Camping Trade World – Issue 10
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C O N N E C T I N G T H E G L O B A L C A M P I N G I N D U S T R Y<br />
ISSUE <strong>10</strong> | CAMPINGTRADEWORLD.COM
WELCOME<br />
C O N N E C T I N G T H E G L O B A L C A M P I N G I N D U S T R Y<br />
ISSUE <strong>10</strong> | CAMPINGTRADEWORLD.COM<br />
MEET THE TEAM<br />
DAVID GUEST<br />
EDITOR<br />
David has worked in B2B publishing since 2006 and has edited<br />
several major titles in that time. He has also worked on the UK’s<br />
biggest consumer camping magazine, <strong>Camping</strong> & Caravanning. A<br />
keen camper and outdoorsman, David will bring you the very latest<br />
international industry news.<br />
david.guest@dhpub.co.uk<br />
JUSTIN FOX<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Justin is hugely experienced in publishing and oversees the running<br />
of all of David Hall Publishing’s titles, which includes not only B2B<br />
titles, but also some enthusiast consumer brands too. Justin’s<br />
organisational and sales skills are invaluable to the business.<br />
justin@dhpub.co.uk<br />
WILLEM BONNEUX<br />
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT<br />
Fluent in several languages, Willem is hugely experienced in<br />
helping outdoor industry brands realise their global communication<br />
ambitions. He has a broad background in sales, marketing and key<br />
account management.<br />
willem.bonneux@dhpub.co.uk<br />
GUIDO KNEGT<br />
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT<br />
Guido has a wealth of experience in helping companies grow their<br />
international export businesses. He speaks numerous languages<br />
and is well-known for going that extra mile for all of his international<br />
customers.<br />
guido.knegt@dhpub.co.uk<br />
MARK GRAFTON<br />
DESIGNER<br />
Mark is the man who takes our essential trade info and turns it into<br />
something beautiful. A freelance designer with more than 20 years of<br />
experience as a magazine and digital designer, we trust him to make<br />
us look good.<br />
housegrafton@gmail.com<br />
PAUL EVANS<br />
ART EDITOR<br />
Paul is the Art Editor of our publishing house and he runs the rule<br />
over the creative direction of our titles. He has worked in the company<br />
since 2008 and keeps our vision in focus.<br />
ARE THERE HARD TIMES AHEAD?<br />
I<br />
■t’s difficult to say whether<br />
we as an industry will<br />
look back on the unusual<br />
happenings of the last few years as<br />
a good or bad thing overall. When<br />
COVID first became a word in<br />
everyone’s vocabularies, it was<br />
quite obviously a bad thing. As<br />
time passed, it became clear that<br />
it was actually going to be a very<br />
good thing for RV and camping.<br />
It brought new people to the<br />
pastime, it brought back lapsed<br />
customers, and it strengthened<br />
the resolve of already staunch<br />
campers. Records tumbled, RVs<br />
flew off production lines as fast as<br />
was possible, and campgrounds<br />
took unprecedented bookings.<br />
Natually, a boom like this was<br />
only ever going to be finite. And<br />
it feels like right about now, at<br />
least over the last few months<br />
and perhaps for the six months<br />
to come, the bubble may be<br />
getting a little closer to bursting.<br />
I think this is something pretty<br />
much all of us knew <strong>–</strong> there was<br />
no way records could continue<br />
to be smashed in terms of sales<br />
and registrations at the rates<br />
they were going at <strong>–</strong> but now we<br />
have started to see some hard<br />
evidence that that is happening.<br />
The monthly wholesale shipment<br />
figures from the USA’s RV<br />
Industry Association showed<br />
that for August 2022, total RV<br />
shipments were down by around<br />
36 per cent. Dig just a little deeper<br />
into those figures and a clearer<br />
pattern emerges. Towable RV<br />
shipments were down a staggering<br />
41.5 per cent in August 2022<br />
compared to 2021. Year to date,<br />
towables were down almost 4<br />
per cent. Motorhomes saw fewer<br />
negative figures, but the growth is<br />
starting to slow. All motorhome<br />
shipments were up 16.8 per cent<br />
for August, and up 6.5 per cent<br />
year to date. Most categories are<br />
showing very minimal growth,<br />
with the exception of van campers<br />
(Class B), which are up 40.5 per<br />
cent year to date. Take that away<br />
and motorhomes overall may not<br />
look so healthy. I’m not bringing<br />
any of this to your attention to<br />
scaremonger or play the doom<br />
and gloom card, simply to<br />
highlight that what goes up must<br />
come down. Many companies will<br />
already be well aware of this and<br />
will have planned for the cyclical<br />
nature of our market. The only<br />
problem these days is that the<br />
highs and lows of the natural cycle<br />
are more extreme than ever before.<br />
Take care not to get carried too<br />
far one way or the other.<br />
Enjoy the issue,<br />
David Guest<br />
02 | www.campingtradeworld.com
CONTENTS<br />
<strong>10</strong><br />
14<br />
20<br />
28<br />
Photo: Jack Wolfskin<br />
BASECAMP<br />
06-13 Catch up on what’s been happening around the world in<br />
the camping, caravanning and RV industries.<br />
THE DETAIL<br />
14-15 How one of the UK’s biggest campsite booking websites<br />
recorded perhaps its most successful summer ever, with a<br />
booking every six seconds at its height.<br />
16 A new camping online marketplace has arrived in Europe<br />
after proving its worth in its homeland of Australia.<br />
18-19 Is TikTok taking over from Google as the way in which<br />
people search for holiday ideas and inspiration? This<br />
evidence suggests it is.<br />
20-21 A wrap-up from this summer’s Tent and Awning <strong>Trade</strong><br />
Show at Stoneleigh Park in the United Kingdom.<br />
FEATURES<br />
22-27 Our latest ‘doing business with’ article focuses on the<br />
Netherlands, featuring expert insight from industry<br />
insiders and the latest statistics.<br />
28-39 If somehow you missed caravanning’s biggest showpiece<br />
event, we have you covered. Check out our interactive<br />
round up of Caravan Salon Düsseldorf including plenty of<br />
video highlights.<br />
40-41 Another look at how SuperCoils from SuperSprings<br />
International could help RV towers improve their rides.<br />
42-43 An interview with Ballistol managing director Andreas<br />
Zettler and marketing and PR manager Leif Jacobsen.<br />
44-45 Why relative newcomer to the luxury campervan market<br />
Wanderer is expecting big things for its future.<br />
46-51 A focus on the outdoor clothing and luggage market, there<br />
is profit to be made here if you can find the right partners.<br />
52-55 Become a better business by focussing on improving your<br />
approach to hybrid working, with tips from our marketing guru.<br />
MAKING CONTACT<br />
56-59 Our round-up of interesting and smart products that have<br />
caught our eye in the market over the last couple of months.<br />
46<br />
56
BASE CAMP<br />
AUSSIE INVENTOR HAS GLOBAL AMBITION<br />
■he Duoetto is already a wellknown<br />
and popular product in <strong>10</strong>l water heater that features a digital<br />
launch the Duoetto MK2 <strong>–</strong> a 12v/340v,<br />
T<br />
both the RV and marine markets. readout, Incoloy 840 heating element that is<br />
This innovative water heater was designed corrosion resistant, single weld line tank for<br />
to give people in mobile vehicles the same sturdy construction, SPCC steel and enamel<br />
levels of hot water comfort they were used tank, and polyurethane insulation to make it<br />
to at home, but in a package that is easy to<br />
use and also not too heavy on the pocket.<br />
Its inventor, Australian Jay King, like<br />
all inventors, was not satisfied. Even<br />
though he had created a successful<br />
product that was in demand, he could<br />
see improvements that could be made<br />
and so began tinkering with ideas<br />
and designs. Jay’s innovative mind<br />
eventually led his company, Aus J, to<br />
even more efficient. Jay said: “We’re excited<br />
to launch the latest Duoetto MK2, which<br />
is especially suited to caravans, equestrian<br />
transport, campervans, yachts, motorhomes<br />
and a huge range of recreational vehicles.<br />
When you’re on the road or out on the<br />
water, readily available hot water is a real<br />
luxury.” The Duoetto MK2 has a very<br />
low power draw (4.2amps at 240V and<br />
25amps at 12V) and the internationally<br />
recognised Australian WaterMark<br />
accreditation. Just goes to show you that<br />
even when you think you have a winning<br />
product, improvement is always possible.<br />
Visit www.ausj.com.au to learn more or<br />
contact Jay at sales@ausj.com.au<br />
▲ The RVTI does great work to attract new workers (Pic: © RVTI).<br />
▲ The New Age Caravans team celebrate (Pic: © New Age Cara).<br />
TRAINING THE NEXT<br />
GENERATION<br />
With the growth of the RV<br />
market being what it is, it’s<br />
never been more important that<br />
we as an industry focus on the<br />
next generation of workers who<br />
are going to keep the wheels<br />
of the market turning. One<br />
of the most key areas is RV<br />
technicians <strong>–</strong> the people who<br />
actually put together our RVs,<br />
caravans, and motorhomes.<br />
Luckily, there are organisations<br />
like the RV Technical Institute<br />
(RVTI) from the RV Industry<br />
Association. The RVTI provides<br />
industry-backed curriculum and<br />
an RV technician certification to<br />
provide world-class training for<br />
RV maintenance and repair, and<br />
the organisation just launched a<br />
new and improved website.<br />
“We are so excited to<br />
announce the launch of the new<br />
website,” said RV Technical<br />
Institute executive director,<br />
Curt Hemmeler. “We believe<br />
it will be a valuable resource<br />
for individuals looking to be<br />
trained, those who are currently<br />
in training, and for those who<br />
have received certification and<br />
want to stay up-to-date with all<br />
that the program has to offer.”<br />
The new website features<br />
more comprehensive<br />
information about the<br />
programme, a better user<br />
experience, and the ability to<br />
find in-person training and<br />
search for jobs.<br />
See the new website and learn<br />
more about the RVTI right<br />
here: www.rvti.org<br />
20,000 NOT OUT<br />
Australian manufacturer New<br />
Age Caravans and Walkinshaw<br />
Group recently celebrated a special<br />
milestone as the 20,000th New<br />
Age Caravans chassis rolled off its<br />
production line in Melbourne. The<br />
chassis in question will become a<br />
Manta Ray 16ft pop-top, one of<br />
the original ranges produced by<br />
the company that has become a<br />
staple since 20<strong>10</strong>.<br />
New Age Caravans managing<br />
director, Chris Polites, said:<br />
“It’s a fantastic milestone seeing<br />
our 20,000th chassis off the<br />
production line, and on top<br />
of that, the unit being a 16ft<br />
pop-top is a fantastic link to our<br />
history and journey here at New<br />
Age Caravans.<br />
“It’s a significant achievement<br />
that we are very proud of<br />
internally, but importantly,<br />
it’s a great celebration of local<br />
manufacturing here in Australia,<br />
which is really bouncing back<br />
after the challenges of the last<br />
few years.” The company has<br />
been ramping up its production<br />
in recent months after the<br />
disruption of the COVID-19<br />
restrictions <strong>–</strong> it now employs<br />
more than 300 staff and produces<br />
06 | www.campingtradeworld.com
BASE CAMP<br />
more than 2,000 caravans per<br />
year, sold and serviced by 15<br />
dealers around Australia.<br />
EXTREME LENGTHS<br />
Sometimes, there is only one way<br />
in which to prove the quality of<br />
your products, and that is to test<br />
them to the very limits. Actions<br />
speak louder than words, as the<br />
saying goes, and motorhome<br />
brand Malibu is hoping its<br />
latest actions scream from the<br />
rooftops about the strength of<br />
its latest models. The company<br />
is letting social promotion<br />
association Tototravel.it use a<br />
Malibu I 430 LE to attempt to<br />
travel to Europe’s most extreme<br />
easternmost, northernmost,<br />
southernmost, westernmost,<br />
lowest and highest points, all<br />
in 20 days. The trip started<br />
on September 25 from the<br />
Easternmost point (Virmajärvi<br />
in Finland, on the border with<br />
Russia) to travel all around<br />
Europe stopping by all the<br />
other extreme points: the<br />
Northernmost (Knivskjellodden<br />
in Norway), the Lowest manmade<br />
(Tagebau Hambach in<br />
Germany, a large open-pit coal<br />
mine), the Geographic Center<br />
(Gadheim in Germany, the<br />
geodetic center of the EU),<br />
the Highest (Mont Blanc), the<br />
Lowest natural point (Etang<br />
de Lavalduc in France), the<br />
Westernmost (Cabo da Roca<br />
in Portugal), to arrive at the<br />
Southernmost (Punta de Tarifa<br />
in Spain, a former island now<br />
connected to the land), in only<br />
20 days. Overall, the route will<br />
be over 9,000 km long needing<br />
hundreds of hours of driving, all<br />
done by Salvatore Magliozzi.<br />
▲ Conquering Europe in a<br />
Malibu motorhome <strong>–</strong> proof<br />
they are worth the money.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 07
BASE CAMP<br />
WINNERS ARE GRINNERS<br />
■verybody likes winning awards, and those companies in the camping and outdoors<br />
industries are no different. At the recent Outdoor <strong>Trade</strong> Show in the UK, the<br />
E<br />
annual awards were voted for by the public after a judging panel of industry experts<br />
had selected the finalists in each category. More than 2,000 consumers voted online during<br />
the summer, and here is how the results ended up:<br />
Accessories<br />
Backpacks/Travel Luggage<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> Equipment<br />
Climbing<br />
Clothing<br />
Diversity & Inclusion<br />
Footwear<br />
Sleeping<br />
Tech Accessories<br />
Tent/Awnings<br />
LifeStraw - Peak Series Collapsible Squeeze Bottle<br />
Water Filter System<br />
Osprey - UNLTD<br />
Exped - Ultra 3R<br />
Ocun - Bio-Based Dyneema Quick Draws<br />
Rab - Mythic Ultra<br />
Ordnance Survey - OS Maps<br />
La Sportiva -Aequilibrium ST GTX<br />
Therm-a-Rest -Parsec -6c/20F sleeping bag<br />
Zoleo <strong>–</strong> Location share device<br />
Vango - Apex Compact 200 Tent<br />
From these ten winning products, the panel of expert judges selected the overall ‘Product of<br />
the Year’, which is the Rab - Mythic Ultra.<br />
▲ Dutch show Kampeer & Caravan rewarded sustainability.<br />
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
REWARDED<br />
Dutch camping and caravanning<br />
show Kampeer & Caravan<br />
Jaarbeurs will feature a<br />
sustainability award for the first<br />
time at its 2022 edition when it<br />
takes place from 5 to 9 October.<br />
The show, which takes place in<br />
08 | www.campingtradeworld.com<br />
the city of Utrecht, is a big draw<br />
for camping and caravanning<br />
enthusiasts in the Netherlands<br />
and neighbouring countries,<br />
usually attracting more than<br />
35,000 visitors. The sustainability<br />
award will seek to give out<br />
prizes for the most sustainable<br />
innovations in the camping<br />
industry in the Netherlands.<br />
Rachel Jankowsky, of the<br />
Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs<br />
show, said: “The world around<br />
us is constantly changing and<br />
sustainability is an increasingly<br />
important theme. Sustainable<br />
innovations give new energy and<br />
contribute to positive changes<br />
for the future.”<br />
IMPORTANT RECALL<br />
NOTICE<br />
AL-KO Vehicle Technology<br />
Electronics announces that a<br />
potential product risk has been<br />
identified with the CSB2 and<br />
CSB2-LT devices, known under<br />
the brand CBE. The company<br />
recalls these car battery charging<br />
systems for the motor home<br />
sector. The CSB2 and CSB2-<br />
LT system allows the charging<br />
of the car battery, when the<br />
service battery of the motor<br />
home is connected to external<br />
220V chargers or a solar panel.<br />
The electronic devices sold or<br />
installed after June 1, 2021 can<br />
be damaged by overvoltage<br />
spikes on the 12V DC power net<br />
in the motor home. Therefore<br />
the devices can overheat and<br />
burn or cause a fire, which poses<br />
a serious risk to people in or<br />
around the motor home. Find<br />
out the full details online at:<br />
www.cbe.it/recall/<br />
▲ The recall item in question.
