Keith Gooden
In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…
Matt Sims
We bust some of the most common motorhome myths.
Keith Gooden
And in the news, we look at global motorhome industry trends, and it’s time to get booked for the Yorkshire Motorhome and Campervan Show.
Matt Sims
And we answer your questions on changing motorhome tyres, waxing your motorhome, installing seat belts and using tracker stickers.
Keith Gooden
Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and campervans, brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.
Matt Sims
Now, please do remember to follow on your favourite podcast app and subscribe if you’re watching on YouTube – brought to you by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
The state of the global motorhome market
Keith Gooden
Let’s dive straight into the news then, shall we, Matt? The global motorhome market size is expanding vigorously and is projected to grow from $2.45 billion in 2024 to $2.62 billion in 2025. That’s showing a robust compound annual growth rate, a CAGR, of 7%!
Matt Sims
Did you work that out yourself, or did you read it?
Keith Gooden
Who’s saying all these things then?
Matt Sims
So this is an article that I follow at www.openpr.com, and they published a report on loads of industries all through the year, and they’ve picked on the RV industry, the leisure industry globally.
And I thought this article was fascinating because I think on a landscape where we’ve been seeing and witnessing through 2024 many motorhome industry businesses struggling – and it’s fair to say, some closing and not surviving – there’s this sense it’s a bit overwhelming and foreboding that we’re failing as an industry.
Interestingly, globally, the picture is strong, and I mean really strong. It’s growing. The changes in the growth has been put down to the fact that motorhomes are improving in quality. Luxury motorhomes are selling really well.
There’s a new demographic coming into it. So post pandemic, we saw lots of families and younger people kind of testing out the trend. The van life hashtag has become ever popular. And so there’s a younger demographic looking to use a motorhome and campervan. Of course, you can work easily from a motorhome and campervan. And we’re in this new landscape where a workplace can be based anywhere, so people are choosing to do it from a van.
Keith Gooden
That’s very true, and we have to understand as well that the rest of the world isn’t like good old Great Great Britain, is it? Here you’re sitting in your motorhome in September, freezing your wheel nuts off because the weather’s turned against you.
But so this $2.62 billion – let’s talk about some of those businesses in this country that have gone belly up in the last 12 months. The money’s somewhere, but it doesn’t seem to be in the good old Blighty, does it?
Matt Sims
No, that’s right. And I think the issue here is cash flow. So for businesses in this country, it’s about cash flow. So many small businesses in the UK, ours included, we’re heavily leveraged with debt as we repay the COVID business loans, which we as businesses, were offered, COVID interruption business loans – business interruption loans, I should say.
The bounce-back loan was another one, and as small businesses, we would not have survived had we not taken that government-supported lend. And now, and I speak to loads of business owners in our niche and in other niches who are just saying, all we’re doing is kicking the can down the road, because we’re just repaying all this debt, we’re not actually making any money.
And if you’re in a business that’s overstocked, which, of course, has been a recent issue where more and more motorhomes are coming onto the forecourt, you’ve got to pay for them. And if you’re not selling them, then you hit the wall.
So we get these curtailment payments where businesses have to find all this cash to pay the manufacturer. That’s been the reality. But what I’m saying is that globally, it’s a bigger picture. And yes, this is a short term struggle that we’re facing here.
And for us, a lot of our loan repayments are going to finish as we get into 2026 and that will be a breath of fresh air for small businesses as we start finishing our loan terms, and we can grow and get back into profitability and we have cash flow again. That’s been the challenge. And globally, what I’m saying is our market is growing, is booming. It’s great, great news.
Keith Gooden
So what are the major companies which are shaping this increase in revenue, then?
Matt Sims
Yeah, of course, globally, a lot of them are in America. So there are some names here we will be familiar with here in the UK. Gulf Stream are one, a big American RV manufacturer. Thor Industries are another. Of course, they own a number of European and UK brands. Winnebago, long established. You’ve heard of Winnebago?
Keith Gooden
Yeah, people use it like Hoover, don’t they?
Matt Sims
They do, yeah.
Keith Gooden
You call a vacuum cleaner a Hoover, though it’s a brand name – like you call a motorhome a Winnebago.
Matt Sims
That’s right, yeah. Long established, one of the oldest established in the market. Great to see two European manufacturers in this list of top 10 – Dethleffs and Hymer. They’re the brands that are deemed to be shaping the industry going through this growth, which I find encouraging, and it’s good news.
