Living on the road

Mobile homes and caravans are showcased at Caravan Salon Dusseldorf 2015 in Germany. [Photo by Xu Lin/China Daily]

"Our strategy is to participate in the early stages of the Chinese market. We love what's happening there, with the construction of campsites and infrastructure," says Hans Posthumus, vice-president of marketing for Alois Kober GmbH. This German company makes components for caravans and trailers.

Posthumus expects foreigners traveling in China to rent caravans and trailers to tour the country in the next few years.

"The Chinese market has great potential," says Joa-chim Schaefer, managing director of Messe Dusseldorf GmbH in Germany, the organizer of the Caravan Salon Dusseldorf.

He says the government and some tourism agencies in China are promoting RVs. As more and more campsites and facilities are being built in China, maybe more people will try this out.

According to the data of China Association of Automotive Manufacturers in 2015, there were only about 40 developed campsites in China in 2010, and the number increased to nearly 500 this year and is expected to reach 10,000 by 2020.

Schaefer says in Europe, manufacturers are designing low-cost, lightweight RVs for young families.

But the market there is changing. A decade ago, traveling to the woods in RVs was hot. Now, historical sites and cultural events are fashionable.

Ye Shengji, deputy secretary-general of China Association of Automotive Manufacturers, says some Chinese companies are making RVs in collaboration with foreigners, and import components such as air-conditioning units, toilets and refrigerators.