BASE CAMP<br />
MOVERS AND SHAKERS<br />
The who’s who of hires and promotions<br />
RV and caravan component supplier<br />
Lippert Components has announced that<br />
Joerg Reithmeier will take over the role<br />
of managing director caravanning EMEA.<br />
Joerg has been with the company since<br />
April 2019 when he took on the role of<br />
senior advisor for business development.<br />
The aim of his assignment was to offer<br />
support in acquisitions in Germany<br />
and help stimulate growth within the<br />
European caravanning market through<br />
strategic acquisitions.<br />
Leading British caravan and motorhome<br />
manufacturer Bailey of Bristol has<br />
announced the appointment of Steve<br />
Bruce as its new operations director.<br />
Having spent almost 20 years at leading<br />
furniture company G Plan and with a<br />
proven track record of delivering large<br />
scale business transformation, Steve<br />
has a wealth of experience that will be<br />
beneficial to Bailey.<br />
Casey Tubman has been named as the<br />
new president of Winnebago Industriesowned<br />
brand Newmar Corporation. Casey<br />
will report into Winnebago Industries<br />
president and CEO Michael Happe and<br />
will be based in Nappanee, Indiana in<br />
the United States. With more than 25<br />
years of experience working in a variety<br />
of leadership and executive roles at<br />
home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool<br />
Corporation, Casey is well placed to help<br />
Newmar drive revenue and profit growth.<br />
Thor Industries has announced the<br />
retirement of Jim Ziemer from its board<br />
of directors, effective 1 October, 2022.<br />
Jim will continue to act as an observer to<br />
the Board through the end of calendar<br />
year 2022 following his retirement. Jim’s<br />
retirement is consistent with Thor’s<br />
Board of Directors refreshment plans,<br />
and, as the company added two new<br />
directors last year ahead of this planned<br />
retirement, no additional new directors<br />
are planned at this time.<br />
RV giant Winnebago Industries has<br />
announced the appointment of Ray<br />
Posadas as Vice President, Investor<br />
Relations and Market Intelligence,<br />
effective September 6, 2022. Posadas<br />
succeeds Steve Stuber, who was<br />
appointed Chief Financial Officer of<br />
Grand Design RV in April 2022.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 09
BASE CAMP<br />
▲ Roof tents were everywhere in Hall 3 at Caravan Salon.<br />
A ROOF TOO MANY?<br />
■f you spent any time at all at Caravan Salon 2022<br />
(whether you did or not, check out review starting<br />
I<br />
on page 28), you will have noticed a trend that seems<br />
to have gained momentum to an almost unsustainable level.<br />
Roof tents are everywhere. And we mean everywhere. It<br />
seems that in the 12 months since last Caravan Salon, a new<br />
roof tent brand must have popped up (pun intended) every<br />
few weeks. But is this sustainable? In reality, while they look<br />
cool and they do inspire consumers, the actual use of roof<br />
tents is relatively small across Europe. In some countries like<br />
the UK, not all campsites accept them, and in other countries<br />
the market just really isn’t that large. What do we make of<br />
it? Well, we can only repeat what we were told on the show<br />
floor, and that is that there will be a sharp decline of the<br />
number of roof tent brands and models over the next 12<br />
months because there are simply too many to service what is<br />
ultimately a relatively niche market. While they might attract<br />
interest and attention at shows and events, actual sales of the<br />
tents have remained fairly steady, with no signs of any great<br />
boom to come. Perhaps the ceiling (pun intended x2) for<br />
these rooves is not as high as we all imagined.<br />
AFTERMARKET NOT AN<br />
AFTERTHOUGHT<br />
Much is made of the service<br />
and aftermarket sectors <strong>–</strong> a<br />
hallowed Holy Grail for<br />
many brands seen as a way of<br />
increasing their market share<br />
and also bolstering the overall<br />
strength of their brand. One<br />
company that definitely views<br />
it this way is Dometic <strong>–</strong> the<br />
difference is, they’re doing<br />
something about it. At Caravan<br />
Salon, the company introduced<br />
a new programme for its service<br />
partner network in the EMEA<br />
region that it hopes will help<br />
it fulfil high demand in the<br />
RV market and generate new<br />
business for itself and its partners.<br />
The new platform is based<br />
on a well-established, proven<br />
model containing upgraded<br />
features. Focus is to generate<br />
additional business in the service<br />
area (break-fix, maintenance,<br />
installations, upgrades) while<br />
fulfilling the high customer<br />
demand in the RV market.<br />
Online, hands-on training and<br />
access to a knowledge database<br />
are part of this program. This<br />
will further enhance our mutual<br />
beneficial partnership. In parallel,<br />
Dometic has launched on a<br />
selective base, service centres<br />
in several countries in EMEA<br />
region, thus responding to the<br />
increased customer demand,<br />
while supporting our partners.<br />
The team is working closely<br />
with partners and dealers in<br />
each area. This initiative allows<br />
Dometic to better understand<br />
the customer demand and<br />
improve its service level.<br />
A FAMILY AFFAIR<br />
When you have a family of<br />
brands, it’s sometimes hard to<br />
know the best way in which<br />
to show that. The benefits of<br />
having a family are obvious,<br />
but how do you communicate<br />
that effectively to the industry<br />
and your end-customers. The<br />
Stellantis group has some ideas.<br />
This automotive giant decided to<br />
go all-in on the family messaging<br />
at Caravan Salon this year by<br />
having a multi-brand display<br />
for Fiat Professional, Citroën,<br />
Peugeot and Opel <strong>–</strong> a new family<br />
of products, widened thanks to<br />
the merger between the FCA<br />
and PSA Groups. While this<br />
may not seem revolutionary,<br />
the idea of doing this with such<br />
huge and well-known brands is<br />
an interesting one. Stellantis has<br />
framed it as its family is perfect<br />
for your family and re-emphasised<br />
that with the broadening of<br />
its range of RV base vehicles.<br />
▲ Dometic has the aftermarket sector in focus (Pic © Dometic).<br />
<strong>10</strong> | www.campingtradeworld.com
BASE CAMP<br />
The four base vehicles on<br />
display showed a cross-section<br />
of the options from which<br />
motorhome manufacturers and<br />
customers can choose. The Fiat<br />
Professional brand exposes<br />
a Ducato Chassis Cab L4,<br />
Citroën shows a Jumper Temps<br />
Libre VAN L2H2, the Opel<br />
brand is represented by the fully<br />
electric, 5-seater E-Zafira Life.<br />
Finally, also powered purely<br />
by electricity is the exhibition<br />
vehicle from Peugeot, an<br />
E-Rifter in L2 length.<br />
DEALS ON WHEELS<br />
French camping giant Trigano<br />
has entered into exclusive<br />
negotiations for the acquisition<br />
of 70 per cent of the capital and<br />
voting rights of Italian leisure<br />
vehicle accessory distributor<br />
S.I.F.I. A key player in the<br />
▲ The Stellantis family at Caravan Salon (Pic © Stellantis).<br />
Italian camping, caravan, and<br />
motorhome market for some 45<br />
years, S.I.F.I. is a national leader<br />
in the distribution of accessories<br />
in this market.<br />
Global leader is trailer<br />
running gear, chassis and<br />
components DexKo Global has<br />
signed an agreement to acquire<br />
TexTrail Inc from American<br />
Trailer <strong>World</strong>. Established in<br />
1980 and with more than 30<br />
locations throughout North<br />
America, TexTrail is a supplier<br />
of trailer parts, accessories,<br />
tires and wheels to trailer<br />
manufacturers, dealers and<br />
repair shops throughout its<br />
network. It has developed a<br />
reputation as one of the leading<br />
suppliers of trailer parts and<br />
accessories in the industry.<br />
Leading American camping<br />
brands Sierra Designs and<br />
Kelty will now be distributed<br />
in Germany by Stadler Sports,<br />
an agency set up by experienced<br />
outdoor industry pro Lars<br />
Stadler. Stadler Sports already<br />
handles brands including<br />
Exped, Crazy Idea, Darn<br />
Tough and Super Yellow, and<br />
its founder Lars has almost<br />
20 years of experience in the<br />
outdoor industry to lean on in<br />
his new role.<br />
Rolling awnings and<br />
rollerblinds crafted in Italy<br />
M: info@scalabros.it<br />
D: www.scalabros.it<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 11
AROUND THE WORLD<br />
UNITED STATES<br />
A recent survey of America’s leisure travellers<br />
found that 36 per cent, representing 65 million<br />
Americans, are planning on going RVing in<br />
the next 12 months, according to the country’s<br />
RV Industry Association (RVIA). More detailed<br />
anaylsis of the survey revealed that even the<br />
higher prices of fuel are not putting RVers<br />
off, with 79 per cent of them saying that their<br />
travel plans have not been impacted by rising<br />
costs. A move towards remote living and<br />
working is also helping push these figures,<br />
with 39 per cent of millennials saying they<br />
would consider that and 47 per cent of Gen<br />
Z-ers saying the same. For more, check out<br />
www.rvia.org<br />
01<br />
Around the world<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> and leisure vehicles are a global business, but<br />
each corner of the world faces its own unique challenges<br />
and enjoys its own successes. Here’s a snapshot of what’s<br />
been happening on planet camping the last few months.<br />
02<br />
What’s happening<br />
in your part of the world?<br />
Contact us today and<br />
tell us your story:<br />
david.guest@dhpub.co.uk<br />
SPAIN<br />
The latest data from the Spanish Association of the Caravanning Industry<br />
(ASEICAR) has shown that its market is suffering from a slight decline<br />
with a 14 per cent decrease in new motorhomes registered in August<br />
2022 compared to last year, and a 30.4 per cent decrease in new caravans<br />
registered in the same period. Second-hand caravan sales were also down,<br />
but second-hand motorhome and campervan sales were up slightly. The<br />
reason for the slowdown is largely down to the lack of availability of new<br />
motorhomes and chassis. ASEICAR is keen to warn people about the<br />
danger of buying motorhomes from unverified sources, as it has seen<br />
several dangerous vehicles reach its market. Learn more at www.aseicar.org<br />
12 | www.campingtradeworld.com
AROUND THE WORLD<br />
03<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
John Lally, the director general of the UK’s National Caravan Council has called on<br />
the British government to offer more support to camping and caravanning industry<br />
in light of Liz Truss becoming the country’s latest prime minister. He said: “We were<br />
encouraged to hear the new prime minister commit to urgent action on energy<br />
prices for businesses, as British manufacturing will otherwise suffer severely, as will<br />
thousands of rural and seaside tourism businesses, if help is not received quickly. Help<br />
for our members in manufacturing and tourism will protect jobs, many of which are<br />
in areas of higher unemployment, and will pay dividends by contributing towards a<br />
successful ‘aspiration nation’.” Find out more at www.leisurevehicleshub.co.uk<br />
04<br />
SWEDEN<br />
Records are currently being<br />
smashed by one of Scandinavia’s<br />
largest campsite chains First<br />
Camp. The group recently<br />
reported that it delivered record<br />
revenues in July. Also in August,<br />
the campsite chain broke records.<br />
The group’s total revenues<br />
were estimated US$15 million,<br />
a proforma increase (excluding<br />
effects from new acquisitions) by 7<br />
per cent vs August 2021, and by 27<br />
per cent vs 2019. The total revenue<br />
increase including effects from<br />
acquisitions was as much as 43 per<br />
cent. First Camp CEO Johan Söör<br />
said: “It is very satisfying with such<br />
strong results for the two most<br />
important months of the year.<br />
The entire market has had strong<br />
growth thanks to the return of<br />
international guests but also due<br />
to a higher interest in camping<br />
following the Covid-19 pandemic.”<br />
Check out www.firstcamp.se for<br />
more.<br />
05<br />
NETHERLANDS<br />
Dutch camping and caravanning show Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs featured a<br />
sustainability award for the first time at its 2022 edition when it took place from 5 to 9<br />
October. The show, which is hosted in the city of Utrecht, is a big draw for camping and<br />
caravanning enthusiasts in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries, usually attracting<br />
more than 35,000 visitors.<br />
The sustainability award gives out prizes for the most sustainable innovations in the<br />
camping industry in the Netherlands. It is an initiative of the Kampeer Sustainability<br />
Award is an initiative of Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs (KCJ), the Kampeer & Caravan<br />
Industry (KCI) and the Nederlandse Kampeerauto Club (NKC). Learn more at www.<br />
kampeerencaravanjaarbeurs.nl<br />
06<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
The Caravan Industry Association<br />
of Australia (CIAA) has leant<br />
its support to the country’s<br />
National Road Safety Month this<br />
September to help inform and<br />
advise caravan users about safe<br />
driving and towing. There are<br />
840,000 registered RVs in Australia<br />
so the CIAA will be delivering daily<br />
safety messages to its audience<br />
about topics including preplanning,<br />
understanding your<br />
RV setup including towing and<br />
your caravan weights, fatigue<br />
management and reminding<br />
people to be patient. Learn more<br />
about CIAA’s work at<br />
www.caravanindustry.com.au<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 13
PITCHUP.COM THE DETAIL<br />
£355,000<br />
The amount<br />
earned by Pitchup’s<br />
best-selling campsite<br />
in the last year<br />
A booking every<br />
six seconds: Pitchup’s<br />
record-breaking<br />
camping summer<br />
Online booking platform Pitchup.com has reported a record-breaking summer in 2022,<br />
with more people booking camping and glamping through its website than ever before.<br />
N<br />
■nline camping and<br />
glamping booking<br />
platform Pitchup.com<br />
has revealed it enjoyed a recordbreaking<br />
summer in 2022 with<br />
several new records achieved<br />
for bookings, sales, and overseas<br />
visitors on its website.<br />
On the busiest day of the<br />
summer <strong>–</strong> Tuesday 9 August <strong>–</strong><br />
Pitchup took a booking every<br />
six seconds for the more than<br />
5,000 camping and glamping<br />
sites listed on its platform.<br />
It totalled 7,446 bookings<br />
in just 24 hours, which was<br />
the equivalent to more than<br />
21,000 people, smashing the<br />
previous record set in July<br />
2021 by around 12 per cent.<br />
On the same day, a new record<br />
was also set for most bookings<br />
on a single campsite, which<br />
achieved 95 bookings in a<br />
24-hour period. The peak day<br />
for campers across the summer<br />
period was Saturday 27 August<br />
with a staggering 1<strong>10</strong>,228<br />
people holidaying with Pitchup<br />
that weekend.<br />
This summer also signals a<br />
welcome return to the UK by<br />
campers from further afield.<br />
Bookings for campsites in the<br />
UK from customers abroad<br />
have grown by 708 per cent<br />
compared to 2021 (equivalent to<br />
34,000 arrivals so far this year).<br />
Dan Yates, Pitchup founder<br />
and managing directors, said:<br />
14 | www.campingtradeworld.com
THE DETAIL PITCHUP.COM<br />
PITCHUP’S SUMMER STATS<br />
7,446<br />
Bookings in<br />
24 hours on 9<br />
August 2022<br />
95<br />
Bookings for one<br />
individual site in<br />
24-hour period<br />
708%<br />
Increase in bookings<br />
for UK campsites<br />
from people<br />
overseas in 2022<br />
1<strong>10</strong>,228<br />
People holidaying<br />
with Pitchup on 27<br />
August 2022<br />
33 million<br />
Visits to Pitchup<br />
website in the last<br />
12 months<br />
54<br />
Countries<br />
available to book<br />
on Pitchup.com<br />
“This summer we’ve noticed<br />
some interesting developments<br />
in booking trends - average<br />
lead time between booking<br />
and arrival has come down<br />
16 per cent in the past 12<br />
months and now sits at 31<br />
days. Traditionally, Sunday is<br />
the busiest day of the week for<br />
bookings. We’d already had a<br />
really strong weekend heading<br />
into that week, with our<br />
busiest-ever Saturday buoyed<br />
by great weather forecasts, so<br />
while Tuesday isn’t typically<br />
the biggest day for sales, given<br />
the other booking trends we’ve<br />
noted this year it wasn’t a huge<br />
surprise.”<br />
Established in the UK in<br />
2009, Pitchup has grown to<br />
offer sites in 54 countries<br />
around the world, to date<br />
handling some 3.2 million<br />
bookings equating to 25 million<br />
bed nights. Bookings in by<br />
31 August for September to<br />
December arrivals in the UK<br />
this year are 197 per cent up<br />
compared to the same period in<br />
2019. In fact, the last quarter of<br />
the year is seeing almost double<br />
the growth in bookings seen for<br />
the year as a whole.<br />
With the cost of living crisis<br />
showing no signs of slowing,<br />
outdoor holidays are not only<br />
good for our health and the<br />
planet - they also continue to<br />
represent excellent value for<br />
money.<br />
And they’re not as weatherdependent<br />
as you might think<br />
thanks to a significant increase<br />
in glamping options like pods,<br />
lodges and yurts, it’s a valid<br />
choice for a value holiday at any<br />
time of year.<br />
▲ Campsites, glamping sites, and caravan parks sold pitches at record pace this summer on Pitchup.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 15
ECOMMERCE THE DETAIL<br />
Ecommerce platform<br />
ready to stir up<br />
European market<br />
B<br />
Just six months after its inception in Australia, e-commerce marketplace<br />
Everything Caravan & <strong>Camping</strong> is going global after launching its platform in<br />
Europe at the Caravan Salon Düsseldorf show.<br />
■uying and selling online<br />
is nothing new. Yet<br />
somehow the takeoff<br />
of e-commerce has been a<br />
little slower in camping and<br />
caravanning than other markets.<br />
At least that was the view of<br />
Australian duo Paul Widdis<br />
and Kathrin Bischof. In one of<br />
those ‘necessity is the mother<br />
of invention’ scenarios they<br />
launched Everything Caravan &<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> in Australia to cater<br />
to the rapid growth the markets<br />
had seen there in the aftermath<br />
of the pandemic. After just six<br />
months of success, the company<br />
decided it was time for expansion<br />
and headed off to Caravan Salon<br />
and launched their platform in<br />
Europe too.<br />
“Europe had more than<br />
500,000 motorhome, caravan<br />
and leisure vehicle sales last year<br />
alone, and we know Germany<br />
has had good early year results,<br />
that’s why we believe this is<br />
the right time for us to expand<br />
our Australian operations<br />
into Europe,” said Everything<br />
Caravan & <strong>Camping</strong> CEO and<br />
co-founder, Paul Widdis.<br />
“We are proud to be launching<br />
our new web site with www.<br />
everythingcaravancamping.de<br />
at the Caravan Salon, a<br />
worldwide recognised show for<br />
our industry,” added co-founder,<br />
16 | www.campingtradeworld.com<br />
▲ Australian duo Paul Widdis and Kathrin Bischof have<br />
successfully launched Everything Caravan & <strong>Camping</strong> in Europe.<br />
Kathrin Bischof, who heads our<br />
European operations,<br />
“The advantage for European<br />
based businesses is that our<br />
Marketplacer platform gives<br />
individual manufacturers and<br />
suppliers the ability to upload<br />
details of their product offerings<br />
to the site and provide realtime<br />
views of stock availability.<br />
Customers can quickly locate<br />
the products they need and<br />
place orders for delivery.<br />
“With more Europeans<br />
choosing to holiday<br />
domestically as a result of the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic, we<br />
believe the prospects for the<br />
outdoor, caravan, motorhome<br />
and camping sector remained<br />
very strong.”<br />
Mr Widdis said www.<br />
everythingcaravancamping.de<br />
will help customers who are<br />
keen to support their local<br />
European businesses but who<br />
may not be aware that some<br />
exist. He concluded:<br />
“It’s all about helping<br />
people to find and purchase<br />
the products they need<br />
to enhance their outdoor<br />
experiences and lifestyle. With<br />
our technology platform we<br />
can provide Europeans with<br />
the latest caravan, camping<br />
and motorhome products and<br />
services.”
