Bürstner Is Stopping Caravan Production And It's Part of a Much Bigger Picture

Another major name is stepping back from caravans. Bürstner has confirmed it will cease all caravan production from the start of the 2027 season, redirecting its focus entirely towards campervans and motorhomes. It's a significant moment for the industry and it isn't happening in isolation.

For UK buyers, Bürstner caravans haven't been a common sight on dealer forecourts for some years, the brand stopped selling caravans here at the turn of the century. But across Europe, Bürstner has remained a meaningful presence in the caravan market. That chapter is now closing.

WHAT BÜRSTNER HAS ACTUALLY SAID

The company is framing the move as part of an internal programme called "Bürstner Reloaded", a repositioning of the brand around motorised leisure vehicles. The logic is straightforward: rather than splitting development and production resources across both caravans and motorhomes, Bürstner wants to concentrate its design capability and capacity on the motorised side of the business, where it believes it can make the most of its expertise.

Caravan production will stop "until further notice" at the beginning of the 2027 model year season. Crucially, the company has stopped short of calling it permanent. The door has been left open, if only slightly, but there's no timeline or roadmap for a return.

For existing Bürstner caravan owners, the company has confirmed that a spare parts supply and customer service operation will remain in place.

IT'S PART OF A WIDER INDUSTRY SHIFT

Bürstner is a subsidiary of the Erwin Hymer Group, and this is far from the only restructuring news to come out of EHG in recent months. As we covered in our recent piece on Elddis, the group has already confirmed that Elddis caravans will move production to Plant Isny in Germany, while the Xplore and Buccaneer brands are being discontinued entirely.

It's worth noting that three other EHG caravan brands, Eriba, LMC, and Dethleffs, are continuing caravan production. This isn't a wholesale exit from the caravan market by the group, it's a brand-by-brand strategic recalibration. Bürstner's particular strengths in design and motorised vehicle innovation make it a natural fit for this kind of pivot.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW?

The broader picture here is one that has been developing for several years. Demand for motorhomes and campervans grew sharply during and after the pandemic, while the caravan market, though still substantial, has faced more pressure. Manufacturers are responding to where buyers are going, and right now a meaningful segment of that audience is moving towards motorised.

For Bürstner's chief executive Hubert Brandl, the emphasis is on what comes next rather than what's being left behind. The company has signalled that buyers can expect new developments in its campervan and motorhome portfolio for the coming model year, though specifics remain thin on the ground for now.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE MARKET

The combination of Bürstner stepping back from caravans and Elddis restructuring its entire operation in the space of a few months is a notable moment. These aren't small players, they represent significant production capacity and brand heritage within European leisure vehicle manufacturing.

For UK caravan buyers, the practical impact is limited in the short term. Bürstner hasn't been sold here for decades, and the Elddis brand itself is continuing. But the direction of travel across the industry is clear, and it raises genuine questions about how the new caravan range landscape will look by the time the 2027 NEC Show arrives.