Remaining commitment to dealers fulfilled

Fleetwood pledges $4 million to meet Windsor
and Coromal warranty claims

By Dennis Amor

FLEETWOOD Corporation has pledged $4 million to meet any future warranty costs for Windsor and Coromal caravans built at its WA factory. The ASX-listed company off-loaded its caravan manufacturing business last year after shareholders complained of massive losses. It was snapped up by Apollo for $1 million and the global company now manufactures the caravans under their same brand names at its factory in Brisbane. Fleetwood has announced that apart from warranties, its remaining commitments to dealers who sold its WA-built RVs had now been fulfilled. It has also revealed that as part of the sale process to Apollo, Fleetwood retained some finished caravans. "These have been placed in dealerships in Brisbane and Melbourne on a consignment basis. Cash will be realised from these assets," it said.

Blaze being investigated

Fire destroys motorhome at Mullumbimby

FIRE crews tackled a fierce blaze involving a "large mobile home" at Tallowood oval in Mullumbimby, NSW, early today. A fire service spokesman said the fire broke out at about 5am. The motorhome was destroyed and there were no reports of anyone being trapped. "Crews contained the fire and the owner was on site," he told Caravanning News. "The fire was contained and did not spread." Police were later investigating the cause of the outbreak. Have your say

'Sky's the limit' for lucky couple

Meehans from Maitland over moon after competition win

THE Meehans from Maitland thought life was good even before their latest serve of good fortune. Allan and wife Bronwyn landed themselves a stunning new Adria caravan worth over $48,000 after entering a competition organised by Ingenia Lifestyle and Apollo RV Sales. They were chosen at random from 8000 entries and said, through a few tears: "This is the best news we've had. It will make a difference to us and to our family. This win really has just fallen into our lap and we are over the moon ... the sky's the limit now." The lucky NSW couple said it was like winning the lotto. "It's so unexpected and fabulous. We are still trying to get our heads around the win," they added.

Police urge travellers to be more security conscious

Thieves strike at Manning-Great Lakes holiday parks

POLICE in NSW's Manning-Great Lakes district have urged travellers to step up their security. The plea came after a string of thefts from holiday and caravan parks. Unsecured items including scooters, pushbikes and personal property are being targeted. Police said a caravan park in Forster had two pushbikes stolen and thieves made off with a make-up bag from another park in Tuncurry. A third caravan park in Harrington had a motorised scooter and a push bike stolen. And the pictured pushbike (left) was cut from its secure mounting at the rear of a caravan at the Diamond Head campground. Anyone with information relating to this theft should contact Taree police Station on 02 65520399 or Crimestoppers. Have your say

'Queensland the most popular state'

Caravan parks a magnet
for overseas visitors

Have your say

MORE and more international tourists are flooding into Australia's caravan parks and camping grounds, according to the latest figures.

New data from Tourism Research Australia reveals that 377,000 overseas visitors opted to use the facilities in the year ending March 2019, a seven percent increase from the previous year.

The "millennial" market, led by working holidaymakers and backpackers, continues to be the strongest age demographic, with 157,000 foreign visitors aged 20 to 29 choosing caravanning and camping in Australia.

The 30 to 54-year-old age group represented 127,000 international visitors, followed by 73,000 visitors aged 55 and over.

The most popular state amongst international visitors was Queensland, with 132,000 visitors spending 1.6 million nights in the Sunshine State.

Following closely behind, New South Wales attracted 129,000 international visitors and Victoria had 91,000, with an impressive increase of five percent from the previous year.

International visitors spent a cumulative total of 4.9 million nights in Australia, in a two percent fall from the previous year.

Although there is a high and growing number of visitors who go caravan or camping in Australia, a challenge remains regarding length of stay ... especially as core European markets soften due to economic uncertainty in the Eurozone and Brexit worries.

This softening has a severe impact on regional Australia and highlights the need for an increased focus on getting more long-staying visitors Down Under.

They include working holidaymakers, who are significantly more likely to stay longer in regional areas.

