Ex-pilot Rödiger with test vehicle:"Basic trust" in German engineering
Photo:Johannes Arlt / DER SPIEGEL
It could be so nice for RV manufacturers. The order books are full, the growth rates in double digits, the margins full; even the corona crisis could not harm the small industry, on the contrary.
In difficult travel times like these, Germans rediscover their passion for camping. As in the past, not everyone is content with a tent, sleeping bag and alcohol stove. The new generation of campers prefers motorhomes that weigh tons and up to nine meters long, equipped with bed, bath, stove, refrigerator, air conditioning and stereo system as well as water supplies. Thanks to powerful solar roofs and batteries, some vehicles can run for days without a power supply.
While the once popular caravans were pulled by a car, mobile homes have their own drive. They can accommodate up to four, sometimes even six people, and there is also space for pets. You can all sit in the back while driving, another difference to the camper.
A standard mobile home costs between 60,000 and 250,000 euros; if you get another one. At many dealers, the popular models have hardly been available for weeks, the waiting time at the lenders is months. These days, motorhomes satisfy a special need: "With them you are on vacation and somehow also at home," says Christian Bauer, managing director of Germany's largest manufacturer, Hymer GmbH. The treacherous virus stays outside without having to forego sun and sea views.
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