After collaborating with the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand, PLAYMOBIL has introduced a Volkswagen campervan scale model (1:18) in a classic colour combination of beige grey / sealing-wax red based on a genuine vehicle: the 1962 T1 Camping Bus ‘Henrik the Red’ from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ collection.

It has been produced with great attention to detail. The bench seat tips up, and the table and cupboards work. They are even filled with appropriate food and camping utensils. Under the bonnet too the engine is easily recognisable - a classic 4-cylinder boxer, of course.

A positive reaction to the PLAYMOBIL Bulli has already been seen
in many posts on social media. Immediately after it appeared, lots of
fans around the globe showed off their new acquisition in photos and
videos and shared their enthusiasm in countless comments.

Any adults inspired by the toy to want to travel can do so in the real world as the originals can now be hired from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimers. There is a multitude of VW campers of almost every generation, enabling you to take the wheel and experience the ‘Bulli’ feeling for life yourself.

The T1 Camping Bus from PLAYMOBIL is 25cm long, compared to 428cm of the real thing, 11cm wide (175 cm), 13cm tall with roof rack (220 cm).

Bulli hire: You will find information on all aspects of hiring an historic Bulli
here: www.volkswagen-nutzfahrzeuge-oldtimer.de

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) is responsible for the development, construction and sales of light commercial vehicles. They include the Transporter, Caddy and Amarok ranges, which are produced in Hannover (D), Poznań (PL), Września (PL) and Pacheco (ARG). Working at the company’s sites around the globe are more than 24,000 employees, including around 15,000 at the Hannover site.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) is rapidly advancing the development and implementation of autonomous driving and says the all-electric ID. BUZZ will be the first vehicle in the Volkswagen Group to also drive autonomously.

“With the confirmation of the group’s supervisory board for our Autonomous Driving R&D program, we are setting the course for the future of mobility. Autonomous, electric driving will make an important contribution to urban mobility and road safety. Our vehicles are the logical first choice to apply such systems to", explains Carsten Intra, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, after today's Supervisory Board meeting of the Volkswagen Group.

The introduction of autonomous systems for traffic use in 2025 is currently being prepared at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Christian Senger, Head of Autonomous Driving: "This year, for the first time, we are conducting field trials in Germany, in which the selfdriving system by Argo AI will be used in a version of the future ID. BUZZ by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The aim is to develop a ride-hailing and pooling concept similar to what MOIA offers today. In the middle of this decade, our customers will then have the opportunity to be taken to their destination in selected cities with autonomous vehicles."

As part of their cooperation, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen
Commercial Vehicles have invested equally in Argo AI, a company
specialized in software platforms for Autonomous Driving. The goal: the
consistent and fast development and use of autonomous systems.

In addition to the initial investment of one billion US-Dollars, Volkswagen also brought its subsidiary AID (Autonomous Intelligent Driving) into Argo AI.

With the budget for autonomous driving now confirmed by the Supervisory
Board, VWCV is taking the next significant step towards the future of
autonomous mobility.

The commercial vehicle brand is responsible for the development of fully
autonomous systems and their commercial use in urban areas. VWCV will
develop and build Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV), such as robo-taxis and
vans.

Additionally to the investments in Argo AI, the Group is also investing
billions in projects of the Car.Software Organisation that develops, in
parallel and independently of Argo AI, assisted and automated driving
functions up to level 4 for the private mobility sector of all Volkswagen
Group brands.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles develops the vehicles in which Argo's selfdriving system (SDS) will be used. They are based on the all-electric ID.
BUZZ, which will have its world premiere next year. The developments are
already running at full speed, to not only electrify the iconic Bulli, but to also transform it into a groundbreaking autonomous vehicle with SDS.

The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand is a stand-alone brand within the Volkswagen Group, and is responsible for the development,
construction and sales of light commercial vehicles. They include the Transporter, Caddy and Amarok ranges, which are produced in Hannover (D), Poznań (PL), Września (PL) and Pacheco (ARG).

Within the Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is the lead brand for Autonomous Driving, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Transport as a Service (TaaS), and in future will therefore be developing and producing corresponding Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV), such as robo-taxis and robo-vans. Working at the company’s sites around the globe are more than 24,000 employees, including around 15,000 at the Hannover site.

Today, Rob Lucas celebrates 10 years in his role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Caravan Trade and Industries Association (Caravan Industry Victoria).

Rob joined the Association in 2011, and in this time, he has progressed the
Association and the industry through some of the biggest changes and challenges.

Upon his employment with Caravan Industry Victoria he led, developed, and launched some of the industry’s best strategic plans, events, and programs, starting with the Victorian Caravan & Camping Industry Blueprint in 2012. This was a 10 year strategic plan, a first for the caravan industry.