We felt our 'van shake pretty hard'

QUAKE SENDS GREY NOMADS DASHING FROM 'VANS

A STRONG earthquake and aftershock sent grey nomads scrambling from their caravans in WA. The 6.5 magnitude quake was felt from Perth to Broome, followed by a second at magnitude 4.1. It is understood the epicentre was about 203km off the coast in the Indian Ocean. One grey nomad in Broome wrote on Facebook: "We felt our 'van shake pretty hard and went outside. Our car was bopping up and down, too. Such a weird feeling! And still feeling a bit of the aftershocks now." Another said caravans were "rocking". One caravanner told Caravanning News the tremor lasted for over half a minute. "Everything in our New Age caravan was shaking, and a couple of plates were thrown off shelves. It was pretty scary." There was no tsanami warning even though it was reported as one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the east coast of Australia. No one is believed to have been injured and only minor damage has been reported Have your say

  Boost for heritage city's CBD

Work completed on Broken Hill's RV parking area

WORK has finished on a new parking area for caravans and motorhomes at Broken Hill in NSW. "This project is now complete with some very minor works remaining," the local council's chief operations officer, Anthony Misagh, told Caravanning News today. "RV and directive signs will be installed shortly." Located opposite the heritage city's Tourist Information Centre, the area will accommodate seven large recreational vehicles and 32 regular vehicles. The $300,000 Kintore Reserve project will also include a dump point for RVs. The area is just a short walk from the main business area. Mr Misagh said the facility would make the city more RV friendly and also help boost tourism in the CBD. It had been hoped construction could be completed in mid-April. Have your say

Black mark for RVers in Red Centre

Uluru adventurers accused of dumping toilet waste

ADVENTURERS in caravans and motorhomes heading for Australia's Red Centre have copped a black mark. Hundreds of grey nomads and other RVers daily are flocking to Uluru (Ayers Rock) to see the world-famous monolith, some of them even brave enough to climb it. But, it seems, many are blotting their copybook ... by trespassing on private property and illegally setting up camp sites. The Anangu traditional landowners have accused tourists of leaving rubbish bins overflowing and illegally dumping human waste from RVs along the roadside. Tourism Central Australia's chief executive Stephen Schwer said there had been a massive influx of travellers since it was announced that climbing the rock would be banned in October. Established camping sites were filled to capacity, forcing people to veer off-track. "We are seeing increases in rubbish and illegal roadside camping and generally the kind of behaviour which degrades the environment," he told media. Have your say

'Surreal' moment for Michel

Prize-winning family set for new adventures

AVID campers Michel Fowkes and family have scooped a $200,000 adventure package. Earlier this year, Michel was browsing on the Jayco website with her sister when they came across The Bullish Adventurer competition. She submitted an entry, never thinking she would actually take home the prize of the fully customised Ford Ranger PXII and Jayco Adventurer 19ft off-road caravan. But the decision to give it a go has turned up trumps, with Michel describing the moment when she found out she had won as 'surreal'.

Owners urged to contact dealers

Recall after fears Honda gennies could explode in flames

SOME portable generators popular with grey nomads have been recalled after fears they could explode in flames. Honda 2200 watt EU22i generators sold between January 2018 and the end of February 2019 could erupt in flames, owners have been warned. "Loose or incorrectly installed screws may result in fuel leaking from the fuel cock during operation, storage or transportation of the generator," the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in its recall notice. It warned there was a potential risk of affected generators catching fire. Affected generators carry the frame number EAMT-1000001 to 1265586. Owners have been urged to contact their nearest Honda power equipment dealer to have the fuel cock replaced at no charge. Have your say

The caravan parked near the scene of the shooting

Fugitive rushed to hospital in critical condition

Caravanners caught up in shooting drama

By Dennis Amor

A GUNMAN was run down by a caravanner after he was shot by police on a busy Queensland highway. Scores of caravanners were caught up traffic gridlock after the shooting drama on the  Bruce Highway. The wanted man was attempting to across lanes on the highway at Parklands near Nambour after police opened fire on him, hitting him in the legs. The 25-year-old had allegedly threatened police with a gun following a dramatic 200km high-speed chase along the highway's southbound lanes. Specialist police shot him in the leg during the confrontation. He was run over by a vehicle towing a caravan as he attempted to escape. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and rushed to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital under a police escort. It is understood one leg has been amputated. The Criminal Investigations Branch and Forensic Crash Unit is investigating and the Ethical Standards Command has opened a critical incident investigation into the police response, with oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission. Have your say

