I wandered around the show and stopped at anything that particularly grabbed my attention. There was so much to see and the below is really only a fraction of the show.

WBR Campers

They convert vans into campervans and can use either your own van, or they buy new-ish Japanese imports and modify them. You have complete control of how much you want done – whether you just want the pop-top added or the whole interior fitted. They are self contained so you can freedom camp in New Zealand.

I filmed the basic starter campervan, but around the corner were other more expensive options.

They have just branched into renting out the campervans too.

Campers: www.wbr.co.nz

Rental: popaboutcampers.co.nz

Jayco

A popular Australian brand, they had a huge area for their caravan and motorhomes. The two that stood out:

Toy Hauler

For the toys obviously. There was a ramp that opened up the whole back area and lead to space for your bikes with a couple of bunk beds.

At the other end was a bed in a pop-out tent area.

This trailer has Jayco’s massive wheels and looked like it could go anywhere.

Starcraft Caravan

One of their cheaper caravans, it was also one of my favourites at the show. I think because it wasn’t overly fussy looking inside. It had the island bed for easy access, a nice seating area and a seperate shower. Just ticked all my boxes.

www.jayco.co.nz

Clark Global Expedition Vehicles

The most photographed vehicle at the show, this beast of a machine towed over everything. The owner constructed it in London before travelling around Russia and the Stans – there was a map inside with the impressive routes. He has now set up a business making expedition vehicles.

www.clark-global.com

TrailLite Baileys Unicorn Cartagena

This caravan had amazing windows at the front. They went all the way up and you would feel like you’re sitting outside. Everything was of the best quality and I was jealous of the separate shower and large fridge/freezer. I did see that there were many caravans at the show with the bed sitting sideways which could be shortened for easy daytime movement.

www.traillite.co.nz/caravans/unicorns

Eriba Caravans

Funnily enough I had just seen this brand on YouTube and thought it looked lovely. I think modern caravans are generally not the best looking on the outside but the Eriba is very slick and attractive.

It’s a small caravan with a pop-top and would really be for the shorter holidays.

www.eriba.com

Explorer Motorhomes | Frontier Backpack

Described as a 4WD Motorhome, it’s the type where the living area sits on top of a ute. Climbing up the ladder, it felt surprisingly large inside and really has everything you need. Kitchen, seating area, permanently made bed, toilet – it even has a shower!

If I was moving around every day or two and wanting to get to out of the way places, I would consider a set-up like this.

www.explorermotorhomes.co.nz

New Age

This is the second time I’ve filmed this caravan. It feels different to other caravans with the door at the end. It’s only a 2-berth caravan when driving,  but has a pop-out bed in a tent area to maximise the space and makes it a 4-berth.

newagecaravans.com.au

Bivouac Campers

Camper trailers fold up small for driving but open up into a living area on top of the trailer. I think of anything with a tent as Australian style. It has chunky off road tyres and really is designed for warm weather. It would be fun and definitely a more affordable option than other brands at the show.

www.bivouaccampers.co.nz

GO Rentals

I was excited to see this here. GO Rentals is a car rental company I’ve used in New Zealand for previous South Island exploration. I saw online that they now rent out caravans and I’ve been curious to see inside. This would be the PERFECT way for someone considering buying a caravan to have a taste of the lifestyle before purchasing.

This is what I wanted access to before buying mine. A way to calm some of my concerns like towing a caravan and handling a toilet cassette. At the time I could only find expensive motorhomes to rent (although I’ve since learnt that the odd dealer sometimes rents caravans too).

It’s an unusual looking vehicle and quite slim, with a pop-top roof and toilet accessed from outside. All you need to comfortably explore New Zealand.

www.gorentals.co.nz/campers

Lilliput Caravans

The Lilliput caravan club was also at the show. Lilliput caravans are very cute vintage caravans that the members restore and personalise. I met a friendly couple in their caravan who follow TravellingK and I absolutely loved getting their feedback and thoughts. They are so upbeat and fun, I hope to meet them again in the future.

The club recently published a book about the history and stories of the caravans and owners.

www.lilliput.org.nz

Tow-Bar 2 Tow-Car

I had recently seen a motorhome towing a small car and though it was a good idea. The main problem with motorhomes is the inconvenience of packing up every time you want to go out and the hassle of finding a large enough parking spot every time you need something from town. Towing a small car could be an easy solution.

This UK company has modified their set-up to comply with New Zealand road-rules and might be the only legal option in New Zealand. The towing part can be disconnected and stalled in the car when driving around.

UK: tow-bars2tow-cars.com

NZ: arobros.co.nz

AA Solar

They are the company who set-up my solar power and I recently bought my caravan batteries through them.

