Waygo crossover caravan breaks the mould

Is it a traditional-style caravan, a tiny home or an apartment-on-wheels?

If you speak to Michael Ritzau, the CEO of Melbourne-based Waygo Lifestyle Solutions, the new Waygo Flinders trailerable RV displayed at last week's Geelong Outdoor Living Caravan Expo, is a combination of all three.

"They're really classed as a mobile tiny home," he explained.

"It's built for the tiny home market but we've had so many caravan people that have said this is awesome so we're showing it at some of the caravan shows now, to see how it goes."

Launched in Australia in early-2025, the Waygo Flinders expander-van is built by big Chinese hybrid caravan and motorhome manufacturer, Compaks RV, and is unique in more ways than one.

First up, it's got a large fold-out section on each side, that when set up for camping provides a spacious interior floorplan unlike anything else on the caravan market.

Ritzau said the 17ft single-axle model delivers similar floorspace to that of a 24ft 6in caravan, while the 19ft tandem-axle variant boasts the same amount of space inside as a 26in 6in 'van. Two more body lengths should be available soon.

"We've got a big 22ft version coming which is going to be massive," he said. "That's aimed at people who are living in a caravan permanently; it will give them the ultimate space. It will probably be the equivalent of a 32ft van.

"They're not slide-out (side 'rooms') as it's difficult to do slide-outs that wide (1400m). So they actually fold out," he explained.

We didn't get a demo at the show but the video below illustrates the five-part opening process for each side, which is largely automated.

Ritzau said a mix of gas struts, hydraulics and electric actuators help move the panels into place to form the fold-out 'rooms'. However, lounge cushions and the bed mattress must be packed away before they can be closed up, and unlike slide-outs, they're supported by drop-down stabilisers.

"The only two things that aren't (push button) automated are these side doors which you can do with your little finger," Ritzau explained.

"The bottom's hydraulic, the top's electric, and the rest is simple. Maybe two and a half to five minutes (set up time). It's all fully sealed because the roof comes down and seals it all. You can't get wet."

An 800mm wide entry door adds to the homey feel, as do some sturdy drop-down steps.

The other stand-out feature of the Waygo Flinders is extensive use of carbon fibre materials in the construction, both inside and out, which adds to the cost but helps keep the Tare weight down, to as low as 2460kg.

The 3500kg ATM and 2.2m wide travel width also makes it appealing to the towable market.

"You wouldn't want to tow it away every week-end because there's a little bit of set-up, but if you're travelling Australia and staying in different places this is awesome because you've got so much room," he said.

Different layouts are available, including with either a front or central kitchen, separate shower and toilet rooms, and couple and family bunk beds.

If you think the 'island bench' layouts have an American RV feel about them, that's deliberate, with plans to sell the Waygo Flinders in the USA as well as Australia.

Also helping keep the weight down are PET benchtops, and Ritzau says a more conventional timber and fibreglass build would push the Tare up close to 3000kg. The carbon fibre panels including in the cabinetry are mostly painted to give them a clean, glossy look.

The Waygo 'vans also come with plenty of off-grid power, with a standard 430Ah lithium battery system with 1550W rooftop solar, upgradeable to 1260Ah and 3000W.

Pricing for the single axle 17 footer starts at around $117,000, with the bigger 19ft priced from $125,000. Waygo has a main showroom in the Melbourne suburb of Kilsyth, along with a dealer in Adelaide.

Compaks RV is also looking at building caravans for Aussie sister brand Adventura using carbon fibre; a material previously only used on big-ticket RVs like the Zone Summit and Ultimate camper.

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