These strong models are on trend

Since Friday, Düsseldorf has once again become the center of the world for fans of motor homes, camper vans, caravans and camping accessories: 778 exhibitors are presenting their latest products at the 63rd edition of the Caravan Salon, and more than 250,000 visitors are expected.

According to the organizer, Messe Düsseldorf, there is no larger trade fair for motorhomes anywhere else. Interested parties can find out about vehicles and accessories for the 2025 season until next Sunday. The “Schwäbische Zeitung” was already there and is presenting some of the most exciting new products.

Delivery problems largely resolved

Almost all exhibitors had two pieces of good news from the customer's perspective. Firstly, the availability of vehicles has improved significantly. Customers can now choose from a wide range of models and floor plans, and the waiting times for individually configured caravans and motorhomes have also been significantly reduced.

The supply chain problems that manufacturers struggled with due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and which frustrated many customers, appear to have been overcome.

“It's no secret that we have suffered over the past three years. At times we were missing up to 70 percent of the basic vehicles,” says Carthago Sales Director Bernd Wuschack. However, the company from Aulendorf (Ravensburg district) has now been able to reduce the enormous delivery delays of up to two years to a normal level of “around six months”.

The price spiral has lost momentum

And secondly: The price spiral, which is spinning ever faster due to general inflation, has lost momentum. Many companies – especially in the entry-level segment – are trying to keep vehicle prices stable in the new season, sometimes even reducing them. Because customers are no longer so keen to spend money and competition is becoming fiercer.

“The manufacturers and dealers have understood,” says Ralph Binder from the online magazine Caravaning-Reisen.de, and would try to make offers below psychologically more important price thresholds again. Be it through “strict calculations” or with “discount campaigns”. In the entry-level segment, says Binder, there are occasionally vehicles under 50,000 euros again.

Anyone looking for attractively priced vehicles will find what they are looking for at the Forster or Etrusco stands at the trade fair. The two manufacturers have specialized in affordable models.

And even in the luxury segment, which is traditionally far less price-sensitive, the conditions remain stable. Carthago, for example, is offering very moderate surcharges of between zero and two percent in the new model year.

Dealers have to sell off

Customers are also in a better position to negotiate prices because many dealers now have large vehicle inventories on the yard and have to sell them off due to the increased financing costs. In order to clear the vehicle backlog, discounts are often offered.

Discounts can also be negotiated on the vehicles on display at the trade fair in Düsseldorf. Unlike other large vehicle trade fairs such as the IAA car exhibition, the Caravan Salon is a sales event. “The best conditions are available here,” says Jens Krohmer, Managing Director of the Bürstner brand, which belongs to the Erwin Hymer Group (EHG).

The company from Kehl am Rhein is presenting, among other things, the new Talis caravan model in Düsseldorf, which the Bürstner team wants to develop to series production readiness together with trade fair visitors. Caravan fans, says Sylvain Heideier from Bürstner, can thus contribute their ideas of an ideal caravan. The Talis, which is also designed for smaller towing vehicles and electric cars thanks to its lightweight construction, is due to be available next year.

Trade fair trends: lightweight construction and self-sufficiency

Lightweight construction is one of the trends at the Caravan Salon. Self-sufficiency is another. The manufacturer Eura Mobil, based in Sprendlingen in Rhineland-Palatinate, is presenting the Xtura off-roader based on a Mercedes Sprinter, a motorhome with which, according to head of development Frank Lessmann, one can “travel self-sufficiently for 30 days”.

Foldable solar modules, large fresh and waste water tanks, satellite navigation, all-wheel drive, a torsion-resistant chassis and a powerful engine should make it possible to travel to destinations off the beaten track. Basic price: 145,000 euros. Fully equipped, a good 30,000 euros more is required.

Hymer from Bad Waldsee also has a comparable model in its range with the Venture S or, in a slightly slimmed down form, with the Campervan Grand Canyon S Crossover. “An extension of the SUV trend,” says Hymer spokesman Frank Heinrichsen, referring to the large number of raised and all-wheel drive vehicles in Düsseldorf.

More space in the campervan near Malibu

Carthago creates more space in the campervan in the Genius 641 LE of the sister brand Malibu, which sales manager Bernd Wuschack promotes as a motorhome van and which comes with a so-called rear extension that extends the base vehicle, the Mercedes Sprinter, by almost half a meter.

The model is intended to combine the agility of a camper van with the space of a motorhome, explains Wuschack. The new Malibu is available from 93,000 euros, and is also available as an off-road version with four-wheel drive and a price tag that is at least 57,000 euros higher.

There is also something new in the accessories segment: More and more manufacturers are replacing the problematic chemical toilets, which always require approved disposal stations due to their environmentally harmful properties, with models that do not require any chemicals.

Knaus Tabbert, for example, has equipped the majority of its model range with the waterless Cleanflex toilet. At the push of a button, the system seals the “business” in a foil bag, which can then be disposed of in the household waste.

Roof tents as an inexpensive entry into the camping world

The range of products is also growing for price-conscious camping fans who cannot afford a motorhome or caravan: roof tents, an absolute trend in the camping and caravanning sector, can now quickly fill an entire exhibition hall.

The Moonlight roof tent from the Italian manufacturer Fiamma, for example, fits on all vehicles with roof rails and can be set up in five minutes. Up to three people can sleep in it. At around 2500 euros, it is a relatively inexpensive entry into the fun of camping.

The trade fair gates in Düsseldorf are open until next Sunday. Tickets can only be booked online, in the ticket shop of the Düsseldorf trade fair. A day ticket for adults costs 18 euros at the weekend and 17 euros during the week.