Members vote to wind-up company

NATIONAL SAFETY RECALL BLAMED FOR
DEMISE OF MOTORHOME CONVERTERS

Have your say
By Dennis Amor

THE Queensland-based Motorhome Conversion Company is in liquidation, blaming a national safety recall for its demise. Managing director and owner of the well-respected company John Jeffreys told Caravanning News that the recall had cost his business around $350,000. "That's a lot of money .. enough to tip us over," he said. Problems had arisen after a NSW certified gas fitter allegedly failed to follow updated rules during repair work on some of the affected 500 vehicles, forcing the work to be done again. Mr Jefferys' company, founded 14 years ago, went liquidation after members met and decided it should be wound up. Another company has expressed an interest in buying the beleaguered business.

Tents destroyed in ferocious blaze

PARK STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS AFTER INFERNO

By Dennis Amor

ADELS Grove camping and caravan park is still open for business despite a ferocious blaze which ripped through buildings and tents. About 500 campers ran for their lives when fire broke out at the award-winning camping ground in north Queensland. Flames erupted in the main building at the caravan park, which was packed to capacity with school holiday guests. Reports said the flames engulfed the reception and restaurant building. One claimed the inferno started in the communal kitchen. One person was treated for burns and some tents were destroyed. Fire crews, police and paramedics from Burketown and Doomadgee rushed to the scene. Situated on Lawn Hill Creek, Adels Grove is adjacent to Lawn Hill National Park in the Gulf Of Carpentaria and 50km from the World Heritage listed Riversleigh Fossil deposits. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. In a Facebook message posted after the blaze, the park said 61 accommodation rooms and glamping tents and 235 camp and caravan sites were relatively unaffected. "While we regroup we believe the temporary loss of services should not impact the vast majority of our visitors provided they are self-sufficient and equipped with supplies," it read. "With many campers opting to remain in the park to continue their holiday, the Lawn Hill Gorge boat tours are running and canoe hire is open for business! Thank you to everyone for their patience with temporary arrangements for check in and alike. Any travellers or guests wanting further information or assistance can call 0474 522 146 while phone lines are re-established. Have your say

CROOKS CAUGHT ON SECURITY CAMERA

SECURITY footage is being scrutinised after thieves stole a luxury caravan from a Queensland RV manufacturer. The crooks raided Sunland Caravans Caboolture premises at around 2am yesterday. Owner Roy Wyss Jnr said the "low life" made off with a 2013 Phoenix Scorpion and was photographed on the security camera.

Residents educated on set-ups

RV village scales up safety initiative

Have your say

AN award-winning RV village in Queensland has weighed in with its own contribution towards making caravans and motorhomes safer on the road. Fraser Coast's pioneering RV Homebase village at Maryborough is staging "education" days and inviting its mix of caravan and motorhome owners, grey nomads and friends to put their RVs on the scales. Around 50 RVs were weighed during a recent two-day session, with one resident claiming many were overweight. The checks were made in conjunction with a Queensland Transport compliance team to help educate residents about road safety. RV Homebase senior client liaison and sales consultant Shaun Forbes told Caravanning News that weighing tow vehicles and caravans helped "educate our residents as to their individual vehicle setups".

Council warning to holidaymakers

Dunes danger alert at Byron Bay

GUESTS at a Byron Bay caravan park in NSW have been warned to stay away from the nearby sand dunes. The advice to people staying at the Reflections holiday park at Clarkes Beach comes from the local council which says the dunes could be dangerous. Director of infrastructure services Phil Holloway said the area had seen significant coastal erosion and dunes could collapse. "Safety is paramount." he said today. "People are urged to not walk or sit close to the erosion escarpment and not allow children (or anyone) to play or dig near the dunes. Clarkes Beach is presently starved of sand due to the limited sand bypassing Cape Byron. Plus, we've had high tides and dangerous surf conditions." Have your say

