From design and manufacturing to caravan parks, customer support and smarter travel
AI is accelerating across the RV industry, and according to industry leaders, getting on board now is the difference between moving with the mainstream traffic or being left in the dust.
“For decades, the RV industry has relied on experience, intuition and relentless testing to build vehicles capable of thriving in the harsh outback conditions,” says Kimberley Kampers CEO James Cockburn.
“Today, a new tool has entered that equation – artificial intelligence – and it is accelerating what’s possible at a pace we’ve never seen before.
“In an Australian context, where distances are vast and support is often far away, that intelligence isn’t just convenient, it’s critical.”
From concept to reality in hours
Perhaps the most profound change AI has brought is in how RV manufacturers design and test new ideas, says Cockburn.
“Traditionally, innovation followed a linear path: concept, CAD, engineering review, prototype, testing. AI has turned that into a far more dynamic process.
“Today, we can explore 'out of the box' ideas, new suspension components, mounting solutions or structural concepts, and run them through AI-assisted modelling almost instantly. Combined with in-house 3D printing, those ideas can be physically tested within hours. What once took weeks of engineering and iteration can now be evaluated in a single day.
“This speed allows us to test more ideas, discard failures earlier and refine successful concepts faster – all while maintaining the rigorous standards required for remote and off-grid travel.”
He says looking ahead, the RV of the future will be far more adaptive than anything we see today.
“Drawing inspiration from the automotive and aerospace industries, AI will increasingly act as a silent co-pilot, monitoring systems, learning from usage and adjusting performance over time.
“Suspension systems will adapt to terrain, power systems will anticipate off-grid demand, and maintenance issues will be identified before they become failures. Vehicles will understand how they are being used, from desert heat to alpine cold, and optimise themselves accordingly.
“When you design vehicles for extended off-grid travel in Australia, efficiency, reliability and adaptability are not optional – they are survival traits. AI is helping us sharpen those traits.”
Offline Campers founder Sam Reynolds agrees.
“Like many manufacturers in this industry, the advent of AI feels like an extension of what we are already doing.
“Drafting, brainstorming, and standardising all generally start with a template; now they may start with a prompt. In the initial stages of meeting and discussing ideas, AI has slotted into an area we will coin ‘Gap Discovery’.
“Creating an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) means we can consider whether we are missing a step. Could we be more thorough? Can we create a template that makes future SOPs easier? A Large Language Model (LLM) will find your gap and offer new perspectives, some helpful, some not.
“When brainstorming a new idea, it can help if we have missed a potential downside, have we overlooked a simpler solution, or have we exhausted all possibilities? When standardising work, have we updated all new standards across all existing SOPs? Have standardisations expired and need updating? Have we used systemised language that is accurate?
“From there, we use AI to get ourselves to 90 per cent with the last 10 per cent from our staff, with foundational knowledge, years of expertise and on-the-job learning and understanding.
“We will still need to dedicate resources to completing the work that was always there, with expertise and foundational knowledge to build and deliver quality components. That means jobs for engineers, marketing, sales, fabricators, painters and assembly trades.”
Nothing left untouched
Reynolds says long-term, AI will touch every area of the industry.
“Proprietary apps running RV power systems will likely become more frequent with extra coding being accessible to most businesses, with touch screens for all the tech, tailored to each RV model.
“AI will impact how you travel, too. Your itinerary will dynamically update with new points of interest, opening hours of local attractions, availability at closest campsites, 3D tours of campgrounds, satellite GPS on any track with updated weather and track conditions, tailored to your vehicle and tow rig.
“AI will help customers make informed decisions. Comparison tables, lists of similar options, technical specs compiling, power, water, and solar needs. Customers will have more information, and businesses better be prepared for answers.”
Cockburn says one of the most immediate impacts of AI we’ll see is how it reshapes the way a business operates behind the scenes.
“RV manufacturing has traditionally required a significant amount of manual administration – responding to customer queries, explaining systems, managing documentation and supporting owners long after delivery.
