🇦🇺 Australia — OpenVan.camp

Michelle, 73, and Patrick White, 76, sold their waterfront home in Sydney and moved into a 21-foot Jayco Starcraft caravan. Over seven years, they have travelled 153,000 km across Australia. Eight months into their trip, Michelle suffered a major stroke in Queensland, coinciding with COVID-19 border closures in 2020. A hospital stroke specialist advised that van life was the ideal environment for her recovery due to its single-level layout and private facilities. The couple supports local businesses in small towns; the sector generates $10.7 billion annually, with the majority flowing into regional communities.

Australian company Goldy Caravans has launched the Coastal Cruiser, its largest travel trailer in the Traveler series. The body measures 19 feet (5.88 meters) long, with an overall length of 22.1 feet (6.75 meters) on a tandem axle. It features a DuraGal steel chassis, leaf spring suspension, molded composite fiberglass body with high-density thermal insulation, and classic 1960s-inspired panoramic windows. Two variants are available: Base with a wet bathroom and sleeping for four (optionally six), and Ensuite with a choice of bathroom configuration. Pricing starts at AUD 99,950. As of summer 2026, Goldy Caravans has secured its first U.S. dealer and ships internationally.

At the Melbourne Caravan & Camping Leisurefest held at Sandown Racecourse, Australian brand Snowy River, owned by New Gonow, unveiled its MY’27 lineup with a 48V electrical system. The company received the Best Stand Award and the People’s Choice Award. The event drew over 20,000 visitors.

A 60-year-old Gold Coast tourist, Steve Hoy, was slashed across the forehead with an angle grinder when he confronted a man allegedly trying to steal his e-bike from his motorhome at a caravan park in Hackney, inner-eastern Adelaide, shortly before 5am. The struggle spilled onto the road, where the assailant turned the power tool on Hoy, knocking him down. Despite his injury, Hoy chased the thief, who fled on the stolen bike, abandoning belongings including drugs and a wallet with a large amount of cash. Police seized the e-bike and items for forensic testing; the suspect, described as a Caucasian man about 191cm tall, remains at large.

The Residential Parks Act 2026 has come into force in Tasmania, granting long-term residents of caravan and residential parks stronger protections and greater certainty. The legislation sets clear rights and obligations, fair termination processes, safety and amenity requirements, and a dispute resolution framework. Park operators gain a modern regulatory regime, with a transitional regulation-making power available for up to five years to address legacy planning or building issues.

REDARC Electronics announced the launch of REDWorks power panels, compact prewired systems for charging, monitoring and power distribution. The panels offer 25- to 100-amp charging options and target commercial vehicles, campers, RVs and horse trailer living quarters. The core lineup includes Scout25, Nomad50 and Pioneer50, with QuickFit75 and QuickFit100 for higher-output applications. The panels are assembled and tested in Australia.

Emma and Stuart Kendall travelled from Perth to Sydney in an electric campervan to reduce emissions and fuel costs. A 2026 report from RV insurer CIL found that rising fuel prices are prompting grey nomads to shorten itineraries and choose closer destinations. Caravan and camping trips hit a record 17.3 million in 2025, but average trip length fell to 3.4 nights. AdventurEV campervans start at $120,000 for a 5.5-metre model and go up to $250,000 for 4WD conversions; charging at powered sites provides up to 400 kilometres of range.

A car towing a caravan rolled over on the northbound Hume Highway near Narambulla Creek, 20 kilometres north of Goulburn. A man in his 70s was trapped, while a woman also in her 70s was uninjured and out of the vehicle. Paramedics, police, Police Rescue, the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW are at the scene. Northbound traffic is banked up for several kilometres.

Australian caravan maker Maverick Campers has been liquidated. Debts exceed 6 million Australian dollars, stock was seized, and 72 orders worth 5 million remain.

Australian caravan manufacturer Maverick Campers (Fetch Business Solutions) was placed into liquidation on 1 October after negotiations with its financier over $500,000 in debt broke down. Liquidators from Jirsch Sutherland estimate the company owes up to $6 million. The financier repossessed all caravans across Australia, creating uncertainty for 72 orders worth $5 million. The company operated in four states with sales centres in Prospect, Caboolture, Campbellfield and Wangara.

CARAC, a family-run caravan accessories business in Dandenong South, Victoria, is expanding its range to cater to young Australian families. Founded over 50 years ago and now run by three generations of the same family, the company supplies caravan parts, camping equipment, towing products, and touring resources, including maps and guides. A workshop operates on weekdays for caravan servicing.

