Van culture worth $1.1b to the state

QUEENSLAND is now at the centre of Australia’s $20.4 billion caravan industry, accounting for the biggest fleet of vans and a growing manufacturing base.

Caravanning Queensland chief executive Ron Chapman said the state led the nation in sales of caravans and camper vans, last year buying 8200 of the 31,500 vans sold in Australia. Caravan manufacturing and related trade was now worth $1.1 billion to the state.

“Queensland now boasts the largest fleet of caravans and campervans with 170,812 registered vehicles,” said Mr Chapman on the sidelines of last week’s Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow in Brisbane.

Nationally, almost 30,000 caravans, camper vans and trailers are manufactured annually, with Queensland producing a record 6500 last year.

Victoria-based Jayco remains the market leader but Queensland manufacturers such as Kedron Caravans and Sunland Caravans were catching up.

Mr Chapman said the resurgence in the industry was a far cry from the 1990s when caravanning was in the doldrums.