Keith Gooden
Well, that’s all good news, as you say. And let’s hope that these storms, these economic storms, which have been causing a bit of a problem for the British industry do abate. Because we had that big boom, didn’t we, around COVID, where people couldn’t go abroad, and so they went to motorhoming.
And then they had all those flights and holidays that they booked, and then they took. And so there was a slump in motorhoming, and then the war in Ukraine started, and they couldn’t get wiring looms, and they couldn’t get the motorhome chassis over, couldn’t they? It really has been…if you’re running a British motorhoming dealership, you must be thinking, “What next?”
Matt Sims
The odds really are against you, aren’t they? And of course, we’re finding that for many consumers, they report there’s too much month at the end of the money. So then you compound this… you know, the end user, we have this sense that we can’t afford to buy this luxury stuff.
But what was interesting and we’ve seen so far this year at the shows, is that people are buying motorhomes. The sales are happening. And I’ve talked to an increasing number of dealerships. They’ve said they’ve had a really strong start to the year. So I think it’s a double-edged sword. I think it depends where you are in the country, where you are as a business in terms of scale, and for some, they are really doing very well.
Get tickets to the Yorkshire Motorhome and Campervan Show 2025
Keith Gooden
Let’s talk about the show. We are the Yorkshire Motorhome and Campervan Show. It’s the 14th to the 16th of March 2025, at the Yorkshire Event Center in Harrogate. Tell us a little bit more about it. I do know it’s an indoor and outdoor show.
Matt Sims
It is, yeah. So there’s are exhibitors and motorhomes and campervans indoors and outdoors. So in March, it’s probably just as well, because the weather could be inclement. You never know. There’s over 50 national dealerships at this show, and anticipated to be in excess of 300 motorhomes and campervans to look at to buy, both new and used. And I guarantee there’s going to be some great deals on some used and some brand new 2024 models, and no doubt on 2025 models there too.
Keith Gooden
160 exhibitors as well. And that includes everybody from motorhome exhibitors to people selling dog leads and copper bracelets and insoles for your shoes. And you’re on the advice center as well.
Matt Sims
So one of the highlights of the Warners shows is always the advice centre, usually around 18 presentations. It’s free to go and sit in and listen to them across the whole weekend. And it’s experts that live in their van full time. They’re prolific at travelling around Europe, installing and accessorising your motorhome, and I’m hosting it throughout the weekend and facilitating what I hope will be some great Q&A sessions. So it’s definitely worth attending those.
Keith Gooden
And so how do I get tickets?
Matt Sims
You can go to mhmp.info/warners, and there you’ll find details of all of the Warners shows throughout the year and a discount code to save some money on your ticket.
Common motorhome myths
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
It’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe. Let’s get into the meat of it then, shall we, Matt? We are talking today about some of the myths.
Matt Sims
Yes, indeed.
Keith Gooden
And we’re busting some of the myths!
Matt Sims
We are. So this is an article that I wrote for the Practical Motorhome Magazine guys.
Keith Gooden
They haven’t sacked you yet?
Matt Sims
No, they want to keep me on!
Keith Gooden
No…!
Matt Sims
Yeah, I know.
Keith Gooden
Really?!
Matt Sims
You know I’ve got my own column? In fact, this was an article I wrote for the editorial team, and they always give me a limit of about 800 words.
Keith Gooden
A bit difficult for you.
Matt Sims
Sometimes it is, to be fair! But this one, I submitted it. I cut it right down, and it was… well, it ended up being published at three pages long. They said, “We love it. We want to use all of it.”
Keith Gooden
You’d cut it right down?
Matt Sims
I cut it down.
Keith Gooden
All right, then, let’s delve into some of these myths and bust them, shall we?
Matt Sims
The top few.
You can wild camp in a motorhome
Keith Gooden
Not all of them, just the top few. You can park and sleep anywhere with a motorhome – wild camping!
Matt Sims
Deary me… yeah, wild camping is arriving at sundown on horseback or barefoot – not barefoot, but on foot! – with a tent, going to bed and then leaving at sunrise and leaving no trace. Wild camping does not include a motorhome.
