy for 

your company. There are actually 

a few potential downsides that 

can occur if your growth races 

away at a rapid pace completely 

unchecked. For starters, quality can 

suffer. In the desperation to meet 

soaring demand, not only could 

your manufacturing standards 

slip, but so could the cultural 

standards within your company. 

Think about it – if you desperately 

need 10 new workers in your office 

or factory to meet crazy demand, 

are you going to spend the right 

amount of time and consideration 

on those candidates to ensure 

you get the right people who are 

compatible with your business? 

You might get lucky, you might 

not. Another downside of rapid 

growth, and something we are 

seeing a fair bit of in the industry 

already, is not actually being able 

to meet the demand you create. As 

I write this, I should have recently 

returned from the Motorhome 

and Caravan Show in the UK, but 

it was cancelled – not because of 

COVID restrictions, but because of 

discussions between exhibitors and 

organisers whereby many brands 

said they simply didn’t want or 

need to create more demand for 

their products via a show because 

they were already struggling with 

what they had. This point really 

stuck with me, as it’s something I’ve 

always believed in in business – you 

must walk before you can run. 

Sure, you could chase those quick 

easy sales when times are good, 

but if you make a bad impression 

with customers, suppliers, and the 

industry as a whole, it will have 

a long-term negative impact on 

your image or brand. Sometimes 

the issues that could cause this 

negative view of your company 

might not even be in your control 

– check out our story about 

shipping issues on page 22 for a 

really good example of that. 

Growth is good, and growth is 

what we should all be aiming for 

as companies and as an industry. 

But make sure it is within your 

means. Crawl, walk, run – in that 

order and at your own pace. Don’t 

change your well-thought-out 

five-year plan chasing a quick 

buck if it is not going to pay off in 

the long run. 

Enjoy the issue, 

David Guest 

02 | www.campingtradeworld.com

CONTENTS 

16 

40 

48 

54 

58 

BASECAMP 

06-13 Get up to speed with what’s happening in the industry 

right now and use that information to help inform your 

decision making for the weeks ahead. 

THE DETAIL 

14-15 As 2021 draws to a close, we take a check on the general 

health of the industry and curate some of the most useful 

industry data available. 

16-19 Get ready for another huge camping and caravanning 

event in Germany – the CMT show in Stuttgart is gearing 

up for its return to action in January 2022. 

20-21 Is this the future of electric camping vehicles? A team of 

students from the University of Eindhoven have created 

something pretty special of a solar variety. 

22 The issues around shipping and raw material supply could 

last long into 2022, according to UK camping brand 

OLPRO and its managing director Daniel Walton. 

24-25 We explore a year in which Dometic acquired no less 

than nine different companies and what it says about the 

Swedish company’s strategy. 

FEATURES 

26-31 In what could be one of our best Doing Business With 

articles yet, we focus in on the camping, caravanning and 

RV market in Sweden, and how you could be part of it. 

32-35 Why is video so important? And how can you make it 

work for your business? SuperSprings International’s 

marketing director Tom Bateman gives us some tips. 

36-39 We headed to Utrecht in the Netherlands to be part of the 

Kampeer en Caravan Jaarbeurs show – missed it? Read our 

feature to find out who was there. 

40-43 We also made a quick trip to Barcelona recently to get a 

close-up view of the market in Spain at the annual Sálon 

Internacional Caravaning Show. 

44-47 Our Industry Views series continues with an in-depth chat 

with Konrad Baur CEO Benjamin Baur – also available in 

podcast format. 

48-53 Our spotlight turns to the camping accessories market, 

where we analyse the product categories, the trends, and 

how you can make some serious money. 

54-57 More advice from our marketing guru on how to become 

a better business – this time the focus is on how and why 

you should be improving your company’s diversity. 

MAKING CONTACT 

58-63 A snapshot of some of the coolest and most innovative 

products we have laid our eyes on in the camping, 

caravanning and RV industries this month. Your next bestseller 

could well be on these pages. 

www.campingtradeworld.com | 03

GROW YOUR BUSINESS 

Grow your 

business 

with... 

TRADE 

WORLD 

S 

■ince the launch of our 

website and digital 

magazine around a year 

ago, Camping Trade World has 

been on a rapid growth curve. 

We’ve gone from 0 to 60 pretty 

quickly and reach a growing 

audience of camping, caravanning 

and RV industry professionals 

around the world every single day. 

Our aims are to keep the industry 

informed, help you improve how 

your company operates and, if you 

choose to work with us, help you 

grow your business. 

What can it do for me? 

By working with us, even in just a small capacity, we can help you: 

• Gain partners in new countries and territories 

• Put your products/services in front of buyers around the world 

• Build your brand 

• Communicate your message to the industry 

• Source new products, services and components 

• Learn about market trends and insight 

• Get the latest news and opinion from the industry 

• Get your voice heard 


GROW YOUR BUSINESS 

How We Do It 

Our up-to-the-minute 

website is updated daily and 

is visited by 2,000 people per 

month from more than 110 

different countries. 

Our LinkedIn page is a hub 

of industry news and debate 

with a fast growing network of 

followers and a post reach of 

more than 8,000 on average. 

Our email newsletters 

feature a wide range of 

content and have strong 

engagement rates of between 

20% and 45% on average. 

Our multimedia channels 

such as our industry podcast 

and YouTube channel are 

listened to and watched by 

people around the world and 

are on a fast growth curve. 

Over 4,500 pageviews 

per issue of our digital 

magazine, people spend 10 

minutes and read 12 pages 

on average per session 

Our database now has 

professionals subscribed 

from more than 40 

different countries – with 

more joining every month. 

YOU CAN WORK WITH US FROM AS LITTLE AS £385 / $520 / €430 

VISIT www.campingtradeworld.com/advertise to find out how 

www.campingtradeworld.com | 05

BASE CAMP 

NOT ALL PANDEMICS ARE CREATED EQUAL 

■espite being a global event, pretty world, businesses are continuing to need 

much every country on Earth is to adapt to new situations and at times, 

D 

at a different stage with regards deal with some very difficult challenges.” 

to its economic and social recoveries He also highlighted examples, such as 

from the coronavirus pandemic (wow, about 50 per cent of factories in Vietnam 

we’re sick of typing those words). This currently being closed, while temporary 

thought has spurred the European restrictions and closures also continue 

Outdoor Group (EOG) into issuing a to flare up in other Asian manufacturing 

plea to the camping and outdoor industry hubs such as Malaysia, Thailand and 

to be tolerant and unified in the face of Indonesia. Quite simply, there are no 

the global supply chain challenge. EOG simple solutions to these problems, even 

president Mark Held issued a public for companies with very robust supply 

statement on the matter, stating: “As we chains. Mark added: “Brands struggle to 

move from one stage of the pandemic to manufacture, transport and supply goods, 

another, and at different paces around the while retailers cannot guarantee that they 

will have stock available for consumers. 

In an era in which ‘just in time’ has been 

a mantra for many, the current situation 

is exposing some very major, dangerous 

vulnerabilities, and threatening 

businesses around the world. Accepting 

that disruption is inevitable as a result of 

these factors is crucial, whether you are 

a brand or a retailer, and it is a fact that 

no one company is responsible for this 

situation. This in turn means that we all 

need to be tolerant and work together to 

find the best solutions possible.” 

See the full statement at 

www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com 

DOWN WITH THE KIDS 

Younger people are coming into 

camping and caravanning, of 

that there is no doubt. Partly, 

it is a natural progression as 

generations grow older. Partly, it 

has also been driven by the boost 

of interest the hobbies received 

due to global travel restrictions. 

But is your brand talking to 

younger demographics in their 

language? For German caravan 

brand Eriba, they weren’t so 

sure, so they decided it was time 

to reshape their brand’s image. 

Utilising a mix of new colour 

palettes, modern typography, 

cleaner and more modern brand 

communication, and an emphasis 

on a stronger digital presence, 

Eriba is now at the forefront 

of what it believes a brand that 

will engage younger campers 

should be. The transformation 

of the Eriba brand has caught 

the eye – not just of the caravan 

market, but also the German 

Brand Awards. Eriba’s new 

brand identity saw it crowned 

as winner in the Excellent 

Brands – Transport & Mobility 

category of the 2021 awards 

back in June 2021. Frank 

Heinrichsen, head of central 

marketing at Eriba’s parent 

company Hymer GmbH & Co, 

said: “We are delighted that 

our work has been validated 

with such a prestigious award. 

Furthermore, since the relaunch 

we have received increased 

amounts of positive feedback – 

both from our customers and 

our partners.” 


BASE CAMP 

INDUSTRY INSIDERS 

IN THIS ISSUE 

▲ With an increase in caravan users comes an increase in the need for education about safety. 

SAFETY FIRST 

With more and more leisure 

vehicles on the world’s roads 

than ever before, there is a 

heightened awareness on road 

safety that should go hand-inhand 

with that. In Australia, 

that’s something it’s the 

Caravan Industry Association of 

Australia and Australian Road 

Safety Foundation are only too 

aware of. The two organisations 

recently revealed some research 

that discovered that two of three 

road deaths in Australia occur 

on its regional roads, which 

also happen to be the roads 

that 89 per cent of camping 

trips need to use. “Our research 

also indicates that Sundays 

and Mondays when people are 

potentially returning home from 

their camping trip, maybe tired 

after a big camping trip they 

are more at risk, so once again, 

plan your trip, ensure you are 

rested and don’t rush. The roads 

will be busy as other campers 

return home,” advises Keelan 

Howard, general manager of 

marketing and communications 

at Caravan Industry Association 

of Australia. 

DIGITAL INFLUENCE 

EXPANDING SHOWS 

After a year of having to attend 

many trade shows and events 

virtually, it seems that some 

organisers have decided that 

at least some aspects of that 

enforced digitisation should 

be here to stay. The Glamping 

Show recently held its usual 

event in the UK, but decided 

to make a full programme of 

seminars available online for 

a month-long period after the 

show. For a small fee, interested 

parties could watch a full 

schedule of live seminars online 

to get even more value from the 

show if they attended, or to get 

an insight into the hot topics 

they missed if they didn’t. This 

is a trend we will likely see more 

and more of as the years go by. 

Digital additions to shows can 

make a real difference, it’s just a 

pity it took mass cancellation of 

events to come up with some of 

the good stuff. 

▲ Digital expansion to trade shows is fast becoming the norm. 

Benjamin Baur is the CEO 

of caravan and RV door 

manufacturing expert 

Konrad Baur. He explains 

how the pandemic helped 

him reassess his business 

and set it on surer footing 

for the future. 

P44-47 

The industry in Sweden 

is looking in good shape 

but there are also some 

challenges to overcome. 

Chairman of the Swedish 

Leisure Vehicle Industry 

Association Lars-Erik 

Hörmander tells all. 

P26-31 

The cost of shipping and 

the lack of raw materials 

is a big issue in the 

camping industry right 

now, and it shows no real 

signs of improving in 

2022 according to boss 

of British brand OLPRO, 

Daniel Walton. 

P22 


BASE CAMP 

Photo: Luno 

GOT CAR, WILL CAMP 

■hat with the huge surge of 

interest in camping in the 

W 

last year-and-a-half and 

manufacturers sometimes not being able 

to keep up with demand in building new 

leisure vehicles, it should perhaps be 

no surprise to learn that car camping is 

on the up. The evidence? American car 

camping brand Luno, which specialises 

in air mattresses, window blinds and 

other accessories to turn your regular 

car into a camping home from home, 

has enjoyed one of its best ever years in 

the last 12 months. The company only 

began trading in 2018 with a single 

air mattress, but it now creates a wide 

range of products and is expanding at 

a rapid rate, proving that this slightly 

less conventional camping method 

is certainly not lacking in willing 

participants. Luno founder Pete Ducato 

said: “Our goal at Luno is, and always 

has been, to create a new category in the 

outdoor marketplace: comfortable car 

camping. In 2022, we’ll expand our sleep 

ecosystem, add accessories to organize 

and elevate the car camping experience, 

introduce van accessories, and roll out 

products specifically for trucks and 

off-road vehicles to complete the car 

camping experience.” 

Over in Europe, there has also been 

an explosion of similar products flooding 

into the market, including the Back 

Car, which turns any car into a vehicle/ 

tent hybrid with relative ease (read more 

about that in our Barcelona caravanning 

show report on pages 40 to 43). 

It seems as though people who want 

to get out and camp are more than 

willing to do so, by whatever means 

possible. 

▲ Advanture magazine is 

growing at a steady rate. 

READY FOR ADVANTURE? 

The growth of the campervan 

segment has given birth to 

many things, not least the term 

‘van life’ – love it or hate it. 

This sector of the market has 

a clear identity of like-minded 

people who have a lust for 

adventure and for the freedom 

that living in a campervan 

brings. And nowhere can 

that better be sampled than 

in stylish consumer print and 

digital magazine Advanture. The 

brainchild of English adventurer 

Alex Brown, the magazine 

is available in both English 

and German and is designed 

to curate and deliver the best 

van life content that the world 

has to offer into one actionpacked 

publication. It started 

life as a passion project but, 

like the market segment that it 

is focussed on, is now gaining 

popularity and subscribers 

at a steady rate. To get a real 

feel for the end consumers in 

the van life world and what 

makes them tick, we’d heartily 

recommend heading over to 

www.advanturemagazine.com 

and grabbing a subscription. 

MAKING A STATEMENT 

It seems not a day goes by 

without a company announcing 

what they’re doing to tackle 

the issues facing our climate 

– and quite rightly so. Recent 

examples include Winnebago 

Industries, Dometic and a 

group of five European outdoor 

retailers, all of whom have 

made commitments about their 

carbon footprints and climate 

impact. While no one change is 

going to save the planet, these 

small steps will all add up and it 

begs the question: what are you 

doing about it in your company? 

If you still haven’t signed up to 

the fact the planet is in trouble, 

then at the very least think of it 

as the greatest PR stunt you can 

pull right now. Climate matters, 

to you and your customers. 


BASE CAMP 

MOVERS AND SHAKERS 

The who’s who of hires and promotions 

Camping and outdoor food and water 

products creator Katadyn Group has 

appointed Chris Voxland as the company 

president of its North American operation. 

An outdoor industry veteran with more than 

two decades at Katadyn, and most recently 

in the role of vice president of operations, 

Chris’s role is to further the company’s 

mission and values of building product lines 

and managing sustainable growth in all 

markets. Leading Scandinavian campsite 

chain First Camp has welcomed Eivor 

Andersson back to its board after a short 

break. A high-profile name in the camping 

and travel industry, Eivor left the board 

in March 2021, but has now returned. 

Leading RV component brand Lippert has 

announced that Nicole Sult has become its 

new vice president of customer experience. 

Nicole began her career with the company 

back in 2014 and will now spearhead its 

global customer experience initiatives. Top 

online marketplace for RV resorts and 

campgrounds in North America Campspot 

has appointed Erin Stender as its new chief 

marketing officer. Erin has experienced 

first-hand what life on the road in an RV 

is like and will be helping campground 

owners focus more on why they do what 

they do. Chinese camping and caravanning 

show All in Caravaning has a new project 

director in the shape of Josh Gu, who will 

succeed Yujia Du, who has left the company 

after a successful five-year tenure. Iconic 

camping name Trigano has a new man in 

charge of its Italian division with Gianguido 

Cerullo appointed as the new CEO of 

affairs in the country. Gianguido replaces 

the well-known and well-respected Paolo 

Bicci, who is retiring, though he will be 

working alongside Gianguido initially 

to ensure a smooth transition. Lastly, 

Marcus Engelhardt has been promoted 

to the role of managing director at 

German leisure vehicle brand Concorde 

Reisemobile. Marcus has been working 

with the company for some time and will 

work alongside previous managing director 

Joachim Baumgartner until the end of 2022 

to ensure that the transition is smooth for all 

concerned. 

Tell us about your hires and promotions via: 

david.guest@dhpub.co.uk

BASE CAMP 

Photo: Readly 

READ ALL ABOUT IT… AND LEARN 

M 

■agazines, particularly digital 

magazines, are more popular 

than ever before. Of course, 

the digital magazine you’re reading 

right now is going to say that, but 

don’t just take our word for it. The 

website and app Readly, a subscription 

service where users can access more 

than 5,000 different digital magazines, 

has reported a major boom in its 

subscriber numbers throughout 

2021. So what – you might say. But 

magazines are where we turn to for 

more information, for inspiration, for 

education – so the information about 

what kinds of magazines people are 

seeking out can be very helpful to 

forward-thinking businesses. Earlier 

this year, Readly reported the top 

readership category increases on 

its platform in the UK for the period 

between April and June 2021. The 

results? Camping came out good. 

