The vanlife industry is booming, despite inflation

With rising prices, particularly for gasoline, one would expect the popularity of vanlife is running out of steam and the order books of Quebec companies are emptying like the beaches of Gaspésie in the fall. Surprise ! No way. Because apparently the vanlife two speeds…

Stephanie Berube
The Press

“We didn’t invent anything. This form of travel has been around for decades,” says Catherine Vachon, director of business development, communications and marketing at Van Life Mtl, a company that rents and sells vehicles. “But at the moment, she says, the projected image is very young. »

What changed the situation a few years ago was the representation of travel by van, magnified by social networks. It presents a dream image around this bohemian way of life, synonymous with freedom. The most beautiful Instagram accounts of these travelers are a dream. In reality, the vanlife at two speeds.

“These influencers are our best ambassadors,” says Olivier Cinq-Mars, president of Boréal Campeurs, which designs custom vehicles.

The young people who have modified their trucks have obviously struck a chord with consumers belonging to their parents’ generation, who also want to take to the open sea. And they have the means: the clientele of Boréal Campeurs is older, sporty and wealthy, says Olivier Cinq-Mars.

To have a truck modified at Boréal Campeurs, it costs between $80,000 and $120,000, which does not include the price of the vehicle. In total, it will cost $200,000 to $250,000 to get your hands on the RV of your dreams. The solar system alone is worth $15,000 to $20,000.

And this clientele has its requirements and does not skimp on extras, even in times of inflation. On the other hand, with the shortage of materials, the delays increase, confides Olivier Cinq-Mars.

It normally took two months to modify a vehicle at Boréal Campeurs. It is now necessary to wait four months once the project has started and a year and a half before it is started, since the waiting list is full.

No cancellation in sight, even in a tighter economic context, as this has little impact on the clientele of high-end vehicles.

Other builders or lessors confirm these new deadlines.

At Safari Condo, which has been building motorhomes and trailers for 24 years, it now takes at least two and a half years to get your hands on the vehicle of your dreams. Dominique Nadeau, president of this Beauce company which employs 145 people, explains that in addition to the shortage of certain materials and labour, the boom in orders last year has lengthened delivery times. “We returned to orders that compare to those of 2019, explains Dominique Nadeau. And it was a good year. »

The only clientele that could reconsider a purchase currently, according to Dominique Nadeau, is that of pre-retirees, who are playing it safe with the climate of economic uncertainty. More than young people – who have moreover rejuvenated Safari Condo’s clientele in recent years. “Some young people, she says, make life choices to afford the purchase of a vehicle. »

Lease

To these enthusiasts, those who modify their vehicle with the means at hand and those who buy it new, are added the families who often opt for leasing.

Going on the road, in the comfort of a small RV, is perfect for the family, according to Catherine Vachon, herself an enthusiast.

Olivier Marcoux, owner of the young Bromont Campervan rental company, has a very diverse clientele, including families.

But the majority of its rentals are made by Europeans who come to tour Quebec and dream of seeing everything in one trip. In this case, Oliver Marcoux plays the tourist advisers and offers them itineraries with shorter distances, which allows, suddenly, to reduce the gas bill.

That will probably be the trend in VR, says Nicolas Ryan, director of public affairs for CAA-Quebec. “This year, the price of gasoline has had little influence on travellers,” he says. Next year, in a similar economic context, Nicolas Ryan predicts that RV enthusiasts will reduce the road, but not abandon their style of travel. According to CAA-Quebec, this year, 10% of Quebec travelers plan to use an RV, all types combined. Many people have embraced this mode of vacationing during the pandemic because it combines travel and accommodation, Ryan says.

The sustainability of the many Quebec companies that now offer the vanlife, whether for the purchase, the modification of a vehicle, the loan between individuals or the rental, is ensured thanks to this diversification of the clientele, explains Olivier Marcoux. These are people who looked enviously at travelers in Westfalia, but who did not feel attracted to a certain culture of the recreational vehicle that we see “parked at Walmart and which takes up 14 parking spaces”, illustrates the president de Bromont Campervan, which had no cancellations due to the increase in gas prices.

Instead, customers book their next trip when they return their vehicle. Many were trying this type of vacation for the first time and some Quebec customers wanted to try it out before buying. However, Olivier Marcoux’s customers confirm it: it’s not easy to get your hands on a small van worthy of the vanlifeboth used and new.

According to Catherine Vachon, the COVID-19 years have rekindled our interest in the roadtrip. Converted vans are perfect for getting away from it all and allow great freedom when traveling.

“I don’t know a single person who has rented a truck and hasn’t fallen in love with the vanlife”, she says.