It’s a term that we’ve adopted, and it’s a common misconception. And it is a myth that you can park everywhere or anywhere. All land is owned, and you need to have permission of the landowner to park there. That’s a fallacy, isn’t it? I mean, where does the landowner live, and how are you going to find them? How are you going to ask?
Keith Gooden
But the point is, if you’ve been driving for a while, you’re feeling tired, you’ve maybe got kids in the motorhome and you see a lay by – you can’t just pull over and you can’t bed down for the night? That just seems a bit strange to me.
Matt Sims
You can rest up for sure in a lay by. Lay bys are there for a temporary rest, but camping out? No, definitely not. So the point is that people want to go off down a lane and park on a field somewhere overlooking the sea.
You can’t do that without permission of the landowner. It might be you do it and get away with it, but you are meant to have permission of the landowner. So it’s not a right to be able to park anywhere without permission. That’s the key. So be sensible. Common sense, of course, does apply, but be mindful, that there are rules around this, and it’s very easy to get in trouble if you break them.
Keith Gooden
Check, check, check, that’s the important thing. And the amount of people on the roads these days, they say one of two things – “It’s my right.” And, “The Highway Code says…” Yeah, okay.
All motorhomes suffer from water ingress
Keith Gooden
Here’s another myth we want to bust. All motorhomes suffer from water ingress. They leaks, they do!
Matt Sims
Well, yeah, water ingress is undoubtedly the enemy of the motorhome. And if you suffer with it, it can be very expensive to put right. So my advice is to get your motorhome regularly checked, at least annually.
Get a damp check done and a habitation check done. We’ve unpacked this a lot in previous episodes. But do all motorhomes suffer from water ingress? No, they don’t. The cheaper ones, there’s a high chance they will, but a van conversion is highly unlikely to suffer with that.
Keith Gooden
But you’re not talking about when you drive off the dealership forecourt, are you? It’s not leaking brand new, but wear and tear, and you might spring a leak, or, you know, a small amount of water might go in… or are you?
Matt Sims
There are lots of dealers listening to this going, “Mm…” Some do! So some are even unsold, brand new, and they’ve got water ingress. I’m afraid it’s down to poor manufacturing. It’s a huge topic, one that breaks my heart, because some of the standards are pretty low in manufacturing.
And lots of consumers complain about this to me and very publicly on social media. But the point is, do all motorhomes suffer from water ingress? No, they don’t. And I’ve got experience of lots of brands that have never had water ingress. We have a panel van conversion. It’s an Adria Twin, and panel van conversions are far less likely to suffer with water ingress, because, of course, they’re a metal box.
It’s coachbuilts that tend to suffer more. But good news is that the more recently built motorhome models don’t have wood in the construction, and they’re using all composite materials. So if water does get in through some sealant, it can’t absorb into anything.
There’s nothing to absorb the water so it doesn’t cause that swelling and moulding, which is what causes the damage. It just flows out through the bottom. So you may not even know that you’ve got water ingress, but the important bit is to find that and get it checked every year.
The motorhome industry is in decline
Keith Gooden
Another myth we want to bust – the motorhome industry is in decline. We sort of touched on this in the news.
Matt Sims
Well, on the contrary, I think it’s thriving. The pandemic did a massive favour in the big picture of our industry. It attracted thousands of people to it. It then caused, of course, massive issues with supply chain and availability.
But in our own business here, we’ve seen certainly the rental side boom. It’s slowed down a bit now. The sales side has boomed too. Motorhome dealerships are selling out of stock and getting stock was then really hard.
We’re seeing newbies coming into the market. I’m seeing more and more young people, young families, especially, coming into the market. And as I alluded to earlier, the trend for remote working is now very real, and the popularity of van life and that kind of aspirational lifestyle of being free to roam and free to go wherever you want to go… our geographical limits are kind of gone, aren’t they?
I know we have 90-day restrictions of going into Europe, but even those taken on board, you can still kind of almost go anywhere. And I think we’re seeing the shift and trend in motorhome design as well.
I’ve always said we need more innovation in our industry, and in recent years, we’ve seen a trend for more off road capable looking vehicles. And this attracts people to our past time, because I think they look cool.
They’re pricey, but they do look cool. That’s a great innovation to see. And I think the standards of luxury in our product are getting higher and higher as well. I don’t think we are in decline. I think we’re growing. I think we’re changing. I think we’re evolving. I think the demographic that’s partaking in it is changing as well.