“By using AI to manage and streamline customer enquiries and information requests, we’re able to remove friction from those processes. Customers receive faster, clearer answers, while our team spends more time where it matters most, on the factory floor, in R&D and in real-world testing environments. In an industry built on hands-on expertise, that shift is powerful. The relationship between manufacturer and owner is also changing.
“We are currently using AI to create customer ownership platforms that will fundamentally redefine how people interact with their RVs over the long term,” says Cockburn.
He says these AI-driven apps will become living companions to the vehicle itself, housing build-specific data, service history, manuals, how-to guidance and direct support.
“Instead of generic instructions, owners will receive responses tailored to their exact configuration, usage patterns and conditions. This concept was explored 10 years ago, and with a price tag in the six figures, it was not viable. AI is allowing us to do this fully customised in-house as we speak.
“In time, ownership will feel less like managing a complex machine and more like being supported by an intelligent system that understands both the vehicle and the journey.”
AI at the forefront of the caravan park
Holiday Brands Managing Director Amanda Dempster, who specialises in marketing and AI solutions for the RV industry, says AI is supporting operations, improving response time and the guest experience without increasing overheads.
Dempster says it’s currently building and rolling out AI receptionists across a number of holiday parks to help reduce the constant admin load, answering repetitive questions, handling enquiries, supporting bookings, ensuring 24/7 interaction, and keeping response times fast.
“It’s a practical way to avoid cost increases while still improving service. Right now, parks are facing rising wages, rising utilities, rising maintenance and infrastructure costs – while guest expectations for facilities, personalised interactions and onsite entertainment are rising. AI helps parks stay responsive and professional without needing a costly or inflated admin team.”
She says the parks and dealers who adopt AI early will “set a new standard for response times and support - and that lifts the whole industry”.
“At Stanthorpe Holiday Park (which Dempster owns), we’ve now gone all-in on AI. Our AI receptionists, Maddy and Bella, are the first point of contact via phone, sms and chat.
“It’s helped us eliminate a large percentage of our admin costs, while improving the speed and consistency of responses to guests – allowing us to redirect spend to renovations, entertainment and free 'extras' for guests instead.”
She says AI has only strengthened its customer service because guests get fast answers even after hours, and the team gets more time to deliver genuine hospitality during the day.
“The biggest shift has been what it enables behind the scenes. Instead of our team being stuck at a desk answering the same questions all day, they can now spend more time on in-person guest interactions, experiences, and the things that actually make a park memorable, like weekly wine tastings, our wine barrel bath sessions and more renovations.”
Supporting manufacturers
Dempster says she’s also trialling AI with dealers and manufacturers as a way to triage repairs, reduce bottlenecks, and help customers troubleshoot common issues and book in repairs or servicing without waiting days for a callback.
“This is especially valuable post-delivery of product. Customers often forget what they were shown at handover, and they don’t want to feel silly calling the dealer. AI gives them support instantly and privately.
“We’re developing AI tools for dealers to help pre-qualify sales enquiries and guide customers toward the right van and mode – especially people who feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the buying process.
“Not everyone wants to speak to a salesperson straight away. AI creates a low-pressure entry point where shoppers can explore options and narrow down what they need 24 hours a day without feeling intimidated".
The human touch
Cockburn says while AI is a vital part of progression in the industry, it doesn’t remove “the romance of remote travel”.
“If anything, it will make it more accessible. By reducing complexity, improving reliability and supporting owners more intelligently, AI allows travellers to focus less on systems and more on experience.
“In our world, innovation still has to survive corrugations, bulldust and thousands of kilometres from the nearest workshop. AI doesn’t replace that reality — it enhances our ability to prepare for it.
“By combining AI-driven design, rapid prototyping and real-world outback testing, we’re able to push boundaries while remaining grounded in the environments our customers actually travel through.
“The future of RVs will be shaped by those who respect where the industry has come from, while embracing the tools that will define where it’s going. It’s about evolving so the next generation of travellers can go further, with greater confidence, than ever before.”