Glad I got the chance to talk to them in person and meet the new owners. Great attitude and I suspect there will be some positive changes with the company and am keen to see how they progress.

aasolar.co.nz

Fridge Tech

Ever since I had my own fridge problems and heard about compressor fridges I have been curious to learn more. Fridge Tech were displaying all compressor fridges and I asked why they are becoming more popular than 3-way fridges. Apparently it’s a combination of solar power improving and the new fridges ability to run on less power. They are also cheaper and more reliable than 3-way fridges. The only concern is to check your power set up can handle it!

Apparently the new caravan brands are starting to install compressor fridges instead of 3-way fridges and I’m wondering if they will be the norm soon.

www.fridgetech.co.nz

Thetford Toilet Cassettes

Is it normal to get excited when you see your toilet brand is at an expo?

My toilet cassette has slowly been disintegrating. It has been leaking from a small part (not the main seal) and I could no longer carry it sideways – only horizontal. I’ll admit it has meant emptying the cassette at dump stations has been messy.

Talking to the staff, I learnt I could buy the parts separately and fix the toilet cassette myself. The newer model has wheels to roll the cassette along… I was sold. Easier to just buy a new cassette at the discounted expo prices… although trying to fix my toilet could have been an entertaining video.

Wholesaler: www.lewisgray.com

Kiwi Fuel Saver

This company gives you discounts on fuel through their cards and you pay them monthly.

Plenty of caravanners and motorhomers have raved about this company and I’ve been meaning to join. I even had the forms in the caravan. But as the form is 5 pages long, I kept procrastinating.

Luckily the friendly staff filled the form in for me at the show and sped the process up.

www.kiwifuelcards.co.nz/get-your-card

Wireless Nation

My internet provider was there too and I was able to talk to the founder of the company. I am regularly asked how I find Wireless Nation and what the connection is like. It was good to check with the company that I’ve been correctly describing how it all works.

I am able to stream YouTube and Netflix with no problems and haven’t run out of gigabytes yet. Sometimes I’ll be in an isolated area with no cell phone reception, yet I’ll still get internet through the modem. I think of it as having extra strength to reach the towers compared to a cell phone.

wirelessnation.co.nz

Covi Insurance

So many companies I use were at the show!

Covi Insurance is my new insurance company for my caravan and contents. I changed over in November and so far so good. Great talking face to face with the staff and get a better feel for a company – a friendly bunch.

www.covi.co.nz

BOP RV Dog Kennels

Too cute – you can buy these dog kennels in the shape of a caravan and they have a surprising amount of detail.

www.boprv.co.nz

Oz Pig | Cooking

An attractive little outdoor cooking stove. It can be dismantled and fits into a small bag. Looked very versatile for cooking different ways and heating water. I think it would be a fun addition if you liked spending time outside your RV.

www.ozpig.co.nz

Overall plenty to see at the Covi Caravan, Motorhome & Outdoor Supershow.

Did you make it to the show? What was your favourite stall? Let me know in the comments below.

The post Covi Caravan, Motorhome & Outdoor Supershow 2018 appeared first on Travelling K.

Out of curiosity, I went to the A&P Show in Hawkes Bay (New Zealand). It’s a Field Day event where I expected to see plenty of farm animals but really had no idea what else to expect.

Walking to the gates, I could here the presenter, bagpipes and an electric guitar – a busy atmosphere.

The first shed was full of chicken and other birds. Some with red ‘first place’ ribbons and some for sale. There were definitely animals here…

I then wandered around the corner and came across the vintage machines section. Some steam powered, all with moving mechanisms and strangely hypnotic to watch.

I could see some mobile homes doted around the back and questioned the club members about them.

Original Tiny Houses

One was set-up as a traditional galley. I learnt that they were built using the extra materials on hand. They were towed by a steam engine out to where the men were working and would have stored their tools underneath. It gave them a place to sleep and rest. I’ve started calling them the original tiny house.

The owner built this example 6 years ago and kindly let me film inside. He bought out a book with the below drawing showing how they were setup. It’s set-up with bunk beds to sleep 4, a sink, stove and a couple of chairs. His galley has a stunning stained glass window that his father had in storage for years.

The other galley set-up nearby were modernised inside, with one as a bathroom and the other as the living area.

There was a ute with a pop-up tent on top, which is very popular in Australia. Having a chat with the owner – he showed me his pot belly stove. Perfect for heating the outdoor lounge area and you’re able to cook on the top. It folds down nicely to fit in 2 small crates. I love the idea of having your own portable pot belly stove.

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 What else was there to see?

Well, there were plenty of animals. Chickens, sheep, cows, horse and llamas. There were ribbons everywhere for the winning animals. A parade area to show off the winners… well, the animals that could handle walking in a circle.

There was also a carnival area with all the usual rides. Plenty of food trucks and even Mr Whippy.

There was a building with a cooking competition in progress and more food stalls.

The police cleverly branded a tractor and let kids have a go sitting inside.

