Caravan World Issue 613

We are halfway through the year, and the high demand for caravans continues unabated. And while you might think our RV-led economy is unique to Australia, reports seem to indicate the idea has caught on in other places as well. A recent industry newsletter reported, “What RV manufacturers and suppliers have accomplished over the last year is nothing short of incredible and will continue its record-breaking streak through the rest of the year.” The report from the US concluded that sales would exceed 575,000 units for the calendar year to achieve a 33 per cent increase over last year for the highest ever. Delving deeper and putting the local scene into perspective is the sales report from Thor Industries, one of the largest RV builders in the world. They encompass caravans (or…

The entire 4500 ticket allocation to this year’s iconic Birdsville Races has sold out in record time. The tickets, which for the first time in the event’s 139-year history, went on sale online at 9am on Wednesday 26 May and by day’s end were gone. Vice-President of the Birdsville Race Club Gary Brook said of the unprecedented record, “The horse has well and truly bolted on this one. We were expecting demand to be high, but never in our wildest dreams did we expect tickets to sell this fast. I was then watching the figures rise in thousand increments over the next few minutes. Never in the history of the event have we had such an overwhelming response." The boom in domestic travel as a result of the pandemic shutting interstate…

In a move that will strengthen Dometic’s product offering and distribution network around the world, the company has entered into an agreement to acquire Front Runner Vehicle Outfitters. Front Runner provides vehicle specific hardware for most four-wheel-drives and the company saw net sales last year of approximately $35 million USD, which will see Dometic’s earnings per share (EPS) soar. “This is our fourth announced acquisition this year and our pipeline of potential future acquisitions remains strong,” said Juan Vargues, President and CEO of Dometic. The privately owned South African company has approximately 320 full-time employees with headquarters and manufacturing near Johannesburg and these employees will maintain their positions as the acquisition is finalised. Closing is expected to take place during the third quarter of 2021.…

The ATX Premium All-Terrain Suspension is now available in the classic 'Doe Skin' or the all new second colour option, 'Onyx'. With the same price, features and performance, the new look now offers buyers another option for suspension to go under a caravan or luxury camper trailer. The new look was shown firsthand at the Queensland Caravan and Camping Supershow, held at Brisbane Showgrounds from 2-7 June 2021. The 'Doe Skin' and 'Onyx' colour range is only available on the Cruisemaster ATX systems.…

Australian company The Thirsty Nomad has designed a water purifier that uses quantum physics to destroy 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses in water including E. coli — a first for the Australian caravan market. According to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, there should be no E. coli in healthy drinking water and despite the specification of 0 colony-forming units (cfu) of E. coli in 100ML of water, existing filters on the market currently have no scientifically proven method to ensure this. The Thirsty Nomad Founder and Executive Director Tory Shenstone said there is a lack of understanding in the caravan sector about microbiologically safe water. “We could see that caravanners, such as retirees with compromised immune systems and young families, were being left vulnerable to harmful pathogens in water by filters…

Still in its initial stages with two years to go, a new virtual reality project is coming to the Flinders Ranges that will allow virtual tourists to be ‘teleported’ into the deep past. UNISA geologist Tom Raimondo has been virtually documenting the geoscientific significance of the 600-million-year-old landscape in support of the South Australian government's bid for world heritage status. Once completed, the 360-degree tour will take viewers on a journey through time and illustrate why the landscape has captured the world’s attention — not only for scientific reasons, but also for its rich Indigenous and mining heritage. Phase One of the project was funded by private donations and the Project LIVE team is actively seeking further support from stakeholders across the environmental, mining, tourism, and heritage sectors to expand to Phase Two. According…