The number of camper vans in the Netherlands is expected to top 90,000 by the end of this year and 100,000 by 2016, news agency ANP reports on Wednesday.

According to motoring organisation Bovag, there are currently some 88,600 campers in the Netherlands, up almost one-third on 2009. The rise is due to the popularity of campers among pensioners, Bovag spokesman Tom Huyskens said.

‘They park their camper in front of their house and go off whenever they want,’ Huyskens told ANP. ‘They have their affairs in order and travel all over Europe.’

Sales of second-hand campers are doing particularly well, with more than 3,000 changing hands so far this year. At the same time, the number of members of the Dutch Camper Club has risen 12% to over 31,000.

Despite their reputation as a nation of caravan owners, the sale of new caravans fell by 6.3% to 3,736 in the first six months of the year, Bovag said.