From 26 August to 4 September, the Caravan Salon was held in Düsseldorf. With 235,000 visitors, this is Europe’s largest trade fair. It is also the first of the season and the opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their new products. And for us, it is the opportunity to discover the market trends.

For several years now, the van has been a real hit and now occupies several halls at the show. This year, however, the influence of vans seems to have spread to motorhomes and vans. And even to caravans. In fact, the folding roof, which is typical of converted vans, is now appearing on a number of larger vans as well as on some motorhomes. Bürstner, for example, used the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon to present its new Lyseo Gallery motorhome. The latter had already been successful, as the prototype that was to be presented at the CMT in Stuttgart last January (cancelled due to Covid) won several awards for its innovative design. It was the first official release for the newcomer of the Franco-German brand. And judging by the queues to visit the interior of the two models presented, the latter seems to have seduced the German public. Thanks to a system of pneumatic cylinders, the Lyseo Gallery folds and unfolds. When driving, this reduces the vehicle’s wind resistance and increases its aerodynamics. When stationary, the canopy can be folded up and provides a real “upstairs” extra room.

Luxury motorhome with pop-up roof from Hymer premieres at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon

Hymer also brought a motorhome concept to life at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon. Visitors to the show were able to see the first models of the Venture S, a luxury two-person motorhome based on a Mercedes Sprinter off-roader. With its living room that opens up to the outside world via the tailgate, this Hymer motorhome offers an attractive design. Like the Lyseo, it also has a pop-up roof. Here the pop-up roof is made of a pneumatic fabric that inflates in a few minutes. This has the advantage of protecting against noise, light and temperature fluctuations. Once in place, it offers a pleasant sleeping area that can be accessed via an integrated staircase. The two Venture S motorhome models presented at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon were a great success with the Germans who queued up to see them. However, there must have been more curious people than buyers in the queues. The Venture S is indeed offered for sale at more than €200,000!

A pop-up roof on the Hobby Beachy Air caravan

Last year, it seduced us at the Düsseldorf show. The Beachy from Hobby is still as nice as ever. And this year, the German caravan brand has taken its dynamic-looking caravan a step further with the prototype of the new Beachy Air. Very similar to the other models, with an opening at the rear that opens the living room to the outside, this one also has the originality of having a folding roof. However, there is no question of sleeping here. The pop-up roof “just” increases the height of the caravan inside. It must be said that this caravan has been specially designed for electric vehicles. It is therefore lighter (500 kg) and less high than the traditional Beachy (1.98 m compared to 2.65 m). These dimensions allow it to be towed by an electric vehicle. At the Düsseldorf show, it was presented with an ID Buzz, VW’s electric combi.

Small is beautiful: mini caravans are becoming increasingly fashionable

While the Düsseldorf show is still all about XXL motorhomes with a hall dedicated to luxury vehicles that you can park a car inside, at the other end of the market, mini-caravans are increasingly present in the aisles of the Düsseldorf exhibition centre. While some brands have been around for years, this year’s edition of 2022 has seen some newcomers such as the surprising mini caravan from Latvian company Forma Campers. We will have the opportunity to take a closer look at this model in the coming months.