There was the major move of the Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow in 2015 from Caulfield Racecourse to Melbourne Showgrounds. This move created another 25000 square meters of exhibitor space and with the infrastructure at the Melbourne Showgrounds allowed the industry to showcase more products in a professional way to the consumers.

Daniel Sahlberg – General Manager of Operations said: “This has always been Rob’s vision, to showcase the caravan and camping industry in
the way it should be. No longer a hidden industry, but a major industry, and an important one that employs over 7,500 people and is worth over $2.1 billion to the Victorian economy”.

The Victorian Caravan & Camping Shows continue to evolve and grow. With 2019 seeing the successful introduction of the AL-KO Innovation Hub at the Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow.

In light of events nationally being cancelled in 2020, the Association delivered the world’s first virtual caravan and camping show, the Victorian Caravan and Camping Virtual Show, with over 67,000 attendees over five days on a purely digital platform, which provided a wide offering for consumers including educational webinars and exhibitor stands.

Rob understands the need for professional and personal growth development in the industry. In 2015 the National Caravan Industry Training College was launched, the first of its kind in Australia, with the sole focus on training the industry in all facets of its products. This relates directly to providing consumers with recognisable business accreditations to know they are using a business that meets industry standards. The implementation of Service Safe in 2015, now known as the RV Service Safe, is an accreditation program for service and repair businesses, to ensure they are better trained, better equipped, and provide better service to consumers.

In 2018 the Caravan Industry Jobs, Careers and Training strategy was delivered to the industry, with a focus of getting people jobs within the caravan industry, which has now led to some of the great new tools which will continue to support businesses in the industry – such as Caravan Industry Jobs.

The Hall of Fame and Business Awards held at Crown Casino, has grown to over 600 people attending annually, a major event to celebrate achievement, showcase the caravan industry and recognise business excellence within the caravan industry.

With everything Rob has delivered during his time at Caravan Industry Victoria, one thing he embeds in his team is the importance of relationships. It is these strong, focused relationships which encourage growth in marketing and media for the industry. These have led to partnerships with What’s Up Downunder, On Tour with Allan Border,
and being featured in many news segments across main stream media.

There have been many other major marketing campaigns and a new consumer strategy directly targeting industry consumers.

Michael Peebles- CIV President, said “Having employees serve the Association for such a grand period is a true milestone. In today’s work environment it is rare to see a decade in a role. We appreciate and value the commitment Rob has to the Association, and its members. What he has delivered over the years has been game changing for the industry and members alike”.

The RV Industry Association’s January 2021 survey of manufacturers determined that total RV shipments ended the month with 45,930 units, an increase of 39.2 percent compared to the 33,003 units shipped during January 2020, making it the best January shipment total on comparable record.

“RV shipments show no sign of slowing down,” said RV Industry Association President & CEO Craig Kirby. “RV manufacturers and suppliers are producing a record number of units to meet the continued demand from consumers looking to make RVing a part of their active outdoor lifestyle.”

Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, finished the month up 40.7 percent against last January with 41,414 wholesale shipments. Motorhomes ended the month up 26.6 percent compared to January 2020 with 4,516 units.

Park Model RVs ended the month down (-7.8 percent) compared to January 2020 with 331 wholesale shipments.

Bailey of Bristol, the UK caravan and motorhome manufacturer, has appointed Claire Woods to its Board of Directors as its new PRIMA and Aftercare Director.

Claire joined the company in 2018 as a Finance Business Partner to Bailey’s parts and accessories business, PRIMA Leisure. As operations grew she was asked to assume leadership of the team at PRIMA and as result of their collective efforts this new, stand-alone business recorded its first annual profit in 2020 – an achievement in the face of the twin financial challenges provided by Coronavirus and Brexit.

PRIMA is the home of Bailey parts and accessories. It is a separate company, wholly owned by Bailey of Bristol, which specialises in the supply of parts and accessories to the outdoor leisure industry. With a choice of up to 20,000 products available to purchase through a dedicated e-commerce website, www.primaleisure.com , Retailers, Service Centres and Customers can order items on-line for next day delivery direct to their door.

In addition to continuing to drive future business growth at PRIMA Claire’s next major challenge will be to restructure Bailey Group Aftercare to ensure we will be able to provide a first-class level of aftercare to our existing caravan and motorhome owners. At present the Bailey and PRIMA Customer Service teams operate independently and are based in two separate locations. In order to offer a more integrated service Bailey has therefore taken the decision to combine both teams and locate them all at the PRIMA premises in North Bristol.

This single operation will receive additional support from a newly formed Product Performance Team which will provide on-going technical assistance as well as assessing how our vehicles function in use to generate accurate data driven quality feedback.

