A small county town has broken the monopoly held by Europe and America, which is truly astonishing! According to relevant data, the total registered RV (Recreational Vehicle) volume in China in 2023 was 19,865 units, an increase of 24.33% compared to the previous year, with a total sales volume of 14,365 units, setting a historical record.

Not only that, but in recent years, the export share of RVs manufactured in China has exceeded 50%, breaking the nearly century-long monopoly held by European and American countries.

It is naturally a source of pride for Chinese RVs to step out of the country and go global. However, it is little known that the vast majority of these RVs exported overseas come from a small county town—Rongcheng.

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This county-level city, which is not very large in scale, has grown and developed over 10 years, becoming the largest RV production and export base in the country.

Such impressive achievements have attracted the attention of the whole world, causing countless people to marvel.

How did an ordinary coastal county town make a comeback and step onto the world stage?

Rongcheng is located at the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula and is a county-level city surrounded by the sea on three sides. The permanent population here is only a little over 700,000 people, accounting for only 0.71% of the total population of Shandong Province.

The unique geographical location has made Rongcheng's shipbuilding industry relatively developed, and most local residents live by fishing and shipbuilding.In the early 1950s, Rongcheng Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. was established, and after restructuring, it gradually became a sizable fishing boat manufacturing enterprise.

However, as the fishing boat industry gradually declined, the company had to switch to a new track.

At that time, the automotive industry was already showing a rising trend, and there were many similarities between shipbuilding and automotive manufacturing, so Rongcheng Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. began to explore the development potential of the automotive manufacturing industry.

As a result, a batch of automotive companies emerged like mushrooms after rain. To some extent, fishing boat manufacturing enterprises were the predecessors of Rongcheng's motorhome enterprises.

Initially, most motorhome companies mainly focused on producing yacht trailers, motorcycle trailers, etc.

But due to the pessimistic sales market, many enterprises made adjustments to focus on manufacturing folding trailers.

In 1991, Rongcheng established its first automotive modification factory, which was later renamed Huatai Automobile. Huatai Automobile specialized in the Korean automotive assembly industry, mainly producing and modifying SUVs and sedans.

Although the automotive modification industry had already taken shape at that time, Chinese automotive companies had existed in the form of "contract manufacturing" for decades.

Due to the lack of their own brand, motorhome manufacturing enterprises did not have core competitiveness.

In 2014, in order to bring the Chinese motorhome industry to the world stage, and more importantly, to open up the international market for Chinese motorhomes, China hosted the 80th World Motorhome and Camping Conference.Subsequently, various provinces and cities began to follow suit, such as establishing camping associations, planning and constructing campsites, and intending to attract investors through this conference.

The camping conference was widely publicized, but it turned out to be much ado about nothing, and the entire camping market did not yield significant results, with 90% of the campsites ultimately failing.

For a long time afterward, China's camping market remained in a slump.

In order to survive, some companies could only continue to do OEM processing for overseas RV dealers.

As many RV companies were deeply concerned about their future development, the RV market underwent a sudden change.

It turned out that with the quiet rise of outdoor camping, an increasing number of RVs began to enter many middle-class families.

In addition to common modes of transportation such as airplanes, trains, and high-speed rail, RV travel has also become a popular way for people to travel.

RVs, often referred to as "movable homes," are now pursued by more people for their comfort and spaciousness.

People have a special preference for RVs because they believe they can freely control their time, thus being favored by young people who pursue a casual and free lifestyle.

With the rise of the domestic RV tourism market, many people have joined the booming trend of RV purchasing.Once a niche market, the RV industry has suddenly taken off, sparking renewed hope for many RV companies. Rongcheng RV has seized this excellent opportunity and ignited a surge in RV production.

In 2014, Kangpaisi Company was established.

As a typical representative of Rongcheng RV enterprises, the growth journey of Kangpaisi is also the development history of Rongcheng's RV industry.

At the beginning of its establishment, Kangpaisi, like other vehicle manufacturers, was only responsible for contract manufacturing for foreign RV brands.

However, Kangpaisi quickly realized that without its own brand, it would be difficult for the company to develop sustainably and become strong.

Therefore, Kangpaisi began to plan ahead and actively explore the path of brand development for the enterprise.

At that time, in the competition among RV brands, the technology of RV chassis was the core of brand competition. This meant that whoever mastered the technology of RV chassis would have the initiative.

However, in the past 100 years, the global RV market has been monopolized by European and American enterprises, making it by no means an easy task to win in the brand competition.

The most direct method is acquisition.The issue, however, is that the acquired brand does not truly belong to "Made in China."

To establish one's own brand while mastering core technology requires an appropriate opportunity, and Compas is patiently waiting for this moment.

Fortunately, Compas has finally seen this day arrive.

In 2019, Compas collaborated with Shandong University of Technology to jointly design and standardize the chassis for recreational vehicles (RVs).

At the same time, Compas continues to enhance its innovation capabilities and optimize the performance of RVs, improving the stability and safety of RV travel, and gradually widening the gap with competitors.

As the RV market enters a growth phase, Compas seizes this opportunity to transform and upgrade its existing RVs.

Quality is king, and innovation is the key to victory.

Compas, well-versed in this principle, constantly focuses on improving team quality and actively seeks opportunities to cooperate with international corporations. It has become the first domestic RV company to customize a smart, interconnected factory, and has made RV performance more adaptable to market demands.