Travel was the category with the 

highest increase – an impressive 42 

per cent). Cars and motoring, which 

caravanning could well be included in, 

was up by 25 per cent. In among that 

travel category was an even more indepth 

breakdown that revealed that 

caravan/motorhome and camping 

were terms found in the top ten. 

Chris Couchman, head of content at 

Readly in the UK, said: “The magazines 

we read reveal the passions and 

interests of the nation. With so much 

pent up desire for holidays we’ve seen 

the biggest surge of readership for 

travel magazines – from consumers 

planning and executing the perfect 

staycation, to staying nimble and 

responding to changing restrictions 

to travel abroad. Magazines and 

newspapers are a hugely popular path 

to planning holidays – offering insight 

and inspiration for destinations and 

activities.” 

Readly is today a digital partner to 

900 publishers worldwide with an 

inventory of over 5,000 magazine and 

newspaper titles. The magazines on 

the platform were read 99 million times 

during 2020. 

Learn more at www.readly.com 

WHAT’S THE SWISS FOR 

BOUNCEBACKABILITY? 

Imagine how tough the last 

two years of being an event 

organiser have been with 

everything that has happened in 

the world – and then throw on 

top of that the fact that the last 

time you tried to run your event, 

the Government closed it down 

halfway through. That was the 

bizarre reality facing the Suisse 

Caravan Salon this year as it 

made a successful comeback 

in the city of Bern. The 54th 

edition of the event recently 

took place from 28 October to 1 

November in Bern, Switzerland 

and attracted more than 50,000 

visitors during its five-day 

duration. The attendance far 

exceeded the expectations of 

event organiser BernExpo 

Groupe – exhibition director 

Mario Kovacevic said: “With 

a number of 50,600 visitors, 

we are drawing an extremely 

positive balance. We received 

countless positive feedbacks 

from both visitors and 

exhibitors. Everyone was happy 

to meet live again and to be able 

to look at the latest trends. Our 

exhibition team felt it was a 

great privilege to be able to host 

this Suisse Caravan Salon.” 

Want to attend in 2022? 

Head online and visit 

www.suissecaravansalon.ch to 

learn more. 

DEALS ON WHEELS 

It’s been a slightly quieter 

couple of months compared 


PLAY VIDEO * PLAY VIDEO * 

BASE CAMP 

to normal when it comes to 

buyouts and acquisitions, 

but there has still been some 

movement on this front in 

the camping, caravanning and 

RV sectors. Here is a brief 

rundown of the completed and 

the proposed deals that have 

occurred in the industry over 

the last couple of months. 

DexKo Global has completed 

its acquisition of European 

towbar solutions specialist Brink 

International, a move that will 

enable DexKo subsidiary AL- 

KO Vehicle Technology Group 

to expand its product portfolio. 

Camping and RV accessory 

giant Dometic has made yet 

another significant acquisition 

by agreeing to purchase leading 

passive cooling boxes and 

drinkware brand Igloo. Texasbased 

Igloo was founded in 

1947 and is seen as one of the 

most iconic manufacturers of 

cool boxes in the market – it 

sells its products into more than 

90,000 retail stores globally, 

most of those in the United 

States. Because it manufactures 

products at its own facility in 

Texas, it has very short lead 

times for the market in North 

Photos: BERNEXPO/Suisse Caravan Salon 

▲ More than 50,000 people attended the BernExpo for the 2021 edition of Suisse Caravan Salon. 

America. 

The acquisitions didn’t 

end there for Dometic, the 

company has entered into an 

agreement to buy premium 

camping and leisure vehicle 

barbecue equipment brand 

Cadac International of South 

Africa. A statement direct 

from Dometic explained that 

the acquisition was part of the 

company’s identification of the 

vehicle based outdoor market 

as a strong growth opportunity 

as more and more people spend 

time outdoors with a vehicle or 

boat as a base. 

GRAB THE POPCORN 

Did you know that Camping Trade World has a YouTube channel? If not, 

make sure you head over there and subscribe. This month we have some 

video highlights from the Barcelona caravan show and more to come. So, 

grab the popcorn, go and see what you missed at the show and give us a 

subscribe, so you don’t miss future content. 

FIVE STATS TO MAKE 

YOU THINK 

The GDP in the United 

01Kingdom rose in 

August with much of that 

being attributed to campsite 

bookings – the country’s 

arts entertainment and 

recreation sector grew by 9 

per cent. 

Leading American 

02camping and 

outdoor retailer REI Co-op 

will be closing its more 

than 170 stores, distribution 

centres, call centres and 

headquarters on Black 

Friday to help its staff get 

outside – for the seventh 

year running. 

03 Scandinavia’s 

largest campsite 

chain First Camp reported 

record revenues in August 

2021. Figures for all its 

destinations were 12 per 

cent up on pre-pandemic 

figures from August 2019. 

There are more than 

0430,000 businesses 

in the RV industry in the 

United States, which help 

generate $114 billion in 

annual economic impact 

for the country. 

Camping Trade 

05World is read by 

camping and leisure vehicle 

professionals in more than 

50 different countries – 

and growing. Check out 

our new media kit on the 

website to learn more 

about how we can help you 

grow your business. 


AROUND THE WORLD 

USA & CANADA 

RV brands and manufacturers in the 

United States and Canada were recently 

rewarded for their high levels of reliability, 

sales, parts and customer service as part of 

the RV Dealers Association’s 27th annual 

Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI). More than 

520 RV dealers around the United States 

and Canada were surveyed as part of this 

year’s DSI, and 21 different brands and 

manufacturers achieved the 4.25 out of five 

or higher average score needed to receive 

the commendation. Those 21 brands and 

manufacturers received their awards at the 

RV Dealers International Convention Expo 

at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on 

11 November 2021. Learn more about the 

awards at www.rvda.org 

01 

Around the world 

Camping and leisure vehicles are a global business, but 

each corner of the world faces it own unique challenges 

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

been happening on planet camping the last few months. 

02 

What’s happening 

in your part of the world? 

Contact us today and 

tell us your story: 


GERMANY 

General sports and outdoor trade show ISPO is planning to open part of its 

event to consumers for the first time when it takes place in Munich, Germany 

from 23 to 26 January, 2022. Alongside its new Experience Hall focusing on 

conferences and learning, supplementary offerings for consumers will also 

be integrated for the first time in ISPO Munich’s history in a B2C2B hall. The 

new B2C2B hall is being set up under the name “Collaborators Zone” as a 

partly separate area of ISPO Munich for specifically activating and integrating 

consumers. Here, consumer experts and (micro-)influencers from the 

Collaborators Club of the ISPO Group will encounter brands and customers 

with a strong B2C focus. Discover more about ISPO Munich at www.ispo.com 


AROUND THE WORLD 

03 

SWEDEN 

A growing interest in camping and the outdoors in Sweden has been further enhanced 

by the pandemic, according to the country’s camping industry trade and marketing 

association SCR Swedish Camping. In a normal summer, camping holidays amount to 

about 50 per cent of all commercial guest nights in Sweden, with about 25 per cent of 

those nights taken by international visitors. It is hoped that both of these numbers will 

grow – the first due to the newfound love of camping by Swedes, the second by the 

gradual return of international tourism after the pandemic. SCR has noted particular 

interest from tourists in the Netherlands and Germany for camping holidays in Sweden 

in recent months. You can learn more about the Swedish camping market in our 

special feature from page 26. Or, check out www.scr.se for even more. 

04 

ITALY 

Almost 100,000 people attended 

the recent Salone Del Camper 

show in Parma in a return to the 

kind of numbers the event enjoyed 

pre-pandemic. The event occupied 

six halls of the Fiere di Parma and 

featured exhibitors from across the 

entire camping market spectrum, 

including leisure vehicles, tents, 

awnings, accessories and other 

outdoor products. The event has 

continued on a steady growth 

curve over the last decade and is 

now supported by a wide range 

of digital and interactive elements 

such as a mobile phone app, video 

coverage, and a strong programme 

of entertainment for visitors. You 

can find out more about the show 

at www.salonedelcamper.it 

05 

CHINA 

The health of the Chinese camping and caravanning industry continues to show promise 

– at least that’s according to the vital signs provided by two of its biggest events, All In 

Caravaning and CMT China. Between them, the two shows attracted 70,000 visitors this 

year and housed hundreds of exhibitors. More important than the attendance figures 

alone, were the trends seen – with CMT reporting that approximately US $13 million worth 

of business was done on its show floor by both B2C and B2B transactions. Meanwhile 

All In Caravaning reported a growth in the numbers of younger people interested in 

camping and caravanning – about 1,500 families attended the show and the largest group 

of attendees was from the 30-39 years old bracket. Learn more about these two events 

and the Chinese market by visiting either www.cmt-china.com.cn or www.aicshow.com 

06 

AUSTRALIA 

The Caravan Industry Association 

of Australia has partnered with 

global finance asset partner DLL 

to help bring awareness of the 

latter’s financing solutions to 

RV and caravan manufacturers 

and dealers. Caravan Industry 

Association of Australia CEO 

Stuart Lamont was excited by the 

relationship, which would aim to 

increase exposure of the DLL brand 

to the Australian caravanning 

and camping industry in return 

for financial support. This will 

continue to allow the Association 

to deliver on its core pillars of 

marketing, advocacy, research, and 

compliance and accreditation. DLL 

has more than 50 years of global 

industry experience and has been 

heavily involved in the agricultural 

sector within Australia for over 25 

years. In recent years, they have 

strongly expanded their worldwide 

RV exposure and are committed 

to growing the local RV portfolio 

in Australia and New Zealand. Visit 

www.caravanindustry.com.au for 

more information. 


INDUSTRY HEALTH CHECK THE DETAIL 

Industry health check 

As we approach the end of 2021, all the vital signs point towards an industry in 

tremendous health despite the problems it faces. Does this set the foundation for 

another year of growth and success in 2022? Our crystal ball is out of action, so 

here’s some facts and figures to help you make up your own mind. 

KEEP ON SHIPPING 

■he public relations team at the 

RV Industry Association in the 

T 

United States must be getting 

pretty tired of writing the words ‘record 

shipments’, because they have penned 

them so often in 2021. Shipments of new 

RVs have been up every single month 

of 2021 when compared to 2020, about 

50 per cent up year-on-year overall. Of 

course, some of the figures in 2020 were 

abnormally low due to the initial COVID 

lockdowns, but the surge in sales in 2021 

is undeniable. 

www.rvia.org 

60000 

50000 

40000 

30000 

20000 

10000 

0 

TOTAL SHIPMENTS MONTHLY VS LAST YEAR 

2020 

2021 

J F M A M J J A S O N D 

BIG BUSINESS IN BLIGHTY 

A record number of motorhomes and 

campervans have been sold in the UK 

in the 12 months between June 2020 and 

June 2021, according to the country’s National 

Caravan Council (NCC). The industry in the UK is 

“successfully attracting a new, younger customer 

while retaining existing ones,” according to the NCC’s 

director general John Lally. 

www.leisurevehicleshub.co.uk 

NOT JUST NEW 

The boom of sales felt worldwide in the camping industry 

has not only been felt by those producing and selling new 

leisure vehicles or camping equipment – the used market 

has also seen a significant upturn. In Germany, the sales of 

new caravans and motorhomes are smashing all kinds of 

records – €6.8 billion, or an increase of 21.5 per cent in the 

first six months of 2021 alone. But used sales are also on the 

rise, as is the state of the camping accessories market too. 

www.civd.de 

3 

700 

16,608 

New motorhomes/ 

campervans registered in 

the UK (June ’20 to June ’21) 

£1.15 billion 

Value of sales of 

new motorhomes 

in UK 

8.25% 

Increase on 

previous record 

2.5 

2 

1.5 

1 

0.5 

0 

2020 2021 

USED MOTORHOME/ 

CARAVAN SALES IN 

GERMANY (€BN) 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

FIRST 

HALF OF 

2020 

FIRST 

HALF OF 

2021 

VALUE OF CAMPING/ 

LEISURE VEHICLE 

ACCESSORIES SOLD IN 

GERMANY (€M) 


THE DETAIL INDUSTRY HEALTH CHECK 

200,000 

180,000 

160,000 

140,000 

120,000 

100,000 

2021 SHOW ATTENDENCES (ESTIMATES OR ROUNDED FIGURES IN SOME CASES) 

SHOWING HOW IT’S DONE 

The return of trade and consumer shows has been a welcome 

relief to many in the camping and caravanning industry. Even 

with some COVID and travel restrictions still lingering, the 

number of people through the doors of these events has been 

fantastic and very encouraging for the future of the industry. 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

0 

Caravan Salon 

Dusseldorf 

Kampeer and 

Caravan 

Salon 

Internacional 

de 

Caravaning 

Salon des 

Véhicules de 

Loisirs 

Suisse Carvan 

Salon 

All In 

Caravaning 

Outdoor 

Retailer 

Summer 

Salone del 

Camper 

Camping & 

Picnic Fair 

Elmia 

Caravaning 

Fair 

BIG PLAYERS POST BIG RESULTS 

Of course, this industry is made 

up of hundreds and thousands of 

companies of all shapes and sizes, 

but the health of the big players is 

often a great indicator of the overall 

state of the industry. The big boys 

in camping and leisure vehicles 

have been posting some eyewatering 

results in 2021, with more 

to come, or so it seems. 

54.1% 41.6% 22.9% 23% 33% 

Winnebago 

fiscal year 2021 

revenue: 

$3.6 billion 

Thor 

Industries 

fiscal year 

2021 net sales: 

$12.32 billion 

Knaus 

Tabbert 

first half of 

financial 

year revenue: 

€441.6 million 

Erwin Hymer 

Group 

fiscal year 

2020/2021 

turnover: 

€2.7 billion 

Dometic 

first three 

quarters of 

fiscal year 2021 

net sales: 

$1.86 billion 

INTEREST OVER TIME 

100 

75 

50 

25 

Campervan Camping Caravan Motorhome 

3 Jan 28 Mar 20 Jun 12 Sep 

THE DIGITAL CUSTOMER 

We are all well-versed with the fact that the camping customer is far more online 

savvy than they ever were, and the latest trends from search engine giant Google 

prove this. Searches for terms relating to camping and leisure vehicles have remained 

high throughout the year worldwide, with obvious peaks in the summer months. 

TOP 10 COUNTRIES 

SEARCHING FOR ‘CAMPING’ 

ON GOOGLE IN 2021 

Netherlands 

France 

Switzerland 

Denmark 

Norway 

Luxembourg 

Sweden 

Belgium 

Spain 

Germany 


CMT EXHIBITION THE DETAIL 

All photos © Landemesse Stuttgart 

Stuttgart 

calling to the 

caravan world 


THE DETAIL CMT EXHIBITION 

▲ After missing its 2021 edition, CMT is looking forward to getting back to business in 2022. 

The full spectrum of camping, caravanning and mobile holidays 

will be on display in Stuttgart, Germany this coming January 

as the CMT exhibition looks forward to its return to action as a 

physical event, boasting its largest ever floorplan. 

A 

■gainst the backdrop 

of the German 

leisure vehicle market 

currently experiencing one of 

its most successful periods of 

all time and a world in which 

exhibitions are learning to 

hold safe events again during 

a pandemic, preparations for 

one of the world’s leading 

caravanning and holiday shows 

are well underway. CMT is 

set to take place at the Messe 

Stuttgart from 15 to 23 January 

2022 after being forced to hold 

a digital only event for the 

trade in 2021, and organisers 

are anticipating a successful 

and prosperous show for 

exhibitors and attendees alike. 

This year the show will feature 

a new layout compared to 

previous years that will allow 

it more space than ever before, 

including a 70,000sqm area 

dedicated to the hot topic that 

is ‘van life’. The focus on leisure 

vehicles in general remains 

a high priority for CMT 

especially in light of the record 

number of new registrations 

for motorhomes and caravans 

announced by the Caravaning 

Industry Association (CIVD) 

for the first six months of 

2021 – these figures underline 

the relevance of CMT and the 

high level of interest among the 

visitor target group. 

Whether camper vans or 

luxury liners, visitors who 

are interested in caravanning 

will see a large number of 

different brands, models, 

floor plans, vehicle types 

and configurations in every 

price category. At the start of 

the year, CMT will provide 

a complete overview of the 

market in this segment and 

will take account of the higher 

demand by increasing the 

amount of exhibition space 

for camping and caravanning. 

In addition to the proven 

caravanning areas in the 

L-Bank Forum (Hall 1), Hall 

C2, Jacques Lanners Hall 

(Hall 3), Hall 5 and Paul Horn 

Hall (Hall 10), recreational 

vehicles will therefore also be 

presented in January in the 

Alfred Kärcher Hall (Hall 8). 