The South Liberty Lane based Bailey Service Centre and the popular Rapid Response Teams will also become part of the newly created Bailey Group Aftercare Department. Further details on the changes we will be making to the area of the business will be announced in due course.

Claire is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 15 years’ experience in Corporate Finance. She began her career at Ernst and Young where she worked for nearly 10 years’ before being seconded to Ulster Bank in Dublin shortly after completing her qualification exams. Claire returned to the UK in 2016 where she joined restaurant chain Loungers, working for their Cosy Club brand as a Finance Business Partner. Claire’s varied background has given her a wealth of operational and financial knowledge across various industries including manufacturing, retail, health care and financial services.

Commenting on her appointment Claire said “I am delighted to be joining the Bailey Board and am looking forward to playing my part in the future development of this dynamic family owned business”.

Bailey Managing Director Nick Howard added, “To have somebody of Claire’s pedigree joining the Bailey Board will be a huge asset to our company going forward. She has a proven track record of performance to date with PRIMA and already has exciting plans in place for the future development of our Aftercare operations. She becomes our newest Director at an exciting time for the company as we look to maximize the opportunities afforded by the recent surge in demand for outdoor leisure vehicles and accessories”

The Swift Group, the UK's largest manufacturer of touring caravans, motorhomes and holidays homes, reports that its first online show, 'Swift Live' on 11th February, was a big success and attracted over 25,000 visits.

The event welcomed thousands of guests, with thousands more registered to attend in the future, included a range of  video presentations,  live  chat and a virtual showroom. Swift also attracted visitors with offers available.

Nick Page, Swift Commercial Director, said: “We couldn’t be happier with the reaction to Swift Live. It’s been a challenging time for the leisure vehicle sector and consumers alike, with the absence of the usual industry events and dealership showrooms unable to open, so it’s great to be able to help fill this space.

“Already we’ve had over 25,000 visits to our product booths, where people can view the ranges with 360 ̊tours, download brochures and talk with the experts - just as you’d expect from a real-world exhibition. Our auditorium area has likewise proved extremely popular, alongside the lifestyle and practical  usership  video  content  into  which  we  and  our  partners  have  poured  so  much  care  and effort.

“The feedback  has  been  absolutely  superb  and  we  have  received  many  kind  comments from attendees, who are delighted by the ability to experience all this from the comfort of their homes, as well as the exclusive offers and unique insight into the Swift world. We are also pleased with the very encouraging number of sales generated, and are looking forward to seeing how this develops over the event’s duration.”

Taking place in virtual setting designed to the impression of a physical show space, Swift Live celebrated the leisure vehicle and holiday home lifestyle, helping visitors find a caravan, motorhome or holiday home through a combination of interactive and multimedia content.

Launched on 11 February, the event will remain open 24 hours a day into March, enabling guests to explore the ranges, tune in to informative videos, download brochures and more. Swift advisors are also available for live chat every day from 10:00 to 17:00, except for Thursdays when the hours are 12:00 to 20:00, to assist with queries.

Additionally, a host of event-exclusive promotions are available, including: 50% off RVA-1 awnings on all Basecamp purchases, saving over £400; £500 off all Swift Sprite and Sprite Super models; £700 saving on Swift Challenger and Elegance ranges (including Challenger X and Elegance Grande) OR a free manual Powrtouch motor mover. For motorhomes, customers can beat the 3.5% price increase, which takes effect from 12 March.

Swift Live is free and effortless to attend, with visitors simply registering in advance at swiftlive.vfairs.com and joining via any internet-connected device.

The RV manufacturer, Forest River, has signed an exclusive agreement with GreenPower, a manufacturer of electric-powered medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles, to purchase up to 150 of its EV Star Cab and Chassis (EV Star CC) for a new range of zero-emission products.

GreenPower expects to deliver the first six units this quarter, with the remainder expected to be delivered over the next 36 months at a run rate that will be determined by the third quarter of 2021.

Forest River is a leading manufacturer in the cutaway bus, motorhome, and truck industries, which celebrated the delivery of its 100,000th bus in July 2020. Forest River has over 10,000 employees and annual revenues in excess of $5 Billion. It is anticipated that the initial deliveries of GreenPower EV Star CC units to Forest River will be directed at the cutaway shuttle bus, commercial truck and recreational vehicle markets.

Brendan Riley, President of GreenPower, commented: “Forest River is a forward-thinking company that is looking to solidify their market position long into the future by adding a purpose- built, zero-emission offering to many of their product lines. The EV Star Cab and Chassis meets the demands of many of their addressable markets and allows Forest River to focus on what they are experts at: building bodies,” Riley added.

