Warrnambool Caravan Camping Leisure Roadshow returns to the south-west

The Warrnambool Caravan Camping Leisure Roadshow returns to the city's racecourse from Friday, September 15 and runs until Sunday, September 17.

Show manager Jeff Leech said it was the biggest range it had featured in the past four to five years due to manufacturers and dealerships having access to greater stock levels.

Warrnambool's Great Ocean Road RV and Caravans, formerly New Age Caravans, general manager Shaun Noonan said it had about 20 caravans and campers on display. Last year it showcased three.

"We've gone bigger this year," Mr Noonan said. "Last year there was a lot of stock constraints due to the COVID boom so not a lot of dealers had stock and people were disappointed there wasn't a lot on display.

"That's changed now that product has become more freely available so there's a lot more product on display and a wider variety for people to see."

He said most dealers and manufacturers had caught up on the COVID-19 boom now.

"The industry wait times have gone from what was 15 months to three to six months," he said

Mr Leech said there was a mix of caravans, campers, four-wheel-drives and electric bikes on display across the weekend.

He said there were almost 200 caravans and campers exhibited from brands across Australia and he expected a good crowd.

"We've got little two-wheeler caravans right up to the great big huge ones," Mr Leech said. "There's a full range here."

Mr Leech said a wide range of ages would attend the expo and caravanning was no longer exclusively reserved for grey nomads.

"The customers have all changed now," he said. "It used to be over 50s but a lot of the young families are buying now and choosing to stay in Australia."

Mr Leech said a new, innovatively designed caravan, made in Ballarat from "old-style ply wood" on an aluminium chassis would be a highlight.

"It's completely different and it's the only one in Australia," he said.

"They're the world's first caravan made to a large scale on aluminium framing. It's called the New Gypsy Wheeler. It looks like one of those 1950s caravans reinvented."

The three-day roadshow is on at the Warrnambool Racecourse in Grafton Road from 9am to 4pm.

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