Liners from the luxury segment 

will be combined for the first 

time in the Premium Hall 

(Hall C2). The brands of the 

company Knaus Tabbert AG 

will therefore move to the Paul 

Horn Hall (Hall 10) where 

they will occupy an area of 

15,000 square metres. 

THE VENUE 

Messe Stuttgart 

Messepiazza 1 

70629 Stuttgart 

Germany 

The accessibility of the 

Messe Stuttgart is one of 

things that makes CMT so 

appealing to visitors – both 

trade and consumer alike. 

The exhibition centre is 

connected to the highspeed 

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. It also easy to 

access via bicycle, taxi 

or even by walking, with 

a plethora of hotels and 

accommodation nearby. 


CMT EXHIBITION THE DETAIL 

QUICK-FIRE 

QUESTIONS 

Verena Baumann 

Press relations for CMT 

All pics © Landemesse Stuttgart 

How does it feel to finally be able to 

welcome people back to a ‘real life’ 

show? 

“We are really looking forward to 

welcoming our exhibitors and visitors 

back to Stuttgart. During the past 

months, we have all noticed how 

much we miss getting together 

with clients, business partners and 

friends. Therefore, we are happy that 

exhibitions can again take place – of 

course with a few rules that everyone 

has to respect in order to make a visit 

at CMT safe for all of us. Nevertheless, 

the first events that already took 

place the last few weeks showed 

that real life shows are possible and 

successful again.” 

What is new for the show in 2022? 

“In 2022, CMT will offer even more 

space for caravanning: In addition 

to the proven caravanning areas 

in the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1), Hall 

C2, Jacques Lanners Hall (Hall 3), 

Hall 5 and Paul Horn Hall (Hall 10), 

recreational vehicles will therefore also 

be presented in January in the Alfred 

Kärcher Hall (Hall 8). Liners from the 

luxury segment will be combined for 

the first time in the Premium Hall (Hall 

C2). The brands of the company Knaus 

Tabbert AG will therefore move to the 

Paul Horn Hall (Hall 10) where they 

will occupy an area of 15,000 square 

metres. Especially the trend topic 

“Vanlife” will grow, since nearly every 

manufacturer of motorhomes and 

caravans now has compact models in 

their product range. 

“As caravanning partner, the national 

park region of the Black Forest will 

present its variety of outdoor and 

camping activities. 

“In the touristic area, there will be 

a new show called “Interdive” that 

presents diving and snorkelling tourism 

(20 – 23 january). The official partner 

country for CMT 2022 is Mongolia.” 

What are the three main reasons 

people in the camping/caravanning 

industry should attend CMT? 

“At the start of the year, CMT will 

provide a complete overview of the 

camping and caravanning market. 

Nowhere else do customers have the 

chance to inform themselves, compare 

and buy so many different vehicles 

and find the matching accessories or 

equipment. 

“Many exhibitors use CMT as a 

platform to present their novelties 

for the upcoming holiday season. 

Everyone who wants to see and 

experience the newest models and 

brands should visit CMT. 

“There is a huge accompanying 

programme for B2B and B2C visitors, 

for example the holiday cinema or our 

vanlife lounge, as well as networking 

events for the industry.” 


THE DETAIL CMT EXHIBITION 

Pic © Stuttgart Marketing GmbH/Thomas Niedermuller 

▲ The city of Stuttgart is considered the spiritual home of the automotive industry in Germany. 

In addition to leading brands such as the 

Erwin Hymer Group, small manufactures and 

manufacturers of offroad mobile vehicles or 

small caravans will also present their products. 

Alexander Ege, department 

director for CMT, explained: 

“This represents a record for an 

exhibitor at Messe Stuttgart. But 

regardless of whether they are a 

renowned caravan manufacturer 

or a one-man company, we are 

grateful that our exhibitors have 

stayed loyal to us after a difficult 

period and that we can offer our 

visitors the entire spectrum of 

mobile travel at CMT.” 

In addition to leading brands 

such as the Erwin Hymer 

Group, small manufactures 

and manufacturers of off-road 

mobile vehicles or small caravans 

will also present their products. 

Anyone wanting to get even 

closer to nature while on holiday 

will find folding tent trailers or 

roof tents at the Entrance East. 

Alexander added: “Of course, 

it’s not just the vehicle that is 

important for a perfect holiday, 

but also the right equipment and 

the best destinations. In Halls 

7 and 8 camping enthusiasts 

will find the corresponding 

accessories, e.g. bike racks, 

heaters or extension modules, 

along with the stands of the 

most beautiful camp sites.” 

According to the CIVD, more 

than half of the newly registered 

motorhomes and caravans in 

the first six months of 2021 

were in the box van segment. 

This trend will also be seen at 

CMT because the exhibition will 

feature camper vans and box vans 

in all seven caravanning halls. 

Alexander said: “Nearly every 

manufacturer of motorhomes 

and caravans now has compact 

models in their product range. 

Since these vehicles are suitable 

for everyday use, they are 

especially interesting for singles, 

couples or beginners. A large 

number of rental offers are also 

available. 

The Vanlife Lounge, which 

celebrated its première in 2020 

and proved very popular among 

visitors, will return in 2022. In 

a pleasant atmosphere in Hall 

8 influencers from the vanlife 

area and professionals will be 

available to discuss topics such 

as travel routes or self-build 

vehicles. 

To learn more about the show 

or to register to attend, then 

head online to 

www.messe-stuttgart.de/cmt 

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. 

Despite this, the city is 

located in an area of rolling 

green hills with forests 

and vineyards all around. 

The city is also littered 

with interesting history 

and ancient architecture, 

with perhaps the most 

famous example being 

the ruins of Hohenneuffen 

Castle. There’s also a wide 

range of museums and 

galleries covering a wide 

range of areas including 

nature, history, literature, 

viniculture, and of course, 

automobiles – the 

Mercedes-Benz museum is 

unmissable for auto fans. 


SOLAR LEISURE VEHICLE THE DETAIL 

Is this the future of 

leisure vehicles? 

A team of students from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands 

has presented what they hope could be the future of solar powered leisure vehicles 

– the Stella Vita. 

Photos: Bart van Overbeeke 

W 

■e’re all aware that 

the days of burning 

petrol and diesel to 

travel around are numbered. 

The environmental pressures 

mounting on the combustion 

engine are growing by the day, 

added to the threat that this 

fuel source is ultimately finite. 

But it is a tricky problem to 

navigate. For sure, leisure vehicle 

manufacturers understand 

the nature of the problem 

and the reasons why it has 

to be addressed, but in the 

cutthroat world of international 

business, it’s hard to pour so 

much time, money, and effort 

into something that isn’t yet 

bringing great return. Perhaps 

that is why it has taken the 

efforts of a group of students 

at Eindhoven University of 

Technology in the Netherlands 

to come up with a solution for 

the leisure vehicle market that 

looks like it has real potential. 

The solution is the Stella 

Vita – a solar-powered ‘house 

on wheels’ that is completely 

self-sufficient. The power it 

generates from the solar panels 

is enough to drive, shower, 

watch TV, charge your laptop, 

make coffee, you name it. It 

also features a pop-top roof 

that allows you to stand inside, 

a move which also allows extra 

solar panels to fold out so 

you can generate even more 

power when stationary. On a 

sunny day, the Stella Vita can 

travel up to 730km. The team 

of students at the university 

are better known as Solar 

Team Eindhoven, and they 

believe the fact that they work 

independently from the market 

means they are more free to 

experiment and innovate with 

the ideas they have, compared 

to the current mobility or 

energy markets. 

To prove the worth of the 

Stella Vita, a group of students 

from Solar Team Eindhoven 

recently successfully travelled 

from Eindhoven all the way to 

the southernmost tip of Spain 

using only power from the sun 

to propel them. 

Kjell Revenberg, team 

manager of Solar Team 

Eindhoven, said: “They [the 

students here] are the future, 

the next generation. They 

can encourage and accelerate 

the transition to a more 


THE DETAIL SOLAR LEISURE VEHICLE 

▲ The Stella Vita went from concept to real-life very quickly. 

They [the students here] are 

the future, the next generation. 

They can encourage and 

accelerate the transition to a 

more sustainable future. 

sustainable future. To accelerate 

this transition, we are going 

to inspire as many people 

in Europe as possible for a 

sustainable future during our 

journey.” 

The Stella Vita is designed 

to carry two passengers and 

has a length of 7.2m. Its 1,806 

solar cells help it to achieve 

the distance of more than 

700km of driving in the day 

and 600km by night if fully 

charged – with an impressive 

top speed of 120km/h. 

In 2050, the national 

climate target is to reduce 

CO2 emissions by 95-100 per 

cent compared to 1990. In the 

Netherlands and Europe, sharp 

goals have been set to reduce 

CO2 emissions and keep the 

earth liveable. The Netherlands 

must replace fossil fuels with 

sustainable energy sources 

in order to realise the energy 

transition. A transition that, as 

far as Solar Team Eindhoven 

is concerned, is not going fast 

enough. By creating innovative, 

energy-efficient solar vehicles, 

Solar Team Eindhoven inspires 

the current market and society 

to accelerate the transition to 

a sustainable future - in both 

mobility and energy. 

▲ The vehicle can travel 700km in one day with sunny weather. 

WHO ARE SOLAR TEAM EINDHOVEN? 

A group of 22 enthusiastic and passionate students who set 

aside one-and-a-half years of their studies to create a vehicle 

that runs entirely on the energy from the sun. Since 2012, 

the group has been working on efficient and innovative solar 

family cars – successfully showcasing the Stella, Stella Lux, 

Stella Vie and Stella Era over the next few years – proving that 

a fully solar powered car is much closer to reality that first 

thought. 

The team say: “We believe that driving on solar energy 

is not a limitation, but on the contrary provides endless 

possibilities. A future in which sustainable mobility offers new 

opportunities by making efficient use of the sun’s energy. We 

believe that the solution to the energy transition lies in the 

vehicles themselves. By fitting solar panels to your vehicle, 

you will be independent of the charging infrastructure. This 

allows you to go wherever you want. By making use of our 

greatest source of energy, the sun, we can extend mobility 

beyond driving alone. Electric driving can make a positive 

contribution to the energy system by feeding energy back 

into the grid. 

“The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.” 

Learn more at www.solarteameindhoven.nl 


SHIPPING ISSUES THE DETAIL 

Limited stock and rising prices 

predicted by camping brand 

British tent and camping accessory brand OLPRO says it expects 2022 to be a challenging 

one with ongoing stock issues and material price rises set to continue. 

■ A 

severe lack of shipping 

containers will continue 

to cause limited stock 

and rising prices for camping 

and outdoor products, according 

to leading UK brand OLPRO. 

The company believes that the 

problems will remain ever-present 

in 2022, having experienced 

delays around several of its new 

products, including the highlyanticipated 

Wrap campervan 

awning, which sold out of preorders 

in May 2021. 

OLPRO says that the camping 

industry has experienced issues 

in manufacturing enough stock 

to meet the soaring demand 

for products, with the cost of 

manufacturing also constantly 

increasing. A typical container 

costs OLPRO around US 

$2,000, but during 2021 that has 

jumped to about US $11,000 per 

container – due to high demand 

and an ever-limited number of 

available containers. 

OLPRO’s managing director, 

Daniel Walton, said: “We’ve 

received nearly half a million 

pounds’ worth of stock less 

than we expected at this point 

in the year, which is a huge 

disappointment for a business 

like ours. Last year we were able 

to turnover £3.2million, so to 

have missed out on such a large 

amount of stock is definitely 

worrying. 

“In some instances, the delays 

on shipping for our products 

have been so severe that we’ve 

had to pay roughly £200 per 

product to get them flown over 

by air instead. Some of our 

customers had pre-ordered their 

products at the end of 2020 

and their products still haven’t 

arrived - we’re just as frustrated 

by the delays as they are. It’s just 

been an incredibly difficult year 

for logistics. 

“Since June, we’ve been 

forced to introduce an entirely 

new system for pre-orders, 

so customers are only able to 

pre-order a product once we 

know it’s manufactured, and 

it’s confirmed to be on the way 

from our factories. However, 

the issues we can’t work our 

way around is the shortage of 

containers and drivers available, 

and unfortunately this means 

we expect 2022 to be another 

year of limited stock and rising 

prices for our customers.” 

Many of these issues can be 

attributed to the pandemic, but 

the United Kingdom also has 

the added complication of the 

fall-out from Brexit, which is 

contributing not only to red 

tape on import and export but 

also the shortage of logistics 

drivers and deliverers. 

WE WANT YOUR VIEWS 

Have you been affected by 

shipping or manufacturing 

issues? Have you come up 

with a smart solution to 

solve them? Let us know 

your thoughts by emailing 

editor David Guest at 



TRADE 

WORLD 

www.campingtradeworld.com 

WELCOME TO CAMPING TRADE WORLD 

We are a new international 

B2B media platform for the 

camping industry. Through 

our digital magazine, our 

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newsletters and our podcast, 

we cover tents, motorhomes, 

caravans, campervans, awnings, 

accessories and more. If it 

happens in the international 

camping trade, it happens in 

Camping Trade World. 

Our goal is to help you grow your business. By working with us you could: 

- Gain new partners in new territories 

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- Learn about market trends 

- Get the latest news and opinion 

- Get your voice heard 

CONNECTING THE GLOBAL CAMPING INDUSTRY 

WILLKOMMEN BEI CAMPING TRADE WORLD 

Wir sind eine neue internationale 

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DOMETIC THE DETAIL 

Dometic’s domination 

Dometic has been in the news an awful lot during 2021 – the Sweden-based company 

has been on an aggressive acquisition trail snapping up businesses at a rapid rate. Now 

the dust has settled, some very clear patterns have emerged… 

T 

■here was one point 

during 2021 when 

it seemed like not 

a week went by without the 

announcement of another 

acquisition made by mobile 

living and outdoors product 

expert Dometic. The Swedenbased 

firm’s impressive 

acquisition trail during the 

course of the year saw it acquire 

no fewer than nine separate 

businesses, based in countries 

everywhere from South 

Africa to Australia. Already a 

huge global player in the RV, 

camping and outdoor living 

markets, Dometic has some 

clear growth strategies that it 

exercised through the form of 

acquisitions in 2021. This recap 

paints a picture of an ambitious 

company with clearly defined 

growth goals. 

All photos © of the brands 

they depict, and Dometic. 

TWIN EAGLES 

The signal of intent from 

Dometic began early in the 

year when it entered into an 

agreement to acquire US 

manufacturer of freestanding 

and built-in grills and outdoor 

kitchen solutions Twin Eagles 

in February. 

Who are they? 

The company was founded in 

1999 and is based in Cerritos, 

California, USA with about 

130 employees. Nearly all 

their manufacturing of their 

premium grills is conducted 

in the USA and their 2021 

annual net sales was 

estimated at US $34 million. 

Why buy? 

Dometic said that the 

residential outdoor market 

is one with strong potential 

for growth and that Twin 

Eagles would be a strong 

asset to help it capitalise 

on consumers’ appetite for 

staycations and outdoor living. 

VALTERRA PRODUCTS 

In April, another North 

American firm, Valterra 

Products, joined Dometic. 

Valterra is a leading provider 

of service and aftermarket 

products to the RV and CPV 

industries. 

Who are they? 

About 90 per cent of what 

Valterra does is aftermarket 

products, consumables 

and accessories for the RV 

industry – product categories 

include solar power, sewer 

and sanitation, power cords 

and other electrical products. 

In 2020 its sales were 

approximately US $94 million. 

Why buy? 

Expansion in the service and 

aftermarket sectors was a clear 

strategic priority for Dometic 

and Valterra, plus its subsidiary 

brand Go Power!, provided this. 

Dometic president and CEO 

Juan Vargues said: “Valterra 

complements our product 

portfolio and strengthens our 

offer to make Dometic even 

more relevant to our current 

and future customers.” 

FRONT RUNNER VEHICLE 

OUTFITTERS 

South Africa-based Front 

Runner Vehicle Outfitters 

was next to join the Dometic 

stable. This global player was 

added not long after Enerdrive. 

Who are they? 

Selling its wares on four 

continents through a 

network of more than 600 

dealers, Front Runner has 

approximately 320 full-time 

staff and has a headquarters 

and manufacturing facility in 

Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Why buy? 

The vehicle-based outdoor 

market had been identified 

by Dometic as one with 

opportunity for growth. Juan 

Vargues said: “Our strategy 

for profitable expansion in 

Mobile Living is built on a 

combination of organic and 

acquisitive growth.” He also 

hinted that although this was 

the fourth acquisition of the 

year, there was more to come. 


