RISE OF THE
Motorhomes are travelling goldmines. Amanda Cropp reports on the growing impact of the camping trend.
IMPATIENT drivers refer to motorhomes as road slugs or maggots because they’re white and crawling.
But New Zealand’s growing motorhome fleet is an economic force to be reckoned with, and these ‘‘wallets on wheels’’ are literally driving business into small towns all over the country.
Officially, any vehicle with permanently-fitted cooking and sleeping facilities taking up more than half the floor area, is supposed to be registered as a motorhome.
According to the New Zealand Transport Agency we have 29,582 of them, 6000 more than in 2011.
Commercial rentals account for at least 5000 vehicles, so the vast majority are privately owned by New Zealanders and tourists who buy secondhand campers, or get vans retro-fitted.
The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) has 73,000 members, most of them couples, and membership is growing about 12 per cent a year.
In March, the country’s biggest motorhome and caravan show in Auckland recorded between $28m and $30m worth of sales.
That included 130 motorhomes costing anywhere from $100,000 for a lower-end model, right up to $300,000 for a fancy one with slide out sides.
‘‘They’re just like an apartment on wheels, they’re so highly spec-ed,’’ says Chris Gaskell, managing director of show organiser Spot On Exhibitions.
About half the buyers were over 60s realising long held dreams to hit the road, often after downsizing the family home.
Real estate agent Sharron King and husband Chris, bought their first motor home more than 30 years ago and she says it’s much better than being tied to a bach.
‘‘You can change the scenery when you’ve had enough.’’
The couple live just north of Christchurch and have three motorhomes - the largest a ninemetre bus - which they share with their adult daughters.
King hates being lumped in with the irresponsible freedom campers who litter scenic spots and poo in public places. ‘‘People look at us as being the same, but we’re not.’’
The Kings spend about 50 nights away a year, and spend is the operative word - the Easter rally they attended dropped more than $25,000 in Kaikoura, one of 47 towns the NZMCA has designated as ‘‘motorhome friendly.’’
The association has invested $1m promoting towns that welcome motorhomers by providing freedom camping areas and waste dump stations.
Free advertising of events to members carries real clout, as evidenced by the 400 motorhomes that parked up in a paddock set aside for them at the Marton country music festival.
Westport is motorhome friendly and Buller Mayor Garry Howard, sees a world of difference between messy freedom campers travelling in unselfcontained vehicles and these ‘‘desirable tourists.’’
‘‘They’re the winers and diners, they don’t just go into the supermarket for the basics.’’
The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment says the number of international visitors who did some freedom camping during their stay surpassed 100,000 last year - compared with just 10,000 in the early 2000s - and they spent about $380m.