Police appeal for witnesses

Park fire being treated as suspicious

A BLAZE at a NSW caravan park is being treated as suspicious.  Police have appealed for witnesses to the mystery fire at the Ball Park Caravan Park on the banks of the Murray River at Corowa. Three caravans, which were due to be removed, were destroyed and annexes at a further three caravans damaged in the Saturday evening outbreak. All caravans were unattended. Police said Albury Crime Scene officers carried out a forensic examination of the damaged sites, with initial inquiries suggesting the fire was suspicious. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Police said information would be treated in strict confidence. Have your say

Minister urges fishers to obey bag limits

Fisheries swoop on SA parks

By Dennis Amor

SOUTH Australian Fisheries officers swooped on caravan parks on the Eyre Peninsula in their bid to stamp out illegal fishing, it has been revealed. With strict bag limits for King George whiting, they reportedly checked eight communal freezers for possible possession offences. It is not clear whether any charges were laid. Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone has now urged people to stick to bag limits during the current school holidays. "Everyone who is wetting a line is reminded to follow the rules to ensure our fish stocks can be enjoyed into the future," he said. "Illegal fishing fines issued across the state during last school holidays totalled $3465, with 1473 fishers inspected – double those inspected in 2017 – and a total of 36 fines and cautions issued." He said people should contact the authorities if they "suspect someone isn't doing the right thing". For more information on limits, visit https://pir.sa.gov.au/fishing/fishing_limits or call Fishwatch on 1800 065 522. Have your say

Celebrations for dealer and builder

Gongs flow at Victorian awards

CRUSADER Caravans pulled off the double at the Caravan Industry Victoria 2019 Hall of Fame Business Awards. It was named Manufacturer of the Year while staffer Erkut Fevzi scooped the CTIA Trainee of the Year gong. Managing director Serge Valentino said: "I never thought in a million years that I would accepting this award, this is for team Crusader. There are so many people who have contributed so much to put us in the position we are now and I need to thank them very, very much." Crusader has been manufacturing caravans since the turn of the century at its production facility in Epping, an outer suburb of Melbourne. Meanwhile, family-owned Wangaratta Caravans collected a top award, winning the Excellence in Dealer/Retailer of the Year gong. Established 35 years ago, the business boasts of having customers Australia-wide. The dealer's Jo Comensoli told Caravanning News: "We are so thrilled and still in a bit of shock. We are a family business and we all love camping. I think that shows as we try and offer the best service we can, whether buying a new caravan, second hand or using our service department." Have your say

Three fatals since 2015

RV blazes spark plea from firies

SOUTH Australia's firefighters have pleaded with travellers to be "fire safe" when in their caravans and other RVs. The Metropolitan and Country fire services report that during the past four calendar years, there have been 62 fires involving RVs, with another six already this year across the state. Three people have tragically died in South Australian RV fires since 2015. Recreational vehicles include caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes and all other forms of mobile accommodation. Metropolitan Fire Service community education officer Vinny Schar said the fires had been caused by an array of reasons, such as unattended cooking and electrical appliances.

Jayco's Garry Moore steps in

GERRY RYAN QUITS CIAA BOARD

JAYCO founder and owner Gerry Ryan has resigned from the board of Australia's peak body for the caravanning industry. He is being replaced by Jayco chief executive Garry Moore (pictured) until the Caravan Industry Association of Australia's November annual general meeting, when he will be subject to renomination and election. The CIAA said in a statement: "There has been much achieved at a national level since the merger of CRVA and RVMAA back in 2014 and Gerry has provided incredible guidance and support during this time as a director, while making a significant contribution to the board." Mr Moore has a wealth of experience in manufacturing and engineering, previously working both nationally and internationally.

Getting kids out of their 'technology haze'

RV park joins Land for Wildlife program

By Dennis Amor

A CARAVAN park has become the first Fraser Coast property for 11 years to be accepted into the Land for Wildlife program in south-east Queensland. Manager of the 75-acre Fraser Coast RV Park Suzanne Denton (pictured) told Caravanning News she was thrilled and it had been an "exciting day" when the official Land for Wildlife sign was handed over. Land for Wildlife is a voluntary program which encourages and assists landholders to manage wildlife habitat on their properties. It was founded in Victoria over 30 years ago. Ms Denton said her RV park was the ideal place to connect with nature ... and to get children out of their "technology haze".

