The global market for recreational vehicle and camper van sales is forecast to grow from $8.20 billion in 2025 to $17.60 billion by 2035.
Despite this projected growth, individual manufacturers are encountering financial challenges caused by high interest rates, global supply chain constraints, and rising production costs following a post-pandemic drop in orders.
In Australia, which ranks alongside the United States, Canada, Spain, and Portugal for the highest camper van sales and rentals, Maverick Campers and Caravans is the latest manufacturer to collapse.
The Adelaide-based company was ordered to enter full liquidation on October 1 after eleventh-hour efforts to renegotiate an AU$500,000 debt with financiers failed, according to an article by The Street.
A judge granted creditors a winding-up order, which initiates an Australian legal process similar to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. Adelaide-based Jirsch Sutherland representatives Yulia Petrenko and Malcolm Kimbal Howell were appointed as liquidators to oversee the process.
According to Petrenko, the camper van manufacturer accumulated approximately AU$6 million in debt. In a video posted to the company’s Facebook page, Maverick Campers and Caravans Chief Executive Officer Matthew Winen called the situation a “nightmare” that left the manufacturer with “no choice but to go into liquidation.”
“As you can imagine the bombshell hit when we thought we were all good,” Winen said in an address to customers. “We were absolutely blown away.”
Winen stated that the company had approximately 72 unfulfilled vehicle orders on the books and cannot provide refunds as it liquidates its assets.
While Winen encouraged affected buyers to contact the liquidators, these individuals are classified as unsecured creditors, placing them behind major banks and lenders for court-ordered compensation.
“The other retailers in the industry must be nervous because they are all going through financial stress and they see a financier do this,” Winen said further.
“We will be reaching out to customers, particularly those who have paid more than 30 to 40 percent deposits.”
This liquidation follows a similar event in September 2026 when another Australian camper van manufacturer, Australian Off Road, entered voluntary administration with more than AU$9 million in debt. Both businesses grappled with issues regarding rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and market competition.
The liquidation of established camper van manufacturers highlights vulnerabilities within the supply chain amid shifting post-pandemic demand and rising overhead costs.