There was a maze made out of apple crates. An ingenuous use for something very common in this area of New Zealand.

There was an environmental area. A man with a Weta excited the kids with the possibility of holding it.

Overall the A&P Show felt very kiwi. Very local. And a surprising amount of fun.

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Do you know of any quirky mobile homes? I’d love to learn more about them and possibly interview the owners!

The post A&P Show | Animals & Original Tiny Houses appeared first on Travelling K.

Last weekend I went to the Covi Motorhome, Caravan & Outdoor Supershow at the ASB Showground, Greenlane, Auckland. Quite a mouthful!

I’d gone the previous year and was interested to see how I found it after becoming a caravan owner – now that I understand a little more about caravans.

This year was busier and bigger! It has grown dramatically in the last year. The carpark was full and spilling into extra parking across the road.

It was split into an inside and outside area. The inside seemed to be the big expensive brands, NZ Motorhome & Caravan Association (NZMCA), the accessory stores and NZ tourism destinations. Outside had a few of the quirkier brands, vintage caravans, a container house MORE motorhomes and caravans plus secondhand motorhomes and caravans.

People were exploring inside all the motorhomes and caravans – sometimes lining up, waiting for a chance to squeeze inside – these vehicles are usually designed for 4 people! New models were being tested for kiwi interest.

Seminars

There were seminars happening through-out the day.

I made it to a seminar by Mandy Davis from TrailLite, talking about what to consider before purchasing. I liked how she focused on freedom camping and self-containment. Mandy talked about how much water, waste space, general storage, gas, battery capacity, solar panels and fridge space you need for staying out of town for a week. It made me wish I could afford a mammoth motorhome with all the fancy additions! She pointed out a few issues people have come across, like can you fit in the tiny shower? And is there enough seating area for your marriage to survive New Zealand wet weather? Is the bed actually comfortable? Plenty to consider.

Next year, I’d like to see more of the seminars, particularly traveling around Australia. That’s on the one day wish-list.

What I learnt

I met Bruce Stanger, President at NZMCA and bombarded him with questions. The one thing I’ve found with owning the caravan is how hard it is to find out how to look after my vehicle. My instruction manual is painful to read and doesn’t answer my questions. I’ve now learnt there are Advisers in the NZMCA I can contact with my many, many questions.

The overall theme from people were about the community you gain from owning a motorhome or caravan. From sharing the experience with other travellers.

There was a strong push with self-containment and looking after our environment. About how lucky we are to freedom camp and have access to Doc campsites, NZMCA sites and plenty of national parks.

Some of the interesting exhibits

I looked in plenty of expensive motorhomes that cost $150k+. But have realised my personal interest is in the more alternative, affordable options. The designs that are easier to tow or the perfect introduction to caravanning.

I managed to find a couple of teardrop caravans at the show. I had seen teardrop caravans advertised on Facebook and was keen to see them for myself. Both could be towed by a normal 1800cc car and were apparently easier to drive compared to a traditional bulky caravan.

 

Alto Caravans had a Canadian teardrop caravan with a roof that rose to became the size of a normal caravan. Plenty of glass to view the scenery. The couple at the stall were passionate about their product. He was telling me how his wife felt comfortable driving it and they were able to use their normal car as a towing vehicle.

 

Road Chief Trailers are a smaller teardrop caravan. Super cute with a comfortable dining area inside that converts to a queen size bed. It’s got the kitchen in the boot area with the option of adding an awning/tent on for protection from the elements. It seemed similar to a camper van with more outside living, but the advantage is you use your current car to tow it.

Near the end of the day, I found Bray’s Caravans and got quite excited. I’d read about them before but hadn’t realized they had a exhibit. Their caravan is VERY distinctive and have a similar layout to the old kiwi caravans. Jason pointed out that the new caravans are jam packed with too many extra fixtures that aren’t needed. The Bray’s still had plenty of energy to talk to me about their caravan, even though it was the end of the day. Jason has experience renovating the older vintage caravans, and he realized he could build a better and more affordable caravan himself. All the parts are from New Zealand with the advantage of being able to source them quickly. I particularly like the shape of the large windows, which make it easier to reverse – always a bonus.

American Rockwoods are epic-ally large caravans. They have side-rooms that slide out to create more space. They are crazy big and seem very American in décor with solid fittings and chunky wood cupboards. I find it interesting how they make the most of their space with the pop-out components.

There were plenty of other clever moveable homes. I particularly like the Ute’s with the living area on-top. There was a clever plastic pop-top for ease of towing. I couldn’t actually get inside to see, as there were too many people hovering around.

And these are just a small sample of all the exhibits.

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Overall glad I went along and feel like I’ve learnt a few more things about caravans – which I definitely need to do. Suspect I’ll be back next year… hopefully wiser.

The post Exploring the Covi Motorhome, Caravan & Outdoor Supershow appeared first on Travelling K.