Market SWEDEN
Sweden, the Texas of Europe In Sweden we like big vehicles, with all the trimmings. SUVs, minivans and premium cars have a long history of selling well here. We also have one of the largest collections of classic American cars outside of the US. This love for size and luxury also translates into the RV market. This makes Sweden interesting for the RV manufacturers, because here they can sell their top-margin models Words and photo Stefan Janeld
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weden is a small country. We are a mere 10 million inhabitants. But the geographics of Sweden means we have long distances between cities. If we want to take our RV to continental Europe it is a very long drive. At least if You don’t live in the south of Sweden. From the far north of Sweden to the south it is almost 1,600 km as the crow flies, with a car it is close to 2,000 km. That is like driving from Copenhagen to Rome. A large part of the nation is wilderness. One of the last true wildernesses of Europe. When we go RVing we can’t expect to find a campground or
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RV-parking every 10 miles, or a service station for that matter. We also have the unique right to camp almost anywhere. It is a privilege called “Allemansrätten”, a word not easily translated, in direct translation it reads “all peoples right”. It means we can stay also on non-public land as long as we don’t disturb anyone. In (very) simplified terms it means out of sight from houses, no littering and not to have any negative effects on the land. In short; to be respectful. All of the above makes us want RVs suitable for wild camping. We want/ need a high degree of self sufficiency.
And also comfort. Preferably in all seasons. I think most RVers of the world say the same. But in Sweden it is not only words. To sell an RV in Sweden it needs to have heated and insulated tanks. We prefer waterborne heating. If we buy an RV with airborne heating, for example the Truma Combi, we for sure choose the larger 6kW version. With electric cartridge. Even in vehicles around six meters we choose the larger heater. To sell a poorly winterized motorhome in Sweden is almost impossible. Even though 80% of the RVs are not used during the winter season.