by Ed Davies
Compiled from over 40,000 different responses from caravan and motorhome owners, the UK’s largest ever survey of leisure vehicles has been finalised
Having been commissioned by The Caravan Club, the survey takes an in-depth look at vehicles, the manufacturers that dominate the market, satisfaction levels and future innovations.
There are a total of more than one million leisure vehicles owned in the UK, many leisure vehicle owners regularly stay on Caravan Club sites.
The survey shows the bulk of caravan market ownership is dominated by manufacturers such as Adria, Bailey, Coachman, Elddis, Lunar, Sterling and Swift.
While there are more players in motorhome manufacture (15 brands from 10 manufacturers represent 75% of the market), the top five are Auto-Sleepers, Auto-Trail, Autocruise, Elddis and Swift.
A staggering 89% of caravan owners and 91% of motorhome owners are happy with their vehicles – excellent news and something manufacturers and retailers should be proud of.
“There is an undeniably high level of satisfaction among caravanners and motorhomers,” said The Caravan Club’s director general, Nick Lomas.
“We are confident the findings of the Leisure Vehicle Survey, which collected over 7.5m pieces of information, will help members and consumers to make informed choices on their leisure vehicle purchases.
“Caravanners and motorhomers enjoy exploring, both here and abroad, and The Club is committed to raising standards to ensure their continued satisfaction with this pastime.
“We would like to thank everyone who took the trouble to take part in the survey.”
According to the survey, once bitten by the leisure vehicle bug, fans are in for the long-term and keen to keep up with the latest models and trends.
Over half (52%) of existing leisure vehicle owners predict they will be upgrading their caravans and motorhomes within 2-3 years, with 51% anticipating spending between £10-20,000.
What is more, the quality of caravans and motorhomes is improving and the survey shows satisfaction with vehicles has increased.
Since 2011 there has been a noticeable uplift across industry standards with new construction methods having a positive impact on customer satisfaction.
Leisure vehicle manufacturing and holiday spend is worth in excess of £6bn to the UK economy, the sector employs over 130,000 people and is currently going from strength to strength with no sign of slowing down.