THE DETAIL DOMETIC 

Who are they? 

Founded in 2010, Bend, 

Oregon-based Zamp Solar 

has rapidly become a leading 

manufacturer in its field 

with more than 400 active 

customers. 

Who are they? 

With a staggering net sales 

figure of more than US $400 

million, Igloo is a huge player 

and an iconic American brand. 

It’s headquartered in Texas and 

has more than 1,100 employees. 

ENERDRIVE 

The acquisition of Australian 

mobile power products firm 

Enerdrive was the first signal 

that this sector was a key 

growth market for Dometic. 

Who are they? 

With a huge service and 

aftermarket network of more 

than 1,200 dealers, Enerdrive 

provides mobile power, solar 

power and battery products 

to the RV, CPV and marine 

industries. Its 2020 net sales 

were valued at US $22 million. 

Why buy? 

Dometic had clearly outlined 

the off-grid power as a key 

market for its own expansion. 

Buying Enerdrive also 

strengthened Dometic’s hand 

in the Pacific region. 

ZAMP SOLAR 

Another American firm was also 

added to Dometic’s impressive 

stable in the shape of Zamp 

Solar, a manufacturer of 

innovative mobile solar power 

solutions. 

Why buy? 

Zamp was brought in to 

complement the growing 

mobile power product offering 

Dometic was compiling. 

“Our strategy for profitable 

expansion in Mobile Living 

is built on a combination of 

organic and acquisitive growth,” 

said Juan Vargues. 

BÜTTNER ELEKTRONIK 

Germany-located Büttner 

Elektronik was the first 

European company to be 

bought by Dometic. The 

company is also an expert 

in mobile and solar power 

solutions. 

Who are they? 

With 2020 net sales at about 

€13 million and only about 

17 employees, Büttner was 

one of the smaller companies 

Dometic acquired in 2021, but 

its potential to grow is strong. 

Why buy? 

It was becoming obvious by 

now that Dometic had plans of 

being the leading supplier of 

mobile power and solar power 

products in the outdoor market, 

Büttner fit the bill perfectly. 

CADAC INTERNATIONAL 

Cadac is a global supplier of 

premium barbecue equipment 

to the camping industry and 

was a surprise acquisition by 

Dometic in September. 

Who are they? 

Cadac International sells 

predominantly throughout 

Europe to a network of more 

than 600 dealers and also 

through its own B2C channels. 

Its 2020 net sales were roughly 

€17 million. 

Why buy? 

Dometic said that with more 

and more people spending 

time outdoors using their RV 

or boat as a base, Cadac was 

a perfect fit to add to its own 

offering of cooling boxes, tents 

and mobile power solutions. 

IGLOO 

The biggest buy of the year 

came in September when 

Dometic agreed to buy world 

leader in passive cooling boxes 

and drinkware Igloo. 

Why buy? 

Juan Vargues said: “North 

America is the largest market 

for cooling boxes and outdoor 

products, and with Igloo’s 

strong brand recognition, 

consumer knowledge and local 

manufacturing capabilities, we 

are getting the necessary tools 

to further drive our sales and 

margin expansion.” 

NDS ENERGY 

The last acquisition (as of 12 

November) was that of Italian 

mobile and solar power 

solutions company NDS Energy. 

Who are they? 

Based in Pescara, Italy, NDS 

Energy totalled €11 million in 

net sales over the last year and 

has a sales network of more 

than 200 dealers in the country. 

Why buy? 

Is this the final piece in the 

jigsaw for Dometic in its 

quest to be an industry leader 

in mobile and solar power 

solutions for the outdoor 

market? Only time will tell… 


SWEDEN DOING BUSINESS WITH... 

DOING 

BUSINESS 

WITH... 

Sweden 

With a huge value to the Swedish economy and an integral part of its tourism industry, 

camping is serious business in the heart of Scandinavia. How can you learn more about 

the market? Our latest Doing Business With article is a great place to start. 

Photo: Noah Holm/Unsplash 


DOING BUSINESS WITH... SWEDEN 

W 

■ith an estimated value of 

approximately US $800 

million to the country’s 

economy, camping is big business 

in Sweden, in all of its guises. The 

country was posting annual figures 

of about 16 million tourism nights 

per year attributed to camping 

before the pandemic, and that 

figure is likely to increase once 

the worst of it is over. Sweden has 

a very strong domestic camping 

market, but like everywhere, it 

does rely on foreign tourists too. 

The figures for international 

visitors were hit hard initially by 

the pandemic, but many industry 

leaders in Sweden predict that 

once these return to pre-pandemic 

levels, alongside the growth 

of domestic camping interest 

alongside, then the industry here 

will be in very good shape indeed. 

As you would expect from a 

largely beautiful and rural nation 

with a population density of 

just 25.4 inhabitants per square 

kilometre, there are plenty of 

places to go camping in Sweden. 

Campsite chains, such as First 

Camp, are reporting steady growth 

in the number of new campsites 

they continue to acquire and 

open, with demand on a steady 

upward track. Swedish campers, 

by and large, prefer to camp in 

leisure vehicles as opposed to 

tents – according to some of the 

latest figures from SCR Swedish 

Camping, around 90 per cent of 

camping nights were recorded 

in caravans or motorhomes in 

2019. This could be because of 

the increasing demands for what 

modern holidaymakers in Sweden 

expect from their vacations. 

More and more they expect the 

comforts of home on the campsite, 

a trend which lends itself more 

to leisure vehicles than it does 

to tents. It could also simply be 

down to the rather brutal and cold 

Swedish winters. Nevertheless, 

the tent market still has some 

legs here, and in particular, there 

are some notable camping and 

▲ Campsites have become ever-busier in Sweden the past year. 

outdoor accessory brands that 

call Sweden home. The average 

Swede probably lives a much more 

outdoor-focussed lifestyle than 

many other European nations. 

Sweden is home to several wellknown 

brands in the camping 

and RV industry, but a lot of the 

products sold here tend to be 

imports from other European 

nations. This paints a pretty 

picture for those brands looking to 

export their products to Sweden 

– this is a nation very willing to 

accept high quality products from 

other countries. 

Sweden can perhaps lay claim 

to being the most significant 

camping market among its 

Scandinavian and Nordic 

neighbours, and as such it is 

often the central hub for events 

in the industry, such as the Elmia 

Husvagn Husbil show. 

The market in Sweden, while 

relatively modest in size, still has 

great potential for brands looking 

to find partners within it, and also 

for those seeking Swedish brands 

to bring to their own countries. 

The market is developed to a level 

whereby it has several associations 

and organisations that serve 

its interests. Examples include 

SCR Swedish Camping and 

Photo: First Camp 

Husvagnbranschens Riksförbund. 

The latter of these is a full-time 

member of the European Caravan 

Federation, and as such works at a 

pan-European level to help develop 

the interests of the industry. 

In general, it can be said that 

the Swedish market is in quite 

an exciting phase. There are an 

estimated 1,000 campsites in the 

country, but many of those are 

small and independently owned. 

A trend is now developing for 

the growth of chains such as First 

Camp to offer a more uniform 

and higher standard of camping 

conditions to people all around 

the country. This consolidation is 

being matched with digitisation as 

a younger demographic of Swedes 

engage with camping and want 

to do so on their own terms with 

easy online booking and service. 

As Johan Söör, the CEO of 

Swedish campsite chain First 

Camp, put it to us in a recent 

Camping Trade World podcast: 

“The Swedish camping market was 

seeing annual growth. Covid-19 

has been a bump in the road, but 

we are set for continued growth. 

More and more people are booking, 

caravan sales in Sweden are up, it’s 

looking like there are very positive 

long-term prospects.” 

FACT FILE 

Capital: Stockholm 

Population: 10,400,000 

Dialling code: +46 

Prime Minister: 

Stefan Löfven 

Official languages: 

Swedish 

Time zones: GMT+1 

Currency: Swedish Krone 

Internet domain: .se 

ECONOMY IN FOCUS 

$612 billion 

GDP (USD) 

$57,660 

GPD per capita (USD) 

3.5% 

GDP growth 

9% 

unemployment 

(2021 estimate) 

TOP IMPORT PARTNERS: 

Germany 

Netherlands 

Norway 

Denmark 

United Kingdom 

TOP EXPORT PARTNERS: 

Germany 

Norway 

Finland 

USA 

Denmark 



Photo: First Camp 

ECONOMY IN FOCUS 

Sweden is an economy 

that could be considered a 

throwback to simpler times 

in terms of its structure. It’s 

an export market, and still 

relies heavily on exporting 

rich raw materials – primarily 

wood and timber from its 

many large and lush forests. 

About half of Swedish 

forestland is privately 

owned, a quarter owned 

by companies and the 

remaining quarter public 

owned. Wood, alongside 

pulp and paper, metallic 

ores and waterpower are the 

bedrock of the economy. 

The country does also have 

very strong agriculture and 

relies on its dairy farming 

and also on its fishing. 

A member of the EU, 

Sweden still floats its own 

currency, the krone, which 

helps give it independence 

and remain flexible. It does 

have a modest financial 

sector within its economy, 

which is largely centred 

around the capital city 

Stockholm. The service 

sector is also relatively 

modest but it is growing 

with business services 

and technology quickly 

becoming significantly 

important to the country. 

Sweden is known 

for investing taxes well 

and has strong focus on 

education and society. 

Around three quarters of 

working-age women in 

Sweden are participating 

in the workforce, among 

the highest figures of any 

country in the world. 

WHO’S WHO 

Sweden might not be the first place you think of when trying to name the biggest brands in the camping and 

leisure vehicle arenas, however there are some notable big hitters that should be taken note of. The beautiful 

summers and harsh winters of Sweden have meant that producers here have to make their products to the 

highest quality standards, as well as matching the typical simple yet cool style of Scandinavian brands. Whether 

you are looking for caravans, tents or just a simple camping accessory, you will find a Swedish company that 

makes what you want, and probably to an excellent standard. 

KABE 

One of the biggest names in Sweden in caravans and motorhomes is that of Kabe. The 

Småland-based company began its operations in 1957 and has become a leading name 

in Scandinavia in that time. The group also comprises the Kama Fritid AB accessory 

wholesaler and, more recently, British caravan brand Coachman, which Kabe acquired in 

early 2021. It produces about 850 motorhomes per year. 

www.kabe.se 

PRIMUS 

With a history that dates back to 1892, Primus is a Swedish brand with serious history. In 

that year, the company created the world’s first soot-free kerosene stove. Since then it 

has gone on to continuously evolve and develop its camping and outdoor stoves and can 

count numerous explorers and adventurers among its happy customers. The company 

has a production facility in Lithiania and is part of the Fenix Outdoor International group. 

www.primusequipment.com 

FJÄLL RÄVEN 

With humble beginnings in the small Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik, Fjäll Räven has 

grown to become one of the outdoor industry’s most recognisable clothing and 

accessory brands. The company’s products focus on style, simplicity and practicality 

in true Scandinavian style, and it also makes a range of tents, sleeping bags and other 

products that are specific for camping. Fjäll Räven is also part of Fenix Outdoor. 

www.fjallraven.com 



POLAR 

Polar is a Swedish caravan manufacturer that has been around since 1964. The factory and 

headquarters of the company are located in Dorotea and it prides itself on craftsmanship 

that it says hasn’t changed in terms of quality since those early days. Attention to detail 

and huge experience are what set Polar leisure vehicles apart and help to make it one of 

Sweden’s biggest players. The company is part of the SoliferPolar AB group. 

www.polarvagnen.se 

NORDIC HUSBILAR 

Manufacturing motorhomes since 1990, Nordic Husbilar has a philosophy that people 

should be able to use their motorhomes all year round, so every part of them has been 

made to withstand the rigours of the Nordic winter. The company has a wide range of 

models and encourages users to get outside and get active, no matter what time of year it 

is. It also has a strong presence in neighbouring Norway with a subsidiary company there. 

www.nordic-husbilar.se 

HILLEBERG 

Founded back in 1971 by a professional forester in Sweden, Hilleberg is a company that 

only added tents to its range as a side project initially, but quickly became known for 

their designs that featured the inner and outer tents sewn together. Over the years the 

company has grown to become a well-loved brand not only in Scandinavia, but also in 

the United States too. The company is still a family business to this day. 

www.hilleberg.com 

Kabe produces about 850 motorhomes per year 

and prides itself on quality, safety and all standard 

equipment being included in the price. 

SHOW BUSINESS 

The main domestic show 

in Sweden for camping 

and caravanning is the 

Elmia Husvagn Husbil 

show, which lays claim to 

being the biggest show 

of its kind in Scandinavia. 

Taking place in 2022 from 

7 to 11 September in the 

central city of Jönköping, 

the show usually attracts 

about 35,000 attendees 

and is very well regarded 

by consumers and the 

industry alike. The show 

claims to be an excellent 

way for brands and retailers 

not only to conduct serious 

business, but also to propel 

their brands into the 

minds of the Scandinavian 

consumers. As well as 

being a celebration of the 

market, the show also offers 

visitors the chance to camp 

at the exhibition centre in 

their own leisure vehicles, 

making it even easier to 

attend. 

You can learn more online 

at www.elmia.se/husvagn/ 

▲ Kabe is arguably the biggest name in caravanning in Sweden (photo © Kabe). 



SWEDISH MARKET STATS 

7,900 

Motorhomes and caravans 

have been registered in 

Sweden between 

Jan and Sept 2021 

30.4% 

Increase in leisure vehicle 

registrations in 2021 

compared to 2020 

35,000 

The usual number of 

attendees at the Elmia 

Husvagn Husbil show 

INSIDER 

INSIGHT 

JOHAN SÖÖR, CEO of First Camp 

16 million 

Overnight camping stays in 

Sweden per year (2019 figure) 

5% 

Of campers in 2019 

stayed in a tent 

Where do Sweden’s 

campers come from? 

(2018 SCR figures) 

75.3% Sweden 

12.9% Norway 

6.1% Germany 

1.8% Netherlands 

1.1% Denmark 

“The Swedish market is generally 

in good shape. Obviously, 

the pandemic caused some 

uncertainty especially in 2020, 

with fewer international guests 

but more domestic visitors. The 

market has improved gradually 

in 2021 and for First Camp, total 

like-for-like revenues in June to 

August this year was only 4 per 

cent down vs 2019, i.e., pre- 

Covid-19. Many retailers have 

reported strong sales figures this 

year and we’ve had many new 

campers at our 49 campsites in 

Sweden. 

“Due to travel restrictions 

during the pandemic, many 

Swedes have gone on a camping 

holiday for the first time instead 

of doing a charter trip to 

southern Europe. Many of our 

new guests have really enjoyed 

what Swedish campsites have to 

offer and we have an excellent 

opportunity to turn them into 

loyal campers. Furthermore, with 

global warming, people that 

historically went to campsites 

in southern Europe during 

summer are now more interested 

in going to Scandinavia, which 

perhaps has more convenient 

temperatures in July. 

“We hope that all 

international campers that went 

to Sweden pre-Covid-19 are 

getting back in 2022 – normally 

they account for 25 per cent of 

all overnight stays in Sweden. 

“I do hope that retailers 

and manufacturers of camping 

vehicles can capitalise on the 

large interest for camping in 

Sweden and are able to keep up 

with demand. 

“First Camp has grown 

rapidly, from 23 campsites in 

2018 to 55 now in Sweden and 

Denmark. We are continuing 

to drive consolidation, 

professionalisation and 

digitalisation in the 

Scandinavian market and we 

have an exciting growth agenda 

going forward, also outside 

of Sweden and Denmark. In 

addition, we’re continuing 

to invest in our product and 

in state-of-the-art digital 

solutions – for example our 

AI-based technology for pricing 

and digital marketing that we 

launched earlier this year. I’m 

very proud of the team and of 

what they’ve accomplished.” 



LARS-ERIK HÖRMANDER, chairman of HRF (Swedish Leisure Vehicle Industry Association) 

“The camping and leisure vehicle 

market in Sweden shows good 

growth. Up to September, the 

number of registered caravans 

increased by 11 per cent and 

motorhomes by 30 per cent. 

Campsites increased their number 

of guest nights between June and 

August with 20 per cent in total 

during that period corresponding 

to 10.9 million guest nights. 

“The leisure vehicle industry 

shows good economic growth 

and the retailers have almost sold 

out and concentrate on sales of 

new models and used caravans 

and motorhomes. Like the rest of 

Europe, the manufactures have 

had problems with delivery of 

essential parts to their production 

which can cause a negative impact 

on deliveries of new models. 

