Are Younger People Buying Campervans ?

Voyager campervan built by Celtic Motorhomes on a Fiat Ducato Maxi LWB Chassis
Voyager our own Custom Built Land Yacht

There is a growing interest in owning campervans among the young. Since 2019, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people looking to purchase their first campervan. And here at The Howorths, we rank among them.

In the last few years there has been a growing interest in campervans and caravans with younger families entering the market. The average age of the typical caravan/motorhome buyer has gone from 50-70 years old to 30-50, in a short space of time.

Covid-19 and Brexit

The influence of Covid-19, coupled with the already growing popularity of the caravan sector due to Brexit, has made 2020 a record-breaking year in terms of leisure vehicle sales.

Brexit has proved to be the other significant factor in the growth of caravan and motorhome sales with people mindful of the implications of holidaying abroad.

Combine that, with the rise in popularity of holidays, in places such as the Lake District, Cornwall, and other areas of the UK, there has seen a surge in at home tourism.

electric lift campervan bed
Electrically operated bed lift gives quick and easy access to garage from inside the van

Campervan design has advanced so much in the last 5-10 years. Now they can have; full sized island beds, large showers, tower fridges, central heating systems, Wi-Fi, and much, much more. 

Larger Campervans

Ed Jukes, the owner of Celtic Motorhomes in Caerphilly Wales reports, buyers are now seeking more bang for their buck and are choosing to convert larger sized vans into mobile homes. He said, “There was a time when we only ever seemed to covert VW transporters into campervans.  Now the trend towards larger vans, the likes of the Fiat Ducato and the Peugeot Boxer. They have all but driven the smaller size van out of the custom build market, which is the area we specialise in.”

Workings installing awning to side of campervan
Installing the Thukle awning onto Voyager, our campervan

We chose Celtic Motorhomes to build Voyager our own campervan.  After many years of yachting, we realised there were many aspects of on board living we could bring to campervans. And, from a list of many custom builders, we chose Ed Jukes and his team in Caerphilly to do the job.

Voyager campervan

We are delighted with our van.  It is based on a long wheel base Fiat Ducato chassis the 6.4 metre length. Thats just right to accommodate a full size king size bed. In our chosen layout the bed runs longitudinally. We set it above a capacious garage in which we keep all of camping accessories and accoutrements.  We hate having to make a bed up every night. And with our bedroom right aft raised above the garage, theres plenty of room for living space. Our seating and dining area is in the front. This leaves the centre section, clear for the bathroom and galley.  We loaded on stacks of solar panels, massive leisure batteries and a marine inverter. Now, we are now ready and able to set sail on the high roads. Meaning we can live off the grid for days at a time.

Solar panels, awning and bicycle rack are almost essential extras for the well equipped campervan

Camping, caravans and campervans

Connor Ennis, founder of CaravanCloud an online one-stop shop for all things camping, caravan and motorhome related. He is also based in Wales.  Conner lives Tenby, a seaside holiday destination, and over the summer months. He has seen a dramatic uplift in caravan and motor home traffic in his area this past year.

“I think the camping, caravan and motorhome sector has become quite fashionable in recent years,” he says. “Glamping has revolutionised the camping holiday. And younger couples and families will now look at camping holidays as a cheaper and easier holiday option than flying abroad.

Connor says younger caravan and motorhome buyers tend prefer leisure vehicles with a bit more space. Ready-made beds that drop down from the ceiling, fixed bunk beds for the children and dining areas are all popular.