Keith Gooden
But if I want to buy my motorhome – you know, a couple of years ago, I could go along and have to wait a year for it to turn up. What is it like now? What’s the supply chain like?
Matt Sims
Strong. It’s good. So, I mean, many dealerships have got one on the forecourt. They’ve probably got four on the forecourt. And you can take it after a quick inspection and prep. You know, there is a myth that you can just pay your money and take it away that day. It’s very, very unusual to do that. In fact, I’d ring a warning bell if a dealership was prepared to do that.
They normally want to check it over and give it a pre-delivery inspection, check all the gas and electrics are safe, and then they’re going to wash it and prep it for you, and then do a handover with you. So it’s normally a couple of weeks.
The supply chain issue has changed. If it’s a factory order, you’re probably into weeks, maybe months to get it. So at the moment, I’m hearing that Adria, for example, their new Volkswagen based compact was due to arrive in the UK in March or April. They’re now coming in April or May, so there is a little delay, but it’s still only months away, not the two years plus that we were experiencing only a couple of years ago.
Motorhome prices will crash
Keith Gooden
Okay, another myth, then – crisis! The bubble will burst soon. Some believe the surge in motorhome prices, especially because of the pandemic and the Ukraine war and all those things we’ve already discussed, is temporary, and those prices are going to come tumbling down.
Matt Sims
It’s not true. It’s not going to happen. So we’ve seen this evidenced at recent shows where I’ve been talking to dealers about the ’24 models, and yeah, there’s deals on them, because they want to clear them off the forecourt. They want to clear the decks.
The 2025 models are more expensive, sometimes 10% more. So we are seeing prices still climbing. And the new norm is here. It’s here to stay. I don’t think there is going to be a massive crash, not with the current trajectory we’re on, on the current landscape. There could be, you know, some kind of geopolitical event that could cause it.
Of course, that could happen. The pandemic was an example of that. But we are seeing prices going up. I think used prices, yes, they’re under pressure, but they’re staying strong. Demand is still there.
Perhaps the buying speed has slowed down a little bit. I think consumers are taking longer to make a decision, and whilst there’s a flurry of stock out there to choose from, they can do that. And people want a deal, and there are deals to be done, but the bubble bursting is not happening.
I think we’re going to see it squeezed a little bit, but I think, you know, we’ll get through this current kind of shift in pricing and oversupply, and we will see the market continue to boom. And I think in 2026 prices will go up again.
Keith Gooden
So you can’t squeeze your bubble.
Matt Sims
Squeeze all you like, but I don’t think you’re going to burst it! I think it’s a myth.
Keith Gooden
And we’ve busted some of them, and that’s just some of the myths we’ve busted today!
Matt Sims
So go and check out the Practical Motorhome website, and you’ll find the full article there. I’m in it every month, and it’s a great privilege to be able to write a tonne of content for them every month. So yeah, Motorhome Matt is in Practical Motorhome each month.
Audience Q&A
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
And it’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.
Matt Sims
Get 15% off your insurance premium by using the code MOTORHOMEMATT over the phone or simply click the link in this episode description.
Keith Gooden
It’s time for our question and answer section, where you ask the questions, and Matt, the expert, he gives you the answer. And if he doesn’t know, he’ll ask somebody who does. First of all, Dave’s in Redditch.
Dave
We have a 15-year-old motorhome. I would like to know if it’s okay to polish and wax a motorhome like you would if you were detailing a car. Thanks a lot.
Keith Gooden
Ah, waxing your motorhome. So what you reckon?
Matt Sims
Yeah, 100% yes. Definitely. Do it. Protect the paint. What if it’s a composite made motorhome, a plastic body? It’s not going to be painted, but it can still fade and discolour, and actually putting a protective coat of wax on it is going to really help save it and look after it. It’s always going to make it easier to clean in the future. So definitely do it.
Go and buy the range of products from www.thatleisureshop.com. We’ve got a whole range of shampoos and detailing products for you to choose from that have been tested by professional valetors on motorhomes and campervans and caravans. So go and have a look at those.
Keith Gooden
When you wax your car, I suppose it uses a bottle or a bottle and a half. It must take an awful lot of the wax solution to do a motorhome.
