Caravans becoming more popular

Press, 5 August 1976, Page 17

Caravans becoming more popular

Caravans are going to play a growing role in New Zealand’s increasingly mobile society, according to Christchurch caravan dealers. “There is a growing recognition of caravanning as an unrivalled means of holiday making and as an enrichment of life throughout the year,” says one dealer, Mr P. Rosewarne. Mr D. McGregor, the managing director of Caravan Centre (Souith Island), Ltd, feels much the same way. “It is my belief that as wages climb and serviced accommodation becomes more expensive, caravans and caravanning will become more and more popular for week-ends away, school holidays and annual holidays,” he says. Mr McGregor, who was the inaugural president of the Caravan Manufacturers’ Association in 1961, says

that there are more than 20,060 caravans registered in New Zealand. He expects this figure to double witain four years. Mr McGregor says that the leisure vehicle industry has broadened its scope tremendously in recent years. He points to production and custom made motor caravans, pick-up campers, “cab over” campers and a recent addition, the trailer camper, as examples of the varied range now available. Mr McGregor is enthusiastic about the trailer camper’s versatility. He says that it is light enough to be towed by the smallest car, yet it provides enough bedding and floor space to sleep up to six people. Mr McGregor is also pleased with continuing advances in caravan design. He says that a recent sign-

ificant improvement has been to lower the centre of gravity in some caravans, giving them greater road stability and less wind resistance. Another improvement is hydraulic disc brakes, which are now fitted to most caravans, including small models. The braking equipment is made in New Zealand and, says Mr McGregor, is among the most sophisticated used in caravans anywhere in the world. Mr McGregor and Mr| Rosewarne both see the I caravan as being used! more and more as a mobile! home for young or retired; couples. They say that they! already know of a number of young couples who have invested in large caravans and have had them put on sections because they have been unable to finance the building of a home.