David Wright, President of Forest River’s bus divisions commented: “Forest River has been looking for a purpose-built all-electric chassis that has the range and the carrying capacity that our customers and dealers demand. Zero-emission vehicles are where the markets are going, and the GreenPower EV Star CC gives us the flexibility to address a variety of unmet needs in the commercial market.”

Ryne Shetterly, VP of Sales and Marketing at GreenPower also commented: “At GreenPower, we view this as a tremendous opportunity to enter a relationship with one of the most highly respected and largest volume names in the industry. Our EV Star CC will now have representation in select Forest River distribution channels and the amount of value that brings to GreenPower is tremendous.”

The König Kunde Awards reflect the opinions of motorhome and caravan owners and are, therefore, an important indicator of customer satisfaction, so the AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group is especially pleased to have received top places in the Maneuvering System category and, with its SAWIKO brand, the Bike Carrier category.

Holidays with a motorhome or caravan are all the rage. In 2020, the industry recorded growth for the seventh year in a row and immediately achieved a new record of over 107,000 newly registered leisure vehicles in Germany (source: CIVD). The AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group, which is an essential supplier for this sector, makes an important contribution to safe and comfortable travel with a motorhome or caravan.

The technology group has now received the Customer König Award three times for its products and services. The industry-renowned specialist magazines "Reisemobil International" and "Camping, Cars & Caravans" give this award every year.

Several thousand readers rate products related to mobile leisure according to their satisfaction. What is special about the study is that the respondents are active product users who own or use the corresponding vehicle or accessories themselves.

The results of the survey are all the more gratifying. In the caravan maneuvering systems category, those surveyed are more satisfied than ever with AL-KO. The technology group won first place here for the first time. AL-KO also scored points with users in the area of ​​chassis accessories for motorhomes and secured one of the coveted podium places. SAWIKO, a brand of the AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group, also impressed with its product and service portfolio and once again took first place in the category of bicycle rack systems for motorhomes.

“We are very pleased that we were able to win several König Kunde Awards again, as in previous years. We work every day to deliver high product quality and to offer our customers the best possible service, ”says Harald Hiller, President & CEO of the AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group. “This award means a lot to us because the readers judge products that they actually use and whose benefits they really know. An award does not get closer to the customer. "

SAWIKO became part of the AL-KO Vehicle Technology Group in 2011, and celebrates its 21st anniversary this year. It has always specialised in load carrier systems.

AL-KO Vehicle Technology celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2021. It is a global technology company with sites in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. As a supplier of high quality chassis components for trailers, leisure vehicles and light commercial vehicles, AL-KO is synonymous with ergonomic and functional excellence, comfort and innovations to enhance road safety. ALOIS KOBER GMBH is a wholly owned subsidiary of DexKo Global, Inc.

KABE Group AB, which since July 2018 has owned 21.5 percent of the shares of the English caravan manufacturer, Coachman Group LTD, has signed an agreement and completed the acquisition of all remaining shares in Coachman on February 19, 2021.

Coachman is a leading manufacturer of caravans in the premium segment in England. The business has been run for 30 years in its own premises in Hull, England. The company has about 200 employees. Sales during the most recent financial year amounted to just over £30m (approx. SEK 350 million), with an operating margin of approx. 6 percent. Coachman has a strong balance sheet with a good equity ratio and liquidity. 

The acquisition creates opportunities for synergy effects and enables deeper collaborations in terms of sales, product development and purchasing, as well as the exchange of production technology. Through the acquisition, KABE strengthens its position in the premium segment and becomes a stronger international group. The current management of Coachman will continue to lead the company.

“We are very pleased to have been able to complete the acquisition of Coachman, a very well-run company that is gradually increasing its market share in the English market. Coachman fits in well with the Kabe Group and our strategic direction,” says Alf Ekström, CEO of KABE Group. 

The purchase price for the remaining 78.5 percent of the shares in Coachman amounts to £15.71m; £13.46m will be paid in cash upon entry. The remaining £2.25m will be regulated in two years. On a cash and debt-free basis, the purchase price thereof amounts to £12.21m.
The acquisition is expected to make a positive contribution to the Group's earnings per share of SEK 3-4. 

The KABE Group's main operations consist of the manufacture and sale of caravans, motorhomes and camping accessories for the European market. With strong brands and a wide product range, KABE will be a full range supplier to retailers. KABE has since its inception been constantly developed and is today a group with subsidiaries both in Sweden and abroad. In total, the Group has sales of approximately SEK 2.36 billion (2019) and the number of employees amounts to just over 607 people. KABE Group AB is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange, Stockholm, Nordic List, Small Cap.