Thanks to the unremitting efforts of all Compas employees, a series of high-quality RVs have been successively introduced.

In addition, Compas has also partnered with Haier to further optimize the manufacturing process, making it more digital and intelligent.The previous fragmented processes have gradually been replaced by standardized and modular production models, with production cycles being shortened again and again. The workload that used to take 35 days to complete can now be finished in just 20 days.

As a result, Kampas can now produce more than 20,000 trailer coaches, 2,000 self-driving coaches, and over 100,000 coach components annually.

In this way, Kampas has not only improved efficiency but also significantly reduced operational costs.

Today, Kampas has achieved full coverage of the industry chain in all aspects, including design, research and development, component production, complete vehicle assembly, and even after-sales service.

Since its establishment, Kampas has always adhered to the philosophy that "our motivation is driven by customer needs," specializing in providing personalized customization services for consumers.

Consumers can choose the body color, engine power, and personal signature according to their preferences, and they can also play the role of a designer, selecting the placement of interior facilities until they are satisfied.

This considerate customization service has been recognized by many and has increased consumer participation.

To adapt to the constantly changing market, Kampas has always insisted on technological innovation, already possessing over a hundred patents and a research and development team of more than 150 people.

In 10 years, Kampas has won many honors, including the National High-tech Enterprise, National Foreign Trade Transformation Base, and Shandong Province Enterprise Technology Center.

Under the leadership of outstanding enterprises such as Kampas, Rongcheng has also successively emerged with well-known coach companies like Longhe Vehicle Industry and Mingjun Coach.Subsequently, represented by Kangpaisi, the RV manufacturing enterprises finally transitioned from being OEMs for foreign RV brands to having their own brands, ushering in their own sales spring.

However, the craze for RV sales in the domestic market has not yet subsided, and Rongcheng RV enterprises have new plans. This time, they have turned their attention to the broader international market.

Once launched in the international market, Rongcheng RVs have been unanimously recognized by foreign consumers for their spacious design and personalized structural layout.

Among them, Australia, with its vast land and sparse population, has become the first stop for Rongcheng RVs to go global.

The Australian government has conducted a census of registered RVs, and according to data from 2023, Rongcheng exported more than 16,000 RVs, with an export value of 1.82 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.8%.

Among the exported towable RVs, 60% come from Rongcheng RV enterprises.

After gradually establishing a foothold in Australia, Rongcheng RVs have successively entered markets such as South Korea and North America, accelerating the development of the international market by participating in international exhibitions, establishing overseas warehouses, and cooperating with local dealers, further opening up the international market.

From 2016 to 2023, over eight years, Kangpaisi RV's export volume and output value have risen to the top in the country, and it has consecutively held the throne of sales for seven years.

It is evident that Chinese RV brands have gradually become the mainstream in the overseas market. This also means that the market pattern once dominated by Europe and America has been broken.

The outdoor travel tool that originated in the West has been dominated by European and American countries for decades, with other countries having little chance to turn the tide.However, with the emergence of Rongcheng motorhomes, Europe and America have welcomed a strong competitor from China, and the nearly century-old monopoly history has come to a complete end.

In 2023, affected by the economic crisis, the US motorhome market is in a state of depression.

Data shows that the sales volume of motorhomes in the United States is only 313,000 units, a direct decrease of 36.5% compared to the previous year.

However, this phenomenon is not accidental.

As early as 2016, the sales of motorhomes in the United States had already begun to decline.

In addition to the United States, the sales markets in other countries are also not optimistic, affected by factors such as inflation and the decline in consumer purchasing power, the sales situation of motorhomes is getting worse and worse.

While the European and American motorhome market is sluggish, the overseas sales market of Chinese motorhomes is exceptionally hot.

The European and American motorhome giants never expected that Chinese motorhome companies would catch up and become the world's third largest in just 10 years.

Of course, the rise of Rongcheng motorhomes is not a flash in the pan.

After 10 years of dormancy, they have a relatively complete industry chain and have quickly developed into the largest domestic motorhome production base and export base.Currently, Rongcheng has already established a 500-acre motorhome industrial park, with more than 10 motorhome manufacturing enterprises alone.

At the same time, there are over 50 supporting parts manufacturing enterprises here, covering all aspects required for motorhome production.

Since 2024, the sales of motorhomes in Rongcheng have been even more booming, with overseas orders pouring in.

Taking Kangpaisi Company as an example, recent foreign orders for motorhomes have been scheduled until July and August. To meet customer needs, sometimes more than 20 containers are shipped out in a single day.

From this perspective, the brilliance of Rongcheng's motorhomes is set to continue.

Rongcheng, an unassuming small county, has, through ten years of unremitting efforts, finally forged a unique path of survival and development. It has not only become the largest motorhome market in Asia but also successfully opened the door for Chinese motorhomes to enter the European and American markets.

From obscurity to dominance, Rongcheng's motorhomes, through their own strength, have gradually expanded the influence of Chinese motorhomes overseas, breaking the long-term monopoly controlled by Europe and America and astonishing the world.

As the motorhome industry continues to heat up and overseas orders keep pouring in, Chinese motorhome enterprises, represented by Rongcheng, are writing legend after legend with their strength.

This is a source of pride for Chinese motorhome enterprises and for all Chinese people.The departure of each motorhome is a way of presenting China's business card to the world. It is believed that Rongcheng motorhomes will carry more "Made in China" products to every corner of the globe!