TIKTOK THE DETAIL<br />
Is TikTok the new<br />
Google in camping?<br />
The way in which we search for camping and travel inspiration is changing. Social<br />
media platforms such as TikTok are outstripping traditional search engines, and<br />
Pitchup.com has the evidence to prove it in its latest study of online trends.<br />
B<br />
■ack in the good old<br />
days when people were<br />
planning a holiday,<br />
they used to seek out the most<br />
relevant Lonely Planet, or some<br />
other such guidebook. Pretty<br />
soon after that, they turned<br />
to online guides and websites,<br />
guided by search engines such<br />
as Google to find the right<br />
content. Nowadays, the hashtag<br />
is king, and social media is its<br />
kingdom. More than ever before,<br />
people are turning to social<br />
media to find travel ideas and<br />
inspiration for their camping<br />
holidays. The proof? Well, new<br />
research by online camping<br />
booking platform Pitchup.com<br />
has revealed that the #camping<br />
hashtag has had more than<br />
<strong>10</strong>.7 billion views on video<br />
sharing platform TikTok. One<br />
of the more recent social media<br />
interfaces, TikTok has a young<br />
and rapidly growing audience.<br />
Within PitchUp’s study they<br />
sited information from Statista<br />
that says TikTok and other<br />
similar social media platforms<br />
are replacing Google as the<br />
way in which people search for<br />
travel ideas and inspiration.<br />
Meanwhile travel company<br />
Arrivia backs this up by with<br />
its own study that found that<br />
almost one in three travellers<br />
turn to social media for holiday<br />
inspiration.<br />
To go deeper into this rabbit<br />
hole, Pitchup decided to see<br />
which countries had the most<br />
views of the #camping hashtag<br />
to reveal where the trends are<br />
taking off fastest. The winner by<br />
some way, which may surprise<br />
a few, is Colombia. The South<br />
American nation topped the poll<br />
with more than 50 million views<br />
of the #camping hashtag on the<br />
video sharing platform, with the<br />
UK (38 million), Australia (11<br />
million), Mexico (9 million) and<br />
Brazil (5 million) making up the<br />
rest of the top five.<br />
“The country’s diverse natural<br />
TOP 20 GLOBAL camping and glamping<br />
destinations on TikTok based on hashtag views<br />
Country<br />
Hashtag Views<br />
Columbia 50,624,200<br />
UK 38,224,229<br />
Australia 11,355,902<br />
Mexico 9,702,538<br />
Brazil 5,152,178<br />
France 3,203,564<br />
South Africa 2,567,700<br />
USA 1,413,915<br />
Ireland 1,043,515<br />
Canada 898,476<br />
Spain 200,082<br />
Norway 134,019<br />
Portugal 86,5<strong>10</strong><br />
Italy 74,116<br />
Iceland 35,621<br />
Turkey 25,498<br />
Morocco 14,195<br />
Germany 6,288<br />
Greece 5,545<br />
Belgium 664<br />
Source: TikTok hashtag views, Aug 2022<br />
See PitchUp’s study in full: https://www.pitchup.com/camping-ideas/top-camping-destinations-on-tiktok/<br />
18 | www.campingtradeworld.com
THE DETAIL TIKTOK<br />
landscapes<br />
and slew of<br />
National Parks<br />
gives adventurists<br />
the opportunity to<br />
go camping in exotic<br />
locations such as in<br />
the desert, surrounded by<br />
mountains or by the ocean, as<br />
well as overlooking stunning<br />
lakes and even rainforest. This<br />
unique scenery may be just<br />
one of the reasons why videos<br />
of camping and campsites in<br />
Colombia have the most views<br />
on the platform.” <strong>–</strong> so said<br />
the Pitchup report. Data was<br />
determined by calculating the<br />
total view counts of thousands<br />
of camping-related hashtags per<br />
location on the TikTok app.<br />
Food for thought indeed,<br />
perhaps TikTok is where we<br />
should be targeting some of our<br />
marketing attention, at least.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 19
TENT & AWNING TRADE SHOW THE DETAIL<br />
A trip to canvas city<br />
On a baking hot day during an unseasonal British heatwave, tent and awning brands<br />
from around the country pitched up at the annual Tent & Awning <strong>Trade</strong> Show.<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>World</strong> went along to see what was new (and to find some shade).<br />
20 | www.campingtradeworld.com
THE DETAIL TENT & AWNING TRADE SHOW<br />
WHAT THE EXHIBITORS SAID:<br />
Lauren Burgoyne, Camptech:<br />
“Camptech Products Limited are delighted to be<br />
exhibiting at the show this year. The Tent & Awning<br />
Show is beneficial for brands and dealers to get<br />
together on a personal basis. This year we are able to<br />
present new designs and receive direct feedback from<br />
our customers before the new season starts. We are very<br />
much looking forward to exhibiting and showcasing<br />
some of our products”<br />
▲ The breathability of tents and awnings was put to the test.<br />
F<br />
■or five days during one<br />
of the most intense<br />
heatwaves the UK<br />
has ever seen, a host of brands<br />
which specialise in the family<br />
camping and caravanning<br />
market headed to Stoneleigh<br />
Park in the centre of the<br />
country for the annual Tent<br />
and Awning <strong>Trade</strong> Show. The<br />
five-day event, which took place<br />
from 7 to 11 August acts as a<br />
launchpad for tent and awning<br />
brands to release seasonal<br />
collections and showcase their<br />
newest innovations to dealers<br />
and the press. Brands including<br />
Quest, Westfield Outdoors,<br />
Zempire, Outdoor Revolution,<br />
Regatta, Crespo and Camp<br />
Tech were all in attendance, and<br />
the large outdoor facilities at<br />
Stoneleigh Park allowed ample<br />
space to showcase thousands<br />
of tents and awnings in their<br />
natural habitats.<br />
Some of the highlights<br />
spotted by us on our visit<br />
included the new Evogreen<br />
series of tents from Regatta<br />
that include What Three<br />
Words location finders and are<br />
made from recycled materials.<br />
Camp-Tech also impressed with<br />
a growing range of spacious<br />
caravan and motorhome<br />
awnings that feature highquality<br />
features and fittings.<br />
New Zealand brand Zempire<br />
also had plenty of new models<br />
to showcase, many of which will<br />
be launching to the market by<br />
the time you read this <strong>–</strong> expect<br />
updated colours, designs and<br />
layouts.<br />
One interesting trend that<br />
was explained to us by several<br />
brands was that the tent market<br />
is now in a decline after a<br />
rapid boom directly after the<br />
pandemic, whereas this is not<br />
happening with awnings. Some<br />
believe that once a certain<br />
section of new campers have<br />
tried tent camping they don’t<br />
return to it, others simply<br />
believe that a tent is not a<br />
regular purchase. The continuing<br />
boom in the leisure vehicle<br />
market appears to be helping to<br />
keep awning sales high, though.<br />
For more information on<br />
next year’s event, keep checking:<br />
www.thetentshow.co.uk<br />
Adam Hughes, Quest:<br />
“The Tent and Awning <strong>Trade</strong> Show at Stoneleigh is fast<br />
becoming the biggest combined trade show for tents,<br />
awnings and accessories in the UK. It gives the visitor<br />
an excellent chance to visit many of the top brands in<br />
outdoor leisure trade at one location and is being used<br />
as a launch board for many new products, from many<br />
different brands.”<br />
Mike Kerry, Blue Diamond / Outdoor Revolution:<br />
“The Stoneleigh Tent and <strong>Trade</strong> Show has become<br />
more and more important to Blue Diamond over recent<br />
years. Ideally located in the Warwickshire countryside it<br />
attracts many buyers in a concentrated environment,<br />
and gives us the ideal opportunity to showcase our new<br />
and existing ranges alongside other valued Brands,<br />
saving everyone valuable time and money. Being close to<br />
Birmingham International Airport we are now attracting<br />
European Buyers for the first time in 2022, and as a result<br />
MCS have kindly extended the show by an extra 2 days.”<br />
Ian Christian, Zempire:<br />
“I’m pleased to announce our participation once again at<br />
the annual Tent show at Stoneleigh Park in August this<br />
year. A professional and personal show highlighting the<br />
new tents on offer from the industry for the coming year.<br />
It is the perfect opportunity to come and view our new<br />
range for 2023 with lots of new and exciting innovations<br />
for the camping market. We will be showcasing new<br />
models and some new styling of the Zempire products.<br />
We have exhibited here for many years and find it to be<br />
the perfect venue for nationwide participation from our<br />
retailers, all under the windy cloudy sky of Stoneleigh Park.<br />
The Café on site is amazing as well.”<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 21
NETHERLANDS DOING BUSINESS WITH...<br />
Photo: Fresh Goodies.(Unsplash)<br />
DOING<br />
BUSINESS<br />
WITH...<br />
The Netherlands<br />
The low country of the Netherlands is a nation full of avid campers and also brands and<br />
manufacturers determined to make the caravanning world a better place. <strong>Camping</strong><br />
<strong>Trade</strong> <strong>World</strong> gives you the lowdown on this thriving nation in the leisure vehicle industry.<br />
22 | www.campingtradeworld.com
DOING BUSINESS WITH... NETHERLANDS<br />
T<br />
■he Netherlands could<br />
be considered a country<br />
at the forefront of the<br />
camping and caravanning industry<br />
in Europe. While it may not<br />
have the same level of vehicle<br />
manufacturing as neighbouring<br />
Germany, or indeed the idyllic<br />
mountains and lakes of nearby<br />
France and Italy, it still has a<br />
thriving industry of consumers<br />
who are hungrier than ever to use<br />
camping as one of their main forms<br />
of travel or holiday. Given that it is<br />
a fairly small country in terms of<br />
geographical size, the Netherlands<br />
is a country with more than its<br />
fair share of campsites <strong>–</strong> campsite<br />
guide ACSI lists more than 1,000<br />
in the country, so the full figure is<br />
probably much larger than that. If<br />
you ever did decide to go camping<br />
in the Netherlands, you are never<br />
far away from either a campsite or<br />
some kind of roadside amenities<br />
for campers. The split of popular<br />
camping styles is fairly even in the<br />
Netherlands. Motorhomes and<br />
caravans are, of course, popular but<br />
tent camping also takes a sizeable<br />
chunk of the market thanks to the<br />
success of Dutch brands such as<br />
Karsten. An interesting facet of<br />
the industry in the Netherlands is<br />
that trailer tents are probably more<br />
popular here than any other place<br />
in Europe. Could it be because the<br />
country is so flat? Possibly. More<br />
likely though is the fact that there<br />
are many trailer tent brands that<br />
call the country home such as<br />
Alpenkreuzer, Holtkamper, Easy<br />
Caravanning, Campooz, and more.<br />
Many of these brands are still<br />
manufactured in the Netherlands,<br />
as is the aforementioned Karsten,<br />
and also fellow tent brand De<br />
Waard. These high-quality brands<br />
have enjoyed success throughout<br />
Europe and prove that the<br />
Netherlands is not just a consumer<br />
market, but also a market that<br />
supplies products for export to<br />
other countries too.<br />
The market in the Netherlands<br />
has, like the rest of Europe,<br />
▲ KCI Secretary Hans Louwers sadly died in September 2022.<br />
been enjoying steady growth<br />
with motorhomes driving the<br />
increase in number of new leisure<br />
vehicles registered for some time.<br />
This has hit a stumbling block<br />
in the last year or so due to the<br />
chassis supply problems that are<br />
plaguing the industry, but the<br />
appetite from Dutch campers<br />
seems to be still high, with<br />
records still being achieved in<br />
terms of camping products sold<br />
and also in terms of pitch nights<br />
being sold too. A great source of<br />
information about the industry in<br />
the Netherlands is the Kampeer<br />
en Caravan Industrie (KCI), more<br />
on which can be found here: www.<br />
kampeerencaravan.nl<br />
SAD LOSS<br />
Lastly, it would be remiss of us to<br />
not report the sad death of Hans<br />
Louwers, a hugely important and<br />
influential figure in the camping<br />
and caravanning industry of<br />
the Netherlands. Hans was the<br />
secretary of KCI (<strong>Camping</strong><br />
and Caravanning Industry<br />
Association of the Netherlands)<br />
since 2013 and died on 13<br />
September, 2022. A statement<br />
from Jeroen van Hooff, CEO of<br />
Jaarbeurs Utrecht, the organiser<br />
of Dutch camping show Kampeer<br />
& Caravan, said: “From our many<br />
years of collaboration with KCI<br />
for the Kampeer & Caravan<br />
Jaarbeurs, we have come to know<br />
Hans as an extremely motivated,<br />
committed, and optimistic<br />
person. Due to his creativity<br />
and connecting capacity in the<br />
industry, he has made a major<br />
contribution to the success of the<br />
Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs<br />
in recent years. We will miss<br />
him greatly. We wish his family,<br />
friends and colleagues strength to<br />
bear this great loss.”<br />
FACT FILE<br />
Capital: Amsterdam<br />
Population: 17,750,000<br />
Dialling code: +31<br />
Prime Minister: Mark Rutte<br />
Official languages:<br />
Dutch<br />
Time zones:<br />
UTC+1<br />
Currency: Euro<br />
Internet domain: .nl<br />
ECONOMY IN FOCUS<br />
$1.2 trillion<br />
GDP (USD)<br />
$68,500<br />
GPD per capita (USD)<br />
3%<br />
GDP growth<br />
2.9%<br />
unemployment<br />
TOP IMPORT PARTNERS:<br />
Germany<br />
China<br />
Belgium<br />
USA<br />
Russia<br />
TOP EXPORT PARTNERS:<br />
Germany<br />
Belgium<br />
UK<br />
France<br />
USA<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 23
NETHERLANDS DOING BUSINESS WITH...<br />
ECONOMY IN FOCUS<br />
The Netherlands is<br />
estimated to be around the<br />
17th largest in the world in<br />
terms of gross domestic<br />
product (GDP) and is one<br />
of Europe’s most important<br />
and significant. In times<br />
gone by, the country has<br />
been a supplier of natural<br />
gas to Europe, but more<br />
recently its economy<br />
is built on trade and<br />
distribution. Its numerous<br />
port cities are a lively hub<br />
of international export<br />
and import with countries<br />
all around the world.<br />
Amsterdam is probably<br />
one of the world’s biggest<br />
distribution hubs, via land,<br />
sea, and air. Like many<br />
fellow well-developed<br />
European nations, the<br />
Netherlands has strong<br />
financial and high-tech<br />
industries and also a big<br />
service market. Despite its<br />
small geographical size,<br />
the Netherlands punches<br />
above its weight in terms<br />
of its agriculture output<br />
too <strong>–</strong> both in terms of crops<br />
and also products from<br />
cow’s milk. The country<br />
is also a popular location<br />
for exhibitions and trade<br />
shows, with the Rai Centre<br />
in Amsterdam being a wellused<br />
destination for many<br />
different industries.<br />
WHO’S WHO<br />
The Netherlands is still home to a large number of brands and manufacturers in the camping and caravanning<br />
industry. Most of those brands are involved in tents, awnings, and trailer tents, but there are also many suppliers<br />
of components and accessories too. Here we have compiled a list of some of the country’s most interesting<br />
brands and suppliers to help you formulate a better understanding of the market and possibly even forge a<br />
strong business connection.<br />
SUNSHINE GROUP<br />
With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, the Sunshine Group is the owner<br />
of some of the Netherlands’ most well-known camping brands including Dorema,<br />
Alpenkreuzer, and De Waard Tenten. Covering awnings, trailer tents, and regular tents, this<br />
is a company with strong tradition in the market and also a strong export business into<br />
countries outside the Netherlands.<br />
www.sunshinegroup.nl<br />
CAMPFIRE GROUP<br />
A leading manufacturer of mobile camping products, Campfire Group owns brands<br />
including Holtkamper and Easy Caravanning. The company claims to initiate, invest, and<br />
innovate with all of its products to ensure that the needs and desires of camping consumers<br />
are met with dynamism. With a mission to help Europeans rediscover real camping,<br />
Campfire Group has grown considerably in recent years.<br />
www.campfiregroup.nl<br />
KAMPEER EN CARAVAN INDUSTRIE<br />
Like all good countries, the Netherlands has a strong association to help protect and defend<br />
the interests of companies in camping and caravanning. The Dutch Association for the<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> and Caravan Industry (Kampeer en Caravan Industrie, or KCI) helps to organise<br />