This can be a problem, but the 

industry has good hope that there 

soon will be a solution to this 

problem. Consumers have found 

leisure mobile living in their own 

country very interesting due to the 

pandemic and its restrictions. It 

seems like the domestic interest 

will continue but hopefully the 

international visitors will also 

come back when the pandemic 

restrictions have ended. 

“A challenge we are facing 

is the proposal from the public 

authorities to make changes in 

the Bonus Malus system to raise 

the taxes even more to reduce 

emissions of carbon dioxide. HRF 

has made a lot of effort towards 

politicians to convince them 

that the manufactures of leisure 

vehicles in Europe can’t provide 

the Swedish market with leisure 

vehicles that are electrified which 

means that buyers don’t have any 

alternative today. Our challenge is 

to get the politicians to listen to 

our predictions of a market decline 

if they fulfil the proposal of raising 

the tax in the Bonus Malus system 

to a level that will have negative 

impact on the Swedish leisure 

vehicle industry. Our calculation 

shows that on average every newly 

registered motorhome will have 

an extra tax of SEK 100/10km. 

Sweden is the only country in 

Europe where the politicians and 

public authorities have a proposal 

of increased tax in the Bonus 

Malus system for newly registered 

motorhomes. The manufactures 

in Europe have no interest to 

have a special production for the 

Swedish market until they have 

developed motorhomes with fuel 

that reduces emission of carbon 

dioxide or are electrified when 

it is a demand from the leading 

European markets. A decline in 

the industry will have negative 

impact on the campsites especially 

in the low season as the Motor 

Caravans visitors have a travel 

pattern during the whole year. 

“Provided politicians and 

public authorities listen to our 

suggestions regarding this matter, 

then we predict that the Swedish 

leisure vehicle industry will 

grow for many years to come. 

The growth in the mobile living 

market has a positive impact for 

the Swedish hospitality industry 

and gives tax revenues back to the 

government. 

“We are looking towards 

2022 with big expectations and 

hopefully the exhibition market be 

back in normal so we can expose 

camping and caravanning products 

to media, retailers and consumers 

with the same good sales result as 

previous years.” 

MARTIN JUHOS, marketing manager for SCR Swedish Camping 

“The Swedish market is strong 

and stable. The interest in 

camping and the outdoors has 

been growing for a long time 

and got an extra boost during 

the pandemic. It’s now bigger 

than ever in Sweden. A normal 

summer, camping holidays 

amount to about 50 per cent 

of all commercial guest nights 

in Sweden. We have a leisure 

vehicle market with doublefigure 

growth and an increased 

interest in active holidays, close to 

nature experiences and more and 

shorter trips. July was also the 

best summer month ever when 

it comes to the Swedish guest 

nights. With growing interest 

comes growing competition 

and I think that this will 

drive innovation and product 

development even further. 

“Right now, I think the biggest 

opportunity for everyone in this 

industry are all new guests that 

have discovered camping during 

the pandemic. Both in Sweden 

and in Europe. We need to make 

sure they come back and be 

able to support their needs and 

help during the entire customer 

journey, from inspiration, to 

booking and to post-trip surveys. 

“I think there are a couple 

of important challenges on the 

market. One is to ensure that the 

incoming market is restarted in to 

ensure an interest in travelling to 

Sweden. We saw a huge increase 

in demand from the German 

and Dutch market already this 

summer and I think it’s important 

to be a part of the European 

travel planning for 2022. Related 

to this is of course the digital 

distribution, the industry need big 

global marketplaces with reach. 

We are connecting our own CRS 

to several European marketplaces 

and I think it’s really important 

for the individual campsite 

to spend time on their digital 

strategy. Finally, sustainability and 

electrification will have an impact 

on travel habits and you need to 

be prepare for that. 

“We will see a more normal 

year in 2022. Last year the 

booking window was very short 

and no one knew what to expect 

for the summer. With a normal 

planning process I hope and 

believe that the international 

guests will come back. Also, 

I think we will see more new 

campsite concepts and added 

uniqueness than usual. For 

years it’s been about location 

and price. Now we will see 

much more brand building with 

lifestyle marketing, niche market 

segments like golfers, surfer and 

hikers etc will get more attention. 

We will also see the return of 

packaging accommodation and 

activities in one service. This will 

be crucial to get more people to 

camp more often.” 

Learn more about the Swedish 

camping market by listening to 

our podcast with Johan Söör at 

www.campingtradeworld. 

com/category/podcast 


SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL COMPANY PROFILE 

Lights, 

camera, 

action 

32 | www.campingtradeworld.com 

Video is a near- essential part of any 

company’s marketing plans in modern 

business, but how do you make it work for 

you? SuperSprings International’s director 

of marketing, Tom Bateman, explains 

how the company is successfully creating 

engaging video content that is giving it 

access to more customers.




COMPANY PROFILE SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL 

CTW: Right from the 

start video content has 

been a central part of 

your marketing mix as 

a company – why is it so 

important? 

Tom Bateman: Adam Weisner 

took on marketing in June 2019 

and his primary focus was to 

hire someone to take on video 

marketing and social media. 

This was pre-pandemic when 

most people hadn’t made that 

shift. Adam is often ahead of 

the curve and knew it was a 

game-changer for our company. 

So, he hired me in July of ’19 

and my single focus was to 

shoot, edit, and post highquality 

video – as much and as 

often as we could. It became 

a huge priority for us very 

quickly because we all know 

from experience that video is 

more powerful than an email, 

or a call, or a blog, or anything 

else! Videos are shared 1200 

per cent more times on social 

than links and text combined 

TB: YouTube is an area of 

focus that we plan to unlock 

in 2022. It has become the 

new cable TV in most homes. 

The most successful video we 

have on there is our Trailer 

SumoSprings install with 

almost 500K views. That one 

has unlocked a pretty serious 

demand for that product, 

with our first exclusive dealer 

partnership (United RV) 

coming within the first year of 

launching that video. 

CTW: What is your favourite 

video you have produced and 

why? 

TB: The Journey Better series, 

featuring Bridle Path Brats. 

No question. That one was a 

series of shoots. We usually 

get content in one or two days, 

but this one was maybe 4 or 

5 shoots over the course of 18 

months – different seasons, 

different feels, different 

experiences. To be able to 

create what felt like a mini 

Videos are shared 1200% more times on social than links and text 

combined and more than 65% of consumers make a purchase after 

they’ve seen watched branded video content on social media. 

and more than 65 per cent of 

consumers make a purchase 

after they’ve seen watched 

branded video content on social 

media. One thing Adam taught 

me quickly was to fail fast. 

To try new things, to test and 

learn. This has been the most 

freeing and effective mindset in 

the success we’ve had. 

CTW: You have almost 3,000 

subscribers on YouTube 

which is pretty impressive. 

What have been the biggest 

video success stories? 

documentary was incredible. To 

get into the life of Angie and 

see what makes her tick was a 

different high. Being out on a 

ranch at sunrise, the smells, the 

sounds, the views – I felt like 

I was on a movie set. There’s 

something transcendent about 

a horse ranch. 

CTW: Much of your video 

content is about stories and 

people, rather than just being 

glorified advertisements 

– is this the key to creating 

engaging videos? 





SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL COMPANY PROFILE 

TB: People are drawn to 

people. It’s why we watch 

vlogs, docuseries, click on a 

thumbnail of a face rather than 

a product. Adam’s vision from 

the beginning was to tell stories 

because that’s what life is made 

up of and that’s what makes us 

tick. It just so happens that our 

suspension is one small part of 

a bigger story. It’s our honour 

to tell those stories through 

video. Our passion is to build 

a brand and vision that people 

want to be a part of. We’re 

seeing that start to happen. 

CTW: Has your video content 

creation helped to engage 

and grow the SuperSprings 

International online 

community? 

TB: No question. When Adam 

and I started creating video 

and running social media 

together, we had next to no 

following. Instagram was at 

300 followers and today we’re 

at 32K. There was no TikTok 

with. Why is it important? 

How does the content 

differ? Do you have any user 

generated stuff on there? 

TB: Every platform is different. 

Facebook has a primary 

demographic, as does Instagram, 

TikTok, LinkedIn and so on. 

One thing we learned really 

early on was that you can’t 

treat every platform the same. 

They all have unique audience’s 

and nuances. There’s slang that 

works on Instagram that doesn’t 

work on YouTube or LinkedIn. 

I can post a longform story on 

YouTube and LinkedIn, but I 

have to change it for Instagram 

and TikTok. With TikTok 

specifically, you typically 

have a younger audience and 

videos are driven by trending 

pop songs. Users expect quick 

videos with immediate payoff. 

The generation of thumb 

scrolling will not wait for a 

payoff – the video has to grab 

attention in the first couple 

seconds or it’s on to the next. 

Users expect quick videos with immediate payoff... the generation 

of thumb scrolling will not wait for a payoff – the video has to grab 

attention in the first couple seconds or it’s on to the next. 

and again, today we have 30K 

followers. Then add to that our 

Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, 

Twitter and Pinterest. Video is 

king on every single platform. 

We’ve also built the right team, 

with Josh Perez, our creative 

associate, joining us a year ago 

and driving the growth and 

social community. 

CTW: You have a growing 

and thriving presence on 

TikTok – tell us about that as 

I think it’s still not a platform 

many companies are familiar 

CTW: A lot of companies 

know they ought to have 

some video content but 

aren’t always able to produce 

stuff of high quality. Do you 

think it could be counter 

intuitive? Is it better to only 

use video if you can produce 

content of good quality? 

TB: I think people hear “high 

quality” and get nervous. I 

know I did. But I think all 

that really means is being 

thoughtful about your company, 

your audience, and your 




COMPANY PROFILE SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL 

vision, picking up a camera 

and going for it. It’s also no 

secret that hiring agencies to 

create video can be expensive 

and it’s common to pay $25K 

for a five-minute video. It was 

always the vision to build an 

in-house creative team and 

develop the skills on our team 

to create video from conception 

to completion. At the end of 

the day, the real question is, 

how much do you want it and 

are you willing to take the risk? 

CTW: You recently launched 

a series of educational videos 

about the products – what 

was the thinking behind this 

more instructional content? 

TB: This one is an exciting 

project for us. The end goal 

is to have all our common 

questions answered with a 

three-minute video. If I can get 

an answer to my question with 

a well-produced, easy to watch, 

engaging video, I’m sold! We 

have a lot of people asking the 

same types of questions, so it 

made sense to answer the most 

common questions we get while 

continuing to build our content 

library and brand. 

CTW: What are the plans for 

future video content? What 

direction will it take? 

TB: More of the same. But 

better! We will continue to 

create stories, learning videos, 

company and employee 

highlights, installation videos, 

how it’s made features and 

everything in between. 

CTW: What are the three key 

aspects to making a great 

marketing video? 

TB: Identify your goal, think 

about your audience, and plan 

your distribution. For your goal, 

decide what you’re trying to 

accomplish, whether it’s brand 

awareness, sales, education 

etc. For your audience, create 

something that you either know 

your audience needs or have 

researched what is relevant for 

them. For your distribution, plan 

the types of edits, video length, 

and promotion around the 

channel, be it YouTube, LinkedIn, 

TikTok, or your website. Then 

hype it up as much as you can 

for visibility. Above all, take what 

Adam gifted me with – fail fast, 

try new things, test and learn. 

CONTACT SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL TODAY 

Could you become SuperSprings International’s next 

partner? Contact the team today to find out if you could 

help ‘make the journey better’ for RV users in your territory. 

E: tom@supersprings.com 

W: www.superspringsinternational.com 


KAMPEER & CARAVAN JAARBEURS SHOW REPORT 

Going Dutch 

After missing out on its 2020 edition due to the coronavirus pandemic, leading Dutch camping 

show Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs recently enjoyed a successful return to action in Utrecht. 

Camping Trade World was on the show floor to bring you the latest. 


SHOW REPORT KAMPEER & CARAVAN JAARBEURS 

▲ Main image: the Doréma stand attracted a lot of attention with a fun layout. Top right: the team at Campooz, including Raoul 

Veldink (on the left). Bottom right: Camp Werk managed to grab plenty of attention, as it has at other shows around Europe. 

T 

■he halls of the 

exhibition centre 

in Utrecht in the 

Netherlands must have been a 

very sad and quiet place back 

in October 2020. Many shows 

had been cancelled, Europe was 

in the start of the fierce grip of 

a winter surge of coronavirus 

infections and things looked 

bleak. As we fast-forward 365 

days to October 2021, things 

could not be more different 

with a bustling exhibition centre 

full of varied camping and 

caravanning companies showing 

off their wares with pride and 

interacting face-to-face with 

customers. The 2021 Kampeer 

& Caravan Jaarbeurs show was 

a resounding success with more 

than 35,000 attendees over its 

duration – and Camping Trade 

World was there to taste the 

excitement in the air first-hand. 

The return to being able to 

speak with end consumers and 

also dealers is always invaluable, 

according to Marcel Beekman, 

CEO of the Sunshine Group. 

He told Camping Trade World: 

“It was good to be back at the 

Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs 

in Utrecht this year. The fact 

that a few players in the market 

didn’t attend, did not impact 

the quality of the fair at all. 

For us at Sunshine Group, it’s 

a great place to present our 

brands Dorema, De Waard and 

Alpenkreuzer. To be that close 

to the consumer and be able to 

talk to them and to our dealers, 

is always useful and fun.” 

This simple act of being able 

to interact with customers faceto-face 

is something perhaps all 

of us took a little for granted 

before it was temporarily taken 

away from us by the pandemic. 

Not only does it help us 

communicate more effectively 

with our target customers, 

but for some, it helps reaffirm 

that the innovations they have 

created are truly what the 

market desires. 

“The recently held Camping 

and Caravan Trade Fair in 

Utrecht has again shown that 

our camping concepts have 

gained a lot of popularity,” said 

Maarten de Roos, managing 

director of the Campfire Group, 

which owns brands Holtkamper 

and Easy Caravanning. 

“Not only due to the 

increased interest in camping in 

general because of the corona 

pandemic, but also because 

of trends like the awareness 

of our CO2 footprint and the 

urge to go back to the roots of 

real camping. An important 

factor here is that people want 

the advantages, but not the 

disadvantages. The ease of 

set-up, the ultimate outdoor 

feeling, the low weight and 

the aerodynamics of our 

trailer tents and the crossover 

camping concept of the Easy 

Caravanning TakeOff play 

perfectly into this. I think this 

explains why the trade fair in 

Utrecht was a huge success for 

us, and many of our industry 

colleagues. We are already 


KAMPEER & CARAVAN JAARBEURS SHOW REPORT 

▲ A wide range of camping units were on display in Utrecht, as well as smart technologies such as the E-Trailer – co-founder of this 

company, Boy Trip (pictured above) was very happy with the number of visitors and the interest in his company. 

“The number of visitors was far above our expectations. The visitors 

were willing to buy and the vibe at the show was very positive.” 

BOY TRIP, CO-FOUNDER OF E-TRAILER 

looking forward to the 2022 

edition next year.” 

For many, simply being there 

was enough. For others, they 

wanted to make a real splash and 

make their presence at the first 

physical show they had attended 

in a while one to remember. 

Innovative trailer tent brand 

Campooz was one of those, as 

the company’s Raoul Veldink 

explained: “This was our first 

Dutch show after two years of 

waiting. We designed our massive 

booth to look like a campsite. 

The visitor quality was good, 

especially at the weekend with a 

lot of families and new campers.” 

Another great aspect of trade 

shows is that it allows you to 

present new ideas into the 

market in a way that nothing 

else can quite deliver. This was 

the experience of E-Trailer – an 

innovative company that has 

created a smart system that 

monitors the status of your 

leisure vehicle so you know 

when any problems might arise. 

Already working with a few 

caravan and motorhome brands, 

the show allowed E-Trailer 

to further educate about their 

product and has also got 

them back on the exhibition 

campaign trail for the future. 

Co-founder Boy Trip said: “The 

Kampeer en Caravan Jaarbeurs 

was the first show E-Trailer 

participated since the pandemic. 

It was great to meet our 

customers in real life again. The 

number of visitors was far above 

our expectations. The visitors 

were willing to buy and the vibe 

at the show was very positive. 

I’m looking forward to our next 

exhibition, which will be CMT 

in Stuttgart.” 

