From a solar-powered campervan to ominous talk of a “staycation” tax, from supply chain problems in the world of motorhome manufacturing to the first staging of a national indoor caravan and motorhome show since the pandemic – the caravanning world is abuzz with news.
So, let’s take a closer look …
Students develop a self-sufficient solar-powered camper van
A group of students at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has built a campervan that is run on and has its every need met by solar power, as described in a story in the Daily Mail on the 4th of October.
The solar panels on the vehicle’s roof provide enough power not just to drive the campervan but also to run a huge range of equipment from a television to coffee machine, charging your laptop, cooking a meal in the tiny galley, or even taking a hot shower.
Named Stella Vita, the campervan is already turning heads as it takes to the roads on a grand European tour that goes from its home base in Eindhoven in the north to Tarifa at the southern tip of Spain – taking in cities along the way such as Brussels, Paris, Le Mans, Bordeaux, and Madrid.
Consultation underway on ‘staycation tax’ in Scotland
Authorities in Scotland could be on the verge of cashing in on the post-pandemic surge in staycations, especially to popular destinations such as the Western Isles.
In an article discussing the launch of a consultation process on the introduction of a “Transient Visitor Levy”, Caravan Times on the 8th of October suggested that among the visitors most likely to be hit by any new tax would be tourists in caravans and motorhomes.
Scotland currently attracts almost twelve million visitors a year and the tax would be intended to contribute to the cost of providing services to those tourists. At this early stage in the consultation process, there has been no discussion of the rate at which any tax would be applied.
Knaus growth restricted by supply problems
The German manufacturer of caravans, motorhomes, and campervans – the biggest of its kind in Europe – has said how supply chain problems are dragging down its current economic performance, reported Out and About Live on the 4th of October.
Although the firm sold 23.6% more of its products – brands such as Knaus, Morelo, T@B, Tabbert, and Weinsberg – during the first half of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020, it claims that problems with the supply of parts and materials prevented it achieving its optimum sales potential.
Despite the brakes applied by the global supply chain crisis, Knauss intends to boost its current rates of production to ensure that stocks of its vehicles in the hands of dealers and franchise holders remain at record levels.
Caravan and motorhome show to be the first indoor event of its kind in Scotland since the pandemic
Aberdeen’s £333million exhibition halls, P&J Live, will host the first national caravan and motorhome show to be hosted indoors in Scotland since the series of lockdowns prompted by the Covid crisis.
The Love Touring Expo will be held from the 4th to the 7th of November and promises to be even better and bigger than the last time the event was held here in 2019, according to the official website.
Access to this Scottish exhibition and events centre offers free parking and free entrance and activities for children.