How younger Aussies are embracing the RV lifestyle
A new generation is proving the dominant segment in the RV sector. Today the 30 – 54 age group are the new guard, and they’ve got a powerful presence on the road, and in ensuring the strength of the RV sector. We talk to four Australian families about why they turned to an RV lifestyle, and what they love about it.
For Cara Hadfield and her young family on Road Trippin’ Ryans, turning to an RV life was driven purely by burnout.
“For years, our life looked like everyone else’s: busy, structured, predictable, and honestly, exhausting. My husband was working huge hours, and even on his one day off he was swallowed up by chores and life admin. Week after week we watched the days slip by, and with them, the best years of our lives.
“It wasn’t living. And we definitely didn’t want to miss our children’s childhood. Then one day we came up with a crazy plan – a decision that felt completely wild and terrifying, yet totally right.
“We put the house on the market, packed our lives into a caravan, downsized massively, and rolled away for what we thought would be a one-year adventure. Those first weeks were a whirlwind, learning the ropes, figuring out how to live together in such a tiny space without going crazy, and those quiet “are we actually doing this?” moments after the kids were asleep.
“But then something shifted. The dust settled, we found our groove, and we just fell in love with the lifestyle. The freedom. The ever-changing backyard. The slow mornings. The connections. We realised a year wasn’t going to be enough. And we also knew we didn’t want to burn through all our savings, so we had to make it work.”
Hadfield says at that point, they realised this adventure would become a lifestyle.
“We rolled into towns and actually lived there. We worked. Enrolled the kids in school. Met locals who became friends. Explored everywhere, said yes to every experience, and let life lead the way.
“Now, four and a half years later, we’re still living full-time in our caravan. That one-year idea quietly slipped away, and in its place we’ve found something bigger, slower, and far more meaningful.”
Making memories without breaking the bank
For author of Ultimate Caravan Trips Australia and The Wanderer editor Catherine Best caravanning in her childhood was something she wanted to share with her own children.
“It’s about the freedom of the open road, being able to pull into a remote free camp and set up for the night - away from the crowds and civilisation, yet with all the mod cons of home.
“We've been fortunate to do many extended trips as a family in our caravan - including a lap of Australia - and it's been the best family bonding experience. For us it's epic sunsets and starlit nights away from big smoke, toasting marshmallows around the campfire, dawn swims at secluded swimming holes and the serenity of the bush, beach, mountains or desert. The lifestyle is addictive.”
She says she simply could not afford to travel as frequently and for as long without a caravan.
“Caravanning gives us the freedom to travel for relatively low cost and with greater spontaneity than a hotel stay. Before we got our first caravan, we were tent campers. It was wonderful but such a rigmarole - the packing, set-up and pack down and uncomfortable nights spent on a deflating air bed under stuffy canvas.
“The beauty of an RV is you have everything packed and ready to go in your home on wheels at a moment's notice. We just have to grab clothes and some perishable food and we can hit the road.
“RV travel gives you access to extraordinary million-dollar view locations for a budget price – and sometimes no cost at all. Take the Ningaloo Coast in WA, for example. We've camped literally on the beach on the doorstep of the world's largest fringing coral reef for about $30 a night. If you don't have an RV, the closest you can get to this experience is staying at Sal Salis - a luxury glamping safari camp that costs upwards of $2,000 a night!”
Meg Law, blogger at traveltales.com.au agrees saying they also found there was a lot of unnecessary day-to-day spending at home.
“We found we were prone to unnecessary spending whether it be going to the movies, dining out with friends, signing the kids up to all these costly extra-curricular activities and so on.”
Law says she also loves the freedom it gives them as a family.
“That saying about ‘home is where the heart is’ could not be truer. Being able to pull up anywhere, put the legs down on the van and set up with ease wherever you want gave us the freedom to explore and go at our own pace.
“No two days are ever the same, but the one thing that never changes is the pace. It is always slower than home, more carefree, less hectic and guaranteed fun! Everyone is more present and living in the moment without the distractions, so it makes the family dynamic special and the connection between us all so much stronger.
“The kids (aged eight and 12) have a ball and are up and outside the van at dawn and back at dusk – either meeting new friends or playing together on their own, riding their bikes or scooters, kicking the footy around, swimming, playing board games on repeat.
“There is limited Wi-Fi on the road and where we camp so it is very much about making the most of the outdoors and using their imaginations to come up with things to do – similar to how we all grew up.”
The road to reconnection
For Michelle and Brock Mills who have a Jayco Swan Outback, the RV lifestyle has been all about connection.
“During our half lap, it was amazing to have three months together as a family, not having to worry about work, school or extracurricular activities. Time slowed down and most of the time our metal load was reduced to "have we got enough, food, water and fuel?" rather than the million other things that would be occupying our minds,” says Michelle.
“We were lucky enough to have our travel writer friend and her family do a very similar trip in their off-road caravan the previous year and they kindly helped us plan our itinerary (which we have also done for others) down to recommending how many nights to spend at a particularly place, and most importantly where all the supermarkets are and highlighting the big stretches between them.
“The campervan has meant that we can have some unforgettable low cost holidays as a family and also with our friends where the kids can roam free and we can immerse ourselves in fresh air, sand, sea, surf, mountain biking, bush walking and nature in general.”
As the latest State of Industry Caravan Industry Association of Australia State of Industry 2025 report has found, the “30-54 age group is the dominant segment, taking 46 per cent of trips and accounting for 42 per cent of nights”.
It says this represented a notable change from historical trends, “as the traditionally strong over-55 demographic showed decline in domestic caravan and camping activity”.
And while that older demographic is still important to the industry, the new guard is making a their mark, and it seems, it’s for the same reasons why most have a love of the RV life: getting back to basics where they can reconnect to their families, and make lasting memories.
As Hadfield says, “we’ve experienced things most people only dream of because we chose to take the risk and live differently. That’s the magic of it all”.
