Top-10 crazy caravans

Aerovan

Function over form is the best way to describe most Aussie caravans, with their practical, brick-like shapes about as aerodynamic as a Sumo wrestler in a wind tunnel!

So you’d think a more streamlined caravan design that not only looked good but would save you money at the fuel bowser, would be a winner.

That’s what Echuca, Victoria brothers Alistair and Geoff Morrison thought when they came up with the Aerovan a few years back. Looking like a cross between a double-ended horse float and an iconic American Airstream, the Aerovan was also designed to remedy that other bugbear of Aussie caravans – water leaks – with its state-of-the-art composite construction.

Unfortunately, it was all to no avail, with few interested buyers and no manufacturers willing to take a punt on a truly innovative design…

Further reading: Aerovan refines sleek look

CR-1 Carbon RV

The media excitement around the world was palpable when the CR-1 caravan first broke cover. While black caravans emerge every so often – take this dust-catching Kokoda, for example – the prospect of the world’s first caravan made from carbon-fibre was intriguing, to say the least.

Backed by Chinese investors and built by American company Global Caravan Technologies in conjunction with Indycar manufacturer Dallara, the 35-foot long, six-berth, twin-axle prototype was a feast for the senses, with an aerospace-inspired carbon-fibre monocoque shell, and more luxury than a multi-million dollar yacht including leather lining the walls and ceiling.

"GCT's CR-1 Carbon feels more like a luxury New York apartment than an RV," was how then CGT CEO, Charles Hoefer, put it at the time.

The plan was to sell it in global markets including Australia, but with an expected starting price of US$160,000 and top-spec models reaching as high as US$500,000, the project never really got off the ground.

Further reading: First look inside carbon-fibre van

LEGO caravan

Plastics are used to produce almost everything these days, except for the majority Australian-built caravans, which largely consist of natural products like wood and metal.

Innovative Victorian manufacturer Van Cruiser had a crack at an entry-level plastic tub camper a few years ago, and Victoria’s Stockman Products has used moulded plastic to great effect in building its successful range of lightweight camper trailers.

There was also talk of an imported, DIY compact plastic caravan from the US, and a Canadian company specializing in 3D printing went to great lengths to recently produce the world’s first 3D printed camper.

However, the king of plastic caravans – and the one every 'big kid' would love to have in their backyard to play around with – is the world-record breaking LEGO caravan painstakingly built at this year’s Queensland Supershow.

One thing's for sure: despite its child-like appeal, it won’t be cheap if it ever hits the market, with a build cost alone of around $100,000!

Further reading: World's biggest LEGO caravan in Brisbane

Knaus Tabbert Caravisio

While it’s no surprise to see big dollar concept vehicles at some of the world’s largest motor shows, it’s rare for a caravan manufacturer to build a big-buck concept for publicity purposes alone.

But that’s what German RV giant Knaus Tabbert did a few years back, unleashing its mind-boggling Caravisio caravan concept at the world’s biggest caravan show.

Even now most of its technology is yet to see the light of day in a production caravan, like fingerprint entry and a rear projection system that played video onto the smart glass sliding doors to deliver an outdoor cinematic experience like no other.

Some of the design themes did filter down to the Knaus Eurostar, which Victoria's Avan had a good crack at selling down under, but even this ‘toned down’ luxury-yacht-on-wheels was too much for most Aussie buyers...

Further reading: Germany's caravan of the future

BeauEr 3X

Australia punches well above its weight when it comes to RV innovation – take the now defunct Kimberley Kruiser as just one of many examples – but you need to look further afield to Europe for the truly wonderful and wacky caravan designs.

Not really known for caravan making, it was the French that came up with the Clockwork Orange-like BeauEr 3X (even the name doesn’t make any sense!). Hit a button and the sides slid out like a telescope, converting the 3.3 metre (11ft) 'tin can' able to be towed by a small hatch into a 6.7 metre (22ft) caravan with a shower and toilet.

To top it off, this funky French creation came in an eye-scorching range of bright colours and patterns, for both inside and out. The whole thing looked like it deserved a place in a modern art gallery, rather than some-one's carport, and we doubt Roma would have found many buyers for this ‘crazy’ caravan at around $50,000 a pop!

Further reading: Crazy collapsible caravan coming

sCarabane

To call the sCarabane a caravan was probably a stretch of the imagination, but you can’t blame French company Green Cat Technologies for not having a crack when it unveiled this attention-grabber at Germany’s Caravan Salon.

With more slide-outs than a speedway race, the sCarabane was perhaps the ultimate ‘expander’ van, with bedrooms and balconies that rotated and slid out at the push of a button or two.

It was also dripping in ‘green’ tech, with 500W of solar panels on the roof that rotated to follow the sun, a wind turbine, and a “parabolic concentrator mirror” on the roof for heating up water.

At the time we labelled the sCarabane the “caravan of the future”, but if that’s the case, we better start building bigger caravan parks!

Further reading: Caravan of the future?

Caraboat

‘Floating’ caravans are nothing new, but the NSW-built Caraboat was one of the better ones to come along for those indecisive types who can’t decide between a caravan and a boat.

Like a boat, it sits on a trailer, and there’s a ‘hidden helm’ so you can hide the boat steering and engine controls until you hit the water. Like a caravan, it has plenty of fresh water storage, up to 180 litres, and all the other caravan stuff (albeit in a confined space) including kitchen, dinette, shower and toilet.

With an ATM of 2500kg, it’s weight is also very caravan-like, although the $143,000 price tag would put off many prospective buyers.

Related reading: Is it a caravan or boat?

Gidget Brumby Wild

Queensland’s Gidget Campers burst onto the scene in 2013 with its hot-road inspired, upmarket teardrop camper with innovative slide-out that created a blokey, king bed-size space inside.

The innovative manufacturer rode a wave of social media ‘likes’, and launched into the US before moving even further upmarket, culminating in an off-road version with astronomical $67,000 price tag.

It was all too good to be true, with the company shutting up shop in 2017, leaving a trail of disgruntled and short-changed customers and legal proceedings in the works.

Further reading: $67,000 teardrop camper arrives

Monopod

The Poms build some of the best caravans in the world, but the manufacturers of the Monopod might have had a few too many gin and tonics before coming up with the idea of an aerospace-inspired caravan.

Featuring a curvaceous, composite, monocoque-like body, the Monopod had more windows than a light aircraft including three helicopter-style panes at the front.

After displaying the Monopod at the Birmingham caravan show with a more than reasonabe sub-$60,000 price tag, the slippery-shaped van disappeared off the market, with British manufacture IH Leisure now focuseing entirely on motorhomes.

Enough said!

Further reading: Monopod dazzles British showgoers

Adria Altea 4Four

While Australian manufacturers regularly attend Germany’s Caravan Salon, often to ‘steal’ ideas for their own vans, one emerging trend on the European caravan market – printed panels – has never really resonated down under.

Slovenian brand Adria, which is sold in Australia by Apollo, made a big splash a few years ago when it released in Europe its bedazzling 4Four range. Based on the compact Altea model, the 4Four gave buyers the opportunity to ‘design your own caravan’ with 29 possible exterior colour combinations available.

Using an online configurator, customers could select from six, funky sidewall patterns, and four colours for exterior and interior trim, before sending off the final result to their local Adria dealer.

Australian Adria (and Winnebago) distributor Apollo flirted with colourful caravans a couple of years ago, displaying a pink and red Minnie van and a version of the 4Four at shows, but since gone back to the more popular ‘white appliance’ look…

Further reading: Adria's bright new direction