Meet the motorhome manufacturer: Frankia

Frankia, a German manufacturer of high-end coachbuilt motorhomes, is part of the French Pilote Group that also owns the Pilote, Le Voyageur, Bavaria, Danbury and RMB marques, as well as other related motorhome businesses. At the head of this large manufacturing group sits Marie-Danièle Padiou, a lady who has big plans for the Frankia marque here

As with almost every European manufacturer, Frankia is challenged with making more motorhomes to meet increasing demand. Production at its factory currently sits at 450 motorhomes annually.

“In 2017, we delivered 450 motorhomes,” explains Marie-Danièle. “This year we will reach 550. We could grow more but we need to keep the level of quality high while we grow – it is just about growing step-by-step. Our target is to continue to grow sales and production at the Frankia site to reach 700 motorhomes in two years’ time.”

But, regardless of demand, production will not be shifted to another of the group’s factories. “We will not make Frankia anywhere else. Only here,” she says, referring to Frankia’s factory in Germany. “Here there is the Frankia spirit. The reason why Frankia is Frankia is because there is a very good connection between the teams and different departments and a passion of the teams to the product, the factory, the customers and the brand.”

Frankia actually exports more models than it sells in its home market. This means it has a strong focus on developing models for export markets such as the UK. “We have a product that’s very well adapted to the needs of some countries – they are fully winterised and they are very autonomous,” says Marie-Danièle. “They’re big and very comfortable and so are great for countries like Norway and Sweden and then we have layouts and atmospheres – ambiance – that are really appreciated by British customers, such as the rear lounge.”

Frankia's only UK motorhome dealer

SMC in Newark, Nottinghamshire, is Frankia’s sole UK dealer. It sells some 50 Frankia motorhomes a year – a significant volume for a single dealer selling such a high-end brand.

“We have an extremely good partner in the UK and they believe in Frankia,” says Marie-Danièle. “Three years ago we were in the range of 30 to 40 sales and now we have 50-plus sales and we know there is potential to grow more.”

Nowhere else does one dealer sell so many Frankia motorhomes, which says a lot about the quality of the dealer but also about British buyers’ appetite for Frankia.

“We believe our Frankia products are very well suited to the UK market,” says Marie-Danièle. But, despite this, don’t expect any more Frankia dealers here. “We are not going to appoint another dealer in the UK. To take Frankia on board, you really need to embed the spirit of Frankia but also the technical knowledge, so it really is a big investment for a dealer.”

SMC, she says, knows the brand intimately and is now drawing in customers not just from the midlands but from across the UK.
“When you buy a Frankia it is expensive but you also buy the service of the dealer,” explains Marie-Danièle. “Our target is not to have 10 dealers in the UK, our plan is to have the right dealers and to work together with them so we can grow together.”

A 3.5-tonne Frankia motorhome

Frankia is best known for its larger motorhomes and only has a minimal presence in the sub-3.5-tonne category. This means that, while some potential customers will be unable to consider a Frankia, it can use higher-grade materials that weigh more, as well as add equipment that some manufacturers are unable to offer.

“Our motorhomes are solutions, they are technical innovations,” says Marie-Danièle. “Every Frankia is almost unique. You can’t have this flexibility in other brands – we think what makes us different is we are very technical. We also use our motorhomes and have experience of what works and what doesn’t work and this is really important. We are able to answer the specific needs of our customers.”

This doesn’t mean every model’s bespoke but customers can adapt them to suit their needs. “We have a standard range but in Frankia you can adapt,” she says. “When a customer asks for something we don’t say ‘no, sorry’ we say ‘okay, come and we’ll discuss’. This close contact with our customers is something that makes Frankia special.”

But Frankia is planning to launch a motorhome that can be driven by anyone with a standard car licence. “There is a market for a 3.5-tonne Frankia and we will develop in it,” confirms Marie-Danièle. “We’re working on this and we want to make it right – so still a Frankia and still a premium product. We’re not going into the mainstream.”

Expectations are that a 3.5-tonne model will be launched in May 2019 and will go on sale in the 2020 season. 

Why the UK motorhome market remains so attractive

It’s no surprise that the UK motorhome market remains so attractive to European manufacturers, despite the uncertainty over Brexit – record numbers of motorhomes are still being sold here. And, the figure could be even higher than the figures suggest. Referring to the most recent sales figures for 2017, Marie-Danièle explains that the true figure could be as much as 30% higher. “You are missing many registrations… it is probably 3,000 to 4,000 more. So your market is probably closer to France in terms of motorhomes than the figures suggest.”

The question over the accuracy of the registration figures centres on concerns that some campervans are being registered incorrectly while others are being converted after they have already been registered and are not being re-registered.

She also points out that, when caravan sales are taken into account, the UK is the second largest market in Europe for recreational vehicles. “And you are only one of two markets where caravan sales are greater than motorhome sales,” she says. “So I think there is tremendous potential in the UK… we consider the UK market to be 60,000 including caravans, which means there is huge growth – the UK market could be as big as the German market for motorhomes.”

In Germany the motorhome market is now topping 40,000 new sales annually. Britain is currently at 13,400. “Yes, it will take time but it could double,” she says. “If the caravan owners move to motorhomes, then it is possible.”
But there are concerns over what Brexit will bring. “Like everyone, we are worried about Brexit,” says Marie-Danièle. “My biggest concern is that the British consumer will be worried and, when people are worried, they do not buy motorhomes, they wait and delay their investment while things settle down.”

Frankia's typical customer

Frankia buyers are a varied bunch but many have owned several motorhomes previously and so know what they want, and don’t. “If they choose a Frankia they know what they are getting in terms of the technical aspects and they really pay attention to that,” Marie-Danièle explains. “Some of our motorhomes are very big, and are often optimised for two people but with the possibility to bring your grandchildren. And we see more and more families being interested in those motorhomes, especially with motorhomes like the Platin, which is very automotive in its look and so younger families and couples are attracted by this.”

One thing that resonates with experienced motorhomers is Frankia’s work to make its motorhomes as autonomous as possible.
“The autonomy of the motorhome and the innovation is also attracting our customers,” she says. “The average age is 50 to 55, they are very active, technically orientated and like sports (motorbikes, bikes, etc) and so the big garage matters and this will typically be their third or fourth motorhome.”

Not surprisingly, all Frankia, indeed all Pilote Group motorhomes, have the highest Grade III insulation rating from Alde and Truma.
“It is all about quality and service. When you buy a motorhome at this price, this is what you expect,” says Marie-Danièle. “But, with a Frankia, you get space… maybe you don’t want to drive an 8m motorhome but you don’t need to as, with a Frankia, you will get that same feeling of space in a shorter motorhome. It is an investment. People do not ask what will this be worth in five years because they know – a Frankia will not be their first motorhome.”

This article is one of series that appears in every issue of MMM magazine, which is Britain's best-selling motorhome magazine.

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