Parked RV causes traffic headache

COPS SOLVE CARAVAN MYSTERY

THE mystery of a parked caravan which caused traffic headaches in a SA town has been solved. Police took to Facebook with a humorous plea after the interstate RV ‒ strangely minus its tow vehicle ‒ was left for more than two hours in a busy street in the Adelaide suburb of Glandore. They wrote: "Do you ever get the feeling that something's missing in your life? Such as, a caravan from the back of your car? If your driving feels a bit lighter than normal, please return to South Road, Glandore near Forrest Avenue and collect your caravan." Their posting attracted an amazing 10,000 reactions, 2300 comments and was shared 2200 times. Police were eventually forced to remove the caravan.  But the puzzle of who owned it remained unsolved. A spokesperson told at Caravanning News at the time: "It's a complete mystery but our inquiries are continuing. The caravan does have rego plates but not from SA. It has not been reported stolen." A day later he said the mystery had been resolved. "The owner and caravan have been reunited and he is continuing on his merry way with his holidays" he explained. "He was very apologetic. It seems there was some mechanical troubles."  Have your say

Mooloolaba park set for $3.8m revamp
MOOLOOLABA Holiday Park on Queensland's Sunshine Coast is having a multi-million dollar facelift. The local council said it was anxious that the iconic park at Parkyn Parade remained a destination-of-choice for residents and visitors. The park has now closed until early December to enable the current facilities to be demolished and replaced with high quality modern amenities costing $3.8 million.

Gerry Ryan scores his own basketball team
CARAVAN supremo Gerry Ryan has furthered his love of basketball by being granted the licence to run Victoria's Dandenong WNBL team. The founder and owner of Jayco, whose highly successful factory is also in Dandenong, has been involved with the local basketball association for many years. "I am very passionate about the sport and it is a natural progression," he said "It is a personal investment." Basketball Australia chief executive Jerril Rechter welcomed the news, describing it as a "tremendous boost" for the league and for women's basketball. "Gerry Ryan has been a wonderful supporter of women's basketball in Australia, particularly through the Jayco name, and Dandenong is very fortunate to have him taking over the licence of the team," she said. Have your say

Thieves' double-take

Jayco 'van disappears
in Victoria ... twice!

CHEEKY thieves had a second bite at stealing a caravan in Victoria. After hooking up the 2007 Jayco Sterling in a shed in the state's north-central area they hauled it to Echuca where it was located by police. But later, when officers went to retrieve it, it had disappeared again. The twin-axle 6m pop-top caravan carried the registration number S16063. Anyone with information is urged to contact police. Have your say

Permanent closure of park never intended
A NEW South Wales council has rejected claims it wanted to force the closure of its caravan park. Dungog Shire Council triggered community outrage when it abruptly pulled down the shutters at Williams River Holiday Park in Clarence Town, just north of Newcastle. Locals questioned the council's wisdom in closing a popular park, warning it could sound the death knell for the small community in the State's Hunter region. In a report presented to an extraordinary council meeting the authority said there had been fears the park would never reopen. "As a result, the hurt and anger felt by many within the community in regard to the closure tended to coalesce on a range of conspiracy theories," it said.

Cause of blaze remains a mystery

Caravans destroyed in
 multi-million dollar fire

By Dennis Amor

INVESTIGATORS have so far failed to determine a cause of the massive blaze which destroyed caravans and trailers at a warehouse in Tasmania.  The damages bill is estimated to be approximately three and a half million dollars, Tasmania Fire Service said. "Fire Service investigators have completed an investigation and due to the severity of the fire, which completely destroyed the buildings and contents, the cause is undetermined," it added  Flames were spotted leaping from King Trailers warehouse on Creek Road at New Town in Hobart's north. One local resident reported hearing gas bottles exploding as the fire took hold. Local residents were warned take precautions against airborne smoke and ash. Career and volunteer fire crews from all over greater Hobart were called to the inferno. Tasmania Fire Service said the warehouse had collapsed and several million dollars worth of caravans and trailers were destroyed. Experts wearing special clothing were called in to decant gas from a leaking 100kg ammonia cylinder into another tank. Machinery was brought in to allow investigators access the site to determine the cause of the blaze. The investigation was expected to take some time due to the scale of the fire. Have your say

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