The Dutch traveller’s 

association, the ANWB, 

estimates that there are now 

about four million active 

campers in the Netherlands – a 

figure that has grown by about 

one million since the pandemic 

began in March 2020. This 

boom of interest in camping is 

nothing new for many, but to 

see the vibrancy of the industry 

up close in the Netherlands 

was quite something. As 

well as checking out tents, 

visitors were also able to see 


SHOW REPORT KAMPEER & CARAVAN JAARBEURS 

▲ For some Dutch companies, such as Easy Caravanning (top picture) the show was a real chance to get some gratification for its 

products. For others like ArmA (top right), it was a great way to educate end users about why they need their products. 

with their own eyes the latest 

camping equipment, campsites, 

camping gadgets, and e-bike 

cycling. A large number of 

brands presented their newest 

products. In addition, there was 

an extensive theatre workshop 

program, where visitors could 

improve their camping skills 

while enjoying the latest 

camping trends. 

Rachel Jankowsky of the 

Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs: 

“Camping was already extremely 

popular, even if it is one of the 

most sustainable ways to spend 

a holiday, especially compared 

to cruise and air holidays. 

But many people have found 

camping the only way to enjoy 

a safe holiday over the past year 

and a half. And, it’s also just fun, 

right? Go where you want, sleep 

in your own bed and decide for 

yourself what time you want to 

eat instead of waiting in line for 

the breakfast buffet: that is the 

charm of camping. 

“Camping is booming,” she 

continued. “Coronavirus has 

also contributed to that because 

it was actually the only way to 

go on holiday. The popularity of 

camping is now reflected in the 

number of tickets sold – more 

than 38,000. Of course, it was 

difficult to estimate in advance 

how many people would 

visit the fair again after the 

pandemic. We did not expect 

this huge influx.” 

Leo Diepemaat, chairman 

of the Kampeer en Caravan 

Industrie trade association, was 

positively surprised about how 

busy the fair was. He said: “It 

was great to see that we could 

welcome so many new campers 

at the fair. It is a pity that a 

number of brands were missing, 

due to delivery problems due to 

the corona pandemic and the 

enormous demand for camping 

equipment. But I am proud 

that we were able to show the 

full breadth of camping during 

this successful fair, including 

promising innovations. From 

tents and roof tents to folding 

trailers, from caravans and 

motorhomes to awnings and 

accessories.” 

The Kampeer & Caravan 

Jaarbeurs event covered camping 

across the board – from simple 

family tents to advanced and 

lightweight rooftop tents, from 

folding trailer tents to mini 

caravans, from luxury caravans 

to immense campers. It had 

everything. Whether visitors 

were seasoned pros or among 

that one million new people to 

the hobby, they all began their 

next road trip successfully in 

Utrecht. 

Don’t miss next year’s Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs, stay up to date at www.kampeerencaravanjaarbeurs.nl 


SALON CARAVANING BARCELONA 

SHOW REPORT 

Barcelona show 

targets next 

generation 

Camping Trade World spent some time investigating the camping 

and caravanning market in Spain and Southern Europe at the 

recent Salón Internacional Caravaning event in Barcelona. 

What did we learn? Read on to find out… 


SHOW REPORT SALON CARAVANING BARCELONA 

▲ The Fira Barcelona is a very modern and clean exhibition centre that was perfect for the caravanning industry to show its wares. 

L 

■ate in the sunkissed 

afternoon of 

a pleasantly warm 

and calm day in the historic 

city of Barcelona, something 

significant was happening in 

the camping and caravanning 

industry. The first day of the 

Salón Internacional Caravaning 

event at the city’s Fira Barcelona 

exhibition centre was just 

drawing to a close, and the surge 

of enthusiasm and optimism 

it injected into a country 

that has suffered more than 

most during the coronavirus 

pandemic was palpable. While 

COVID-19 infection levels 

never reached the heights of 

some neighbouring European 

countries, Spain still took a 

solid blow from the global 

event, with some incredibly 

strict lockdown rules imposed 

and also a sharp drop-off in 

tourism – the absolute lifeblood 

to its economy. Like everywhere 

else, camping and caravanning 

received a boost as a side effect 

of what has happened in the 

world since early 2020, but 

perhaps in a more subtle and 

measured way than the likes 

of Germany and the UK. This 

was evident while walking the 

floor of the Fira Barcelona. 

Spain is open to camping and 

its population is considering it 

as a viable leisure activity, but 

in a more guarded way. A large 

number of people attended the 

show over its nine-day duration 

– about 60,000, organisers 

estimate – but most of those 

came on the weekend days, with 

the weekdays a little quieter 

and frequented by more trade 

visitors. According to official 

communication from the show’s 

organisers: “The show has 

reflected the good momentum 

of the sector, with campervans, 

motorhomes and all-terrain 

vehicles as the main points 

of interest among visitors. It 

was an edition marked by the 

large number of visitors and 

the consolidation of campers 

as the spearhead of the sector 

and the main entry point for 

the younger public. In this 

sense, the van exhibition area, 

with the main manufacturers 

and companies specialising in 

campervans, as well as the 4x4 

vehicle area was once again a 

great success.” 

This is an interesting 

point, and one that was 

certainly felt by the Camping 

Trade World team. While 

there was a large number of 

traditional motorhomes and 

caravans on display, it is clear 

that the interest from the 

Spanish public is focussed on 

campervans, micro-campers, 

roof tents and other potentially 

more affordable or more 

manoeuvrable ways to enjoy 

the hobby. Campervans being 

the entry point for many 

was evident by the number 

of traditional automotive 

manufacturers who attended the 

event showing their own vans 

and campervans. Names like 

Ford, Nissan and Mercedes- 

Benz were all there to provide 

the chance for people to 

discover their own factory-made 

campervans, or just to release 

that their vehicles are perfect 

for campervan conversion. That 

general European-wide trend 

of leaning towards campervans 

was best displayed by van and 

truck producer IVECO, which 

used the opportunity to reveal 

its Daily Camper – the first 

factory-built campervan it 

has made itself. IVECO vans 

are reasonably common to see 

used as base vehicles by other 

converters, but this is the first 

time the company has made 

its own ready-made camper to 

sell directly to the public, and it 

THE SHOW IN NUMBERS 

130 

Exhibitors 

200 

Brands 

600 

Vehicles 

60,000 

Attendees 

9 

Day duration 

35 

Years of the show 



SALON CARAVANING BARCELONA 

SHOW REPORT 

Head over to the CTW 

YouTube channel to see 

video highlights and interviews 

from the show floor 

in Barcelona. 


SHOW REPORT SALON CARAVANING BARCELONA 

▲ The camping and leisure vehicle market in Spain has some quirks compared to European neighbours, but it’s still growing. 

Spain is an interesting market, the expendable income here may not 

be as high as in other European nations, but the interest in camping 

is there, even if it has its own peculiar quirks. 

certainly caught the attention of 

the Spanish public. Elsewhere, 

the smaller campervan 

companies tended to lean 

towards a specialism in off-road 

adventures, with many brands 

such as Cultura Camper, Luxer 

Camper Car and Comfort 

Van were good examples of 

this – each showcased rugged, 

impressively kitted-out camper 

vans that are probably over 

gunned for anything you would 

ever encounter in Europe. But 

as one exhibitor told Camping 

Trade World, the reason for 

this is to showcase what they 

can do and to sell a dream to 

customers. 

A plethora of smaller 

camping solutions were also 

on show in Barcelona. From 

roof tents to mini caravans and 

everything in between. One 

particular product that caught 

our eye was the Back Car, a 

simple tent and air bed package 

that can convert almost any 

normal car into a rudimentary 

camper. These kinds of smart 

solutions show that the industry 

is working really hard to tempt 

those would-be or casual 

campers into trying out the 

hobby in the least intrusive way 

possible, with the hope that they 

may get hooked for life. 

Albert Sas Gimeno, who 

helps run PR and marketing 

for the show, said about the 

show: “The motorhome and 

caravan area, with a complete 

and varied range of models, 

with some of the leading 

brands in the sector, together 

with the accessories and tents 

area, also repeated as the 

main attractions of the show. 

Similarly, the adventure sports 

area, which made its debut at 

the show for the first time, was 

very well received, especially by 

caravanning enthusiasts who are 

also sportsmen and women and 

who were able to find and try 

out sports equipment, technical 

clothing and even some of the 

latest models of the leading 

bicycles on the market. 

“Apart from the trade show, 

the activities and leisure 

activities on the weekends, 

including talks, presentations, 

family circuits, competitions and 

workshops in the Caravaning 

Kids and Travelvaning spaces, 

confirmed the show as an event 

of great interest among families 

and the young public.” 

The focus on a younger 

demographic and perhaps 

a demographic that is still 

trying to decide if camping 

and caravanning are really 

for them was evident with 

the range of exhibitors and 

activities aimed around the 

lifestyle of camping. Clearly 

here in Barcelona, the show 

organisers were intent on selling 

the lifestyle rather than simply 

just the products you need to 

enjoy it. There were even areas 

to showcase cycling, running 

and other outdoor activities, 

proving that Spain is still trying 

to make the connection in 

people’s minds that camping is 

a means to enjoy other outdoor 

activities easily. This is probably 

happening elsewhere, but it 

seems that in countries with 

very developed markets such 

as France, Germany or the UK, 

the end consumer knows exactly 

what they want and why. In 

Spain, the discovery still seems 

to be happening for a large 

proportion of people, especially 

in young demographics. 

Spain is an interesting 

market, the expendable income 

here may not be as high as in 

other European nations, but 

the interest in camping is there, 

even if it has its own peculiar 

quirks. A sales rep with awning 

maker Ticamo revealed to the 

Camping Trade World team 

that they recently released a 

new olive green colour of one 

of their traditional awnings, 

but it really struggles to sell 

compared to the navy that the 

Spanish market is well used to. 

Each nation has its own peculiar 

quirks like this, but if you are 

looking to do more business in 

Spain, it really pays to spend 

some time on campsites and 

in retail stores in the country 

to get inside the psyche of 

the particular, but no less 

passionate, Spanish camper. 

If you want to learn more about the show or attend when it takes place in 2022, visit www.saloncaravaning.com 


BENJAMIN BAUR INDUSTRY VIEWS 


INDUSTRY VIEWS BENJAMIN BAUR 

Benjamin Baur 

CEO of Konrad Baur 

Boss of caravan, motorhome and RV door expert Konrad Baur, Ben talks 

to us about the challenges he and the company have faced and overcome 

over the last decade, but more importantly, about how those experiences 

helped set the company up for the future. 

C 

■an you tell us a bit about 

Baur and the ethos 

behind the company? 

Our company was founded 

in 2007 by my father and 

we are experts in producing 

entrance doors and storage 

doors for RVs, motorhomes and 

caravans. Our main business 

is on behalf of other, bigger 

manufacturers, but we grew the 

company up from zero. Back 

in 2007 we were just a start-up 

company and really you can 

say we were just working out 

of a garage. When I remember 

back to the first elements and 

profiles we bent to create the 

first gas doors we made, they 

were bent by hand. We did 

what we could and constantly 

focussed on making the best 

quality products we could and 

now today we supply many 

big companies. These larger 

companies were very happy 

with the quality of our products 

and the service we provided, 

and they started to ask us to do 

more. For us, this was a good 

chance to grow constantly and 

so we came out from the garage 

and rented a production facility 

and constantly grew to a point 

where we had 25 to 30 people in 

2014. At that time, we started to 

have an eye on a new production 

facility. We made our own 

4,000sqm facility in South 

Germany in 2016 where we are 

currently based. That was a big 

step for us and for the future. 

It was a step where you really 

have to make a commitment 

to what you are doing. This 

was an important step for us 

but also to show to the market 

that we are a company that 

focusses on constant growth, on 

sustainability, and to be a solid 

partner. We see now that more 

and more companies are looking 

for a partner like that. 

Your father founded the company 

and is still involved. Would you 

still consider Baur to be a family 

business and is that important to 

your identity? 

Yes, we are absolutely still a 

family business. My father 

is still owner, my wife works 

here, my youngest brother used 

to work here before he began 

studying. Also in the past two 

or three different other family 

members used to work here. 

I think that when you work 

with a family business it’s on a 

more personal basis. You have 

personal contact. Our customers 

know that I am here, they know 

that my father is here. We 

don’t have big changes in the 

staff – the sales manager doesn’t 

change every two years, for 

example. And that is something 

that is really appreciated by our 

partners on both sides – not 

only on the customer side but 


BENJAMIN BAUR INDUSTRY VIEWS 

▲ The Baur team has learned to work smarter during the challenges of the financial crash in 2009 and the pandemic more recently. 

An important sentence that I learned in the last year is “never 

waste a crisis,” – we did that. And I can honestly say that after 

this crisis we are in better shape than we would have been without. 

CEO OF KONRAD BAUR – BENJAMIN BAUR 

also on the supplier side. We 

have a very positive experience 

in our complete supply chain. 

I think to have the consistency 

that being a family business 

gives you is a big positive point. 

In terms of your personal career, 

was this your f irst job in the 

industry? How did you end up 

here? 

To be honest, yes it is my first 

real job. I was studying until 

2009, during my vacations 

between 2007 and then I was 

working in the company helping 

out. When you have a family 

business, this is normal. When 

I finished studying, I started 

looking around for other jobs. 

At the time Baur was in a 

healthy position but it didn’t 

really need anyone else at that 

moment – it was too small 

really. While I was looking for 

a job, I still helped out, I was 

the truck driver at the company. 

Then in 2009 the financial 

crisis hit. We came through it 

okay and by the time I really 

did manage to find a new job, 

Baur was constantly growing. 

Fresh from my engineering 

studies, I had some nice ideas 

to bring into the company, so I 

decided to join. It hasn’t always 

been easy, it has been a hell 

of a ride, but it is extremely 

challenging and has brought 

me a completely different kind 

of work that I love. I really fell 

for being an entrepreneur and 

the challenges and rewards that 

brings. When you are your own 

company, there are no excuses. 

You cannot say “I’m sorry, this 

is not my fault,” because in the 

end you have to deal with it. 

When you learn these lessons, 

they become a big part of your 

experiences and your life. 

Obviously, the last 18 months 

have been challenging for business 

to say the least. What have been 

your experiences and how have 

you met those challenges? 

On the one hand, it was a very 

challenging time when the 

pandemic first occurred. I also 

have to say that the last 10 years 

have been challenging. We will 

always face new challenges, but 

it is not so that we have not 

faced and overcome challenges 

in the past. 

Of course, there were 

moments where we did not 

know what would happen 

during the pandemic, and like 

everyone else, we had to think 

about the worst case scenarios 

from time to time. But the 

other thing is that we learned 

that our business has very solid 

foundations. We have a fantastic 


INDUSTRY VIEWS BENJAMIN BAUR 

team and in cases like this you 

really get to see if you have the 

right people in your company, 

and I feel like a lucky guy. We 

also learned that we are solid 

in the complete supply chain. 

There were some troubles and 

some partners who did a bit 

better or a bit worse, but we 

could solve all the problems. 

What it really showed us is 

that we are all connected. We 

are a supplier in between – we 

source materials and we make 

products for bigger companies. 

The problem is that if I have 

a perfect supply chain, it’s not 

said that my customer has a 

perfect supply chain. Or if I 

have the products ready but the 

OEMs or the RV manufacturers 

cannot produce as they want, 

then I do not have any benefits 

of my good supply chain. We 

solved the problems, and we 

learned some very important 

things for the future from our 

experiences. An important 

sentence that I learned in 

the last year is “never waste a 

crisis,” – we did that. And I can 

honestly say that after this crisis 

we are in better shape than we 

would have been without. 

What are the successes in the 

company that you have been most 

proud of so far? 

It is quite hard to point out 

one thing in particular. There 

have been just so many positive 

things that have happened with 

our company in the past. To 

work with prestigious partner 

companies, to have our products 

supplied in more and more 

countries around 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. Maybe it 

sounds strange, but the most 

successful thing we managed to 

create was that we found a way 

to reflect on our own work here 

▲ Baur’s doors are used by some big-name manufacturers. 

as entrepreneurs. To reflect your 

actions and refine the way you 

work is so important. Maybe all 

the most important successes will 

come after that, but we found a 

way during the last few years to 

be sure of what our role is and we 

are sure about what we have to do 

to move forward. Maybe when we 

talk again in five years I can tell 

you more and perhaps that this 

moment was the most important 

success we have had. 

Want to enjoy this interview in realtime? 

Scan the QR code to listen to the 

Camping Trade World podcast, also 

available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

You recently wrote an interesting 

article on LinkedIn about 

an important business lesson 

you learned from a Quentin 

Tarantino movie – could you tell 

us more? 

I recently re-watched the movie 

Kill Bill and there was a scene in 

it which really hit me, because 

of the experiences we have had 

in the recent past, and also 

my own personal experiences 

in the last four or five years. 

