Polish caravanning market - that is, analysis of the condition of the industry and service facilities

In today's material, we decided to confront our feelings and concerns related to the development of the industry with the opinions of representatives of companies that have been dealing with the professional distribution of recreational vehicles for many years and have gained extensive experience in servicing them.

It is such entities that have so far set the standards and directions of development of the industry. Will the current chaos caused by the boom change this state of affairs? What should the customer pay attention to? Are we facing a collapse? We invite you to read!

Analysis of the condition of the caravanning industry

“The current situation in the world, in Europe, and what interests all readers the most in Poland, has had a strong impact on the camping vehicle market. Very high interest in purchasing new and used vehicles and production limitations, which are often caused by very long delays in the delivery of components to trailer and camper manufacturers , have resulted in the demand for this type of vehicles being much higher than the supply.

The situation has also resulted in the emergence of companies offering camping vehicles that are not representatives of the manufacturer and do not have service facilities - these vehicles are mostly imported from abroad. - Piotr Słomiński, CarGO!

Greater sales = greater service problems?

The camper and trailer market has been developing according to all standards over the last dozen or so years. The gains were healthy and stable and reflected positive sentiment in the industry. The development of sales allowed dealers to build a brand, gain sales experience, build relationships with customers and expand the entire "envelope" related to the caravanning business - whether a rental company, an accessories store , or a professional service station. Then came the pandemic and the boom, which caused a real earthquake. In terms of sales, all market participants are reporting record sales growth - both brands and resellers.

Due to restrictions on access to hotel facilities, the camper rental business turned out to be profitable, and many entities invested in it without hesitation. Literally everyone wanted to cut out the largest possible piece of the pie, taking advantage of the market situation. Evolutionary development became the "free American woman" almost overnight. Over time, newly opened camper rental companies and entities with appropriate financial resources also wanted to "confuse" the vehicle sales market.

Many manufacturers opened up to new dealers even though they were unable to fully meet the supply reported by existing partners. The selection criteria were also often questionable and short-sighted, and subsequent dealers established their own sub-dealers. Effect? Currently, in Poland, apart from official importers and dealers, we also have a group of sub-dealers and intermediaries, some of whom had no idea about the market a year ago. This involves certain threats and problems both for customers and for the image of many brands. Service, or the lack thereof, may soon become a key criterion when choosing a seller.

We also asked Piotr Słomiński how dealers themselves assess the market situation in terms of the quantity and quality of services. His answer is not optimistic : "The effect of the boom is a very high demand for maintenance services, and the number of professional companies providing such services in our country can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Unfortunately, this prolongs the wait for an available date, and naturally, the dealer will always first try to meet the needs of customers who purchased the vehicle from him.”

Szymon Majnusz from Transa-M presents a slightly different perspective: "There is a lot to do (we still have some sellers who do not have a service center or a service office), but we can definitely see progress from year to year. Companies invest in facilities and this is appreciated. However, the training system is severely flawed. Large component suppliers still treat Poland as a side market. This is a huge problem.”

We also asked him about another topic that is important in the context of the current market situation, namely: what should a customer pay attention to when purchasing a vehicle outside the authorized dealer network/from a sub-dealer or from abroad?

“Purchasing a vehicle from an entity outside the dealership structure may involve a number of unnecessary complications. We should pay attention to whether the seller has access to the manufacturer's system. Annotations such as the beginning of the warranty period, supplementing the annotation regarding inspections or notification regarding possible service actions and their physical implementation (this in turn requires professional service facilities) - all this should be visible in the vehicle's history in the manufacturer's system and these are extremely important matters from the end user's point of view.

Another extremely important aspect is the implementation of warranty obligations. Due to the lack of formal connection with the manufacturer, the subdealer must settle any repairs with the dealer from which he purchased the vehicle. Physically, however, the car is not repaired at a professional, authorized service station, often without proper procedures. By purchasing a vehicle from a dealer, we will also avoid problems with the correctness of sales documents. Communication Departments require that a statement that a given point is an authorized dealer (or a dealership statement) be added to the invoice. Some leasing funds also require such a declaration when financing a car.”

What predictions do market participants make regarding the development of the entire industry as such in the next 2-3 years?

Piotr Słomiński is optimistic - "For several years now, there has been significant growth year by year, the boom has resulted in even greater market development. The market will continue to develop and is unlikely to become saturated. Companies will continue to develop and strengthen their position on the market - and, as a result, they will be able to serve an increasing number of customers while maintaining a high standard." Szymon, Transa-M, also confirms that the positive wave and development is expected to continue: "Sales will definitely grow. Poland is a huge country where we have really great opportunities. Caravanning is becoming fashionable and that makes us extremely happy.”

Editor's comment:

The purpose of this article is by no means to discredit new entities, entities taking their first steps and taking their relationships with customers seriously. However, the problem of lack of service support at all or within a reasonable distance can take away all the joy from this beautiful hobby or rob us of a lot of free time.

Just look at the distribution and service policy of, for example, the Carthago brand, whose next two vehicles I, the author of this material, had the opportunity to use for several years. As a customer from northern Poland, I had to unravel many technical secrets and perform many repairs and improvements myself to avoid long trips to services located in Silesia and Lower Silesia. Even though I technically coped with the challenges and current repairs, and the dealer sent parts for warranty repairs efficiently, most users of a premium brand would not sign up for such "attractions".

In the near future, small and larger specialist services operating independently of dealers have enormous potential and will certainly not complain about the lack of orders. Even the large market of accessories requiring professional installation requires professional knowledge and technical resources. A perfect example of such a service point that handles everything from the installation of photovoltaic panels to the comprehensive reconstruction of campers and trailers after accidents is the Camperniki company from Knurów. However, the waiting time for a round in the season can be long even here, which only confirms the huge deficit in this area.

And what are your, dear readers, experiences with services and dealers in Poland? What positives do you see and where could definitely be improved? Each of your votes is valuable. We encourage you to participate in the discussion!