the efforts of companies in the market and also does consumer-facing marketing under its<br />
Camp to Go brand that helps encourage more people to get involved into the hobby.<br />
www.kampeerencaravan.nl<br />
Photo: Campfire Group<br />
24 | www.campingtradeworld.com
DOING BUSINESS WITH... NETHERLANDS<br />
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT OUTDOOR<br />
What started as a family camping trip in the Netherlands has grown into becoming one<br />
of Europe’s biggest roof tent providers that supplies more than 15 different countries. The<br />
company claims that its roof tents and other products guarantee compact and comfortable<br />
camping for all campers. It also provides awnings, tents, and other accessories.<br />
www.dtbdoutdoor.eu<br />
KARSTEN TENTEN<br />
Founded in 1981, Karsten Tenten is one of the Netherlands most famous camping exports.<br />
With beginnings supplying products to the Red Cross and the Dutch army, Karsten provides<br />
high quality tents for family camping of all shapes and sizes and recently expanded into<br />
inflatable tents. Its products are still manufactured in the Netherlands even to this day.<br />
www.karstententen.com<br />
HORREX<br />
Horrex is a specialist component manufacturer for the leisure vehicle market with several<br />
high-quality brands that provide products such as fly screens, slide-outs, blinds, skylights,<br />
doors, and more. The company even has an electric bike brand that is perfect for the<br />
camping industry. The company supplies leading OEMs around the world including the UK,<br />
Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Japan.<br />
www.horrex.nl<br />
THETFORD<br />
While Thetford is a global company with branches around the world, its European<br />
headquarters are still located in Ettn-Leur in the Netherlands. The company is a specialist<br />
in sanitation for RVs and leisure vehicles and has approximately 95 per cent market share<br />
in these sectors according to its own estimates. The company takes great pride in its strong<br />
focus on its customers and uses their input to help develop new products.<br />
www.thetford-europe.com<br />
CAMPOOZ<br />
Quality, ease of use, rugged looks, and Dutch design <strong>–</strong> that’s how trailer tent brand<br />
Campooz describes its products. It supplies large, family-friendly trailer tents that are<br />
easy to tow and set-up and feature a wide range of facilities and accessories inside. It is a<br />
company that is all about helping people discover the unknown and enjoying the endless<br />
journey that camping can provide.<br />
www.campooz.com<br />
SHOW BUSINESS<br />
The Netherlands is a<br />
popular location in Europe<br />
for shows and exhibitions<br />
and one of its major shows<br />
in the camping and leisure<br />
vehicle space is Kampeer &<br />
Caravan Jaarbeurs. Taking<br />
place in October in the city<br />
of Utrecht each tear, the<br />
show normally attracts in<br />
excess of 35,000 people.<br />
As well as being a place for<br />
brands and manufacturers<br />
to showcase their wares,<br />
the show also hosts a full<br />
programme of workshops,<br />
talks, holiday advice,<br />
tips and tricks about<br />
sustainable camping, and<br />
entertainment including<br />
live music for visitors. It<br />
also hosts awards for the<br />
most sustainable products.<br />
You can learn more about<br />
the show online at: www.<br />
kampeerencaravan<br />
jaarbeurs.nl<br />
Photo: Sunshine Group<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 25
NETHERLANDS DOING BUSINESS WITH...<br />
INSIDER<br />
INSIGHT<br />
DUTCH MARKET STATS<br />
*Statistics from AWNB’s The Dutch Go <strong>Camping</strong> Report, published April 2018.<br />
3.5 million<br />
Estimated number<br />
of campers in the<br />
Netherlands<br />
51%<br />
Of Dutch campers take<br />
their holiday domestically<br />
40%<br />
Of Dutch campers are<br />
families<br />
1.4 million<br />
Members of the<br />
Netherlands’ AWNB go<br />
camping every year<br />
€2.3 billion<br />
Spent of camping holidays<br />
in 2017 in the Netherlands<br />
France<br />
Is the top destination for<br />
glamping holidays by the<br />
Dutch<br />
17 days<br />
Average length of camping<br />
holiday by the Dutch in 2017<br />
Gelderland<br />
Most popular Dutch<br />
camping region in 2017<br />
NORBERT VAN NOESEL, BOARD MEMBER OF KAMPEER EN<br />
CARAVAN INDUSTRIE (KCI) AND MARKETING MANAGER FOR<br />
THETFORD EUROPE.<br />
CTW: How is the camping/<br />
RV market in the Netherlands<br />
right now?<br />
NvN: “The Netherlands<br />
represents a very healthy<br />
RV and camping market. In<br />
terms of the ratio RV’s to<br />
inhabitants the Netherlands<br />
has a ratio of 350 per <strong>10</strong>,000<br />
inhabitants, making it a leading<br />
country in Europe. At the<br />
end of September 2022, the<br />
Netherlands will count about<br />
600,000 RVs (425,000 caravans<br />
and 175.,000 motorhomes),<br />
which is an all-time record, and<br />
has grown by 20,000 RV’s this<br />
year. The biggest growth is in<br />
motorhomes: 15,000 of which<br />
80 per cent are second hand<br />
due to the relatively high taxes<br />
in the Netherlands. Caravan<br />
numbers have decreased about<br />
one per cent on average in the<br />
last <strong>10</strong> years, but since April<br />
2021 caravans are showing a<br />
small growth again.”<br />
CTW: What is the biggest<br />
opportunity in the Dutch<br />
camping/RV market right<br />
now?<br />
NvN: “The KCI has been<br />
intensively stimulating the<br />
Dutch RV and camping<br />
market over the last years via<br />
its Camp to Go campaigns.<br />
Via its website, digital<br />
campaigns and TV program,<br />
Camp to Go stimulates both<br />
the traditional target group<br />
and newcomers to stay in/join<br />
this market which has led to<br />
a growing interest and sales<br />
in the Dutch market. The<br />
Covid 19 pandemic has further<br />
stimulated the Dutch market<br />
as well, due to the fact that<br />
people realised that travelling<br />
in your RV is the perfect way<br />
to have your holidays in your<br />
own safe bubble.<br />
“A huge opportunity lays<br />
in the move from owning to<br />
26 | www.campingtradeworld.com
DOING BUSINESS WITH... NETHERLANDS<br />
using an RV. A strong growth<br />
of rental and sharing platforms<br />
is showing this movement. A<br />
growing number of people do<br />
buy an RV, not only for their<br />
own use, but also for sharing<br />
purposes. This happens both<br />
commercially, to cover costs<br />
or make profit, but also but<br />
also within their family. More<br />
rental and sharing directly<br />
means that RVs are more<br />
intensively used, so more<br />
weeks per year. If you realize<br />
that next to more intensive<br />
use of RV’s, due to the Covid<br />
19 pandemic people also more<br />
intensively make use of their<br />
own sanitation, you understand<br />
there is a huge demand for<br />
Thetford sanitary products,<br />
cassette toilets, porta potties<br />
and toilet additives.<br />
“There are several<br />
developments in the world<br />
that actively contribute to<br />
stimulating the RV and<br />
camping market. The growth<br />
of consciousness of hygiene<br />
(stimulated by Covid 19),<br />
but also the fact that there<br />
is a growing sustainability<br />
consciousness with ‘flyingshame’<br />
as a result. Besides<br />
this Airports (like Schiphol)<br />
have huge issues, because a<br />
lack of people, leading to long<br />
waiting lines and a lot of lost<br />
luggage. Add an ongoing war<br />
in Ukraine to this and you will<br />
understand people prefer not<br />
to fly, stay closer to home, be<br />
flexible in where they go and<br />
stay and be more in control of<br />
their own bubble. This supports<br />
a structural interest in the<br />
camping and RV market.”<br />
CTW: What is the biggest<br />
challenge facing the Dutch<br />
camping/RV market right<br />
now?<br />
NvN: “A huge challenge<br />
currently lays in the supply<br />
chain. A shortage in parts<br />
in general and specifically a<br />
serious shortage in chassis<br />
is hindering the growth of<br />
our market. Specially the<br />
Motorhome business is<br />
suffering from this. Fiat,<br />
traditional a big chassis<br />
supplier seems to turn its back<br />
to the RV market. OEM’s<br />
are moving to other chassis<br />
suppliers like Ford, Mercedes<br />
and Volkswagen, but it takes<br />
time to get supplies to the<br />
right level.<br />
“Another challenge Europewide<br />
is the fact that due to<br />
growth of chalets/mobile<br />
homes there is a growing<br />
limitation in terms of free<br />
camp spots on camp sites. This<br />
is a risk for the camping/RV<br />
market because this will take<br />
away a part of the feeling of<br />
freedom of people that love<br />
to go out camping. In the<br />
Netherlands a part of this<br />
issue is solved by a growing<br />
number of smaller farmer<br />
campings, but Europe wide<br />
this is a serious issue.”<br />
CTW: If you could change<br />
one thing about the Dutch<br />
camping/RV market, what<br />
would it be and why?<br />
NvN: “Sustainability is a hot<br />
topic in general, and also in<br />
our camping and RV market.<br />
KCI is lobbying towards<br />
governments to emphasize on<br />
the sustainable character of<br />
our market, comparing it to<br />
e.g. flying or taking a cruise.<br />
Our market is investing a<br />
lot in becoming step by step<br />
even more sustainable. In that<br />
perspective electrification is<br />
an important development.<br />
This electrification of vehicles<br />
includes the electrification<br />
of cooking and cooling in<br />
the vehicles. E.g. Thetford<br />
was able to grow its position<br />
towards refrigerator market<br />
leadership by introducing<br />
a wide series of T2000<br />
compressor refrigerators. On<br />
the KCJ (Dutch camping<br />
and RV show in Utrecht),<br />
held from 5th till 9th of<br />
October, a congress will<br />
be held fully focusing on<br />
sustainability, including<br />
a sustainability contest,<br />
supporting the sustainability<br />
move. This congress is<br />
organized by the NKC (Dutch<br />
Motorhome Club), KCJ<br />
(Show organization) and KCI.<br />
Furthermore, the lobby for<br />
more availability of free camp<br />
spots needs to be continued in<br />
the strongest way possible.”<br />
▲ Thetford produces a wide range of cleaning and toilet fluids that are longstanding favourites among campers.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 27
CARAVAN SALON REVIEW<br />
Caravanning<br />
is still king<br />
The biggest ever Caravan Salon Düsseldorf show did not disappoint with more<br />
exhibitors, visitors, and halls than ever before. <strong>Camping</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>World</strong> was on the show<br />
floor to bring you a full, detailed wrap-up of anything you might have missed and more.<br />
T<br />
■he buzz and hum of<br />
excitement as the<br />
doors of the Messe<br />
Düsseldorf opened for the<br />
first day of Caravan Salon<br />
has not been quite like it was<br />
this year for some time. After<br />
two years of the show being<br />
heavily hampered by restrictions<br />
imposed due to the coronavirus<br />
pandemic, 2022 represented an<br />
emotional return to the show<br />
being simply a celebration<br />
of innovation, inspiration,<br />
and connection. For <strong>10</strong> days,<br />
Düsseldorf could well have been<br />
considered the global epicentre<br />
of caravanning, camping, and<br />
RVing as more than 235,000<br />
attendees poured through<br />
its doors from 72 different<br />
countries. A record-breaking<br />
736 exhibitors from 34 countries<br />
awaited them in the 16 halls<br />
of the blister-inducingly large<br />
Messe Düsseldorf. Somewhere<br />
in among that crowd was the<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>World</strong> team,<br />
seeking out new and innovative<br />
companies, products, and<br />
ideas that can help bring the<br />
camping and caravanning<br />
industry forward into a new<br />
and prosperous era. Despite<br />
background challenges facing the<br />
market, such as soaring costs of<br />
energy, the war in Ukraine, and<br />
the lingering supply problems<br />
left as a hangover of COVID-19,<br />
there was a refreshing and<br />
genuine air of positivity within<br />
the show halls, something wellnoted<br />
by organisers and industry<br />
leaders alike.<br />
Erhard Wienkamp, managing<br />
director of Messe Düsseldorf,<br />
said: “Despite a difficult<br />
economic environment we<br />
have succeeded in reaching<br />
out to visitors with extremely<br />
high interest in this form of<br />
holiday and concrete intentions<br />
to buy. Very striking was the<br />
excellent atmosphere during the<br />
entire duration of the fair, the<br />
connected passion for mobile<br />
leisure was noticeable at all<br />
times. Only Caravan Salon<br />
reflects the entire caravanning<br />
world with its great variety.”<br />
CTW TEAM STATS<br />
Meanwhile, Herrmann<br />
Pfaff, president of the German<br />
Caravan Industry Association<br />
(CVID), said: “After two<br />
years with pandemic-related<br />
restrictions we were finally able<br />
to meet again under relatively<br />
normal conditions in Düsseldorf<br />
in 2022. As expected, this<br />
opportunity was used by many<br />
people to gather information<br />
on the innovations and trends<br />
in the caravanning sector. And<br />
Caravan Salon again more than<br />
lived up to its reputation as<br />
the leading trade fair. The 61st<br />
edition was not only the biggest<br />
ever but also set standards in<br />
terms of the quality and variety<br />
of exhibited products and<br />
novelties. There has never<br />
been a larger selection of<br />
motorhomes, caravans and<br />
accessories on display. In<br />
addition, the fair has developed<br />
into an important dialogue<br />
platform where our industry<br />
maintains close exchange with<br />
decision makers in the political<br />
sphere and tourism because<br />
the economic and touristic<br />
potential of caravanning as<br />
a form of holiday is far from<br />
being exploited and needs<br />
to be promoted more. The<br />
Caravan Salon has always<br />
been not only a stage for<br />
new products but also an<br />
emotional meeting place both<br />
for caravanning fans and for<br />
newcomers. This aspect has<br />
become even more important<br />
in the current times because<br />
motorhomes and caravans<br />
embody freedom, individuality<br />
and dreams connecting people.<br />
This is why it does not come<br />
as a surprise that our way of<br />
travelling gained in popularity<br />
even long before the pandemic<br />
and many vacationers could not<br />
imagine life without it today.<br />
An end to the caravanning<br />
trend is not in sight. In short:<br />
the 61st Caravan Salon not<br />
only thrilled its visitors but<br />
was also a complete success for<br />
organizers and exhibitors and is<br />
making our industry more than<br />
optimistic for the future.”<br />
40,077<br />
STEPS TAKEN IN<br />
THE SHOW<br />
28.4KM<br />
TRAVELLED<br />
BY ELECTRIC<br />
SCOOTER<br />
640<br />
PHOTOS TAKEN<br />
22.8GB<br />
OF VIDEO<br />
FOOTAGE<br />
CAPTURES<br />
25+<br />
MEETINGS<br />
ATTENDED<br />
TAVERNA<br />
ELEON<br />
TOP RESTAURANT<br />
(GREEK)<br />
28 | www.campingtradeworld.com
REVIEW CARAVAN SALON<br />
235k<br />
VISITORS<br />
72<br />
COUNTRIES<br />
REPRESENTED<br />
736<br />
EXHIBITORS<br />
16<br />
HALLS<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 29
CARAVAN SALON REVIEW<br />
TRUMA UNVEILS ‘NEXT GENERATION’ IN HEATING<br />
Already a firm favourite among motorhome and<br />
campervan owners, the Truma Combi heaters were<br />
given a revamp at this year’s Caravan Salon with the<br />
release of the Combi D. This launch did much more<br />
than just add a letter to the name, the system runs<br />
off diesel and it offers a lighter, more economical,<br />
and durable, more efficient, and more independent<br />
heating solution for RVs and leisure vehicles.<br />
Truma’s strategic product manager for heating<br />
systems, Craig Hawthorne, said: “Indeed, the Combi<br />
Diesel variant is the leading 2-in-1 solution on the<br />
market for heating and hot water in one appliance<br />
with an additional hybrid function. We have further<br />
developed this competitive edge with new product<br />
characteristics.”<br />
LIONTRON PARTNERS WITH ON DUTY<br />
German LiFeP04 battery expert LIONTRON used its<br />
appearance at Caravan Salon to officially unveil a partnership<br />
it has entered with technology company On Duty. Between<br />
them, the two German companies offer a flexible, versatile, and<br />
very easy-to-use system that can help caravan and RV users<br />
control almost every aspect of their battery with ease. From<br />
switching on the lights, changing their colours, monitoring the<br />
battery levels including power in and out, monitoring inverters,<br />
and much more. On Duty can also control other systems such<br />
as those from Truma <strong>–</strong> the idea is that one panel can control<br />
