Living on the road

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

RVs have different target customers at different stages of the industry. In Europe, for instance, most buyers are older couples who have the time and money. In China, it's more trendy among middle-income people, according to Ye.

Ye and representatives of more than 60 other Chinese RV firms also visited the Dusseldorf fair to learn from their European counterparts.

China has strict rules about putting up a trailer on the road such as license registration and a test of driving skills, so large trailers aren't expected to become big in the country. But, trailers weighing less than 700 kilograms stand a better chance, Ye says.

He says the quality of campsite construction in China varies widely and lacks standards, including for safety, although in suburban areas of big cities, it tends to be better.

The State Council, China's cabinet, issued new guidelines for self-driving caravans and campsite construction in August. It asked that proper procedure be followed for the development of such sites, camping accommodation registration, safety and rescue systems.