At Caravan Salon Düsseldorf 2025, Lidu Caravan presented a range of distinctive leisure vehicles and outlined its plans for the European market. In our interview, CEO Mr. Smith Zhang shares the vision and strategy behind the brand’s international expansion

Words Antonio Mazzucchelli

In September 2025, during the latest edition of the Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, we had the opportunity to meet the team behind one of the most talked-about newcomers in the European RV scene: Lidu Caravan. Amid the world premieres, concept vehicles and established industry giants, Lidu Caravan stood out for a very specific reason: it is not simply another RV brand entering Europe, but a company bringing a distinctly automotive mindset into the leisure vehicle sector. To successfully enter the European market, Lidu Caravan adapted its vehicles to comply with WVTA certification, European campsite connection standards, local family living habits, and strict environmental sustainability requirements. We sat down with the Dalian Lidu Caravan CEO, Mr. Smith Zhang, for an in-depth interview.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Why did you choose to enter the RV sector from the mature and stable passenger vehicle industry? What was the most striking contradiction you observed during your initial market research?
Smith Zhang − This decision wasn’t just in a fit of enthusiasm, but is based on three-years of conducting in-depth research across the globe by our team before finalizing this direction. Our team has been deeply involved in automotive body and chassis manufacturing for over a decade. We’ve witnessed the “leapfrog development” in the passenger vehicle sector—from traditional fuel power to electrification, from traditional welding spot process to laser welding, from ordinary steel plates to high strength steel and hot-forming steel. Materials, structure, technological process, and configurations are upgraded every year. What we can do is to transfer over decades of experience in automotive-grade manufacturing systems, processes, and quality standards.

Aboutcamp BtoB − Which specific materials, processes or quality standards are you applying that differ from traditional RV production?
Smith Zhang − As for our parent company’s passenger vehicle experience, it is our “greatest confidence” in entering the RV field. For example, in the supply chain, we directly heritage the automotive-grade suppliers. The hot-forming steel for our vehicle bodies comes from the global class steel maker, ensuring every batch has a stable tensile strength over 1500MPa. The eco-friendly interior panels are from manufacturers supplying passenger vehicle with interior trim package, with formaldehyde-free emissions far above industry standards. For structural adhesives and sealants extensively used in RVs, we use automotive-grade butyl rubber, rather than the ordinary silicone, not only improving sealing performance and durability by three times over, but also fundamentally ensuring that indicators for residual gases such as formaldehyde and other VOCs are kept under control. In terms of manufacturing processes, years of experience in stamping and welding have set the basis for us to develop a RV with “steel-aluminium hybrid body structure.” Lidu Caravan uses automotive-grade stamping and welding process. Boron steel plates and aluminium sheets are formed with large stamping presses on one-time stamping, with tolerance controlled within 0.5 mm, then joined using aerospace-grade self-piercing riveting and laser welding technology. The minority of whole process is automotive machine-driven, minimizing manual working, which not only boosts efficiency but also ensures consistency in every vehicle.

Aboutcamp BtoB − You mentioned “automotive-grade technological process” as Lidu Caravan’s core selling point. What does this specifically include? Where are the key breakthroughs? And why firmly abandon traditional RV manufacturing methods?
Smith Zhang − For us, “automotive-grade technological process” is not a slogan but a complete manufacturing system built on three core dimensions: manufacturing processes, material standards, and quality control. We use a steel–aluminium hybrid body structure. It meets lightweight requirements while raising structural safety to passenger vehicle standards and significantly improving durability. Aluminium also allows more complex exterior designs and finishes, moving beyond the typical “boxy” appearance common in traditional RVs.
We eliminate high-emission materials, use automotive-grade butyl rubber instead of conventional silicone, and select interior components from passenger vehicle suppliers with strict emission controls.
Rust prevention is another critical factor. We apply full-body e-coating to steel components and exclusively use automotive-grade fasteners throughout the vehicle. In coastal or high-humidity environments, ordinary screws inevitably corrode. Our design principle is “no rust” from the engineering stage, ensuring long-term structural integrity.
Our core breakthrough lies in the steel–aluminium hybrid body. Achieving the correct ratio between steel and aluminium was essential to balance strength and weight—too much steel increases mass, while full aluminium cannot provide the same level of structural safety. After extensive testing, we optimized this balance. Process integration is equally critical. We combine hot-forming steel and aluminium hybrid stamping with aerospace-grade self-piercing riveting (SPR), Flow Drill Screws (FDS), and laser welding, replacing traditional welding or gluing methods. This integration increases body strength more than threefold while ensuring uniform stress distribution and long-term reliability.

Aboutcamp BtoB − How does the strength of hot-forming steel perform in extreme scenarios?
Smith Zhang − Our hot-forming steel achieves a tensile strength of 1500MPa. In the passenger vehicle area, this is the gold standard for mainstream high-end models. What does this number mean? It means the material can withstand about 15 tons of pulling or pressing force per square centimeter. Imagine five adult elephants standing on an area the size of your fingernail, and the material still wouldn’t deform. Our ultra-high-strength body offers effective resistance to penetration, significantly enhancing safety.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What practical value does lightweight design offer users? What advantages does mass production bring in terms of efficiency and quality control?
Smith Zhang − Lightweight design is one of our core advantages. Through material optimization, our RVs are over 30% lighter than comparable models. This leads to two key outcomes: First, it lowers the requirements for the towing vehicle—a regular passenger vehicle is sufficient, eliminating the need for a vehicle upgrade. Second, it reduces fuel consumption by 15%-20%, saving significant fuel costs on long trips and lowering emissions. For fuel-powered vehicles, reducing the curb weight by 100kg can lower fuel consumption by 0.3–0.6L per 100km. This is immensely important given today’s increasingly stringent fuel consumption and emission regulations.
Lightweight design also reduces accident risk. A lighter body lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity. A lower center of gravity means less body roll during turns, reduces the impact of body roll, and dramatically improves stability when driving on mountain roads, plateaus, and other complex terrains. Similarly, a lighter body means less inertia, shorter braking distances, and more room for the driver to avoid hazards.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What innovations has Lidu Caravan made in intelligence and comfort?
Smith Zhang − Our R&D philosophy is about updating from “meeting functional needs” to “achieving a qualitative leap.” Take our flagship model, the Aquila 360, as an example. It features a dedicated voice assistant that controls all interior functions like lighting, air conditioning, and the pop-up roof system etc.. A mobile app enables remote monitoring—for instance, users strolling around a campground can check the vehicle’s battery level and water temperature anytime and pre-start the AC for heating or cooling. We’ve optimized many details: 360° safety monitoring eliminates parking blind spots, privacy glass balances natural lighting and privacy, and features common in passenger vehicles like wireless charging and aromatherapy systems are integrated into our RVs. More importantly, these smart features aren’t just for show; they genuinely enhance the user experience, and improve the quality from electrification to intelligent integration.

Aboutcamp BtoB − What was the feedback from overseas clients at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon?
Smith Zhang − The exhibition results far exceeded expectations continuously over two years.
Many European dealers and users were most surprised by “the advancement in Chinese RV technological process”—they didn’t expect a Chinese brand to produce, or dare to produce, a steel-aluminium hybrid body, and to offer a more various smart features than local products. A German dealer signed a letter of intent on the spot, commenting on our products as “have European quality with Chinese smart advantages.” This is significant affirmation for us and proves that a good product is competitive in any global market.