Traveling during the Spring Festival or returning home for the holidays no longer means squeezing onto trains—renting an RV has become a niche trend. This Spring Festival saw the peak in RV rentals and sales for the year. It is reported that several domestic RV businesses achieved half a month’s worth of monthly sales in the two weeks before the holiday, and RV rentals were so in demand that bookings had to be made at least a month in advance.
Although RV rental and sales companies are enjoying brisk business, buyers still face many awkward situations: many provinces and cities in China do not allow RVs on highways; campgrounds are hard to find at tourist spots, and the nerve-wracking experience of parking alone in remote areas is something they can’t easily forget...
It is understood that these “frustrations” stem from the many legal gaps surrounding the relatively new concept of “RVs.”
Rental and Sales Booming
RV Sales in Two Weeks Before Spring Festival Match a Month’s Worth
“The period just before the Spring Festival is one of the busiest times of the year for RV rentals and sales,” said Ma Xuelian, assistant general manager of the RV Sales Center at Zhongtianxing Investment Management Co., Ltd., the largest RV manufacturer in China. In the two weeks before the Year of the Dragon Spring Festival, all the dozen or so RVs in stock were sold out—equivalent to their usual monthly sales.
According to Ma Xuelian, her company rented out dozens of RVs in the two weeks before the Year of the Dragon Spring Festival. Due to the supply shortage of RV rentals during the Spring Festival in recent years, reservation times have been moved up significantly compared to previous years.
Ma Xuelian said, “In previous years, you could usually rent one about two weeks before the holiday, but this year you need to book at least a month in advance. Some regular customers even paid deposits more than two months early. Even so, more people couldn’t rent an RV this year than in the past.”
Facing Awkward Situations
RVs Under 6 Meters: Even If You Want to Buy, You Have to Enter a Lottery
Not long ago, Mr. Li picked out a beloved RV, but the salesperson informed him that since the vehicle was less than 6 meters long, he would have to enter a lottery to buy it, which left him stunned. “But most RVs on the market are under 6 meters,” he said. Because he found the process troublesome, Mr. Li ultimately gave up on the purchase, and his dream of driving an RV during the Spring Festival was dashed.
● Statements
Regarding this, a staff member from the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau stated that the traffic authorities currently have no special regulations for RV models. Since there are many types of RVs, they can only temporarily apply existing vehicle categories based on length.
RVs over 6 meters can be classified as large or medium ordinary passenger vehicles, so they are exempt from the lottery; those under 6 meters must still follow the regulations for small passenger vehicles and be purchased through a lottery.
However, according to Ma Xuelian from Zhongtianxing Investment, currently over half of domestically produced RVs are between 5 and 6 meters in length. “RVs are a niche market—why should they also be subject to a lottery?” This has been a constant concern for them.
Three Major Insurance Companies’ Customer Service: Unclear on Whether Coverage Is Available
Insurance
As an RV owner himself, Lao Fan said that after purchasing his vehicle, he found that no insurance company was willing to insure his RV.
Wang Xudong, chief information director of the 21st Century RV Network and head of the Beijing RV Expo Center, also stated that as an RV owner, he has never managed to get commercial insurance and can only pay 1,000 yuan annually for compulsory traffic insurance. “Just drive carefully,” he said.
Wang Xudong explained that because insurance companies have never offered specialized commercial insurance for RVs, getting coverage is very difficult. Also, due to the lack of precedents, even if an accident occurs, insurers don’t know how to assess the damage, value, or compensation.
● Statements
Recently, reporters called the customer service lines of Ping An Insurance, Pacific Insurance, and PICC to inquire about insuring RVs, and received uncertain answers. A Ping An Insurance customer service representative said he wasn’t sure whether RVs could be insured. “Maybe you should bring the vehicle documents directly to our office for a face-to-face discussion, and we’ll see the situation then.”
The Pacific Insurance customer service response was not only “not sure,” but also rather laughable—the representative repeated “RV…car…” slowly and then asked the reporter, “Is it a brand of sedan? Never heard of it. If it’s a large truck or special vehicle, we can’t insure it.”
