Dan Cartwright has over 12 years of experience in the caravan and motorhome industry. He is a judge for a number of prestigious leisure vehicle awards and regularly heads off in his motorhome with his family. Every week, Dan shares his insights with the community. Here’s what he has to say this week.
A big welcome to 2023 to all of our readers, from myself and CaravanTimes. We’ve hit the ground running, having already attended the Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Show in Manchester and I’ve started judging the Caravan Design Awards, a large project by the Caravan and Motorhome Club.
Looking to the future, there are a few topics that I think could do with a bit of explaining, including some things to watch out for this year, as well as the prices and availability of leisure vehicles.
Bustling campsites and caravan parks
There’s no doubt that people are going to run into problems with bookings in 2023. In terms of availability, sites are likely to be full up regardless of any particular club affiliation or the specific holiday park itself. Since it’s going to be a busy year, I strongly urge our readers to sit down with their touring partners and think seriously about securing dates at your favourite destinations.
There will always be late availability, but you’ll have to be willing to compromise and potentially miss out on the spots you most wanted to visit. The feeling within the industry is that the cost of living crisis has caused leisure vehicle owners to consider alternative types of holidays and means of transport, including cheap flights to European destinations.
New product availability
There was a huge boom for leisure vehicles throughout the pandemic, as holidaymakers looked for different options when flying wasn’t possible. However, the demand grew so high that manufacturers are still trying to address the backlog of orders.
This means that the availability of new stock is limited. One manufacturer isn’t even taking orders for their campervans until Autumn this year. Whilst there are waiting lists across the board, they’re longest for motorhomes because, in addition to dealing with backlogs, some manufacturers are struggling to acquire the cabs they need to build them in the first place.
Caravan and motorhome prices
Over the last three years, prices have increased significantly. My overall feeling is that current costs are likely to be well over the general inflation rate – I’ve even seen the value of some leisure vehicles rise by up to 50 per cent.
Being a part of an industry that I love, it’s sad to see that leisure vehicles aren’t accessible to everyone. However, I’ve spoken to several manufacturers and it’s not what they want either. I’m not defending them, but they need to make a profit and from what I’ve heard, that’s becoming a real issue.
Between the price of leisure vehicle components skyrocketing and go-to-market challenges, manufacturers are struggling too. Generally, they want to set their prices across the year to make it fair for consumers, whether they buy a motorhome in January or November. However, they can’t get a clear handle from suppliers on what costs they’ll be facing and often become caught between a rock and hard place.
Manufacturers don’t want to upset customers by changing their prices prematurely. Unfortunately, this means costs are higher from the start. Based on those I’ve spoken to, I truly believe this isn’t their desire and it’s certainly not good for the caravan and motorhome community.
Inspiration
On a lighter note, we’re lucky enough to have three wonderful shows taking place at the beginning of the year. Of course, the Manchester Caravan and Motorhome Holiday Show has now passed, but Glasgow is just around the corner and next month there’s the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
If you’re interested in seeing what’s available, looking for some accessories or even ordering a new leisure vehicle, then these shows are well worth a visit. During the pandemic, there was a tumultuous period in which we weren’t sure when – or if – they would return. For a genuinely great experience and the opportunity to see innovative new products, I’d strongly recommend heading to one.
Photo credit: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels
