They operate a fleet of more than 1,100 RVs. A few years after the peak of the corona pandemic, Roadfans is now insolvent.
The motorhome provider Roadfans GmbH from Mönchengladbach filed for bankruptcy on October 17, 2024. The Mönchengladbach district court confirmed the application, as “Autobild” reports. Nikolaos Antoniadis from the Düsseldorf law firm Antoniadis & Ure was appointed as provisional insolvency administrator.
Roadfans operates in Germany and operates a fleet of around 1,100 motorhomes. In addition to offering rentals, the company also sells and repairs RVs. According to insolvency administrator Antoniadis, the company’s operations should be kept as stable as possible. However, mobile home rentals are temporarily suspended because legal requirements require this.
Meanwhile, sales and workshop operations continue. Antoniadis assured that new sales contracts can be processed as usual, provided full payment is made. However, purchase contracts concluded before insolvency must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, which could lead to delays for affected customers.
Edda Nowak from the consumer advice center gives little hope: consumers come last. Whatever money is left will first be spent on social security contributions and salaries. A glimmer of hope, according to the consumer advisor: If Roadfans has the vehicle in stock, the insolvency administrator could release delivery.
Workshop operations, however, should continue without restrictions. This also applies to customers who have already brought their vehicles to Roadfans for repairs or maintenance. According to Antoniadis, these services should be guaranteed.
For the 179 employees of Roadfans, the payment of their salaries is initially secured. This will take place until December 2024 via the insolvency benefit from the Federal Employment Agency. The employees have already been informed about the company’s current situation. Managing director Jan Philipp Harmes expressed optimism despite the difficult situation. He emphasized that the Roadfans team is strong and believes in a renovation and a future solution.
There are already discussions with possible investors. Roadfans is fit for the future, explains Antoniadis at “Autobild”: “We are currently examining all options to preserve Roadfans and do justice to the creditors.” Long-term trends towards RV travel and closeness to nature would exist.
The aftermath of the Corona period is partly responsible for the difficult situation of road fans. During the pandemic, the RV industry experienced a boom and demand increased significantly. The result: increased interest rates, overproduction and price pressure on the vehicle market.