You don’t always have good 

times. Sometimes you try to do 

different stuff, like moving into 

new markets or creating new 

products – these are things we 

explored when we first moved 

into our current facility. This was 

also a time when we were not 

so happy with the end results 

of our company, and we were 

not sure why. We were working 

hard, we gave everything we had 

to make something good, but 

somehow, we lost it a bit. We 

reflected a lot on our actions 

and we saw that we lost the 

focus on our core processes and 

WHO ARE YOU? 

Company: Konrad Baur 

GmbH 

Founded: 2007 

Location: Bad 

Schussenried, Germany 

Products: Doors for 

caravans, motorhomes RVs, 

mobile homes, and also 

multi-purpose containers 

Other: Currently 

producing more than 

4,000 doors annually, 

Baur makes everything 

in-house at its German 

manufacturing facility 

and exclusively uses 3D 

CAD design to develop 

and model its products to 

highest standards and to 

innovate with new ideas. 

our core products. As a small 

company, this is so important. In 

this particular scene in Kill Bill, 

Uma Thurman’s character has 

just escaped from a hospital after 

being in a coma and she is in the 

back of her truck and she does 

nothing else but concentrating 

on a very small spot and trying 

to wiggle her big toe. It was 

exactly what I thought that I 

experienced. A lot of times in 

your thoughts you are already 

four steps ahead and you are 

thinking about future results and 

benefits – sometimes you forget 

that you are now sitting in the 

truck and you must wiggle your 

big toe. Everything else comes 

after that step-by-step. As I saw 

it in the movie, it really struck a 

chord with me.” 

Learn more about Konrad 

Baur by visiting 

www.kbaur-gmbh.com 


ACCESSORIES SECTOR SPOTLIGHT 

SECTOR 

SPOTLIGHT 

Accessories 

Camping would be nothing without the accessories that we take with us. 

From lighting to sleeping, cooking to outdoor activities – there are so many 

product categories in the field of accessories it can be mind boggling. 

Camping Trade World is on hand to help you make sense of it all. 


SECTOR SPOTLIGHT ACCESSORIES 

N 

■o camping trip is 

complete without a car, 

caravan or motorhome 

full of gear. You can’t go camping 

without accessories, while some 

of them are essential, others are 

just things that campers enjoy 

having close at hand to make their 

adventures and holidays a little 

more comfortable. The camping 

accessories market covers a very 

broad range of products, so as 

you would expect it is valued 

very highly. Recent studies from 

ReportLinker estimate that the 

camping equipment market is 

worth about US $14 billion and 

is projected to grow by about 68 

per cent in the period between 

now and 2026. Of course, this 

can be attributed to the growth of 

popularity in camping worldwide 

that has been accelerated by the 

pandemic – but that’s not the 

only reason that the kit market 

has exploded. Innovation and 

the introduction of new product 

categories can certainly also be 

attributed to the growth of this 

sector – new materials, new 

manufacturing processes and 

more eco-friendly products have 

all helped to push things forward. 

Walking around the show floors 

at various events across Europe 

this year has shown the Camping 

Trade World team that innovation 

in accessories is better than 

ever before. Whether that’s cool 

boxes with individually adjustable 

temperature compartments, stoves 

made to make campsite cooking 

easier in all weather conditions, 

sprays and treatments that help 

maintain your tent’s life for longer, 

sleeping bags that have zippered leg 

holes so you can get up and walk 

around in them, or camping chairs 

with their own built-in heating. 

The camping gear market only ends 

when your imagination does. 

GLOBAL POTENTIAL 

One huge benefit that the camping 

accessories market has is that it 

has the potential to be truly global; 

if you create a smart product 

like a sleeping bag, camping 

furniture, a stove, transportation 

trollies, or lighting, then the 

ease of distributing those things 

internationally is much easier than 

if you work in the vehicle market. 

It doesn’t matter which side of the 

road people drive on or how big 

their camping units are, they will 

all use a sleeping mat or a camping 

chair in the same way. This has 

allowed big players in Europe, 

such as Oase Outdoors to create 

wide ranges of smart camping 

accessories that can be enjoyed by 

campers anywhere on Earth. The 

same is true of big name American 

brands like Nemo, Big Agnes or 

REI. Another thing that gives the 

camping accessory market global 

potential is the ease of which 

buying decisions are made. Often 

these are inexpensive items when 

Global interest in Google search term ‘camping accessories’ in the last year 

compared to the outlay need to buy 

a motorhome, caravan or even a 

tent. They can be add-on purchases, 

or unplanned purchases, that can 

serve to boost your business and 

increase your brand exposure if you 

make them. Something as simple 

as some camping cutlery and 

cookware with your brand name on 

it could go a long way to helping 

you reach more casual customers 

around the world. 

NEW IDEAS 

As more and more companies 

take to the camping industry to 

ride the wave of success that it’s 

currently enjoying, new product 

categories spring up. Who would 

have thought there’d be companies 

dedicated to producing kit 

specifically for car camping just a 

few years ago? Well, there are. And 

they’re doing just great. Likewise, 

did you ever imagine that there’d 

be a company that completely 

reinvented the humble tent peg? 

Or that portable, compostable 

camping toilets would ever take 

off? It’s all happened recently. It 

seems as though as new people 

flock to camping, they bring 

with them new ideas to solve the 

perceived problems they see with 

it. And half the time the rest of us 

are left thinking ‘why has no one 

thought of this before?’ – it truly is 

an exciting time for the camping 

market and one with plenty of 

challenges to be overcome too. 

THE STATISTICS 

US $19m 

Estimated net sales for 

camping cooking brand 

Cadac in 2020 

91% 

The year-on-year sales 

growth for camping 

furniture in the UK from 

2019 to 2020 

$718m 

Wholesale sales of sleeping 

bags and sleeping mats in 

the USA in 2020 

56% 

Of campers are millennials, 

making them one of the 

largest demographics 

50% 

Increase in glamping trips 

by Millenials and Gen X 

100 

75 

Top five countries with 

highest Google search 

interest for the term ‘camping 

accessories’ in 2021 so far 

50 

25 

Australia 

United Kingdom 

Ireland 

8 NOV 

2020 

28 FEB 

2020 

20 JUN 

2021 

10 OCT 

2021 

South Africa 

USA 



Photo: Dometic 

▲ You can’t go camping without gear – there are so many accessory product categories in the modern camping industry. 

One significant product trend in the arena of camping kit is that of 

sustainability. Genuine eco products – not just greenwashing tokens 

– are very well received by the camping public. 

TRENDING 

Accessories can be big business 

– you only have to look at the 

way many strong and innovative 

camping gear brands have been 

acquired by bigger companies 

in the last few years to see that. 

But what are the trends in the 

market right now? For starters, 

anything that can make camping 

life a bit easier is a winner. With 

new people pouring into the 

hobby, they want products that 

can bring the home comforts 

they are used to on their camping 

trip. The quality of sleeping bags, 

sleeping mats, chairs, tables and 

cookware has had to hold a high 

standard to ensure people’s needs 

are met. Not only that, but other 

(arguably less essential) mod 

cons like power solutions, WiFi 

connections, and technology 

are all important to the modern 

camper. That said, there is also 

a movement of products that 

keep things simple and allow 

people to get back to nature and 

cut themselves off from their 

busy, modern lives. This kind of 

trend is largely reserved for the 

backpacking sector, but with 

the pandemic forcing many to 

reassess what is important in their 

lives, sometimes products that 

help them do only the basics are 

enough. Think water sanitation, 

simple and lightweight stoves, 

and super lightweight tents and 

backpacks to get people into 

remote locations. 

One significant product trend 

in the arena of camping kit is that 

of sustainability. Genuine eco 

products – not just greenwashing 

tokens – are very well received 

by the camping public. Whether 

that’s solar panels to power 

devices sustainably while 

camping, drinkware that reduces 

the use and need of singleuse 

plastic bottles, or products 

made from recycled materials, 

the trend for eco is on a steady 

incline. Camping has long been 

touted as a more environmentally 

friendly way to holiday, and any 

way in which the accessories that 

people use to camp cam help 

them achieve that is always well 

received. Sometimes it’s not even 

about the product being one 

that can help you be more eco, 

but actually the way in which 

it is made is most important. 

Using less water with fabrics, 

using recycled materials, less 

dyes and making things a little 

closer to home in more ethical 

ways all score big points with 

today’s consumer. We’ve seen the 

array of eco-friendly products 

grow significantly in the last few 

years, and expect that to grow as 

environmentally-friendly features 

become essentials, not add-ons, 

with almost every product out 

there. 

Colour is one final trend where 

we are seeing an explosion of 

change in recent years. Muted 

and bland colourways seem to 

be giving way to more vibrant 

ones that look particularly good 

in photos. How a product looks 

is almost as important as how it 

performs these days, especially 

with the pressure of having to 

create interesting and engaging 

social media content hanging 

heavy over many campers. It 

might not be the ideal world, but 

if your product is photogenic, 

it will likely see more organic 

growth on image-sharing 

platforms. 



PRODUCT 

CATEGORIES 

SLEEPING 

• Sleeping bags 

• Airbeds 

• Camp beds 

• Sleeping mats 

• Hammocks 

• Pillows 

COOKING 

• Stoves 

• Grills and BBQs 

• Gas canisters 

• Cutlery 

• Crockery 

• Drinks bottles 

• Easy-cook food 

• Water purification 

• Coolers 

FURNITURE 

• Chairs 

• Tables 

• Sofas 

• Wardrobes 

• Transport trolleys 

• Cupboards 

• Showers 

POWER 

TENT ADD-ONS 

GADGETS 

SPARES 

• Torches 

• Headtorches 

• Lamps 

• Leisure batteries 

• Gazebos 

• Sun shades 

• Wind breaks 

• Carpets 

• Multi-tools 

• GPS 

• Radio 

• TV 

• Tent pegs 

• Guylines 

• Groundsheets 

• Mallets 

• Solar panels 

• Tarps 

• Portable speakers 

• Portable chargers 

• Porches 

• Power cables 

• Portable heaters 



BUSINESS CONNECTIONS 

The range of what can be 

described as a camping accessory 

is extremely broad, so it can be 

tricky to know where to start if 

you are looking to source products 

or manufacture your own. We’ve 

tried to cover a wide range of 

categories to show you just how 

much kit the average camper will 

consider buying to add to their 

trip. Campers need somewhere 

to sit, something to sleep on, 

something to cook with, as well as 

kit to enjoy the outdoor activity 

they might be combining with 

the camping trip itself. You only 

have to look at success stories such 

as camping grill brand Cadac or 

Japanese luxury brand Snow Peak 

to see how fruitful the market can 

be for making a genuinely useful 

and high-performance accessory 

can be. The key to being a good 

seller of accessories is to broaden 

your horizons as much as you 

possibly can. Try to imagine every 

conceivable thing that someone 

who goes camping might need… 

and then add to that! The more 

product categories and brands 

that you work with, the better 

your overall supply will be. If you 

become known as the place to get 

everything, then you will become 

popular with customers and also 

with other suppliers too. 

Photo: Robens 

CAMPING GEAR BRANDS 

Big Agnes 

www.bigagnes.com 

Dometic 

www.dometic.com 

Jetboil 

www.jetboil.com 


BioLite 

www.bioliteenergy.com 

Black Diamond 

blackdiamondequipment.com 

Cadac 

www.cadacinternational.com 

Campchef 

www.campchef.com 

Campingaz 

www.campingaz.com 

Coleman 

www.coleman.com 

Easy Camp 

www.easycamp.com 

Fabsil 

www.fabsil.com 

Goal Zero 

www.goalzero.com 

Goat Boxco 

www.goatboxco.com 

Helinox 

www.helinox.eu 

Ignik 

www.ignik.com 

Kampa 

www.kampaoutdoors.com 

Kelty 

www.kelty.com 

Klean Kanteen 

www.kleankanteen.com 

OLPRO 

www.olproshop.com 

Outdoor Revolution 

www.outdoor-revolution.com 

Outwell 

www.outwell.com


Photo: Primus 

Nemo Equipment 

www.nemoequipment.com 

REI 

www.rei.com 

Slumberjack 

www.slumberjack.com 

Wenzel 

www.wenzelco.com 

Nikwax 

www.nikwax.com 

Robens 

www.robens.de 

Snow Peak 

www.snowpeak.co.uk 

Yeti 

www.yeti.com 

Peggy Peg 

www.peggypeg.de 

Sierra Designs 

www.sierradesigns.com 

Trelino 

www.trelino.de 

Zempire 

www.zempire.co.nz 

Primus 

www.primusequipment.com 

Qool 

www.qool-products.com 

Quechua 

www.quechua.com 

Quest Leisure 

www.questleisure.com 

Thermacell 

www.thermacell.com 

Therm-a-rest 

www.thermarest.com 

Vango 

www.vango.co.uk 

Varta 

www.varta-automotive.com 

*Note: We know this isn’t 

every company that deals in 

camping kit 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. 


DIVERSITY BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS 

BECOME 

A BETTER 

BUSINESS 

Diversity: the 

gateway to growth 

It may involve confronting some uncomfortable truths, but chances are your business 

could do a lot more in terms of diversity. Our marketing guru offers some advice for how 

to do this in a sensible and sustainable way and the benefits it could bring. 

■ D 

iversity, or rather a distinct 

lack of it, is a serious 

problem for modern 

businesses. The true makeup 

of our societies is not properly 

represented in the companies 

and workplaces we operate in. 

Using the United States as an 

example, 2018 census figures 

showed that 18.3 per cent of the 

population is Hispanic, 12.5 per 

cent is black and 5.7 per cent is 

Asian. Do those figures sound 

right for your company if you are 

based in the United States? Or if 

not, of American companies you 

know or work with? Probably 

not – especially at a senior level. It 

is estimated that only about four 

per cent of company executives 

are Hispanic, and of the Fortune 

500 companies, only a handful 

have black CEOs. These numbers 

don’t make sense, and that’s just 

the figures around ethnicity, 

when it comes to gender, they are 

equally poor. Clearly more needs 

to be done to make business more 

diverse – this is something that 

the camping, caravanning and RV 

industries are not immune from 

either. 


BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS DIVERSITY 

The benefits of a more diverse workforce 

New ideas 

Naturally, by having people from a wider 

range of backgrounds within your staff, 

you are bound to have an influx of new 

ideas. If all of your staff are from similar 

socio-economic backgrounds, countries, 

ethnicities etc, then they are all likely to 

have had similar life experiences. This 

can lead to a stagnation when it comes 

to idea generation. By having a diverse 

workforce that truly represents the 

wider world, you can give your company 

the best chance of creating genuinely 

exciting new ideas – whether that is for 

product development, manufacturing 

processes or any other way of working. 

Better creativity and innovation 

A diverse and inclusive workforce will 

usually be more creative and innovative. 

This is down to the fact that people will 

feel more comfortable and confident 

voicing their ideas if they feel the 

company has a culture where all views 

count. If you don’t have a very diverse 

workforce, you could lose a great idea to 

someone lacking the confidence to get 

it out in the open. Additional creativity 

and smart new ideas are also more likely 

to be found if your workforce is made up 

of all different types of people. 

More engaged employees 

By creating an environment where 

everyone feels like an equally important 

part, you will naturally increase the 

engagement of the employees you 

have. It sounds simple when you say 

it like that, but it can be so easy for 

employees to become disengaged if 

they feel discriminated against or that 

they don’t fit in in some way. By having 

more engaged employees who feel 

like they (or anyone for that matter) 

belong, you will reduce your turnover 

of employees because you will be 

creating a place to work where they 

feel comfortable. Sadly, this is still much 

rarer than it should be. 

Widens your reach 

Having employees from a wide range 

of backgrounds will help your company 

expand its reach to new client bases 

that you may not have enjoyed much 

success with before. Diverse employees 

bring with them diverse language skills 

and also knowledge of a wider range 

of cultures and communities. They 

may even bring existing relations with 

different communities that you have 

not previously been able to enjoy much 

success with in the past. By breaking 

down the barriers that may have 

stopped you hiring certain groups of 

people in the past, you will be breaking 

down barriers into potential new 

markets leaving no stone unturned. 

Boosts your reputation 

When your company has a diverse 

workforce, it will show naturally in every 

public facing thing you do. Whether 

that’s customer service, sales, events 

– it doesn’t matter. Your diversity is 

visible and this will give your company 

a reputation boost in the subconscious 

of most people you deal with, whether 

that’s B2C or B2B customers. The feeling 

that your company is welcoming, 

inclusive and diverse will strike a chord 

in the minds of many people – it will 

help you build an image as a socially 

responsible company. Several studies 

also show that companies with more 

diverse workforces generally tend to 

have increased profits and earnings, 

which will also help to boost and enforce 

your reputation within a market. 

