What's happening on motorhomes and caravans during peak season?

Strong demand and reduced supply has meant the average price of a used caravan and motorhome on Auto Trader has rocketed as we come into season. For caravans, the average price currently stands at £14,500, up 20% from last year, whilst for a motorhome the average price is £38,200, up 5% from June 2020.  

Over recent years, there has been a surge in audience over the 6-week lead up to “peak season" during weeks 27-34 of the year (5th July  to 29th Aug), where we see sessions increase by an average of 45% during this period. 

Looking at the last quarter, as well as sessions performing well, the number of unique visitors to the platform is significantly up versus 2019, showing the market has got bigger. It is up 50% during April - June vs 2020 and  55% vs 2019.  

From a recent survey, we discovered that out of those visits that are in the market to buy, a massive 83% are looking for their first motorhome, and 70% their first caravan, showing just how much the impact of the pandemic has had on demand on the market.  

While all types of enquiries have increased this quarter vs 2020, the 123% uplift in email, text and chat leads vs the same period in 2019 shows the real uplift in demand for motorhomes and caravans. Further to this, across the whole of the UK, leads per stock item are considerably ahead of last year, 135% up nationally. 

From this data, it is clear demand shows no sign of slowing down as we come into the peak season, and perhaps even beyond.