Malcolm has returned from judging Caravan of the Year 2025 presented by MSA 4X4 Accessories and notes some emerging trends in Australia's caravanning industry.
I’m not long back from the Caravan of the Year (COTY) event for 2025. It was undoubtedly a period of intense activity for the Caravan World crew — judges, photographers and videographers — as well as the dealers and manufacturers who came along. It was a case of information overload, and it took a couple of days to process everything and get my notes in order after I returned home.
No secrets to be revealed yet, of course, but there were a few pointers as to where the caravan industry might be heading. Technology is rising with ever-increasing lithium LiFePO4 battery capacities, solar panel power and inverter ratings. As was predicted from the last COTY, composting toilets are becoming more common, thus resolving the self-sustainability and water limitations associated with cassette toilets.
To find out more about cassette versus composting toilets, check out our guide here.
It may be a trend that no one turned up with a meranti timber frame caravan and, with one exception (ply timber sheeting), all had an aluminium frame or a full composite structure. Maybe we asked the right questions at the last COTY because most contenders were better prepared for the customer care (warranty) questions, but industry wide, I’d suggest that ‘could do better’ still applies.
A fair number of the COTY 2025 contenders turned up with large US trucks for towing, even when they weren’t really needed. For the first time in my caravan towing years, I needed my Light Rigid truck licence to tow one of the vans. It’s more common in motorhomes I have reviewed, but one of the Chevrolet Silverado tow vehicles had a GVM upgrade to 6000kg, which required a truck licence.
Unintentionally, we judges spent almost more time analysing the tow vehicle’s capability and ride (primarily because of their unfamiliarity) than the ride of the caravans on the back. Not that there were any real problems. One particular feature grabbed my attention. Several of the Chevrolet Silverados had a camera down the side of the vehicle, which operated with the indicator. It was handy when going around corners, but it didn’t stay on long enough when completing the turn. On a related matter, far too many contenders didn’t see the need to fit appropriate towing mirrors.
Lightweight motorhoming
Away from the caravan sector, not so long ago I took a Frontline Adventurer campervan for a test run. Campervans were once very common in the world of motorhomes. However, these days, they are more often seen in the fleets of rental motorhome companies or people who still like getting around in Volkswagen Transporter or Toyota HiAce conversions. Frontline is an old hand in the campervan business and, for the most part, produces pop-top conversions. However, in recent times it has made a fibreglass Hi-top version — no lifting the roof every night. Frontline has done a neat job with the fibreglass moulding; it doesn’t just look like someone stuck a box on top. The HiAce is powered by a 2.8L turbo diesel engine and, in my case, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Unusual these days, it was a fun drive when most vehicles have automatic gearboxes. I haven’t driven a manual in quite a few years and enjoyed my couple of days cruising around the Southern Highlands area of NSW — everything from freeways to winding mountain roads.
Lightweight camping for two
There’s not a big variation in campervan designs and Frontline’s Adventurer layout was used in my review van. It has a seat/bed in the rear, with a kitchen bench along the offside wall. A benefit of this layout is that it’s easy to carry two extra passengers without a problem. Campervans like this really aren’t designed to tour Australia with all the comforts. However, they are great for lightweight travel and short-term trips.
Frontline’s Hi-top campervan has a stylish look
Naturally, there are no ensuite facilities, but a portable loo is an option, and there’s an external shower at the rear. It’s ideal for places like national parks with few basic facilities. A downside of the Hi-top is that access to places like underground car parks is more limited than a pop-top, but the upside is that there’s a bit more shelf space up top. In addition, it still fits into many standard car parking spaces, something beneficial at the supermarket.
Fancy a bit of lightweight, no-stress travel? The Frontline Adventurer Hi-top might be just the vehicle!
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