The caravanning market is undergoing change: public interest remains high, but manufacturers are struggling with post-pandemic overproduction, and dealers are facing other challenges. Dethleffs CEO Bernhard Kibler shares his insights on how to navigate the current market

Words Peter Hirtschulz

The caravanning market is on the move – and at every level. Public enthusiasm for this form of vacation continues to grow steadily. However, following the pandemic-fuelled boom years, manufacturers are now grappling with the aftermath, including issues such as overproduction. Dealers, on the other hand, are facing overcrowded lots due to market saturation, intense price competition, and new customer expectations. Aboutcamp BtoB spoke with Bernhard Kibler, CEO of Dethleffs, to get his views on this situation.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Mr. Kibler, how does Dethleffs currently assess the overall situation in the caravanning market?
Bernhard Kibler − We’ve just come through a truly crazy time and are now dealing with the consequences. For a short period, extreme demand met a significantly reduced supply due to various supply chain issues. Prices skyrocketed as a result, and with much delay, everything that had been ordered during the boom was eventually produced. Now we’re facing high inventories and normal demand. This logically leads to price reductions. It’s a challenging situation at the moment, but I don’t think it’s cause for pessimism. Dethleffs is a stable brand. Generally speaking, we’re definitely not in a crisis – customers are still visiting dealers in large numbers, trade fairs are seeing record attendances, and demand is still there. Sales are happening, and inventories are gradually declining. It’s particularly encouraging that nearly all manufacturers have reduced or are reducing their production volumes, which is helping to gradually bring the situation under control.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What are Dethleffs’ expectations for the motorhome market?
Bernhard Kibler − The motorhome market will remain at a high level, as this form of travel has now become mainstream and camping is becoming increasingly trendy, especially among young people. Moreover, it’s worth noting that private registrations – meaning all registrations excluding short-term ones and rentals – are still increasing. This means that the overall registration level remains very high, and the share of private registrations continues to grow. After a consolidation phase, motorhomes, including campervans, are expected to remain at a high level and continue to grow in the long term.

Aboutcamp BtoB − And what about caravans?
Bernhard Kibler − Due to changes in towing vehicles and the growth of the mobile homes market, we shouldn’t expect growth in the caravan segment. On the contrary, we’ll need to adjust to a lower market level and intensify our efforts to develop new concepts with lighter caravans.

Aboutcamp BtoB − On the topic of quality: there are currently many complaints in the industry about a lack of quality. Is qualitative growth the new priority over quantitative growth?
Bernhard Kibler − It would be dishonest to claim that the forced, frequent ramping up and down of production, combined with absolute chaos in material supply, hasn’t left its mark on delivery quality. However, specifically at Dethleffs, I haven’t noticed a significant increase in complaints, warranty claims, or a sharp rise in warranty costs. We have very good retail partners with whom we work closely in the service area, so we’ve got things well under control. That said, one should never be satisfied in this area, which is why we constantly use market feedback to optimise our quality.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Dethleffs has traditionally been strongly shaped by caravans. How do you forecast the share of caravans and motorhomes within the company over the next few years of market consolidation?
Bernhard Kibler − Good question. At the moment, making forecasts is generally very difficult. But one thing is obvious: the share of caravans will decline, and after the current consolidation phase, motorhomes will rise slightly again.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Dethleffs has invested heavily in the urban vehicle and mini-van segment with models like Crosscamp. Buyer interest in these vehicles currently seems to be quite weak. What’s the situation at Dethleffs?
Bernhard Kibler − There is still buyer interest. In this segment, all manufacturers flooded the market during the boom period. Once inventories return to normal levels, we’ll also reach a lower but more stable production level again. With Crosscamp, we have a dealer network that is very experienced in this segment, and we’re receiving feedback from them that this segment continues to make sense. That’s why we’ll be presenting our new Crosscamp programme to our dealers at the dealer meeting in July and will launch a new urban vehicle this summer.

Aboutcamp BtoB − How does Dethleffs view the state of e-mobility for motorhomes and caravans, especially in light of the driving license extension to 4.25 tons?
Bernhard Kibler − First of all, I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the implementation of the driving license extension. It’s an important step for our industry. At Dethleffs and Crosscamp, we’ve already carried out several developments in this area and even offered electric vehicles. However, the price difference is still much too high, and the range is still lacking. We can see that a lot is still happening, and we are working very closely with Erwin Hymer Group and the OEMs in this field. There is a great deal of work being done behind the scenes. For us, one thing is certain: e-mobility will increase – it’s only a matter of time.

Aboutcamp BtoB − The market is undergoing major changes, and the customer journey and consumer behaviour are shifting due to digitalisation. Doesn’t this mean that – despite a strong dealer network – we also need to think about additional sales channels and trade options?
Bernhard Kibler − Currently, I observe that many dealers are extremely focused on bargain hunting and, in doing so, lose all sense of brand loyalty. They seem to forget that we can only overcome the challenges of the future together. We need to reestablish a sustainable and reasonably predictable overall supply chain—from the supplier to us manufacturers, to the dealers, and finally to the customer. Otherwise, it will become very difficult for all of us. And most importantly, we manufacturers will be forced to reconsider our distribution channels. I also don’t think it’s right for us to keep blaming each other for overproduction. It’s really quite simple: during the super boom phase, both manufacturers and dealers were extremely euphoric. Now it’s time to untangle this situation and start looking forward again. When it comes to distribution channels and the customer journey, I still firmly believe that we still need our dealers and their sales and service stations and that we must find ways together to adapt to the customer journey. But the ultimate goal must be: we must not lose a single customer along their journey.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Some customers are experiencing a ‘service desert’ in caravan retail with long wait times for service work. What can manufacturers do about this?
Bernhard Kibler − As mentioned earlier, we need to continuously work on quality, optimise spare parts supply, improve systems and data flow, and provide training for workshops. At the same time, we must critically assess the variety in our product range, since every single component has an impact all the way through to service.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Full dealer lots, demanding customers, and high prices – how is Dethleffs supporting its retail partners who are facing these challenges?
Bernhard Kibler − Dethleffs was one of the first manufacturers to strongly support dealers in reducing their inventory. We will continue to do so until stock levels return to normal. In addition, we support them with targeted marketing activities that are also heavily subsidised financially.

Aboutcamp BtoB − With which new motorhomes/caravans are Dethleffs aiming to succeed in the upcoming season?
Bernhard Kibler − In the caravan segment, we recently launched our new Camper, Nomad, and Beduin models on the market. To offer customers an attractive price-performance ratio, we are now introducing highly attractive Active special models with ready-to-go equipment and appealing designs across all segments. In the premium segment, we will offer our Family models in both the integrated and alcove categories – large vehicles with top-tier equipment at family-friendly prices. As already mentioned, we see great potential for ourselves in the crossover segment. Our semi-integrated Globebus Performance 4×4 models based on the VW Crafter are now arriving at dealerships. Customer interest and demand are encouragingly high, and we will therefore continue to expand this line. We also see particularly high potential in our young, rebellious, and progressive brand Crosscamp. I’m especially excited that Crosscamp will be launching with a completely new urban camper, new camper vans, and even some very sporty semi-integrated models. All of them will be priced in the entry-level segment, allowing us to truly reach our target audience with super cool and appealing designs at attractive prices. Stay tuned!

Below: Dethleffs GmbH & Co. KG – Isny im Allgäu