CARAVAN SALON Düsseldorf is one of the leading events in the global caravanning and leisure vehicle industry, bringing together manufacturers, suppliers and industry professionals from across the world.

This year’s event once again demonstrated the scale and resilience of the market, with more than 259,000 visitors attending and 834 exhibitors from 41 countries showcasing the latest vehicles, products and innovations.

Representing Morland at this year’s show were Jason Hughes, Supply Chain Director; Scott Peter, Procurement Specialist – Panels Division; Jean-Paul Denovillers, Business Development Manager – France; and Lisa Andrew, Head of Customer Success and Marketing.

For the team, the event provided an opportunity to meet with customers, supply chain partners and industry contacts, explore the latest developments across the sector and, importantly, see first-hand how interior design and material trends are evolving across the European leisure market.

Familiar interiors with subtle changes

One of the main observations from this year’s show was that interior design trends have not changed dramatically since Morland last attended CARAVAN SALON.

Light oak finishes, dark greys and slate tones continued to feature heavily across many of the vehicles on display, reflecting the ongoing preference in the European market for natural-looking materials and neutral colour palettes.

However, there were some signs of colour beginning to make its way back into interiors, reflecting wider trends in interior design. Smoky and muted greens were particularly noticeable, generally being used in smaller accent areas rather than across entire interiors.

This suggests that while neutral and natural finishes remain firmly established, manufacturers are beginning to introduce more colour and personality in carefully considered ways.

Slatted finishes continue to feature

Another trend that stood out was the increased use of slatted wall finishes across a number of vehicles.

Interestingly, this is something we also noticed at the NEC Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show in Birmingham earlier this year, suggesting that the trend is becoming increasingly established across the leisure market rather than being isolated to a particular show or manufacturer.

Slatted finishes add texture and visual interest to interiors and can help create a more contemporary and premium feel. Their continued presence across major industry events will be something Morland continues to monitor as manufacturers develop their future interior concepts.

Lightweight construction remains a key focus

One of the most notable product trends at this year’s show was the number of ultralightweight panel solutions being showcased.

Several suppliers were highlighting panels incorporating poplar plywood faces with an XPS (extruded polystyrene) core, offering a lightweight solution for manufacturers looking to reduce overall vehicle weight.

This is particularly relevant to Morland, as ultralightweight panels are already part of our product offering.

Seeing lightweight panel technology so prominently featured at CARAVAN SALON reinforces the importance of weight reduction within the leisure vehicle market and the continued demand for materials that can deliver the required performance while helping manufacturers manage overall vehicle weight.

For Morland, this is an area where our existing product expertise aligns closely with an important market trend, giving us the opportunity to support customers with lightweight solutions as vehicle design and manufacturing requirements continue to evolve.

Creating more premium living spaces

Across the exhibition, there was a continued focus on making caravan and motorhome interiors feel more like modern living spaces.

Natural-looking wood finishes, textured surfaces, carefully selected accent colours and contemporary detailing were all being used to create interiors that feel comfortable, stylish and increasingly residential.

For manufacturers, however, achieving this aesthetic needs to be balanced with the practical demands of leisure vehicle production. Materials need to be lightweight, durable, consistent and suitable for efficient volume manufacturing.

This balance between design, performance and practicality is an area where Morland’s experience in manufacturing finished panels, doors and interior components can provide real value.

Listening to the market

For Morland, attending CARAVAN SALON is about more than seeing the latest vehicles. It provides a valuable opportunity to speak directly with customers, supply chain partners, potential customers and other industry professionals.

The conversations held throughout the show gave the team useful insight into current market priorities, upcoming projects and the challenges manufacturers are facing.

The scale of the event also highlights its importance to the industry. According to the official show report, around 50% of visitors attended with a specific intention to buy, demonstrating the continued commercial significance of CARAVAN SALON.

Looking ahead

While we didn’t see any dramatic changes in interior design this year, there are clear signs of gradual evolution and potential recovery within the wider leisure market.

Natural wood tones remain strong, neutral palettes continue to dominate, slatted finishes are becoming increasingly visible, and muted colours such as smoky green are beginning to add greater personality to interiors. At the same time, lightweight construction continues to be a key consideration for manufacturers.

For Morland, keeping close to these developments is essential. Understanding what manufacturers and designers are looking for enables us to continue developing products and finishes that respond to the changing needs of the European leisure market.

CARAVAN SALON provides an important opportunity to see these developments first-hand, meet with the people shaping the industry and bring valuable market insight back into our own customer conversations and product development.

As the European leisure market continues to evolve and shows signs of recovery, Morland remains committed to supporting manufacturers with high-quality, practical and design-led interior solutions – from ultralightweight panels to finished interior components and bespoke decorative finishes.