Did Campsites Kill Caravan & Motorhome Prices

Did Campsites Kill Caravan prices or is there another reason caravan prices have dropped?

Caravan dealers going bust, Caravan prices crashing, but why did prices rise and why did prices crash. We look at all the facts and possible reasons why new caravans used caravans and new motorhomes and used motorhomes are now falling in price.

#campsites #caravan #motorhomes

[NormanMcCully]

Just returned from France paid £30 per night on a 100msq site fully serviced, with 5 pools with flumes, spa, 2 bars, 2 restaurants, full evening entertainment program, kids club. We are really being ripped off.

[rickfoster]

Sorry Mark I disagree camp site prices are still to expensive. We paid £50 a night on a site in Kent a year ago the site had nothing shop or pool or club house. Never again will I pay this much.

[philipwright]

We are away to our usual campsite we visit every year. £3/night for child, £3/night for awning, £3/night for pup tent for my older child and her boyfriend, £8/night each for them, £7/night for their small car, £3/night for our dog (why, what does he use that costs £3/night), totalling £93/night for sitting in a field in a house that we fetched ourselves and are self sufficient. When we started 20 odd years ago, you paid for the pitch, but they all jumped on the bandwagon and upped their prices. We bought our latest van at the start of Covid and paid the correct price, looking at trading it in but not paying for a van that has inflated over £10k in 3 years. Manufacturers, dealers, campsites are all to blame, and it is greed, and what goes around comes around!!

[DjMarkyBatch]

You are missing the point of a big factor... Interest rates, mortgages have pretty much increased by 50% for people since 2 years ago, Rents even more so. Car insurance has gone up by 50% plus if not doubled. Fuel price is volatile, could be 1.35 per litre or 2.00 a litre. Eating out, which people like to do on holidays has doubled AT LEAST. shopping in supermarket at least doubled, lets be honest. A pint of larger 50% more. £4 to £6 per pint. Buying a new car up 50% at least... fiesta's (puma's) are not 15k-20k they are 24-30k and they won't tow a caravan. Now if you want to tow a big caravan you are talking land rovers £70k plus, and well you are lucky if it doesn't get stolen, let alone insurance going up by 250% at least. This is while we are in a recession (unofficially), Streetbike Administration, Broadlane Administration, Carpet right Administration, recaro administration, BBS administration, Fanatec administration all in the last month or so. Anything that isn't essential is at risk, and businesses don't go bust because they are making a loss, they go into administration as they run out of cash. No money to pay debts/wages/leases/rent/taxes as they fall due, Administration. You can't pay bills with stock... and if you are not selling, try borrowing off a bank, try turning your stock into cash quickly. Factoring or securing on what? Debtors books from no sales. It all dries up. Big unexpected bill, gone. Refund a big ticket sale due to issues of quality. boom. Its devastating the impact now non essential business's / luxury items. I am seeing many markets that were up in covid have to get real very quick as they become flooded with Stocks. And nothing is moving, second hand values dropping like a stone. Now to pay for all this tell me where the money is coming from, financing a caravan is more expensive let along cost of buying cash, PX's have dropped like a stone, let alone if they will be accepted as a PX. Public sector has no spare cash, 5% payrise isn't going to have a huge difference. trust me, £100 a month, £200 per month... it doesn't scratch the surface of spending power. As time goes on more and more people are coming out of cheap finance deals on mortgages, cars and rental agreements, to be faced with these 50% increases from 3-5 years ago. There is nothing left in the tank. And people are fixing up these new finance deals for the next 3-5 years, on essential housing and cars so even reducing interest rates wont help. we are in for a tough 4-5 years. full stop. I could go on. but you have to think big picture. a 0.25% interest rate cut just isn't going to impact it. We are now going to have to fix DEBT for the next 4-5 years as aa country. Luxury non essential items will suffer.

[paulbird]

You talk of camp sites being not to expensive, but there is a bigger issue than this. When you buy a caravan and particulrly a m/home you incur other costs., caravan club membership £60, storage for many £250-£350, servicing £300+, insurance £300+, engine sevice m/home £300, and then the big one depreciation £2500+ and much more for a motorhome. As an example my lad decided that he his wife and our grand-daughter wanted to go away this week, as we alway's do we offered them "the caravan" when he priced it up it was going to cost them nearly £500 including club membership. They declined and booked a cottage near the coast in Dorset for £600. IS CARAVANNING REALLY AS CHEAP AS WE LIKE TO THINK IT IS.

[stevecassie]

The price went up because of greedy dealers

[gillwood]

Within our close family group, we had 5 caravans 5 years ago. Today, there are none. As each family member reached the time to renew their caravan, the price of replacement, insurance, storage and campsite fees had all outstripped the rate of inflation. Additionally, the political push toward Electric vehicles is a factor. As I've yet to see convincing evidence of such vehicles being the suitable replacement for the standard tow cars we have benefitted from. And lastly, I wonder if the new caravanners are entering the scene now after examining the costs to get setup with a caravan, car etc. There's a lot of competition out there now with Air B&B's, camping pods and budget foreign holidays. Do the maths.

