UK’s Best Caravan Workshops Named — Why It Matters

Two servicing businesses have just set the benchmark for the rest of the UK caravan industry.

Kirk Caravan Services in Lanarkshire has been named Approved Workshop Scheme (AWS) Fixed Workshop of the Year 2025 — for the second year running.

JB Caravan and Trailer Services in Staffordshire has taken AWS Mobile Workshop of the Year 2025, marking its third win.

On the surface, this looks like a feel-good awards story.

It isn’t.

This is about standards, trust, and where the aftermarket side of the caravan industry is heading.

Let’s look at it.

What The Awards Actually Measure

The AWS Awards aren’t popularity contests.

Workshops are judged on:

• Compliance with strict scheme requirements

• Independent assessments

• Customer feedback

• Direct customer votes

The Approved Workshop Scheme remains the only industry-recognised body for caravan servicing workshops in the UK. That distinction matters.

Because servicing is not a “nice to have” — it’s fundamental to warranty protection, safety, and resale value.

Fixed vs Mobile: A Market Shift Worth Watching

The fact that both fixed-site and mobile workshops are recognised at the highest level reflects something bigger.

Mobile servicing is no longer fringe.

It’s professionalised, structured, and winning national awards.

That aligns with broader consumer behaviour:

• Convenience expectations are rising

• Time-poor owners want servicing at home or in storage

• Regional dealer coverage gaps are being filled by mobile operators

For dealerships, the question isn’t whether mobile competition exists.

It’s whether you’re partnering with it — or losing service customers to it.

Why This Matters for the Industry

Here’s the blunt truth: as new caravan sales fluctuate with economic cycles, the servicing and repair sector becomes even more commercially important.

When:

• Buyers hold onto caravans longer

• Used stock increases

• Warranty claims rise

• Consumers scrutinise value harder

Servicing quality becomes a competitive differentiator.

Workshops that can demonstrate compliance, consistency, and verified customer satisfaction gain leverage.

For dealerships, this has implications:

1. Aftercare is no longer secondary revenue — it’s stability revenue.

2. Your workshop standards directly influence repeat purchase behaviour.

3. Accreditation is becoming a trust shortcut for increasingly cautious buyers.

If your dealership still treats servicing as a back-of-house function rather than a front-line retention strategy, you’re behind.

What This Means for Consumers

From a consumer perspective, this reinforces three things:

1. There is a recognised quality framework behind approved workshops.

2. Customer feedback directly influences industry recognition.

3. Servicing standards are being independently assessed, not self-declared.

In a market where build quality scrutiny is increasing and social media amplifies complaints quickly, visible accreditation builds reassurance.

That reassurance influences buying decisions.

Particularly in the £20,000–£35,000 touring caravan bracket, where buyers expect durability and support.

The Bigger Takeaway

Awards like this don’t just celebrate good businesses.

They raise the baseline expectation for everyone else.

Workshops outside the scheme now face a clearer comparison. Dealers without strong aftersales positioning look exposed. Consumers have clearer signals of who to trust.

This isn’t about trophies.

It’s about professionalisation in the UK caravan servicing sector — and the long-term shift toward accountability, transparency, and measurable standards.

And that shift benefits the entire outdoor leisure vehicle market.

Because when servicing standards rise, ownership confidence rises.

And when ownership confidence rises, purchase intent follows.