Driving Outside Beijing: Uncertainty Over Highway Access
On the Road
With their vehicles uninsured, owners have no choice but to brave the roads—but if they aren’t even allowed on the highways, then owners really are stuck. Lao Fan spoke of the situation with a helpless expression: “In other places, many toll stations refuse to let RVs on the highway.” Being forced to reverse off the highway entrance and take national roads has become a common experience for Lao Fan.
And the experience of another RV owner, Mr. Cheng, was even more frustrating. One Spring Festival, he drove his RV to Lijiang, Yunnan, only to be told en route that towed RVs were not allowed on highways. “I had to take mountain roads instead,” Mr. Cheng said. Because towed RVs are large, any slight mishap could send both the vehicle and its occupants tumbling down a cliff. “After driving that section, I was practically drenched in sweat!”
● Statements
Reporters have learned from highway management bureaus (groups) and highway traffic police detachments across the country that attitudes toward RVs vary among highway authorities in different provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions.
Authorities in places such as Beijing, Xinjiang, Hebei, and Shanxi have stated that there are currently no regulations on whether RVs can use highways, and any legal vehicle will be allowed to pass. However, departments in Shaanxi, Gansu, and other regions say that according to Article 67 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, articulated buses are not permitted on highways. Since towable RVs are considered articulated buses, they are absolutely not allowed on highways.
Traffic police from the Yunnan Highway Traffic Police Detachment clearly stated that currently, Yunnan Province does not allow towable RVs on highways, and unless a special driving permit is obtained, all such vehicles will be impounded.
Too few domestic campsites – random stops lack safety guarantees
Camping
“When traveling to unfamiliar places, camping in just any open space is really unsafe, but proper campsites are extremely rare,” said Mr. Su, who has long wanted to buy an RV to take his whole family on a trip during the Spring Festival. But due to the scarcity of RV campsites in China and concerns about safety, he eventually gave up on the purchase.
On January 12, 2012, Dong Xuemin, CEO and executive director of the Red Ant Outdoor Sports Alliance Club, organized members to drive 40 RVs from various locations to Sanya for the Spring Festival.
Dong Xuemin said that during the trip, they were obstructed by urban management officers in Sanya. “Urban management wouldn’t allow us to set up tents and camp, so we were forced to move to a remote beach. Without the beautiful scenery or coconut groves, all we could hear was the roaring sound of airplanes taking off and landing overhead, and we had to shout just to greet each other – it was really frustrating.”
According to media reports, currently, only a few large campsites exist in places like Beijing and Dalian. There are fewer than 40 nationwide. The construction of RV campsites in China is almost non-existent, and both the government and tourism industry lack understanding of what real RV campsites should be. “It’s definitely not just an empty piece of land – it also needs to have facilities like fueling and charging stations,” they noted.
Extended Interview
Can the RV be parked in a residential community? Only through “negotiation”
Traffic police told reporters that if an RV is parked outside designated parking spaces in a community, it is also considered illegal parking, and if it occupies the road for a long time, it may be towed away.
Staff from Gonglian Anda Parking Company stated that due to height restrictions, underground parking lots cannot accommodate RVs. Meanwhile, staff from the Property Management Office of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said that if relevant departments determine that the RV in question is indeed classified as a vehicle, it needs to be discussed with the property management company of the residential community where it would be parked. Whether it can be parked remains undecided.
The market hasn’t heated up yet
The government is reluctant to invest too much
On this issue, Zhong Shi, an automotive expert and editor-in-chief of China Auto Review, said that RVs are very common abroad but still a new concept in China, where they currently face developmental bottlenecks.
Zhong Shi believes that the reason for the lack of legislation regarding the RV market is primarily because the public’s understanding of RVs is still limited and the RV industry hasn’t taken off yet. “The government can’t possibly invest too much money and effort to serve such a niche market,” Zhong Shi said.
● Background
Before 2008, the RV market in China developed slowly, with only dozens of units sold nationwide each year. Starting in 2009, sales began to surge, increasing by over 30% annually. By 2011, domestic RV sales had surpassed 1,000 units.
It is understood that people in northern China prefer RVs, with the northern regions accounting for 80% of national RV sales. Among them, Beijingers are the most enthusiastic about this travel and leisure culture involving RVs.
