The Japan RV Association reports that the number of campervans sold and registered is increasing every year. According to a survey by the Japan RV Association, 8,742 new campervans were produced in 2022, which is almost double the 4,536 units produced 10 years earlier. In addition, the cumulative number of campervans owned is approximately 145,000. This increase in the number of vehicles is not just a boom, but is largely driven by the fact that the Japanese camper industry has released various types of vehicles to meet the needs of users, ranging from light car class vehicles to fully equipped high-end models. In addition, more and more people are enjoying the “van life,” a combination of car fun with hobbies and overnight stays in their cars, so vehicles that can be used for sleeping overnight but have a different taste from campers have appeared and become popular. In addition, female campers, who have been increasing in number in recent years, tend to choose auto-camping and overnight stays in cars, which are safer than overnight stays in tents.
Camping trailers are also very popular. Even well-equipped campers, some people are dissatisfied with the van-based van-con type because the interior height makes it impossible for adults to stand up and walk straight inside the vehicle. Some people are dissatisfied with this feature. If this is the case, they will choose a cab-com type camper that has a living room in the bed of a truck or other vehicle, but if they go that far, a camping trailer may come into view. However, if you think about it, you can choose the vehicle of your choice and use it for car trips, which makes the trip even more enjoyable. Most of the camping trailers are imported, but the size of the trailers sold are suitable for Japan’s roads and driver’s license system, so they are not so difficult to drive. Many of the buyers practice driving the vehicle after purchasing it. However, although backing up is said to be difficult, the camping trailer can actually be pushed by an adult on a flat, paved lot, so even in actual use, once the trailer is roughly where it is supposed to be, it is removed from the hitch member and pushed by hand into a parking space. Incidentally, there are handles on the front and back of the trailer for pushing and pulling. The camping trailer is a separate room, so in addition to the living space, there is a toilet, shower, and kitchen. In addition, the trailer can be left behind at campgrounds and RV parks, and only the car is needed for travel, making it easy to maneuver on a trip. This is why camping trailers are popular among people who travel around large areas such as Kyushu and Hokkaido. However, there is one problem with these camping trailers. Camping trailers use propane gas as fuel for cooking and heating, but recently the laws governing propane gas sales have changed, and gas companies are no longer selling propane gas to camping trailers. In addition, car ferries, which are frequently used for long-distance car trips, have also banned the use of propane gas on board their vessels. Therefore, Indiana RV, which handles camping trailers, has developed a gas supply system that uses cassette gas, which is readily available anywhere in Japan. At the same time, the company has also equipped its trailers with kerosene-powered FF fan heaters, changing the fuel source to meet the needs of the times without sacrificing the ease of use of the trailers.
© Source travel watch