everything.<br />
Check out the video below for a full explanation from On<br />
Duty’s Daniel Kalwitzki.<br />
30 | www.campingtradeworld.com
REVIEW CARAVAN SALON<br />
HORREX INNOVATES FOR CHANGING CHASSIS<br />
In the same year that it is celebrating its 35th year in business,<br />
Dutch firm Horrex came to Düsseldorf with an impressive<br />
innovation. Well-known for its high-quality fly screens, the<br />
company has been hard at work developing one specifically for<br />
the tricky Ford Transit chassis. With more and more campervan<br />
and motorhome builders turning to vans like the Ford Transit<br />
due to general chassis shortages in the market, this is a smart<br />
move by Horrex and one that was very well received at the show.<br />
Watch Horrex’s Taril Huijbers explain in our video above.<br />
“We were very happy with the response from journalists and the large<br />
number of visitors at our stand. Düsseldorf as a fair location provides<br />
an ideal platform for our seasonal kick-off.”<br />
HOLGER SCHULZ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HOBBY.<br />
GLAWNING TAKES TO EUROPE<br />
A British luxury awning provider,<br />
Glawning certainly caught the<br />
attention of passers-by at its<br />
debut Caravan Salon show. The<br />
company produces impressive<br />
glamping-style awning tents that<br />
have proved incredibly popular<br />
in the UK since the company’s<br />
launch in 2013. Started by a<br />
couple who became frustrated<br />
with the boring green canvas<br />
awnings on the market, they<br />
created this luxury bell tent<br />
design that helps combine the<br />
best of camping, glamping, and<br />
campervanning in one product.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 31
CARAVAN SALON REVIEW<br />
A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY<br />
WITH PUNDMANN<br />
Imagine 60 minutes of shower<br />
time with 40°C water in your<br />
campervan or caravan using just<br />
five litres of water… with German<br />
heating and water solution expert<br />
Pundmann, you no longer need<br />
to imagine. The company has<br />
launched an eco shower system<br />
that provides exactly that, thanks<br />
to an innovative water recycling<br />
and filtration system. Made in the<br />
EU, this system can be fitted by<br />
OEMs or it can even be retrofitted<br />
by end users <strong>–</strong> the whole system is<br />
designed to be compact and can<br />
be controlled via a very easy-touse<br />
foot pump that means you<br />
can keep the water recycling while<br />
you shower. Unsurprisingly, this<br />
product caught the attention of<br />
many in Düsseldorf.<br />
PEGGY PEG GETS TOUGH<br />
Innovative German brand Peggy Peg has made quite a name<br />
for itself in the European market with its very smart system of<br />
screw-in tent pegs. But not content with how far it has come,<br />
the company launched a brand new, super strong version of<br />
one of its pegs at Caravan Salon that is made from marinegrade<br />
steel <strong>–</strong> designed to help you pitch up in the hardest and<br />
toughest of terrains. The peg requires an impact driver to get<br />
it into the ground, but it has been developed with the help<br />
of Peggy Peg’s global team of distributors, which it is hoping<br />
to expand with an appearance at the upcoming Motorhome<br />
and Caravan Show at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. If you are<br />
interested in being a UK partner, contact Peggy Peg today on<br />
service@peggypeg.net. Learn more in the video below.<br />
32 | www.campingtradeworld.com
REVIEW CARAVAN SALON<br />
“[The show] was characterized<br />
by great interest in the products,<br />
poor supply availability, and high<br />
uncertainty about the future.<br />
People love mobile leisure and<br />
want to purchase vehicles despite<br />
significantly increased prices.<br />
Buying interest was significantly<br />
higher than expected.”<br />
DR HOLDER SIEBER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, EURA<br />
MOBIL AND TRIGANO DEUTSCHLAND.<br />
CAFRAMO KEEPS ITS COOL ON DEBUT<br />
Canadian company Caframo was<br />
a first-time exhibitor at this year’s<br />
show, but it didn’t let that deter it<br />
from making a big impression. The<br />
company was largely showcasing<br />
products under its SEEKR brand<br />
including the Sirocco II, a low power<br />
draw, lightweight, foldable fan that<br />
is perfect for inside RVs, caravans,<br />
and other leisure vehicles. As well as<br />
fans, SEEKR also offers the STOR-<br />
DRY air circulator that is perfect to<br />
help avoid the build-up of moisture inside camping units. It<br />
has a strong presence in North America, but more recently has<br />
been focussing on expanding its reach into other countries<br />
after having some success in Australia. The European market<br />
seemed the next perfect place for SEEKR to spread its wings,<br />
and this show allowed it to do that.<br />
Allow Caframo’s Andreas Maechler to explain the benefits of<br />
SEEKR products in our video below.<br />
CAMPFIRE GROUP KEEPS THE TRAIL HOT<br />
Dutch firm Campfire Group, which is the parent<br />
company of Holtkamper and Easy Caravanning,<br />
conducted a significant trailer tent launch at show.<br />
The hugely popular Easy Caravanning TakeOff<br />
showcased a new contemporary interior with stylish<br />
wood décor, matching upholstery fabrics and six<br />
different designs, which can be easily visualised via a<br />
product configurator on the Easy Caravanning website.<br />
The exterior of the new TakeOff is available in three<br />
versions <strong>–</strong> Active, Sport, and Xcite <strong>–</strong> which all feature<br />
manoeuvring handles, automatic night lights, front<br />
and rear organisers and a compressor cool box. The<br />
Xcite will also have 15-inch allow wheels. Under the<br />
Holtkamper brand, Campfire Group launched a new<br />
version of its Aero trailer tent that will now feature<br />
charcoal mudguards like its siblings the Cocoon<br />
and the Kyte. The Holtkamper designers have also<br />
revealed that they are working behind the scenes on<br />
the successor to the Holtkamper Flyer, the model with<br />
which Holtkamper was extremely successful in the<br />
1980s and 1990s.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 33
CARAVAN SALON REVIEW<br />
CUSTOMER COMES FIRST AT THETFORD<br />
At global RV sanitation and accessory brand<br />
Thetford, the customer is vital to everything<br />
it does. In no case is that clearer than in<br />
some of the new products it revealed at<br />
Caravan Salon, including the cassette carry<br />
bag. It may seem a simple idea <strong>–</strong> a carry bag<br />
to store and transport the cassettes from<br />
cassette toilets <strong>–</strong> but it is a product that<br />
has been developed entirely through the<br />
feedback of its global audience of customer.<br />
The sheer size of this audience (more than 95<br />
per cent market share in the RV sanitation<br />
sector) means that the company has a very<br />
wide scope of data to focus on when it<br />
comes to determining what its new products<br />
should be. The Carry Bag is made of strong<br />
PVC material, contains a solid zipper for<br />
effortless opening and closing, and features<br />
two strong carry handles. The interior<br />
material has a glaze finish for easy cleaning,<br />
and the bags are washable up to 40 degrees,<br />
without shrinking.<br />
ALPHATRONICS TARGETS THE MAINSTREAM<br />
German connectivity brand is further enhancing the way in<br />
which it helps caravan and motorhome users to enjoy the<br />
technology they love while on the road with the introduction<br />
of its STREAM mobile router. Launched at Caravan Salon, the<br />
router allows you to use mobile internet with practically any<br />
device (including smart TVs) thanks to its state-of-the-art<br />
technology and easy install. The STREAM features two SIM<br />
card slots so that you can use different networks in different<br />
countries and allows you to receive WLAN and LTE via its<br />
multifunctional atena. The set-up can be carried out via the<br />
alphatronics app and can also help you manage the system<br />
once in use.<br />
Alphatronics’ Charlene Garvert explains more about the new<br />
system in our video below.<br />
34 | www.campingtradeworld.com
REVIEW CARAVAN SALON<br />
SUPER SERVICE FROM SUPER B<br />
Dutch lithium iron phosphate battery expert Super B utilised<br />
the Düsseldorf show to fully explain the benefits behind its<br />
high-end, made in the Netherlands batteries to customers<br />
new and old. The company’s LiFePO4 batteries have been<br />
manufactured to outperform lead-acid batteries on the road,<br />
on the water or off-the-grid, and feature small, lightweight,<br />
maintenance free boxes that are robust, safe and reliable.<br />
With an already strong reputation in many different industries,<br />
Super B is hoping that the combination of its high-end<br />
products and its equally high-quality levels of customer and<br />
sales service could help it to grow. Learn more from the show<br />
with Super B’s Huub Huitink in our video (left).<br />
“We are more than satisfied with this Caravan Salon. Our forecasts were<br />
exceeded significantly. Our dealers are enthusiastic and have given us<br />
plenty of positive feedback. Especially our multi-brand strategy with new<br />
base vehicles by Volkswagen, Ford, MAN and Mercedes-Benz.”<br />
GERD ADAMIETZKI, CHIEF SALES OFFICER, KNAUS TABBERT<br />
FURNIKA SHINES A LIGHT ON RV OPPORTUNITIES<br />
Poland-based lighting expert Furnika almost had more new<br />
products on its Caravan Salon stand than existing ones,<br />
such has been the hard work put in behind the scenes by<br />
its research and development team. Lighting is a tricky field<br />
in which to do anything particularly innovative, but Furnika<br />
appears to have achieved it with flexible stalk lamps, dimmer<br />
adjustable spotlights that can be fitted onto a surface of made<br />
flush to it within a recess, and much more.<br />
The company’s Krzysztof Popyk gives us a full demo in our<br />
show video above.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 35
CARAVAN SALON REVIEW<br />
DOMETIC TURNS UP THE HEAT WITH CADAC<br />
After acquiring South African camping cooking<br />
brand Cadac in 2021, Dometic used Caravan Salon<br />
as the perfect place to reveal some of the new<br />
portable cooking products the brand has launched<br />
for 2022 and beyond. The company revealed a<br />
new Cadac Dometic outodoor cooking range that<br />
includes a new 2-Cook Pro Deluxe lightweight<br />
twin-stove burner, and also a new Carri Chef 40<br />
high performance burner. A statement from<br />
Dometic said: “Cadac Dometic products are BBQ<br />
companions on the patio, balcony, garden, caravan<br />
site, picnic or beach. But Cadac Dometic’s “Braai”<br />
(as South Africans call it) concept is not just about<br />
grilling a hamburger. Braai means from grilling,<br />
to baking, paella-pan cooking, teppanyaki-style<br />
cooking, oven-style cooking and roasting, and most<br />
importantly it is about getting together with friends<br />
and family as a social event.”<br />
SALY CARAVAN BRINGS OFF-ROAD SOLUTIONS TO EUROPE<br />
After enjoying success in its native Turkey and also in countries<br />
such as Saudi Arabia, Saly Caravan showcased its Mokan off-road<br />
caravan in Düsseldorf to a warm reception. With large cabin<br />
dimensions, torsion axle and two-berth capacity, the Mokan is<br />
made from sandwich panel, high-insulation walls, and features<br />
a solid ceiling and all-round robust construction making it<br />
ideal for off-road, off-grid camping. The Mokan wasn’t the only<br />
caravan being shown off by Saly at the show, it also revealed its<br />
new micro camper the Caradrop <strong>–</strong> a mini caravan Caradrop for<br />
4 seasons with its fully insulated wall, floor and ceiling structure.<br />
Starting from just 400kg in weight and with a smart slideout<br />
kitchen, this caravan is designed to be an affordable and<br />
accommodating way to help you get out there.<br />
Saly Caravan’s Tolga Ozarslan explains all in our video below.<br />
36 | www.campingtradeworld.com
REVIEW CARAVAN SALON<br />
SCALABROS COVERS IT ALL<br />
Italian roller awning and blind<br />
specialist Scalabros made their third<br />
visit to Caravan Salon this year and<br />
used its humble stand to showcase<br />
the ease of which its camper van<br />
awning can be pitched and folded<br />
away. Thanks to some smart design<br />
ideas such as a roller pully action on<br />
the canvas and foldable legs, this<br />
awning has caused quite a stir in the<br />
market since it was introduced and also<br />
showcased in <strong>Camping</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>World</strong>.<br />
Scalabros also revealed a new product<br />
that it has developed in the shape of its<br />
new sticky blinds <strong>–</strong> blinds that can be<br />
cut to size for any camper window and<br />
simply stuck to the window when they<br />
need to be used.<br />
Co-founder of Scalabros, Benedetto<br />
Scalabrini, gives us a demo in our show<br />
video (below, left).<br />
“The interest in our form of holiday continues unabated; especially<br />
high is the demand for comprehensively equipped motorhomes.<br />
Also in line with the trend are four-wheel drive and self-sufficiency.”<br />
CHRISTIAN BAUER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT, HYMER GMBH<br />
INSULATION INSPIRATION<br />
Not too many caravanners out there<br />
think about the barrier that is between<br />
them and the elements when they are<br />
out in bad or cold weather. Luckily for<br />
them, there are companies out there like<br />
Ravago, which showcased its impressive<br />
Ravatherm XPS and XPS X insulations at<br />
Caravan Salon. Already strong in many<br />
industrial markets, these lightweight,<br />
strong, and energy efficient insulation<br />
solutions not only protect RV users from<br />
the cold by they also have best-in-class<br />
water and vapour resistance to stop<br />
moisture build-up inside your camping<br />
unit. The company showcase this feature<br />
in action using a special display that<br />
compared Ravatherm with a standard<br />
insulation in terms of water that was able<br />
to pass through.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 37
CARAVAN SALON REVIEW<br />
TECH TRIUMPHS FROM TELECO<br />
Teleco introduced a new<br />
affordable infotainment system<br />
with a wide range of features at<br />
the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf.<br />
The T-CPA70 DAB system’s<br />
large glossy 6.8-inch touch<br />
screen allows you to keep an<br />
eye on and control the main<br />
apps available on your Android<br />
smartphone or iPhone. The new<br />
Teleco system integrates a DAB<br />
digital radio and GPS receiver.<br />
It can be installed on the<br />
dashboard of vehicles capable<br />
of accommodating double DIN<br />
products, such as Fiat Ducato,<br />
Citroën Jumper or Peugeot<br />
Boxer, to name a few examples.<br />
Teleco infotainment will always<br />
be a valuable and extraordinary<br />
travelling companion for<br />
camper owners.<br />
ALWAYS SUNNY WITH MOSCATELLI<br />
With the thoughts of being green very much on every<br />
camper’s mind at present, it was a great time for solar panel<br />
expert Moscatelli to be making its third appearance at the<br />
Caravan Salon show. The company specialises in small and<br />
uniquely shaped solar panels that can even work as a unit<br />
across multiple panels <strong>–</strong> all with the aim of helping people<br />
fit them to the rooves of smaller vans, or vans with unusual<br />
windows, aerials and other obstructions. Most of its solar<br />
panels are made from lightweight plastic, but it also has glass<br />
options for more permanent installations.<br />
We found out more about these interesting green products<br />
in our video with Matteo Maschio below.<br />
38 | www.campingtradeworld.com
REVIEW CARAVAN SALON<br />
HELLA GOOD LAUNCHES<br />
Caravans and motorhomes don’t have to look boring and<br />
old fashioned, and with the help of lighting expert Hella,<br />
they won’t. The company already works with many highend<br />
manufacturers such as Adria and Fendt, and used the<br />
Caravan Salon show to exhibit some of its existing and new<br />
products. It created LED lighting in almost any shape you<br />
can imagine (and probably some you can’t) as well as being<br />
a producer of quality headlamps and even illuminated<br />
emblems and logos to really help caravan and motorhome<br />
manufacturers flex their creative muscles.<br />
“Contrary to expectations this<br />
year’s fair was very well attended.<br />
The record number of exhibitors<br />
is definitely also very much due<br />
to industrial upstream suppliers.<br />
Suppliers are always a guarantee<br />
for innovation. Positive to note<br />
is that the expert conversations<br />
have clearly increased in quality<br />
over the past few years.”<br />
JÜRGEN, VÖHRINGER, MANAGING PARTNER,<br />
VÖHRINGER GMBH<br />
CREATING LUXURY LOOS WITH SOG<br />
