Is this Australia's best caravan museum?

The more sophisticated the latest caravans become, the more fascinating are their much more basic forebears.

That’s the real-world experience of Ben Searle, who has captured public interest and been inundated with offers of old caravans, memorabilia and stories since he sent up his Australian Caravan Museum three years ago as an adjunct to his Avan, Golf and Willow dealership in Bundaberg, Queensland.

Rather than a marketing opportunity, it was a labour of love for Searle, whose father Paul was a prominent caravan dealer in Portarlington Road, Moolap (Geelong) from the early 1970s, selling caravans such as Franklin, Roma and Viscount to the emerging holiday market.

His son Ben’s museum is a constantly growing collection of vehicles and memorabilia that is open free of charge to the public every day except Sundays, showcasing the vibrant history of the ways people created memories while exploring Australia over the years.

As a child, Ben recalls listening while his father shared stories with his mates who knew so much about vans they could tell the year one was built by the type of clip that held its blinds closed.

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They'd also share stories about the industry, popular trends and the good times spent on the road, or at caravan shows, creating a rich history of the industry.

Although initially resisting an industry calling, Ben Searle set up his own caravan dealership in Bundaberg around five years ago. He was spurred on to start the museum after purchasing an old Aerolite caravan from an industry colleague over a few beers following a caravan show in Townsville, after learning that his father had originally sold it new, as verified by its front window sticker.

Bitten by the nostalgia bug, he also bought an early Franklin caravan and a 1961 Roma, which he restored, retaining the Roma’s distinctive ‘Diamond Print’ exterior stone shielding.

The Bundaberg museum now also houses an early ‘Gracemur’ fibreglass-bodied caravan originally built in Bundaberg under licence from Sunliner Caravans, along with two early motorhomes and many articles on early caravan travel and associated memorabilia of each caravanning era.

After deciding to feature the growing collection  as an attraction of his new and used caravan business in Bundaberg, Searle built a proper shed in which to store all the items safely, but says he’ll soon need to set up a larger facility to house them, as he is gifted or offered more vans and memorabilia items almost weekly.

A feature of the current museum is that its items are not for sale, but are there to be admired, enjoyed and to start conversations.

Searle’s expectation is that the museum will soon outgrow its space at his RV Centre and will need to relocate to its own purpose-built ‘not for profit’ museum site.

In the meantime, he's on the lookout for vehicles to add to the collection, while also keen to keep filling its many display cabinets with items of period interest.

“If you have anything old that is associated with the caravan industry, I’d love to hear from you,” he says. “It could be parts, photos of past adventures, or simply special story that you would like kept for posterity.”

More info: Australian Caravan Museum