THE FUTURE IS NOW

Since the 1950s, caravanning has really found its place as an important part of Australian culture — right up there with meat pies, kangaroos, Akubra hats and much more.

Although Americans fell in love with bullet-shaped aluminium vans that looked like they belonged in a 1950s sci-fi thriller, Australians were cruising around with plywood tiny teardrop-shaped vans with rounded apologetic shoulders that made the rigs look like they are perpetually apologetic.

While all along, the growing number of manufacturers that included brands such as Chesney, Millard and Viscount strived to find their way towards the forefront of the caravan buyer’s consciousness. That clamour for attention demanded innovation, which saw changes in builds from timber to aluminium, and cladding moved from plywood and aluminium to fibreglass.