Dream Haven RV announced the arrival of the Gladiator Familia, a family RV already established in the Australian market. The model has a body length of 17 feet and an overall towable length of 23 feet, features 6-foot bunk beds, an optional triple-bunk configuration, a convertible twin-to-queen bed, separate dual bench seating/dining, internal wet bath, portable induction cooktop, Smart TV, and external hot and cold shower. Standard off-grid equipment includes off-road airbag suspension, a 690W solar system, a 460Ah heated lithium battery, a 3kW inverter, DC-to-DC charging, full-size spare tire, dual heated freshwater tanks, and a heated gray water tank. The first U.S.-specification units are in production; the American debut will be at Overland East Expo in Virginia from Oct. 23-25, followed by the SEMA Show in Las Vegas from Nov. 3-6.

Five people were taken to hospital after a motorhome rollover on the Bruce Highway at St Lawrence, Queensland, on Tuesday, September 29. All occupants were males in their 20s; they were transported to Mackay Hospital in stable condition with chest, back, facial, abdominal and minor injuries. The 21-year-old driver was issued an infringement notice for driving without due care. The highway was closed and reopened at about 8:30pm.

The Mandurah Boat Caravan 4WD & Camping Show runs 9–11 October at Rushton Park. Expect new boats, caravans, 4WDs, an airshow, monster trucks, live music and a beer festival.

Australian company Headspace Campers has developed a lifting roof conversion for the Land Rover Defender 90 and 110, turning the 4x4 into a compact pop-top camper with a sleeping area. The conversion adds 140mm to the vehicle's height when closed and 95kg to its weight; when open, it provides close to two metres of standing room. The mattress is 1,300mm wide, and the Defender 110 version offers a 2,500mm-long bed. Two specifications are available: Standard and Premium, priced from AUD $16,826 and AUD $23,533 respectively, before engineering and installation costs. The company ships internationally and has already carried out Defender 110 installations in the UK.

thl is running a competition for UK and Ireland travel agents, with a prize of 10 days' free rental of a maui Ultima Plus motorhome in Australia or New Zealand. To enter, participants must answer a question about thl's free app, with the answer found in the In the Spotlight video. The competition closes at midnight on 8 November 2026; travel is valid from 1 November 2026 to 30 November 2027, excluding 15 Dec 2026 – 15 Jan 2027 and 20 Mar – 4 Apr 2027. The motorhome sleeps up to two adults and one child and includes a kitchen, en-suite toilet and shower; the prize covers unlimited kilometres, the Platinum Pack, and bedding and linen. Additional fees, fuel, and campgrounds are not included.

Daniel Ball upgraded from a $72,000 Leader Gold LE caravan to a $125,000 Supreme Classic Tourer. He installed a custom Redarc power system with 840 watts of roof solar and a 620-amp lithium battery, enabling off-grid use of a split-system air conditioner and other appliances without a generator. After running a heater for five and a half hours, cooking, and charging devices, the battery still had 91% charge the next morning.

In the Great Southern region of Western Australia, a pickup driver towing a caravan lost control while overtaking a truck carrying grain. The caravan began to sway, and the vehicle left the road. Both drivers were uninjured. The incident occurred on Thursday morning on Collie-Dumbleyung Road. Western Australian authorities urged drivers to be cautious ahead of long weekends and school holidays. As of July 2026, nearly 147,000 caravans and motorhomes were registered in the state; their number has increased over the past five years. This year, three people died in regional Western Australian crashes involving vehicles towing caravans or camper trailers. Over the past decade, 17 people died in such crashes, 16 of them in regional areas of the state. The Road Safety Commission noted that 13 people died on Western Australian roads during last year's October school holidays.

On Thursday on Collie-Dumbleyung Road in Western Australia, a ute towing a caravan lost control while overtaking a grain truck. The caravan fishtailed, but no one was injured.

Two people were taken to hospital after a car towing a caravan rolled on the Newell Highway near Alectown, north of Parkes, shortly before 11am on Friday, September 25. A man in his 80s was treated for an arm injury and a woman in her 70s for minor hand injuries; both were taken to Dubbo Base Hospital. As of 12:40pm, emergency services were still clearing the scene, with alternating stop/slow traffic conditions in place near the intersection of Claremont Lane and the Newell Highway.