Matt Sims
It can do. Yeah, that’s right, which is why we developed this particular range, which goes a lot further, because a motorhome, you’re right, has a much bigger surface area. It does take a while and make sure you remember to clean the roof as well.
Keith Gooden
And do you have to do it all at once, all at the same time? Or can you do sides and then tomorrow, I’ll do the roof?
Matt Sims
You could do it like a patchwork quilt, but that would annoy the heck out of me! One side would be shiny and one side wouldn’t. So yeah, you could do it patchwork if you really wanted to, Keith, yeah. What you would do is do part of it and then call me and get me and get me to come round to finish it.
Keith Gooden
That’s what I’m just thinking. You know, it’s a big vehicle. You start at two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and then realise that you’re not going to finish this this weekend. Do you know what I mean? Dave, thanks very much for your question.
Iain Lynch is in Henfield. “We have a 2004 Swift Sundance and want to know, is it possible to install new addition seat belts, lap or three point, into the van on the side bench seat or the backwards facing seat?
Matt Sims
No, don’t do it. So there are very strict rules around seat belts, both the use of them and the placement of them. Putting them on a side seat is so dangerous. It’s really dangerous. I realise you may not realise this.
Our spines don’t bend sideways very well. They bend forward and backwards, which is why seat belts should only be forward facing or rearward facing. A number of things to check, as well – payload.
So the ability of the vehicle to carry those passengers, you should probably allow 80 or 90 kilos per person. So does your van have the capability of carrying that weight? And then you need to tell the DVLA and your insurance company if you add them, and they have to be fixed to the chassis.
So you can’t just screw them to the wooden wall. That’s not going to cut it. You will value the motorhome as worthless. So get it professionally fitted, get it assessed by a professional. They will have to go and fix or weld the mounting points to the chassis. Lots of rules around it.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, because if you actually have to use a seat belt in the event of even a fairly low speed collision, that, I don’t know, 15 stone that’s sitting in the seat as it goes forward… I don’t know what the equation is, but my guess is it’ll be at least 10 times that weight when… as you say, it’s got to be professionally done.
Matt Sims
Forward facing should be three point. If it’s rear facing, it can be two points. So a lap belt.
Keith Gooden
Paul Burnett’s in Penarth, “Hi, Matt and Keith. We had an S5 tracker fitted a few months ago. I asked the fitter if we should have an appropriate sticker to show our van had a tracker. He said it’s not a good idea to advertise the fact as a prospective thief would first look to locate and dispose of the tracker.
Since then, on various sites we’ve seen many vans and motorhomes from hire companies with window stickers advising the vehicle is tracked. So what is the best thing to do? What’s your advice?”
Matt Sims
It’s a great question, and it is down to you. So on our hire fleet, we put stickers in the side windows of the cab that say, “This vehicle is fitted with a tracker.” Partly that is informing the hirer that the vehicle is tracked, as well as a prospective criminal.
On our own motorhome, I have a sticker in it that says it’s tracked, but I’ve had motorhomes in the past where I haven’t displayed the sticker. And it is a dilemma. Do you tell the thief there’s a tracker to give him something to look for, or not? It’s entirely up to you.
Keith Gooden
But isn’t it the old thing – you know, if you’ve got the alarm box outside your house and it’s got the little flashy light on it, basically, you’re saying to the thief, “I tell you what, you should go next door because they haven’t got the security I’ve got.” Isn’t the sticker for the tracker fulfilling the same role?
Matt Sims
It could fulfil the purpose of deterring the thief, yes. But what this tracker installer is saying is it could tell the thief you’ve got a tracker, and then the first thing they’re going to do is try and find it, start ripping the dashboard out and try and locate it and put it in the dustbin. There’s no right or wrong here. It’s entirely up to you.
Keith Gooden
By the way, Paul says, “It’s a great channel, by the way. Indispensable viewing.”
Matt Sims
There we are. Thank you very much.
Keith Gooden
Cheers, Paul Burnett in Penarth.
Ask Matt
Keith Gooden
If you’re like Paul and want to get in touch, what should you do?
Matt Sims
Please do. Head to mhmp.info/askmatt. Click the orange button and record your question. Do tell us where you are in the world. Or you can fill in the form and we’ll read it out for you.
Keith Gooden
You can leave a review at mhmp.info/review.
Matt Sims
And if you’re watching on YouTube, please do hit subscribe and the little bell – brought to you by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