[paulbird]

The reason for the price increase was simple, people were stuck in this country with No chance of holidaying abroad. so their only alternative was to find an holiday here, as many older people were still afraid of covid they thought a m/home or caravan was there best alternative. The dealers then bacame inundated with new customers and hugely hiked the prices.Dealers are now saying they didn't make a lot extra, so where did the money go from the hiked up prices? A BIG BLACK HOLE!. That is why we are were we are now, customers paid hugely over the odds for used vans and cannot upgrade or PX withuot losing big money. Lots of these customers are now biting the bullet and totally giving up caravanning and taking a big loss on the sale. The problem for the S/hand dealers is there is little demand for this stock. (we are also coming toward autumn). This mess could have been avoided if so many dealers hadnt bitten the hand who feed them. This also messed up the pricing when the manufacturers got back into production. 'CHAOS CAUSED BY GREED'.

[mange]

Its because the campsites started seeing 30k cars towing 20k caravans and 80k motorhomes onto their parks and thought, "why are we only charging £10 per night"?

[totaltouring]

You shown us cheap and high prices caravan touring parks. We all know you get what you pay for. What you failed to mention ( possibly deliberate) is that the customer has to bring their own home with them that costs tens of thousands. Also. The high fuel costs to get to the destinations and obviously the suitable tow car. So, it’s obviously not so much about costs on poor old manufacturing.
It’s high prices of vehicles , caravans, fuel = far higher prices on your campsites shown.
Add these together properly with insurances and storage costs and service = a bloody expensive holiday, and I didn’t even mention spending extras on pets and awnings .

[maxinebracey]

The argument of supply and demand also applies to campsites. More demand when people took staycations and now settling as holidays abroad resumed. Campsites, especially CAMC & CCC, upped their prices and they stayed there! Dynamic pricing is a con. Whilst these sites usually offer good pitches and working, clean hygiene facilities, they offer little else, compared to other holiday sites. No cafes, useful shop, bar/indoor social areas, pool etc. Another issue that can prove annoying is the closing of facilities for a couple of hours in the morning and the continual mowing at some sites. I think most of the complaints about sites refer to the clubs rather than other sites, they need together act together!

[gslongdistance]

I was going to buy a brand new caravan this year, but decided against it after viewing many new models from all the main manufacturers on dealer forecourts. Build quality is simply appalling: screws lying around in a new caravan, "dealer special" wall panels stuck up with Velcro, window blinds stuck, gas locker struts loose.... I can go on.
And then being told to "expect some snags in the beginning"; NO SIR, I do not spend £30k+ on something that I then have to beg and threaten manufacturers and dealers to sort out basic issues.
So sadly, the caravan purchase is cancelled. I am sure I am not the only buyer with cash to spend, that simply decided we do not need the hassle and frustrations of unacceptable quality.
I am very disappointed that I will not join the caravan community, who all look like lovely people!

[colinmew]

Mark you are very correct however sites have jumped on the band wagon and put prices up. Also the two main clubs who were formed to give members cheap holiday are now running like Tescos camping round the globe insurance fly drive etc not all parts can make money so to cover losses on one put there site prices up to balance the books. Well that’s my thought.

[galaxyb]

Average price for a campsite is £40-45 unless it's a simple field with a kettle lead. People stopped paying for that and instead paying another £10-20 a night for a decent hotel room anywhere they want, here or in Europe. That extra £10-20 pays off, when you consider travel costs with a caravan (extra fuel, extra insurance, cost of caravan, caravan maintenance) Caravanning in UK is sinking fast due to industry greed.

[colindavis]

Mark, I've recently come back from France where I was paying on average 25€ a night! That was for a monster pitch, heated swimming pool, bar, restaurant, with electric, no restrictions on use!
To have that kind of caravan site in the UK you would probably be paying around £60-80 a night! Which is a total rip off compared with France! and there lies part of the problem!

[slmon]

Let’s talk straight. Prices went up because of greedy dealers putting up prices by 40 % I’m happy to see them go out of business. Pure greed. As people looked for other ways to holiday in Covid. They are still over priced. £35.000 for an 08. Motor home. You need to take it on the chin now.

[paulfuller]

Sorry mark you missed the point
Sites are to expensive now due to the greed of most of them camc and ccc sites have pushed up price’s most of the sites you mentioned are poor commercial sites I have been on them and they are a nightmare with noise at night awning party’s loud tv vans parked to close together so no real fire break. It’s ok for those that want that. But having paid a lot of money for a van. It’s not for me so I’m stuck with high prices on sites to get what I wanted

[Bods_World]

The huge greedy increase in site prices is what’s putting many people off. Much cheaper to rent an air bnb or even rent a static caravan for near enough the same price.

[uycspyz]

Other downside to manufacturers rushing to produce caravan stock after lockdown is poor quality caravans.
I have some experience of this as I bought my first ever caravan in 2022 its a new bailey and over the last 2 years it's been one thing after another that's gone wrong nothing major but just little things that's slowly taken away the "shine" of owning my first caravan.

[colinmossman]

I think another factor to take into consideration is that prices of everything have increased since Covid. Two of the main ones are gas and electricity. People do not have as much money to play with as they did pre covid, so spending £30, 000 plus on a new caravan just isn't possible for many.