Just when you thought all the products relating to<br />
RV and caravan toilets had already been made, along<br />
comes German brand SOG with an amazing solution<br />
to help eliminate the bad odours caused by having a<br />
toilet in a confined space. Using no chemicals at all,<br />
SOG toilet ventilation is kind on your wallet and kind<br />
on the environment. A small, specially developed highperformance<br />
fan switches on automatically when the<br />
toilet valve is opened to create negative pressure in the<br />
waste-holding tank. This immediately creates suction<br />
at the valve opening, causing fresh air to be drawn<br />
in. Odours arising during use are therefore drawn in<br />
with the air and directed outside. The system switches<br />
off automatically when the toilet valve is closed, but<br />
continues to provide permanent aeration <strong>–</strong> as the<br />
oxygen supply <strong>–</strong> through a pipe or hose connection<br />
that is always open to the outside, thereby promoting<br />
the decomposition process.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 39
SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AD FEATURE<br />
The secret that<br />
SuperSprings<br />
International<br />
wants you to know<br />
For years, a selection of RV users has been enjoying the unrivalled benefits of one<br />
of SuperSprings International’s best-kept secrets. But SuperCoils are a product so<br />
good, they shouldn’t be kept a secret from anyone…<br />
T<br />
■here’s a secret lurking on<br />
the shelves at the factory<br />
of American suspension<br />
expert SuperSprings International<br />
(SSI). It’s a secret that has the<br />
potential to change the way that<br />
towable RV users live their lives,<br />
but up until now, only the curious<br />
or the perfectionists have taken<br />
advantage of it. That is a pattern<br />
that will soon be changing <strong>–</strong><br />
once word gets out just how<br />
beneficial fitting a truck with<br />
SSI’s SuperCoils is, you will be in<br />
a race with likeminded RV users<br />
rushing to improve their rides for<br />
good.<br />
SSI’s marketing director, Tom<br />
Bateman, explains: “SuperCoils<br />
are American-made, high-grade,<br />
shot-peened steel replacement<br />
coils. They have a progressive<br />
spring rate, much like our other<br />
products so that you can enjoy<br />
the factory ride of your truck,<br />
but so that they provide superior<br />
load-levelling support and ride<br />
comfort and control when you’re<br />
▲ SSI’s marketing director,<br />
Tom Bateman<br />
hooked up and towing.”<br />
SuperCoils are based around<br />
four S’s: Sagging, Suspension,<br />
Simple, Solution. ‘Sagging’ refers<br />
to the fact that all coil springs will<br />
sag over time with repeated use<br />
and eventually the load carrying<br />
ability they have will subside<br />
<strong>–</strong> something hugely important<br />
for RV towing. This means that<br />
considering a coil spring upgrade<br />
should be something pretty<br />
much everyone should consider<br />
for proper vehicle maintenance<br />
but surprisingly few do. The<br />
‘Suspension’ S refers to the fact<br />
that SuperCoils will upgrade your<br />
40 | www.campingtradeworld.com
AD FEATURE SUPERSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL<br />
▲ A long-lasting and smooth ride for trucks who tow RVs <strong>–</strong> that’s what SuperCoils from SSI promise to deliver.<br />
suspension when it is sagging<br />
due to age or because of added<br />
speciality equipment. ‘Simple’<br />
is self-explanatory. Supercoils<br />
are very similar to traditional<br />
coil springs and thus just as easy<br />
to fit. The difference is in their<br />
high-quality, made-in-America<br />
steel construction, which makes<br />
them a long-term, heavy-duty<br />
solution <strong>–</strong> perfect for RV towing.<br />
And ‘Solution’ is indeed that last<br />
S <strong>–</strong> once fitted, SuperCoils are<br />
a maintenance-free lift solution<br />
that can be installed in under<br />
two hours, are backed by the<br />
company’s warranty, and promise<br />
to keep you lifted for longer than<br />
you would ever have thought<br />
possible.<br />
“A common question we<br />
get asked when people first<br />
learn about SuperCoils is<br />
whether they should use them<br />
or SumoSprings,” says Tom.<br />
“The answer is that you can<br />
use both <strong>–</strong> and we’d actually<br />
recommend that. SuperCoils<br />
are a replacement to factory coil<br />
springs. SumoSprings are an<br />
enhancement to your suspension.<br />
Sagging or over worked coil<br />
springs should be replaced with<br />
SuperCoils. Vehicles needing<br />
additional load support and/or<br />
increased ride comfort should<br />
consider using SumoSprings in<br />
conjunction with coil springs<br />
or SuperCoils. Most popularly,<br />
SuperCoils complimented with<br />
SumoSprings Solo (in place of<br />
factory bump stops) are a great<br />
suspension solution.”<br />
This product is a perfect<br />
aftermarket add-on that could<br />
be sold by a wide range of RV<br />
dealers, hire companies, camping<br />
equipment providers and more.<br />
They are easy to fit at home<br />
by the end user, or dealers can<br />
easily fit them too. They are<br />
available in a very wide range of<br />
measurements and sizes, focussed<br />
on improving the suspension of<br />
trucks such as the RAM.<br />
Tom continues: “The benefits<br />
for discerning RV users are<br />
obvious with SuperCoils, which<br />
is why we want more people to<br />
know about them. There are also<br />
very wide opportunities for RV<br />
dealers too <strong>–</strong> imagine being able<br />
to offer a complete suspension<br />
overhaul on a customer’s RV<br />
or truck and RV when they<br />
come in for a service combining<br />
SumoSprings and SuperCoils?<br />
You could make even a pretty old<br />
and battered RV or vehicle and<br />
towable RV combination feel<br />
like it’s just driven off the factory<br />
line, that’s how impressive<br />
making this full upgrade can be.”<br />
The tagline that accompanies<br />
the impressive SuperCoil range<br />
is: “Level Up. Stay Level.”<br />
<strong>–</strong> a promise from SSI that<br />
SuperCoils can be paired in the<br />
front and rear to level a truck<br />
as well as providing all the<br />
load support necessary to stay<br />
level. This isn’t a quick-fix or<br />
a patch-up job, this is a longlasting,<br />
genuine upgrade to your<br />
towing vehicle <strong>–</strong> one that users<br />
of towable RVs and caravans will<br />
probably wonder how they lived<br />
without.<br />
To learn more, head over to www.superspringsinternational.com/supercoils/<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 41
BALLISTOL INTERVIEW<br />
Sustainable growth<br />
in camping<br />
With a history stretching back more than <strong>10</strong>0 years, a family-run and owned model,<br />
and a core product that hasn’t changed since the early 1900s <strong>–</strong> Ballistol is a name<br />
you can trust. Company managing director Andreas Zettler and marketing and PR<br />
manager Leif Jacobsen tell us why.<br />
I<br />
■t seems obvious to say<br />
it, but the world was a<br />
very different place than<br />
today in the year 1874. Jesse<br />
James was robbing trains, the<br />
work of impressionist painter<br />
Claude Monet was being<br />
shown at the first impressionist<br />
exhibition in Paris, and David<br />
Kalakaua became the first<br />
king of Hawaii to make an<br />
official visit to the United<br />
42 | www.campingtradeworld.com<br />
States. In the background of<br />
these global events, a German<br />
company was established<br />
by the name of Chemische<br />
Fabrik F.W. Klever. Under the<br />
stewardship of Wilhelm Klever,<br />
this company began with the<br />
production of coal-based oils<br />
and fats. However, it made a<br />
breakthrough at the turn of<br />
the century when the German<br />
Imperial Army needed an<br />
all-round oil with very special<br />
properties: a multi-purpose oil<br />
that would be suitable for all<br />
the materials of a weapon <strong>–</strong> for<br />
cleaning, care, and conservation<br />
of the metal parts, wooden<br />
stocks, and leather straps. Dr.<br />
Helmut Klever, son of Wilhelm,<br />
rose to the challenge and<br />
developed Ballistol <strong>–</strong> a multipurpose<br />
oil that is still being<br />
sold by the company to this day.
INTERVIEW BALLISTOL<br />
▲ Some products in the Ballistol range have been around a long time, others are newer creations designed to solve other needs.<br />
“You will struggle to find a company that offers as wide a product<br />
range as us. We want to grow, but not too fast. We want to stay a<br />
family a business and grow out of our own strength.”<br />
ANDREAS ZETTLER <strong>–</strong> BALLISTOL MANAGING DIRECTOR<br />
“The product can be used<br />
for a very wide range of things.<br />
It is still in use now and it is<br />
the same quality than from<br />
when it was first developed in<br />
1904.” explains current Ballistol<br />
managing director Andreas<br />
Zettler. Andreas now runs the<br />
company alongside his brother<br />
Christian after their father Dr.<br />
Heinrich Zettler bought it from<br />
the Klever family. Naturally,<br />
the product range has expanded<br />
and evolved during the last<br />
<strong>10</strong>0 years, but the fact that<br />
the original product is still so<br />
relevant today is something<br />
to behold <strong>–</strong> as is the fact that<br />
Ballistol has always been a<br />
family affair.<br />
FAMILY FORTITUDE<br />
“I think the main benefit<br />
of still being a family-run<br />
business is that we have short<br />
routes to making decisions,”<br />
Andreas explains. “We can clear<br />
situations much faster than in<br />
a big company, not just with<br />
business decisions but also it<br />
makes us much closer to our<br />
employees. There are never that<br />
many steps for someone to be<br />
able to talk to their boss, so if<br />
anyone has a problem, they can<br />
come directly to us. We know<br />
our employees personally, we<br />
know their problems, so we can<br />
take good care of them. It’s like<br />
a big family.”<br />
That quick problem solving<br />
is also delivered on a business<br />
point of view as well as a HR<br />
point of view. If customers<br />
approach Ballistol with<br />
questions or issues, Andreas<br />
and Christian can very quickly<br />
determine a solution. Andreas<br />
handles the sales and business<br />
operation while Christian is<br />
the chemist in charge of the<br />
products <strong>–</strong> it’s a balance that<br />
works well.<br />
Being family run also means<br />
that there are no shareholders,<br />
no hunger for exponential<br />
growth that cannot be<br />
sustained, just a focus on doing<br />
the right thing, keeping their<br />
promises, and hopefully leaving<br />
a successful and sustainably<br />
growing company for one of the<br />
Zettler children to inherit.<br />
Marketing and PR manager<br />
Leif Jacobsen said: “Being a<br />
family business is one of our<br />
core values for sure. Us, as<br />
employees feel like we are part<br />
of a family and that makes it<br />
very easy for us to do our jobs.<br />
There is a very good mood<br />
among the staff, and this makes<br />
us happy to go to work every<br />
day.”<br />
SPREAD FOR SUCCESS<br />
That sustainable growth has<br />
seen Ballistol reach a size of<br />
roughly <strong>10</strong>0 employees and with<br />
a market share that is expanding<br />
into more and more nations<br />
around the world. Already<br />
strong in its native Germany,<br />
Ballistol recently made<br />
significant expansions into the<br />
United States, South America<br />
and also into new markets<br />
too <strong>–</strong> as well as shooting and<br />
hunting, it has a growing<br />
presence in camping, outdoors,<br />
household and more.<br />
“We managed to handle the<br />
challenges of the last years quite<br />
well,” said Andreas. “We did<br />
everything we could, and our<br />
employees were very engaged<br />
in how to help us through this.<br />
Our very wide range of products<br />
also means that when one<br />
market is down, we still have<br />
success in others <strong>–</strong> that is a big<br />
advantage for us.”<br />
The company has decided<br />
to make a concerted effort<br />
to grow in our industry with<br />
many existing products already<br />
with numerous applications<br />
suitable for camping and<br />
caravanning, and several new<br />
products even better suited to it<br />
including barbecue cleaner and<br />
mosquito and insect repellent,<br />
universal plastic cleaner, and<br />
waterproofing spray.<br />
You can listen to an in-depth<br />
chat with Andreas and<br />
Leif over on the podcast of<br />
our sister magazine<br />
Gun <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>World</strong>.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 43
WANDERER AD FEATURE<br />
A wandering route<br />
to prosperity<br />
A<br />
Combining a passion for camping with huge experience in vehicle<br />
production, Wanderer is a made-in-Europe luxury campervan brand<br />
on a mission to expand its reach across the continent. The company’s<br />
Dagmara Hinc tells us how.<br />
■s is often the case with<br />
companies worth their<br />
salt in our industry,<br />
Wanderer began when three<br />
business partners decided<br />
to combine their passion<br />
and their interest. The three<br />
founders of this Poland-based<br />
company brought together an<br />
enthusiasm for motorhomes,<br />
knowledge, skills and experience<br />
in marketing, and more than<br />
20 years of experience in the<br />
transport industry, including<br />
building motorsport vehicles.<br />
The end result is a premium<br />
44 | www.campingtradeworld.com<br />
campervan company that likes<br />
to think it does things a little<br />
differently to the norm.<br />
“We strive to make each of<br />
our vehicles unique, we approach<br />
each client individually and meet<br />
their expectations,” explains<br />
one of those three partners,<br />
Dagmara Hinc. “Our vehicles<br />
are functional, easy to use, we<br />
focus on the highest quality<br />
soundproofing and isolation<br />
of cars in combination with a<br />
luxurious interior trim in natural<br />
materials. Bearing in mind that<br />
this type of campers is quite<br />
small, we have developed every<br />
possible space for an additional<br />
cabinet or storage space. What’s<br />
more, when it comes to the<br />
place, we have designed special<br />
water tanks, which are in the<br />
cover under the car, and we have<br />
replaced the gas bottle with a<br />
gas tank. All this is to save space<br />
and the convenience of our<br />
customers. We don’t do quantity,<br />
but we do quality.<br />
“We believe that the quality we<br />
focus on, a unique approach to<br />
the customer, the highest quality<br />
soundproofing and thermal<br />
insulation as well as special<br />
technical solutions that will<br />
facilitate and make the journey of<br />
every motorhome easier.”<br />
The last year has been quite<br />
the ride for Wanderer <strong>–</strong> the<br />
company has vastly expanded<br />
and developed its production<br />
line and brought in new methods<br />
and manufacturing solutions<br />
that improve how it operates.<br />
The proof of that comes from<br />
the fact it has been approved<br />
as an authorised Volkswagen<br />
partner and it also received<br />
the Best Luxury Campervan
AD FEATURE WANDERER<br />
Manufacturer <strong>–</strong> Europe award<br />
for 2021 by EU Business News.<br />
“The number of orders has<br />
increased, which makes us very<br />
happy that more and more<br />
Wanderer motorhomes will appear<br />
on the roads,” says Dagmara. “A<br />
lot has happened during the last<br />
year, but it was very positive for<br />
us for which we are thankful.”<br />
Dagmara and her team are also<br />
confident that the recent boom<br />
in the campervan market will<br />
continue as more and more people<br />
seek to try camping rather than<br />
going to hotels for their vacations.<br />
At present, Wanderer is<br />
strongest in the German<br />
market <strong>–</strong> a market known for<br />
only accepting good quality,<br />
durability, functionality, and<br />
innovation <strong>–</strong> further proof that<br />
Wanderer vans are as good as<br />
the company claims. Besides<br />
Germany, Wanderer also has had<br />
some success in neighbouring<br />
Switzerland, and it is hoping<br />
to expand into new markets<br />
including Sweden, Italy and<br />
Spain in the near future <strong>–</strong> it is<br />
actively looking for new partners.<br />
Dagmara explains: “We would<br />
like to still more focus on our<br />
products, we strongly believe that<br />
quality is the most important<br />
thing which we would like to<br />
improve all time. In the near<br />
future, we plan to introduce<br />
other car brands for a better<br />
choice for our customers.”<br />
We asked Dagmara what one<br />
