First, videos on social media, then Covid, have done their work. More and more vans are crisscrossing French and European roads. If the leisure vehicle market is experiencing steady growth, it is they, vans and other converted vans, that are pulling out all the stops. More manoeuvrable and more economical than motorhomes, they appeal to all ages, from young graduates to retirees. The parking regulations concerning them, as a bonus, are much less restrictive.
For several years, sales have been exploding. The peak was reached in 2021 at the end of the lockdowns with 16,436 new vehicles sold in France, according to statistics from UNI VDL, the recreational vehicle union. That is 53.3% of the market. In the following years, converted vans suffered from the shortage of semiconductors and the increase in the cost of raw materials, but sales held up (13,994 last year). In 2024, they continue to attract, with 6,700 registrations in the first five months of the year.