Attracts better talent 

If you restrict your hiring to one 

group (even if, as is most likely, it is an 

unintentional and unknown bias), you 

are restricting yourself to not being able 

to get the most talented people for the 

job. By having a diverse workforce with 

people from all different backgrounds, 

you will be able to more easily attract 

talented people from a wider pool. Think 

about it, if someone sees your company 

as hugely dominated by one particular 

group, they may never apply for that job 

position you’ve been trying to fill – and 

they could be the perfect fit, they just 

don’t see it themselves. 


DIVERSITY BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS 

THE BENEFITS 

But how do we go about tackling the often difficult issue 

of lack of diversity and reap some of the benefits that a 

more inclusive workforce can bring? The first, and perhaps 

most tricky part, is to acknowledge that your company 

has a diversity problem in the first place. This can involve 

more than simply looking around at the faces you see in 

your office, warehouse, or factory, but also seeing where 

the engagement comes from. You may have a good mix 

of genders, ethnicities, and cultures in your company, 

but if the strong engagement only comes from one 

particular group, there could be a dominance issue where 

employees from minority groups don’t feel an equal part 

of the whole. Once you have identified the problem, you 

can begin to make the topic less taboo via your internal 

communications. Showcase how the diversity of your 

company has grown over time and how it benefits the 

company and try to get a bottom-up buy in from your 

staff on a culture that celebrates diversity. Simply sitting 

everyone through lectures about diversity is not going to 

cut it – and can often have an adverse effect on what you 

are trying to achieve. Instead, you should be more subtle 

and less authoritarian about the message. There are many 

ways in which you can do this, and ultimately, they will 

have a much stronger and longer-lasting effect. 


BE OPEN 

Perhaps the mistake many of 

us make when trying to make 

our companies more inclusive 

to all is by trying to figure out 

how to do that on our own. The 

best way to understand the most 

effective ways to improve the 

diversity culture in your company 

is to allow those from minority 

groups to have open and honest 

conversations with you about it. 

What are stupid ideas? What 

will offend people? What is 

genuine? You will probably never 

be able to get the full answers to 

these questions without working 

together with the groups you are 

trying to help. 

WIDEN THE NET 

Hiring employees is an obvious 

and direct way in which you can 

change things to change the 

overall diversity of your company. 

According to Glassdoor, 67 per 

cent of job seekers said a diverse 

workforce is important to them 

when considering job offers, while 

LinkedIn reports that 78 per cent 

of hiring managers say diversity 

is the top trend impacting how 

they hire. Really, you shouldn’t 

be hiring by using referrals or 

people who know people if you 

can help it. Widen your net by 

advertising on every available 

platform, especially social media 

where users can have much more 

diverse backgrounds compared 

to recruitment sites. Some of 

the biases we have as human 

beings can be unconscious ones, 

so use useful online tools like the 

Unbiasify extension for Google 

Chrome to help – this removes all 

pictures and names from sites like 

LinkedIn to help you make clear, 

unbiased decisions.

BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS DIVERSITY 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

This sounds like a really simple 

step, but by celebrating and 

recognising all holidays from all 

different cultures you will break 

down plenty of barriers. Just 

recognising Christmas, Easter 

and Thanksgiving could have 

serious implications on your 

diversity. It’s not always possible 

to let people have days off for 

every single holiday, but you can 

at least allow the holidays or 

occasions to be marked by your 

staff. This is also a great way 

to encourage the minorities in 

your workforce to come forward 

with their own ideas and get 

involved in group activities or the 

organisation of things. Making 

everyone feel welcome to make 

their holiday, whether that’s Eid 

Mubarak or Chinese New Year, is 

a great step you can take towards 

changing your culture. 

TRAINING, BUT NOT AS 

YOU KNOW IT 

Of course, some kind of training 

is going to be beneficial to 

helping your staff understand 

why diversity is important and 

also how to improve it. But, as 

previously mentioned, try not 

to make this seem like a lecture. 

A better way to do it is to use 

other methods to get everyone 

on board with understanding the 

importance of diversity and then 

make optional training available 

for your managers. If they are 

choosing to do the training 

because they want to improve 

themselves, then they are much 

more likely to act on the learnings 

from it. This can then eventually 

evolve into employee-led task 

forces that can help to further the 

work of the training and educate 

more members of your team. 

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY 

Being a flexible workplace is one 

of the best ways you can lay the 

groundwork to being an open and 

inclusive company. If you have 

good people, then let them work 

from home if they need to, let 

them not be afraid to take time 

off for holidays you may not be 

familiar with, allow them to bring 

fresh ideas to the table about how 

the company operates. By not 

being dogmatic with your rules 

and regulations, you will naturally 

create an environment where 

people from all walks of life will 

feel more comfortable, rather 

than one when particular social 

norms or particular social groups 

are the unwritten rules. 

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH 

To really show that you think 

diversity is important, you must 

behave that way. Each individual 

and the company as a whole 

should want to do things to 

improve the way it works within 

your firm. Whether that is 

something as simple as including 

your pronouns in your email 

signature or something more 

largescale like making sure the 

office or factory is wheelchair 

friendly, small actions add up 

and breed the right culture. 

Use more inclusive language 

in your internal and external 

communications if you can, but 

most of all, if you need help, then 

look for it. There are plenty of 

people out there who can advise 

you on how best to go about this. 

Most of all, you should want 

to make these changes because 

you care about diversity and 

understand its importance. That is 

the key with all of this. 



TINY TENTS 

BASECAMP DOME TENT 

What began as a novelty item has quickly 

become one of the fastest-selling tent brands 

in North America. Tiny Tents, which makes 

scale model tents with all the features and 

functionality of real ones, has released the 

Basecamp dome tent into its range. The product 

is perfect for a pet such as a cat or small dog and 

is also a great centrepiece gift for a camping lover 

or even for display in a retailer. 

www.tinytents.com 

TRUE 

SALERNO 

True Salerno is made of 100 per cent post-consumer 

recycled polyester yarns. The shantung character, created 

by a structured weaving pattern gives the fabric its 

beautiful look that matches any interior style. True Salerno 

has a natural and pure feeling, and is available in sixteen 

commercial subtle colours. It is a perfect curtain or blind 

material for caravans, motorhomes and RVs. 

www.true-textile.com 

FLAT-JACK 

FLAT-JACK 

This easy-to-inflate cushion can be used for levelling on a 

campsite by as it can give you a height adjustment of up to 

12cm. It can also help you not get stuck in the mud when 

you encounter wet conditions. Lastly, it is perfect for raising 

your leisure vehicle up while in storage to prevent damage 

to the tyres during long periods of no use. All that and it can 

be packed down flat when not inflated and it doesn’t weigh 

a thing. 

www.flat-jack.de 

BEAUER 

2X CARAVAN 

It may look a little unusual, but the Beauer 2X is a very 

smart caravan that offers expandable living space 

thanks to its clever design. When being towed, the van 

measures just 1.95m wide and 3.85m in length, but 

when you pitch up, you can expand the width 3.2m, 

giving you an 8sqm living/sleeping space with plenty 

of features. Designed for two people, they’ve even 

managed to squeeze a kitchen and modest washroom 

into this thing. 

www.beauer.fr 



AL-KO 

VARIO X 

A new lightweight concept for caravan chassis enters the market from leading expert AL-KO 

Vehicle Technology. The VARIO X is super robust and extraordinarily lightweight, claiming 

to be able to save up to 30 per cent in weight. In addition, it is built in steel, a sustainable 

material that has proven to be an optimal choice in manufacturing as well as in production and 

recycling. This approach of lightweight construction and sustainable materials optimises the 

carbon footprint for trailer journeys. 

www.alko-tech.com 

CBE 

PL3 

Motorhome and caravan electronics specialist CBE 

has expanded its range of control panels with the 

PL3 model. This new and more compact design 

can fit easily into tighter spaces in smaller leisure 

vehicles but offers the same precise control as other 

models in the CBE range. It features a simplified 

interface and is compatible with CL-BUS, CI-BUS 

and LIN BYS systems. 

www.cbe.it 

BRUNNER 

POLARYS 

FREEZE DZ 

This smart new range of 

coolers from Brunner offer 

you the opportunity to 

have both refrigerator and 

freezer on the campsite. 

DZ stands for dual zone, 

and the internally divided 

cooler has two individually 

adjustable temperature 

compartments so you can 

have a freezer and a fridge 

running simultaneously. 

Or even two different 

temperatures of 

refrigeration, it’s up to 

you. It features an optional 

detachable battery, LCD 

display for easy control 

and a durable and 

shockproof design. 

www.brunner.it 

TELECO 

TBCM PRO 

The new TBCM PRO 45/30/350 (which replaces TBC3i PRO 

30/20/250) is designed to charge on-board RV service batteries by 

selecting the best power source in a completely automatic way 

between the AC grid, the power generator, the vehicle alternator 

and photovoltaic modules. Compared to the earlier version, RV 

service battery charging performance has been improved. The 

brand new design that also includes an integrated OLED display 

and a control console located directly on the unit. 

www.telecogroup.com 



CARTHAGO 

CHIC C-LINE T 

Featuring a new style and look with a host of smart 

innovations inside and out, the Carthago chic c-line T is 

a motorhome with a bright future. Carthago claims the 

interiors of these leisure vehicles have been modelled on 

luxury yachts and the bright colours, high-quality materials 

and space saving layouts certainly show that. The new 

curved and raised kitchen worktop provides more storage 

while the sleeping area features convex overhead storage 

cabinets and open shelves as corner connectors. 

www.carthago.com 

EUREKA! 

MIDORI 

This surprisingly spacious and highly functional tent 

is all about making sure you can set-up a comfortable 

home from home, wherever you decide to camp. 

The Midori’s design maximuses space with increased 

headroom and offers a smart Air Exchange System to 

keep ventilation just right for all weather conditions. The 

strong aluminium frame and durable fabrics ensure it 

will last for camp after camp. Available in one, two or 

three-person sizes. 

www.eurekacamping.com 

TEN HAAFT 

OYSTER CONNECT 

Teen Haaft’s excellent Oyster Connect system has been gaining a 

large fanbase over the last year, and with good reason. The system 

provides a stable internet connection to any leisure vehicle, even 

when driving and its sleek and aerodynamic design won’t affect 

your unit. Whether smartphone, tablet, laptop or smart TV - once at 

home logged into the network, all devices remain connected to the 

Internet and nothing standing in the way of safe, fast surfing. 

www.ten-haaft.com 

SIERRA DESIGNS 

MOBILE MUMMY 

Everyone loves a good comeback story, and that’s exactly 

what Sierra Designs has produced with the return of its 

iconic Mobile Mummy sleeping bag. Built like a onesie 

with a dual zipper in the centre front, armholes at the 

side, and a footbox that can be tucked away for easy 

mobility, the Mobile Mummy allows campers to sit up, 

read a book, enjoy a cup of coffee, or even walk around, 

all while staying perfectly warm in a down cocoon. It is 

made with 55 per cent recycled 20-denier nylon ripstop. 

www.sierradesigns.com 



SWIFT 

CONQUEROR 

British leisure vehicle giant Swift has given its popular 

Conqueror range of caravans an update for the 2022 

season, with a stylish new look and an improved 

high-grade specification. Built with Swift’s strong and 

lightweight SMART construction, this caravan features 

domestic-style Zinc soft furnishings, bright and 

modern washroom, and contemporary kitchen with 

high-end fitting such as Dometic dual-hinged Series 

10 fridges. 

www.swiftgroup.co.uk 

FIAMMA 

F80S AWNING 

This new awning from Italian expert Fiamma features a 

super small cross-section so that it can integrate even 

better with the contours of the vehicle it is mounted on. This 

more compact awning features other innovations such as 

adaptability to work with 40 types of brackets, dual shock 

absorber, roller support, secure lock , reinforced arms, oneway 

roll, double front LEDs, triple guide and telescopic legs 

with reinforced joint. 

www.fiamma.it 

CABANON 

MALAWI 2.0 DE LUXE 

Trailer tents are undergoing somewhat of a renaissance in recent 

times, and French brand Cabanon is one of the leading names 

in the field. Its Malawi 2.0 De Luxe is a high-end trailer tent that 

features darkened sleeping area, roadside kitchen that can be 

placed inside the living area, bisonyl groundsheet to keep the 

wet out and Cabanon’s smart Easy Pack system. The trailer tent 

is built onto an AL-KO chassis so you can be sure of its overall 

quality and durability. 

www.cabanon.com 

DETHLEFFS 

GLOBEBUS 

Billed as one of the most compact and versatile 

motorhome series Dethleffs has ever made, the 

Globebus is an ideal model for a wide range of campers. 

Available in either A-Class or low profile designs, the 

Globebus features an attractive and modern design 

as well as many upgrades to the equipment on board 

– in particular in the kitchen. There are two lengths 

and layouts of this motorhome to offer something for 

different needs. 

www.dethleffs.de 



ADRIA 

SONIC 

Adria can normally be relied on to produce something a little bit 

different, and it hasn’t disappointed with its newest motorhome 

range: the Sonic. These premium A-Class motorhomes feature 

unique styling, contemporary living spaces and all-year-round 

comfort. Key features include LED external lights, double floor for 

better insulation, panoramic windows, a performance low-frame 

chassis and improved exterior graphics. 

www.adria-mobil.com 

LIPPERT 

SCREEN ASSIST 

As part of its premium line of RV screen door products, 

Lippert has launched the Screen Assist. This RV screen 

door cross bar protects the integrity of the screen door 

while simultaneously preventing wear and tear, while 

providing added stability and sturdiness. If installed on a 

Lippert Screen Door with a lever-style handle, it features 

a unique articulating function that allows the screen 

door to be unlatched and opened with one simple push. 

Screen Assist also works as a fixed push bar on screen 

doors with any handle style. 

www.lci1.com 

DOMETIC 

TRT120E ROOFTOP TENT 

First introduced to the Australian market, the TRT120E rooftop tent 

from Dometic has now been launched into the European market 

after some extensive testing. Designed for utility vehicles and 4WDs, 

the tent features a 5cm high-density foam sleeping mat that can 

accommodate two people while the water-resistant PVS tent cover 

with UPF 50+ protection can protect you from all elements. It can 

be erected and taken down via a wireless remote control in a matter 

of minutes. 

www.dometic.com 

STERCKEMAN 

STARLETT GRAPHITE 

ANNIVERSARY 

Fully equipped with a luxurious assortment of materials 

and fittings, the Starlett Graphite Anniversary caravan 

from Sterckeman is one of its front-runners for 2022. The 

high-end finish with limited edition stylings is matched 

by the practical design and the standard equipment 

guarantee that the company offers. There are three 

layouts available of this four-berth caravan with twin or 

double beds available. 

www.sterckeman-caravans.com 



DE WAARD 

TULIP TREE 

Designed with an arch shape, the Tulip Tree is a spacious 

tent option from Dutch expert De Waard that can house 

up to six people. It features three separate sleeping areas 

and living space so everyone inside can move around 

freely. The canvas of the tent is 100 per cent cotton, which 

offers great protection from the elements and natural 

ventilation. It is also designed to be durable and last the 

test of time. 

www.dewaardbusiness.com 

BALLISTOL 

WATERPROOFING 

SPRAY 

This spray from oil and cleaning 

material expert Ballistol 

surrounds every fibre of a 

fabric with an invisible, UV and 

temperature-stable, breathable 

protective coating, which makes 

water run right off and dirt can 

no longer be absorbed. This 

product is ideal for tents, awnings, 

tarpaulins, parasols, umbrellas 

and a wide range of clothing and 

rucksacks too. 

www.ballistol.eu 

NORDELLETRONICA 

IP65 BATTERY CHARGER 

Italian RV electronics specialist 

Nordelettronica has 

launched a brand new 

battery charger into its 

range that is compatible 

with gel, AGM, lithium, 

and lead acid batteries. 

The IP65 provides a 

combination of charge at 

constant current and constant 

voltage, which makes it possible for a 

significant reduction in charging times and 

prevents permanent damage to the battery. 

www.nordelettronica.it 

DEMBELL 

L MODEL MOTORHOME 

Premium German motorhome manufacturer Dembell is a 

great example of the levels of luxury that are now available 

to campers and RV fans – if they have the funds. This 

super high-end motorhome features a host of Miele home 

appliances including washing machine and drier and also 

features a solar roof, electric parasol, Bose sound system, 

1,000ltr water tank and a large garage for your car. 

www.dembell.com 


www.campingtradeworld.com

Camping Trade World – Issue 05

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