The era of vanlife and campervans is over

Are you planning a road trip in a van or campervan this summer? Well, you're probably going the wrong way. The Swiss seem to be growing tired of vanlife. At least, that's what the figures relayed by Watson suggest. And yet, since 2016, sales of these travel vehicles had doubled: in 2024, there were 103,823 vehicles of this type registered in Switzerland, according to the FSO. This renewed interest can be explained in particular by Covid, which has encouraged vacations close to home. Kilian, 24, a travel enthusiast, took the plunge in 2021: "With a campervan, you have your home with you, everything is equipped, and you go where you want, when you want," he explains. However, in recent years, the trend has changed, with large campervans gradually giving way to small vans, which are considered more practical.

However, today, Swiss interest in these travel vehicles seems to be waning, according to Watson. Sales of various Volkswagen van models confirm this trend. After remaining relatively stable between 2019 and 2023 (falling from 3,019 to 2,862 units), they plummeted sharply in 2024, with only 1,818 vehicles sold. Swiss importer AMAG explains this clearly to Watson: "Many people who want to buy a van have already done so. The market is largely saturated."

But some also decide to resell their travel vehicle. This is the case for Kilian, who sold his campervan in 2024, due to not using it regularly: "I don't think I'll ever buy another one. In hindsight, it's too bulky, and it takes up space when you're not using it." Nevertheless, Stefan Lieberherr, CEO of MyCamper, a vehicle rental platform, explains to Watson: "After the exceptional growth in 2020 and 2021, the van market has entered a phase of maturity, but remains at a high level."

Kilian now plans to move towards more versatile travel solutions, such as a pickup truck equipped with a removable rear body: "It's easily removed from the bed, which allows the vehicle to be used as an everyday car, but also as a travel vehicle," he explains. A more expensive investment at the outset, certainly, but he's convinced: the new trend will clearly lean towards these 4x4s.