RV ownership at record levels

According to the latest figures from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, RV ownership down under is at record levels, with 679,378 recreational vehicles registered in 2018.

According to the CIAA, this equates to one in every 13 households owning a recreational vehicle, with caravans and campervans now being the fastest growing vehicle type in Australia by registration for the past eight years.

Despite some black clouds over the local RV manufacturing industry, local production remains relatively strong, with 23,070 RVs built in 2018 according to the CIAA. Local production is also up five percent, year-on-year, for the first two months of 2019.

Notwithstanding a surge in imported caravans and camper trailers, mostly from China, which now account for an estimated 10,000-plus recreational vehicles sold in Australia annually, locally-built RVs retain a healthy overall market share of around 70 per cent.

Among the locally-built RVs, caravans remain the most popular choice, accounting for 55 per cent of overall production in 2018, while by all accounts tent trailers make up the vast majority of imported RVs.

Popular brands

So which Aussie RV brands are the most popular?

The CIAA releases production breakdowns for market segments but not individual brands, and many manufacturers including Jayco are reluctant to publicise their current production or sales numbers, which can fluctuate depending on economic and political conditions.

However, it’s believed that despite a slowdown in the market Jayco still accounts for as much as 40 per cent of all local RV production, with an estimated 9000-plus units built at its Dandenong, Victoria factory in 2018.

Fellow Victorian manufacturers Avan and New Age are believed to be the next highest, both producing in excess of 2000 RVs annually, while Brisbane’s Apollo which like Jayco builds for both the rental and retail markets, is believed to produce between 1500-2000 units annually.

Other major RV brands estimated to build between 400 and 950 RVs annually include Supreme, JB, Essential, Concept, Atlantic, Avida, Crusader, Lotus and Nova.

According to a CIAA consumer study of 2541 RV owners as well as non-owners, close to half of respondents indicated a 'high' preference for buying an Australian-made RV, compared to only nine per cent for a European-built RV and seven per cent for one built in Asia.

“The high demand for Australian made product is a testament to local manufacturing process and that consumers place a high value in quality and workmanship,” the authors of the 'RV Consumer 2018' report concluded.

New buyers not as patriotic

However, the study also found that first-time buyers were less inclined to buy an Aussie-built RV (with 43 per cent indicating a ‘high’ preference), while one third of respondents indicated they weren't too fussed if their next RV was manufactured overseas.

With sales of American fifth-wheelers as well as British/European caravans dropping dramatically in recent years, Chinese-built camper trailers, pop-tops and caravans now comprise the majority of imported RVs.

Among the major Chinese RV brands operating in Australia are MDC (which accounts for as many as 3000-4000 annual units), EzyTrail, Mars and Black Series, while Snowy River and Goldstar lead the charge of imported Chinese caravans, accounting for as many as 600-800 annual sales.