Caravan industry optimistic over future

The annual Caravan Extravaganza weekend, which takes place in the sprawling grounds of the University of Hull's Lawns halls of residence at Cottingham, over the first weekend of September is the first place to display new season models from 17 of the UK's manufacturers.

As well as more than 100 touring caravans, about 150 caravan holiday-homes and lodges will be on show featuring most of the country's leading names – with many coming from Yorkshire.

Last year, 24,000 people attended the first two days of the show, with the last three days devoted to the trade.

The organisers estimates that over the five days, 100m worth of business is transacted, with caravan park owners and dealers attending from all over the UK, Europe and Scandinavia.

Organiser David Ritchie said: "It has been a much better year than last year when a number of companies went into administration. Most have come out again and the outlook is a lot better. But of course there's a lot of nervousness.

"With more travel companies going bust more people seem to want to have holidays in the UK so that's good for the caravan industry."

This year the caravans on show will include the Woodland Escape, made by Northamptonshire-based Tingdene Homes – which is actually a holiday lodge with a staircase leading to a large seating area on the roof.

Lissett Park Homes, which had the show's most expensive model last year, selling at 350,000, will show off the eco-friendly Nirvana – which comes with an air source heat pump to use the temperature differences in the atmosphere to create energy and argon-gas filled cavity glassing to keep the heat in.