Mobile home registration numbers are collapsing after the Corona boom – but not because of a lack of demand.
The pandemic caused a true camping boom among the Styrians. Sales of mobile homes and trailers exploded: in 2021 and 2022 almost three times as many vehicles were sold as before Corona. At the turn of the year, 39,638 caravans and 41,648 camper vans were registered in Austria. Now the license plates are crashing — by about half in the first two months. Have the Styrians completely lost their desire for camping?
No, says Robert Harrer, who runs a large caravan center in Passail. “Many manufacturers simply cannot deliver at the moment. Some of us are still waiting for mobile homes that we ordered in 2021,” he explains to the “Steirerkrone”.
The used car market is bled out and expensive
The Stellantis Group, whose brands such as Fiat, Citroën or Opel often serve as the basis for the mobile home manufacturers’ motorhome bodies, is currently restructuring its activities on a large scale and setting new priorities. Camper providers suffer from this. There is no improvement in sight: “We only sell what we have in stock. Because at the moment the delivery dates can no longer be estimated.”
In the meantime, the used car market has also collapsed: “There are almost no used mobile homes left. And if they are, they are very expensive.”
Part-time campers still have the option to rent. “There are still vehicles here for the summer because people book at short notice since Corona.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