thing she could change about the<br />
industry if she could, her reply:<br />
“Maybe we are old fashioned,<br />
but we really see the oncoming<br />
transformation to electric cars<br />
as actual threat. <strong>Camping</strong> is<br />
independence, camping is<br />
freedom. This is what motivates<br />
our customers <strong>–</strong> going out in the<br />
wild, exploring new places. With<br />
the driving range limitation and<br />
lack of charging stations for the<br />
moment we see development of<br />
electric cars as a threat in a long<br />
run <strong>–</strong> so yes, if we could change<br />
that we probably would.”<br />
WHO ARE YOU?<br />
Company: Wanderer<br />
Founded: 2017<br />
Location: Gdynia, Poland<br />
(also has an office in<br />
Emmering, Germany)<br />
Products: Luxury<br />
campervans made with<br />
high-quality, premium<br />
fittings<br />
Web: www.wanderervan.de<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 45
CLOTHING & LUGGAGE SECTOR SPOTLIGHT<br />
SECTOR<br />
SPOTLIGHT<br />
Clothing & luggage<br />
Outdoor clothing and luggage is a staggeringly large market, but<br />
a large portion of it crosses over into the camping sector. Here, we<br />
examine the market and the brands that have more than enough<br />
relevance for the average camper and outdoor enthusiast.<br />
T<br />
■he old saying goes:<br />
“there’s no such thing<br />
as bad weather, just<br />
the wrong clothing” <strong>–</strong> a saying<br />
that the team at <strong>Camping</strong> <strong>Trade</strong><br />
<strong>World</strong> firmly believe in, having<br />
experienced it in both good and<br />
bad terms. While the saying<br />
may be slightly tongue in cheek,<br />
it’s obvious that the world of<br />
outdoor clothing has made<br />
some huge advancements over<br />
the last few decades in terms<br />
of technology, performance,<br />
and also sustainability. We no<br />
longer need to wear the skins<br />
and furs of animals on camping<br />
excursions, there are now a<br />
staggering array of high-tech,<br />
high-performance manmade<br />
materials that can keep us warm,<br />
dry, cool, non-sweaty <strong>–</strong> anything<br />
we desire. While not a market<br />
that is specific to camping or<br />
caravanning, the outdoor clothing<br />
and luggage market covers a wide<br />
range of what campers need.<br />
Waterproofs, insulation, hiking<br />
boots, backpacks, headwear,<br />
socks, and just about anything<br />
else you can imagine are needed<br />
by campers. And that is not lost<br />
on the makers of these products.<br />
They know that they need to sell<br />
inspiration as well as the benefits<br />
of their clothing or luggage items,<br />
and camping is often one of the<br />
ways in which they try to tell<br />
the story of their products. This<br />
backpack is perfectly weighted to<br />
46 | www.campingtradeworld.com
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT CLOTHING & LUGGAGE<br />
carry heavy loads on long hikes,<br />
this coat is perfect for a sudden<br />
downpour when sitting outside<br />
your caravan <strong>–</strong> you’ve heard these<br />
stories before. So the idea that the<br />
outdoor apparel market is part of<br />
the camping market should not<br />
be a difficult idea to grasp.<br />
THE STATISTICS<br />
MODERN CONSUMERS<br />
The modern outdoor consumer<br />
is much more informed than<br />
they once were. Even in the<br />
last decade, the research that<br />
goes into the average purchase<br />
has increased considerably,<br />
as has general knowledge<br />
about different materials and<br />
technologies and their benefits.<br />
This can be seen on the frontline<br />
in outdoor retail stores, where<br />
customers will come to staff with<br />
much more prior knowledge<br />
when seeking advice on a<br />
purchase. Gore-Tex, ripstop,<br />
Vibram, Primaloft <strong>–</strong> these are<br />
now household names and so<br />
is the knowledge about the<br />
benefits they bring to clothing<br />
and luggage. This is beneficial in<br />
many ways, but it can also make<br />
introducing new technologies a<br />
little more difficult. As a brand<br />
bringing in a new technology,<br />
buzzwords alone simply aren’t<br />
enough. You need to explain what<br />
your product or technology does,<br />
how it does it, and also sell to the<br />
customer how this will benefit<br />
them out in the field. A lot of<br />
this information comes from the<br />
internet and the fact that any<br />
consumer anywhere can easily<br />
research what is good and what<br />
Global interest in Google search term ‘Outdoor clothing’ & ‘<strong>Camping</strong> luggage’ in the last year<br />
<strong>10</strong>0<br />
75<br />
50<br />
25<br />
26 SEP<br />
2021<br />
16 JAN<br />
2022<br />
Top five countries with highest Google<br />
search interest for the term ‘camping<br />
luggage’ in the last year<br />
Australia<br />
United Kingdom<br />
USA<br />
Canada<br />
New Zealand<br />
isn’t. It also comes from the fact<br />
consumers are more conscientious<br />
<strong>–</strong> both with how they spend<br />
their money, and also about how<br />
certain products are made.<br />
CROSSOVER CENTRAL<br />
There is so much crossover<br />
between camping gear and<br />
outdoor apparel that many<br />
brands have spread their wings<br />
from being just camping product<br />
providers into a bit of both.<br />
Examples include tent brands like<br />
Vango, Nemo Equipment, and<br />
Sierra Designs launching their<br />
own high-quality backpack and<br />
rucksack collections, or company’s<br />
like Snow Peak, which is just<br />
Outdoor clothing<br />
8 MAY<br />
2022<br />
Top five countries with highest Google<br />
search interest for the term ‘outdoor<br />
clothing’ in the last year<br />
United Kingdom<br />
New Zealand<br />
Ireland<br />
Australia<br />
South Africa<br />
as big in fashion and apparel as<br />
it is in tents. Even caravan and<br />
motorhome companies have<br />
got in on the act with brands<br />
such as Knaus Tabbert proudly<br />
showcasing a range of clothing<br />
such as soft shell fleeces at the<br />
recent Caravan Salon <strong>–</strong> not only<br />
a great way to expand their range<br />
for fans of the brand, but also a<br />
fantastic marketing exercise. It<br />
is only natural that brands look<br />
to the markets that neighbour<br />
the one they currently work in<br />
as the most obvious places for<br />
expansion, and we see this an<br />
awful lot in the clothing and<br />
luggage market when relating to<br />
camping and RVing.<br />
<strong>Camping</strong> luggage<br />
28 AUG<br />
2022<br />
US$3.9b<br />
Size the outdoor apparel<br />
market is forecast to grow<br />
to by 2024<br />
€481m<br />
Estimated value of<br />
camping accessory sales in<br />
Europe in 2021<br />
4.52%<br />
Growth of outdoor apparel<br />
market in 2020<br />
1.8%<br />
Of GDP in the USA was<br />
accounted for by outdoor<br />
recreation in 2021<br />
4.3m<br />
Jobs supported by outdoor<br />
recreation in the USA<br />
56%<br />
Of American campers say<br />
a tent is their preferred<br />
camping method<br />
37%<br />
Of campers in the USA<br />
in 2021 said hiking/<br />
backpacking was the main<br />
activity they paired with it<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 47
CLOTHING & LUGGAGE SECTOR SPOTLIGHT<br />
Photo: Jack Wolfskin<br />
▲ <strong>Camping</strong> in the outdoors requires the correct clothing and luggage, whatever the weather. There is a lot of choice out there.<br />
Despite the obviously technical and price differences of many of the<br />
products on the market, it should not be lost on anyone that fashion is still<br />
of key importance in this market.<br />
TRENDING<br />
In the outdoor clothing and<br />
luggage market the trends<br />
come and go as quickly as they<br />
do in the rest of the fashion<br />
world. Despite the obviously<br />
technical and price differences<br />
of many of the products on the<br />
market, it should not be lost on<br />
anyone that fashion is still of<br />
key importance in this market.<br />
The same way certain styles have<br />
come back around in the regular<br />
fashion world, we are seeing that<br />
happen in the outdoor clothing<br />
market too. Many brands <strong>–</strong> Rab,<br />
Craghoppers, and The North<br />
Face to name just a few <strong>–</strong> have<br />
created products that would have<br />
looked just at home in 1995 for<br />
modern consumers. Many of<br />
these even include retro logos for<br />
the brand to further incite a sense<br />
of nostalgia.<br />
This is just one trend that is<br />
in operation at the moment.<br />
Another is that outdoor clothing<br />
doesn’t have to be in glaring<br />
bright colours, it can be more<br />
subtle, and it should also be able<br />
to be worn in an urban setting<br />
without looking out of place.<br />
Brands like Berghaus, Patagonia,<br />
and Sprayway do this well.<br />
Another trend that seems to<br />
be growing in the industry is<br />
having more of a story behind<br />
your brand and your products.<br />
If you can show that the brand<br />
has a long history and that it still<br />
adheres to the traditions of the<br />
original founder, then that goes<br />
a long way with customers. In<br />
short, we are humans, we like to<br />
tell stories, and if there’s a cool<br />
story behind the new fleece we’re<br />
wearing, we want to know it so<br />
we can tell our friends about it.<br />
48 | www.campingtradeworld.com
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT CLOTHING & LUGGAGE<br />
BE GREEN AND MEAN IT<br />
One of the most important<br />
themes seen in the outdoor<br />
clothing market in recent<br />
years is that of being more<br />
responsible when it comes to the<br />
environment. Whether that is<br />
making products from recycled<br />
materials like brands such as Jack<br />
Wolfskin or Patagonia or offering<br />
a repair service for old products<br />
so that existing ones are repaired<br />
rather than new ones bought,<br />
such as Rab. Initiatives like this<br />
definitely carry serious weight in<br />
the outdoor clothing sector, but<br />
they have to be genuine. The days<br />
when you could call something<br />
‘eco’ without actually proving how<br />
or why are long gone. There must<br />
be a tangible and real story behind<br />
what you are doing as a brand to<br />
make it resonate with consumers.<br />
And these days, end users come<br />
to expect at least a small effort<br />
of trying to be sustainable when<br />
it comes to clothing. Using less<br />
water in the manufacturing<br />
process, making things from<br />
recycled plastic, offering long<br />
warranties or free repairs, all of<br />
these things now don’t give your<br />
brand the edge, but elevate it onto<br />
the starting playing field that<br />
many brands are already on.<br />
▲ Hiking is one of the most commonly combined activities with camping and caravanning.<br />
TECH TRIUMPH<br />
Buyers in the outdoor clothing<br />
market are a little less sensitive<br />
to price, provided you can prove<br />
the product you’re selling will<br />
perform. Some of the biggest<br />
names in this sector have prices<br />
at the top end of the scale, but<br />
it is because they work and they<br />
protect against the elements,<br />
allowing people to get out<br />
camping whatever the weather.<br />
The technology in outdoor<br />
clothing and luggage now is so<br />
smart we often don’t even realise<br />
it as consumers. But if you can sell<br />
the solidity of your tech, you have<br />
gone a long way to helping it stick<br />
in the minds of consumers.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 49
CLOTHING & LUGGAGE SECTOR SPOTLIGHT<br />
BUSINESS CONNECTIONS<br />
By its very nature, camping takes you into places where you<br />
sometimes need specialist or at least better equipment than you<br />
would walk around the city with. Whether that’s rain jackets<br />
and hiking boots, or camping furniture and backpacks designed<br />
for carrying your whole life in <strong>–</strong> there is a wide range of brands<br />
Clothing and luggage brands related to camping<br />
providing these products. We have attempted to curate a list of key<br />
and interesting companies who manufacture clothing and luggage<br />
that is either specific for camping or very useful for general outdoor<br />
activities closely associated with it. Hopefully, within the list you will<br />
be able to find a meaningful business connection.<br />
Arc’teryx<br />
www.arcteryx.com<br />
Black Diamond<br />
blackdiamondequipment.com<br />
Fera<br />
www.feragb.com<br />
Helly Hansen<br />
www.hellyhansen.com<br />
Alpkit<br />
www.alpkit.com<br />
Buff<br />
www.buff.com<br />
Fjallraven<br />
www.fjallraven.com<br />
Jack Wolfskin<br />
www.jack-wolfskin.com<br />
Ayacucho<br />
www.ayacucho-outdoor.com<br />
Columbia<br />
columbiasportswear.com<br />
Giraffe International<br />
www.giraffeuk.com<br />
Kathmandu<br />
www.kathmandu.co.nz<br />
Barbour<br />
www.barbour.com<br />
Craghoppers<br />
www.craghoppers.com<br />
Haglöfs<br />
www.haglofs.com<br />
Keela<br />
www.keelaoutdoors.com<br />
Berghaus<br />
www.berghaus.com<br />
Deuter<br />
www.deuter.com<br />
Halti<br />
www.halti.com<br />
Keen<br />
www.keenfootwear.com<br />
Photo: Jack Wolfskin<br />
▲ ????<br />
50 | www.campingtradeworld.com
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT CLOTHING & LUGGAGE<br />
▲ There is a very large range of products in outdoor clothing that have crossover into the camping and RV markets.<br />
Kelty<br />
www.kelty.com<br />
Nemo Equipment<br />
www.nemoequipment.com<br />
Sea to Summit<br />
www.seatosummit.com<br />
Zamberlan<br />
www.zamberlan.com<br />
Lowepro<br />
www.lowepro.com<br />
Mammut<br />
www.mammut.com<br />
Meindl<br />
www.meindl.de<br />
Merrell<br />
www.merrell.com<br />
Montane<br />
www.montane.com<br />
Mountain Equipment<br />
mountain-equipment.co.uk<br />
The North Face<br />
www.thenorthface.com<br />
Osprey<br />
www.ospreyeurope.com<br />
Páramo Clothing<br />
www.paramo-clothing.com<br />
Patagonia<br />
www.patagonia.com<br />
Rab<br />
www.rab.equipment<br />
Regatta<br />
www.regatta.com<br />
Salewa<br />
www.salewa.com<br />
Scarpa<br />
www.scarpa.com<br />
Schoffel<br />
www.schoffelcountry.com<br />
Sierra Designs<br />
www.sierradesigns.com<br />
Sprayway<br />
www.sprayway.com<br />
Vango<br />
www.vango.co.uk<br />
*Note: We know this<br />
isn’t every company<br />
that deals in clothing<br />
and luggage on the<br />
planet, but we hope<br />
you can make a<br />
meaningful business<br />
connection through<br />
it. If you feel we’ve<br />
missed you out, contact<br />
us today to talk about<br />
editorial opportunities.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 51
HYBRID WORKING BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS<br />
BECOME<br />
A BETTER<br />
BUSINESS<br />
Hybrid working<br />
Just a few short years ago, the idea of hybrid working was a far-off myth that many<br />
companies would never entertain the idea of. Today, it’s something that might be<br />
expected by your current and future employees, so how do you navigate the landscape?<br />
A<br />
■ppreciation for the<br />
simple things in life,<br />
changed perceptions<br />
on international travel, a<br />
heightened fear or becoming<br />
ill <strong>–</strong> there are many things<br />
that the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
has left us with as a society.<br />
From a business point of view<br />
perhaps the most significant was<br />
remote or hybrid working. At<br />
the beginning of 2020, remote<br />
working was largely treated<br />
with disdain and distrust, and<br />
quite rare in most lines of work.<br />
Fast-forward to today and many<br />
employees expect at least some<br />
level of flexibility when it comes<br />
to where they work. The need<br />
for <strong>10</strong>0 per cent home-based<br />
working may have subsided, but<br />
modern workers, especially those<br />
in younger demographics, now<br />
come to expect the option to<br />
be able to mix how they work<br />
between a traditional office<br />
environment and working from<br />
home. You could argue that this<br />
is a natural progression that<br />
would have happened anyway,<br />
and that the pandemic simply<br />
accelerated matters. Or you<br />
might be of the opinion that it’s<br />
just not as effective as traditional<br />
models. Wherever you stand<br />
on the issue personally, it is not<br />
going away. And chances are,<br />
if you don’t offer some kind of<br />
hybrid working model, you run<br />
the risk of missing out on some<br />
52 | www.campingtradeworld.com
BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS HYBRID WORKING<br />
of the best available talent in the<br />
marketplace.<br />
But hybrid working might not<br />
mean what you think it means.<br />
It could be a system of set days<br />
people are in the office versus<br />
at home. It could mean letting<br />
certain people work from home<br />
in the afternoons so they can<br />
pick the kids up from school.<br />
It could mean lots of things.<br />
The way to frame it is flexible<br />
