RVs rev up China's city dwellers

Traders talk outside an exhibition section for recreational vehicles during the trade show in Beijing.

The RV that he rented had all the facilities of a hotel room but was more comfortable, private and relaxing, according to Wu.

He parked the RV under some big trees and heard the sound of crickets at night. He rose to the chirping of birds the next morning, and found them picking at leftover food outside the RV from the previous night.

"You are so close to nature and to little creatures that you don't notice in the cities. I don't need to worry about where to stay in the night if I have the RV. I can go to any place the road leads, with friends and family," Wu says.

RVs are also being used to meet other family requirements as the case of another visitor at the exhibition illustrates.

For Liu Da'nian, a resident of Yangzhou in Jiangsu province, life has become much easier since he converted a family van into an RV in 2012. He is now able to often travel along with his wife and daughter, who has cerebral palsy.

"The RV changed our lives. It especially helps on trips with our daughter," Liu says.

Liu and his wife are professors at Yangzhou University. They have customized one of their apartment rooms to hold their daughter's physical therapy sessions.

Lingzi, as she is fondly called by her parents, is 24 years old and requires some help with daily activities, such as walking and eating.

His daughter's condition has forced her to largely stay indoors, Liu says. "She has become moody and unhappy with time."