RV enthusiasts at home on wheels

Recreational vehicles intermingle with tents, tables and barbecues.

"Compared to Europe, which has tens of thousands of RV campsites, China is still in its infancy," she said. "Cities nationwide have been coming up with more campsites in recent years, but few of them are close to each other, which has made it difficult for RV enthusiasts to refill water, recharge electricity and hygienically deal with the waste and sanitation."

The lack of RV campsites has made it difficult for the mobile homes to go wherever the road takes them, which explains why a growing number of RVs can be found at the campsites, but very few are actually seen on the road, Li said.

Li suggested that the government come up with a series of campsites in city clusters - for example to set up several campsites in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, so that residents of all three areas can hit the road in their mobile home during vacation, without worrying about being stranded without electrical power or water, or having nowhere to dispose of waste.

Gas stations along the highways could add facilities to serve the need, she said.

As the public gets familiar with this mode of travel, more people will be drawn to it, she said.

"Once you try traveling in an RV once, you get hooked. It's nothing like the experience you get in a sedan."

According to Weng Baiji, head of the Taiwan Recreational Vehicle Association, the potential for the Chinese RV camping market is immense.

"The future of China's recreational vehicle industry is bright, and no one wants to miss out on a slice of the cake," he said.

Weng started an RV camping business year ago in Taiwan and it's time to shift attention to the mainland.

Despite the growing number of campsites across the country in the past few years, many fall short when it comes to services and activities, he said.

"For example, many campsites are poorly equipped with showers or medical services," Weng said. "Our RV campsites in Taiwan always provided activities such as international student exchanges, pet walks and exhibitions, and all the various activities that enhance the camping experience. These are barely seen on the mainland."

In Japan, RV campsites are usually combined with nearby entertainment facilities such as mineral springs, fishing sites, museums and fairs, he said.

Weng suggested that Beijing should come up with several RV campsites with different themes on the outskirts of the city.

"The campsites don't have to be large in size, but each should feature in a different theme so that residents can drive to whichever they like best over the weekend," he said.

According to Li, the tourism professor, most RV enthusiasts, or potential ones, are in their 40s or 50s and are adventurous enough to participate while having enough capital to support their pastime.

"Many of these people look at the RV as a way of facilitating communication between family members," she said.