working. Modern life is busy,<br />
it gets on top of us, and it can<br />
cause us physical and mental<br />
harm through stress and long<br />
hours. Anything you can do<br />
to shift the balance for your<br />
employees is surely then a good<br />
thing? Instead of spending 90<br />
minutes travelling to the office<br />
and then being frazzled and<br />
unproductive when they arrive,<br />
wouldn’t it be better if your<br />
employees could jump straight<br />
into a comfy chair at home<br />
with a hot coffee and start work<br />
earlier when they are fresher?<br />
Okay, so it’s not always that<br />
straightforward, but the benefits<br />
of hybrid or remote working are<br />
numerous if you can handle it<br />
correctly.<br />
The first and most obvious<br />
benefit is that workers will be<br />
more productive. As alluded<br />
to above, workers will be more<br />
efficient and get more done in<br />
a shorter time in the comfort<br />
of their own home. Hybrid<br />
workers are likely to concentrate<br />
harder on what they are doing,<br />
suffer fewer interruptions, and<br />
waste less time on menial office<br />
tasks. Another benefit is that<br />
your workers may be happier. A<br />
better work-life balance should<br />
leave people feeling happier and<br />
feeling like they enjoy their job<br />
more, which is likely to further<br />
increase that already boosted<br />
productivity. You may also save a<br />
few dollars too. Less commuting<br />
and less energy used in the<br />
office could save your business<br />
significant amounts of money,<br />
even if you help subsidise staff ’s<br />
home energy bills. Another<br />
benefit, which was the original<br />
idea behind remote working in<br />
the pandemic, is that staff will<br />
get ill far less often than before.<br />
Offices can be breeding grounds<br />
for germs, so by limiting the<br />
spread having people work from<br />
home, your workers are likely to<br />
have far fewer sick days.<br />
It is worth noting that there<br />
are a few downsides that you<br />
should at least be aware of when<br />
it comes to hybrid working. One<br />
is the increased cyber risks of not<br />
having a centralised IT system,<br />
another is possible burnout of<br />
staff who have trouble creating<br />
barriers between work and<br />
personal life. You could also see<br />
the culture of your company<br />
become a little eroded as people<br />
see each other face to face far<br />
less than before. Most of these<br />
issues can be overcome if you<br />
embrace hybrid working to<br />
the full and have a proper plan<br />
and policy in place to ensure it<br />
works. The less you treat it like a<br />
strange, new idea, the less it will<br />
behave like one.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 53
HYBRID WORKING BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS<br />
01 02<br />
TOP TIPS<br />
TO MAKE HYBRID<br />
WORKING WORK<br />
FOR YOUR BUSINESS<br />
INITIATE REGULAR<br />
COMMUNICATION<br />
One of the biggest<br />
setbacks about having<br />
staff working remotely is<br />
that they don’t get that<br />
organic, natural, and<br />
regular communication<br />
with their co-workers.<br />
Some of the best ideas<br />
happen this way, but it is<br />
important to remember<br />
they can easily happen<br />
remotely too. Ensure<br />
that you have scheduled,<br />
regular communication<br />
with your team via video<br />
meetings, phonecalls, or<br />
even just email. The key<br />
thing to remember is<br />
to keep things succinct<br />
and interesting. We’ve<br />
all been dying inside<br />
while enduring a dull<br />
and unnecessarily long<br />
Zoom meeting, so it’s<br />
important to understand<br />
the balance between<br />
good communication<br />
and why you are doing<br />
it. Its purpose should<br />
be to help the team<br />
understand what is<br />
happening, and not<br />
simply because “we<br />
always have a two-hour<br />
meeting on a Monday”<br />
for the sake of it.<br />
TRUST YOUR<br />
WORKFORCE<br />
One of the main<br />
misconceptions about<br />
remote working is that<br />
your staff will not work as<br />
long or as hard to get the<br />
job done as they would if<br />
they were in an office. In<br />
many cases, this is simply<br />
not true. Most of the time<br />
workers will be far more<br />
efficient when working<br />
from home without the<br />
distractions of a busy<br />
office. It will also mean<br />
they are able to manage<br />
their work life balances<br />
far better and feel a<br />
higher sense of duty<br />
because they are being<br />
trusted to manage their<br />
workload on their own<br />
time. Micromanagement<br />
is bad at the best<br />
of times, it’s doubly<br />
negative on remote<br />
workers. If workers<br />
are going to have low<br />
productivity and not take<br />
their job seriously, they<br />
are just as likely to do<br />
that in an office as they<br />
would be remotely.<br />
54 | www.campingtradeworld.com
BECOME A BETTER BUSINESS HYBRID WORKING<br />
03<br />
PROVIDE WHAT YOUR<br />
TEAM NEEDS<br />
If you are willing to allow<br />
a hybrid working model,<br />
you need to make sure<br />
that your team has<br />
everything they need<br />
to work efficiently from<br />
home or on the road. This<br />
means not skimping on<br />
technology and hardware<br />
<strong>–</strong> while not buying<br />
people new computers<br />
or phones might save a<br />
little money in the short<br />
term, it will damage<br />
workers’ productivity and<br />
motivation in the long<br />
run. Providing what your<br />
team needs doesn’t just<br />
mean equipment, it also<br />
means psychological<br />
support too <strong>–</strong> give them<br />
the same access to the<br />
HR department that they<br />
would normally get if in<br />
the office, and also the<br />
access to their managers.<br />
The more you can do to<br />
make your employees<br />
feel like they belong, the<br />
better remote working<br />
will work out.<br />
04<br />
BEWARE OF<br />
EMPOWER<br />
BOUNDARIES<br />
Having your employees<br />
available to talk to via<br />
digital communication<br />
methods <strong>–</strong> whether that’s<br />
video calls or messaging<br />
apps <strong>–</strong> can be a doubleedged<br />
sword and can<br />
sometimes pressure<br />
staff into thinking they<br />
should be available at<br />
all times. In a traditional<br />
office environment, most<br />
workers would be able to<br />
leave work matters at the<br />
door when they headed<br />
home but having the<br />
constant contact that<br />
digital communication<br />
provides can break<br />
those barriers in a hybrid<br />
working environment.<br />
You can avoid these<br />
issues by having policies<br />
in place about working<br />
hours, or simply by<br />
having reasonable<br />
standards about people<br />
being able to deal with<br />
communications when<br />
they are next available<br />
if they don’t work<br />
traditional hours. The<br />
best question to ask<br />
yourself is “would I be<br />
happy to be contacted<br />
about work right now?”<br />
05YOUR<br />
BE<br />
EMPLOYEES<br />
Just like in the office,<br />
giving your workers<br />
autonomy can be a<br />
great asset. By allowing<br />
them to make decisions<br />
by themselves in the<br />
right scenarios you can<br />
improve their overall<br />
sense of worth, duty and<br />
loyalty towards the cause.<br />
Sometimes doing this<br />
can feel harder with a<br />
remote team as you can’t<br />
always physically check<br />
up on what they’re doing,<br />
but nothing can damage<br />
morale or productivity<br />
more than someone<br />
waiting for the boss to<br />
approve something while<br />
they are sitting in their<br />
home office waiting.<br />
Giving your employees<br />
their own autonomy can<br />
really help to boost their<br />
morale. After all, you<br />
hired these people for<br />
their skills and attitude,<br />
so why not trust them to<br />
make certain decisions<br />
and take certain actions<br />
on behalf of your<br />
business?<br />
06<br />
CLEAR AND<br />
MEASURABLE ON<br />
EXPECTATIONS<br />
One thing you<br />
should have in place<br />
and communicate<br />
clearly with any team<br />
members who work<br />
remotely is what is<br />
expected of them<br />
and what the goals<br />
of their role are. It can<br />
be very easy to let<br />
remote workers slip<br />
outside the orbit of<br />
measurables, but it’s<br />
just as easy to keep<br />
them within it by being<br />
organised and clear.<br />
Regular one-on-ones<br />
between managers<br />
and subordinates is<br />
always a solid idea,<br />
even if it’s just <strong>10</strong><br />
minutes every couple<br />
of weeks. Depending<br />
on job roles, objectives<br />
and goals should be<br />
clear, you can help<br />
to make this more<br />
visible by using an<br />
idea/project sharing<br />
programme such as<br />
Trello. The clearer it is<br />
what’s expected of your<br />
staff, the easier they<br />
will find it to hit their<br />
objectives.<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 55
MAKING CONTACT<br />
WOLF<br />
MOZZI ZAPPA<br />
Doubling up as both a tent lamp and also a mosquito<br />
killer, the Mozzi Zappa from Wolf is a smart product that<br />
all campers will find beneficial. The construction of the<br />
lamp ensures an even light distribution curve utilising<br />
impressive LED technology. The blue light has a special<br />
wavelength that attracts insects to an 800V grid, which<br />
delivers an instant death. The insect bodes fall through the<br />
inner space of the lamp and can be burshed away.<br />
www.wolfint.co.uk<br />
DOMETIC<br />
FRESHJET FXJ SERIES<br />
Dometic has launched what it describes as the next generation of<br />
RV air conditioners in the shape of its FreshJet FXJ series. The two<br />
electronic Dometic FreshJet FJX models (1700 and 2200 watts)<br />
promise to cool the cabin in record time and with minimal energy<br />
consumption thanks to a redesigned air distribution box inside. The<br />
electronic FJX air conditioners enable convenient remote control<br />
of from a smart phone or tablet computer. They are also ready<br />
for connection to Dometic’s premium wall thermostat for future<br />
integration into the company’s upcoming Full Climate solution.<br />
www.dometic.com<br />
REICH<br />
EASYDRIVER INFINITY<br />
The innovation team at Reich has created a caravan<br />
mover that has changed the game in that market<br />
sector in the shape of its EasyDriver Infinity. With a 30<br />
per cent more efficient transimission and optimised<br />
motor, this motor mover includes an app controller,<br />
is easy to install, has completely protected internal<br />
mechanics from water ingress, and gives the caravan a<br />
super-small turning circle. It also has soft start and soft<br />
stop and is available in both single axle and double axle<br />
versions.<br />
www.reich-easydriver.com<br />
56 | www.campingtradeworld.com
MAKING CONTACT<br />
GENTLE TENT<br />
B TURTLE<br />
Inflatable tents on car rooves are<br />
all the rage these days, but what<br />
about one you can tow with your<br />
bike? That’s exactly what Austrian<br />
brand Gentle Tent has produced<br />
with its B Turtle. Weighing just<br />
29kg, the inflatable camping tent<br />
has enough space to comfortably<br />
sleep two people and has a<br />
built-in travel trailer with 120l<br />
capacity. The awning has enough<br />
headroom to stand while the UV<br />
resistant and weatherproof fabric<br />
will protect from the elements all<br />
year round.<br />
www.gentletent.com<br />
LIPPERT<br />
BELVEDERE AND FIOCCO<br />
Belvedere and Fiocco are the new pop-up roofs dedicated to<br />
the Ford Transit van and the Transit Custom minivan. Thanks<br />
to a new construction system they have an extremely low<br />
weight, but excellent thermal insulation. The pop-up roofs use<br />
a different construction system, patented by Lippert, capable of<br />
giving lightness, heat resistance and the possibility of aesthetic<br />
customization. The upper part of the pop up roof is made with a<br />
sandwich panel, very similar to that used for the sides and roof of<br />
motorhomes, with external fiberglass coating and insulation in<br />
Styrofoam/XPS/extruded polystyrene.<br />
www.lippertcomponents.eu<br />
ISABELLA<br />
SOLAR LAMP<br />
Designed to be usefully placed on the spikes on top of<br />
Isabella windscreens, the all-new solar-driven lights from<br />
the Danish company can also be used on tables, in tents,<br />
or just about anywhere else when you are camping. They<br />
charge on six hours of sun and offer a cosy and diffused<br />
light source at the touch of a button. Once charged, they<br />
will emit light for between six and seven hours.<br />
www.isabella.net<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 57
MAKING CONTACT<br />
ERIBA<br />
TOURING<br />
German caravan brand Eriba has revealed a<br />
new generation of its hugely popular Touring<br />
range of caravans, featuring a new look, better<br />
aerodynamics, strong and durable construction<br />
and all-new interiors. The key features of<br />
the new Touring range include its small<br />
dimensions when the roof is down and excellent<br />
195cm headroom when it is open, low fuel<br />
consumption due to its aerodynamic design<br />
that is based on aircraft engineering, a choice<br />
between a fixed bed or seating area, a straight<br />
base that makes storage space easier to use,<br />
and an extended drawbar with aluminium cover<br />
to make it easier to install and use a bike carrier.<br />
www.eriba.com<br />
AUS J<br />
EZY RV SHOWER<br />
Sydney-based company Aus J has revealed the<br />
EZY RV external shower point outlet <strong>–</strong> a robust and<br />
versatile new product that fits many major global<br />
brands of RV water systems. The boxed EZY RV<br />
external shower point outlet set features a large<br />
shower head for better feel and water coverage,<br />
push and turn activation, a lock-off trigger, simple<br />
and secure clamps to attach to the outside of an<br />
RV, a two-metre shower hose, adjustable handle to<br />
control temperature, and a durable netted bag for<br />
storage when not in use.<br />
www.ausj.com.au<br />
HYMER<br />
FREE S BLUE EVOLUTION<br />
The new Hymer Free S Blue Evolution<br />
campervan is a new sporty special edition is<br />
based on the front-wheel-drive Mercedes-<br />
Benz Sprinter for the first time and features<br />
a striking vibrant blue paintjob, along with<br />
a huge array of premium features and<br />
installations that give it extra appeal. The<br />
van’s 9-speed automatic transmission,<br />
electric parking brake and reversing camera<br />
all work in conjunction with numerous<br />
driving assistance systems to create a driving<br />
experience that is designed for comfort. The<br />
van also features the Mercedes-Benz MBUX<br />
<strong>10</strong>” multimedia system.<br />
www.hymer.com<br />
58 | www.campingtradeworld.com
MAKING CONTACT<br />
WINNEBAGO<br />
REVEL<br />
With the Winnebago<br />
4x4 Revel <strong>–</strong> built on the<br />
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter<br />
chassis <strong>–</strong> the iconic<br />
American brand claims<br />
that it’s time that RVers<br />
start treating roads more<br />
like suggestions. The<br />
function-fuelled design,<br />
powered by the reliability<br />
of a 3-liter turbo diesel<br />
engine and the freedom<br />
of on-demand 4WD<br />
means going off-road<br />
is never off the table. It<br />
also features a 320-amp<br />
hour LiFePO4 battery<br />
that can be monitored by<br />
Bluetooth and a Hydronic<br />
Heating System.<br />
www.winnebago.com<br />
THETFORD<br />
AQUA RINSE<br />
SPRAY<br />
RV sanitation expert<br />
Thetford has launched a<br />
new and improved version<br />
of its Aqua Rinse Spray.<br />
The new spray is a very<br />
efficient and effective<br />
toilet bowl spray that is<br />
essential for the toilet<br />
in your motorhome,<br />
caravan, or tent. Using the<br />
improved Aqua Rinse Spray<br />
significantly contributes to<br />
saving water: Less flushes<br />
are needed to flush down<br />
the feces and to keep a<br />
clean toilet bowl without<br />
skid marks.<br />
www.thetford.com<br />
CARTHAGO<br />
CHIC C-LINE T<br />
For the first time, Carthago has extended the model range of the<br />
chic c-line T with a model on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis<br />
with an AL-KO low frame. The new, round 7.5 metre long T 4.9 LE<br />
impresses with a layout with a large L-shaped lounge seating area<br />
and wide side seat bench, the spacious corner kitchen with the<br />
raised kitchen worktop and the designer bar cabinet, a sumptuous<br />
luxury washroom with the practical Carthago changing room<br />
and large lengthways single beds measuring up to two metres<br />
which can also be extended in the sleeping area. In addition to the<br />
customary elegant Carthago design, the new model stands out with<br />
its platinum-coloured bumper.<br />
www.carthago.com<br />
www.campingtradeworld.com | 59
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