Australia’s caravan manufacturing sector recorded lower overall production in 2025, although industry data indicates that demand for recreational vehicles and domestic caravan and camping travel remains substantial.
According to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s 2026 State of the Industry Report, Australian manufacturers produced 23,963 recreational vehicles in 2025, a 4.9% decline from 2024. Despite the year-over-year decrease, production remained 12% above 2019 levels, suggesting the market continues to operate at a higher volume than before the pandemic.
The sector has also experienced business closures. Network RV Caravans and Sunland Caravans entered voluntary administration in 2026, while Starvision closed its showroom. These developments have raised questions about the operating environment for Australian manufacturers, although industry representatives have indicated that the decline in production does not necessarily point to a broader contraction in RV use or demand.
The CIA reported that towable RVs continued to account for most domestic production, representing 96% of total output. Caravan production increased 7.3% in 2025 to 18,438 units. At the same time, caravan trailer and component imports increased 16% to 23,244 units, indicating that imported supply is becoming a more significant part of the Australian market.
This shift is also reflected in consumer research. Retain Media’s Q2 2026 RV Market Brand Consideration Report, which analyzed more than 2.2 million searches across 139 Australian RV brands, found that imported brands increased their share of buyer consideration for the third consecutive quarter. Imported brands accounted for 27.8% of total search activity in the second quarter, compared with 26.7% in Q1 2026.
The report also found that Jayco’s share of the overall market fell to 23.1%, down 1.1 percentage points from the previous quarter. “Winnebago was the quarter’s clearest gainer, adding share across the overall market, Australian-made and RVMAP-accredited rankings,” Retain Media reported.
For domestic manufacturers, however, competition from imports has not necessarily translated into weaker demand across the board. Avida sales and marketing manager Billy Falconer said the company continued “to see record demand for our Australian-made products and we believe customers are increasingly looking beyond simply the purchase price when choosing an RV”.
“Quality, manufacturer experience, aftersales support, warranty and access to an established dealer and service network are all important considerations, particularly for a significant purchase such as a motorhome or caravan,” he told GoAutoNews.
Falconer said imported RVs “certainly provide consumers with additional choice and form part of a competitive Australian market”.
“However, from our own results, we are not seeing evidence that customers are moving away from Australian-made Avida products in favour of imported alternatives,” he said.
The wider ownership and tourism figures provide another indication of underlying market activity. The CIA reported that the number of registered RVs in Australia increased 4% to approximately 937,000 vehicles. About 817,000 were towables and 119,000 were motorized, equating to roughly one registered RV for every 29 Australians.
Meanwhile, Australians took a record 17.3 million caravan and camping trips, generating $12.6 billion in expenditure. Caravan park revenue also reached a reported record of $3.3 billion.
For campground, caravan park and RV resort operators, the figures point to a distinction between new vehicle production and actual RV usage. While manufacturers may face changing competition, supply conditions and consolidation, the continued growth in RV registrations and caravan and camping travel indicates that the customer base using outdoor hospitality businesses remains significant.
Falconer said Avida believed the fundamentals supporting the Australian RV lifestyle remain strong.
“Australians continue to value domestic travel, regional tourism and the freedom and flexibility that RV ownership provides,” he said.
For outdoor hospitality businesses, the combination of rising RV registrations, record caravan and camping trips, and increasing imported vehicle supply could mean a broader range of RV customers in the market. Operators may therefore need to consider not only the volume of new Australian-built vehicles entering the fleet, but also changing vehicle types, consumer preferences, and the growing contribution of imported RVs to the overall market.
