First class motorhomes

MORELO stands for first-class motorhomes that are among the best in the world. With this idea, in just a few years, MORELO has become one of the most successful manufacturers of luxury motorhomes in Europe

The MORELO project started in 2010 with a single prototype at the Caravan Salon. Today, MORELO builds over 530 luxury vehicles a year in one of the most modern production facilities in Germany. MORELO currently offers eight series, has around 430 employees and is represented in Germany by over 15 trading companies. Reinhard Löhner and Robert Crispens are the Managing Directors of MORELO. The young family man, Robert Crispens, has already been very successful at MORELO. In addition to factory tours and customer contact, he still finds some time for the concerns of his colleagues and has become a valuable member of the MORELO family.

Aboutcamp BtoB: MORELO has been a phenomena of recent years, and entered a difficult market. How was the company born and how did it develop?

Robert Crispens: Over the past few years, MORELO has positioned itself as a top provider in the luxury motorhome market segment and is the leading manufacturer of luxury motorhomes in Europe. The company was founded by Jochen Reimann in 2010, and production started in 2011 in Schlüsselfeld. To make this breathtaking development possible, MORELO continuously invested in the expansion of the key plant. The most recent construction phase included the addition of a 3,600 m² production and machine hall, including a belt extension. Because sales and the exhibition hall have also grown by 715 m², the MORELO plant is now 15,300 m². Soon, we will build a large second workshop.

Aboutcamp BtoB: Who owns the company and what are its links to the Knaus Tabbert Group?

Robert Crispens: MORELO has been part of KNAUS Tabbert Aktiengesellschaft since 2020. However, we operate as a completely independent company.

Aboutcamp BtoB: What has been the largest number of vehicles produced in one year? And which year was this?

Robert Crispens: We have been able to continuously increase our production for almost 10 years. Thus, the past year, 2022, was our most productive year to date with 532 First Class motorhomes manufactured.

Aboutcamp BtoB: If a customer orders a MORELO today, how long is the wait to get hold of it?

Robert Crispens: It depends on which model our customers are interested in. For vehicles on an IVECO Daily chassis, for example a MORELO PALACE, the current delivery time is around 18 months. With the large models like our MORELO GRAND EMPIRE, our customers have to be patient even longer: the delivery time is currently around 24 months.

Aboutcamp BtoB: What area does the production site cover? How many employees do you have? What are the best practices you are most proud of?

Robert Crispens: At the moment we have a floor space of 130,000 m² which corresponds to about 20 soccer fields. Around 460 employees currently work at MORELO in Schlüsselfeld. We are very proud that in a relatively short time we have become the most popular brand for luxury motorhomes in Europe and that we enjoy a high level of brand loyalty from our customers.

Aboutcamp BtoB: Do you develop the design of your products internally or do you use external studios?

Robert Crispens: We have been working with a renowned design studio for many years which has built up the dynamic and unmistakable design language of MORELO and is consistently developing it further. The encouragement of our customers proves to us that we are one step ahead in terms of design.

Aboutcamp BtoB: Your motorhomes are among the most expensive RVs marketed in Europe today: how do you justify such a high price for your products?

Robert Crispens: Quite simply: the best materials and loving craftsmanship. More than 70 percent of the costs for a MORELO First Class motorhome are pure material costs.

Aboutcamp BtoB: Who is your typical customer?

Robert Crispens: Most of the time we are dealing with older couples between the ages of 55 and 70 - but they often feel a little younger. He is usually responsible for the technology, she likes to take care of the interior design. Our customers often want to enjoy their retirement after their working life and realize their dreams. Their hobbies are, of course, traveling, pleasure in all its facets and nature. They are financially well off, but want to know that their money is well invested and they always need reliable contacts.

Aboutcamp BtoB: Inflation, war in Ukraine and widespread uncertainty: do these factors, which are so prominent at the moment, influence the choices of your customers, or does the MORELO customer’s spending capacity and purchasing intentions remained unchanged?

Robert Crispens: During economic crises, the luxury segment is usually spared for a long time. Fortunately, the demand for our MORELO brand is unbroken. It is, of course, more difficult for average earners to make an investment or even complete financing one when inflation is high. Customers from the luxury segment usually have enough equity to be able to afford the purchase of a first-class motorhome without any problem. However, it is often precisely a crisis that accelerates a purchase decision, as customers become aware of which aspects in life they want to focus on.

Aboutcamp BtoB: Europe imposes many constraints on driving vehicles over 3,500 kg of gross mass. Does this limit the sales of your products?

Robert Crispens: Our vehicles start at a permissible total mass of 5.6 tonnes. Our latest model, the MORELO GRAND EMPIRE 120 GSB / GSO, has a permissible total weight of 26 tonnes so a truck driver’s license is necessary for this. For all other vehicles up to 7.49 tons, a C1 driving license or the old class 3 is sufficient - the latter for driving license holders who passed their test before 1999. Many MORELO customers would like to switch to the “liner class”, i.e. over 7.5 tons. For this purpose, we offer tailor-made courses for our customers in cooperation with a driving school, so that they can take the driving test directly at MORELO in a familiar environment.

Aboutcamp BtoB: On which market sectors are you present at the moment?

Robert Crispens: We focus exclusively on the luxury segment in the motorhome sector. We offer different vehicle classes, which differ in size and technical level. There are many customization options and we have never built two motorhomes that are exactly the same. Nevertheless, the options are limited, for example, in terms of wood colour or floor plans, although we offer a remarkably wide range of floor plans and equipment variants.