Motorhome market 2024: Stable growth despite challenges

New registrations rose by 6.7 per cent to 96,392 units, while production fell by 16.4 per cent

Photo by: CIVD

By: Fabian Grass

Jan 24, 2025 at 5:28am ET

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The German caravanning industry presented a remarkable record in 2024, characterised by both successes and challenges. A total of 96,392 newly registered recreational vehicles were registered, which corresponds to an increase of 6.7 per cent compared to the previous year.

This figure represents the third-best result in the history of the industry. The motorhome category in particular recorded a remarkable development with 74,718 new registrations and growth of 9.1 per cent, thus dominating the market.

Decline in production despite strong demand

Despite this pleasing increase in new registrations, manufacturers are confronted with adjustments on the production side. A total of 118,500 recreational vehicles were manufactured, which corresponds to a decline of 16.4 per cent compared to 2023. This decline is also reflected in industry turnover, which at €15.1 billion is around six per cent below the record level of the previous year.

Bürstner Premio SkyLine Edition (2025)

Photo by: Bürstner

Dethleffs Globebus Performance 4x4 (2024)

Photo by: Dethleffs

"The market is robust overall, but the challenges in production cannot be overlooked," explains Daniel Onggowinarso, Managing Director of the Caravanning Industry Association (CIVD).

Motorhomes as a growth driver

There are clear trends within the segment. Camper vans are continuing their upward trend. Their flexibility and comfort features continue to make them the favourite choice of many buyers. However, the picture is different for caravans as new registrations fell by one per cent to 21,674 units, while production actually fell by around 24 per cent.

The leading companies in the industry have adjusted their strategies for 2024. The Hymer Group, which includes brands such as Bürstner, Carado, Dethleffs, Sunlight and Etrusco, has adapted its production plans to the new framework conditions. The Pössl Group and the Trigano Group, which includes Challenger and Forster, acted similarly. The Knaus Tabbert Group was hit particularly hard: production interruptions at two plants underline the difficulties in the industry.

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Boom in the used market

The used vehicle market set a new record with 187,219 new owner registrations, the previous record result was surpassed. The improved availability of vehicles and attractive conditions in particular contributed to this success. At the same time, waiting times for customised vehicles were significantly reduced.

At European level, the picture is similar to that in Germany as new registrations rose by 5.2 per cent to over 221,000 units. Motorhomes dominated with an increase of 9.6 per cent (over 160,000 new registrations). In contrast, the caravan segment suffered a decline of 4.7 per cent to 60,865 units. Germany remains the largest sales market, followed by France and the UK.

Caravanning tourism remains stable

The trend towards holidays on wheels continues unabated. In 2024, the industry recorded 54.5 million overnight stays at campsites and 13.5 million overnight stays at motorhome pitches. The resulting tourism turnover was over €19.5 billion, of which around €6.4 billion remained directly in the holiday regions.

The forecast for 2025 is cautiously optimistic. The CIVD anticipates further consolidation of the market and a slight decline in production to around 93,000 vehicles - a drop of around four per cent. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for caravanning remains unbroken. "New registrations are still at a very good level," emphasises Onggowinarso.