Outback caravan owners turn idle RVs into side hustles to make money

When the COVID-19 pandemic took international travel off the cards in 2020, buying a caravan seemed like a great idea to Chloe and David Kalbfell and their three kids.

But as life settled down again, the Mount Isa family’s caravan spent more time parked in their driveway in outback Queensland than on the open road.

“We probably only use it maybe once every two months,” Ms Kalbfell said.

The explosion in caravan ownership saw the Kalbfells struggling to sell their home on wheels.

Then came a light bulb moment during a trip to a Mount Isa hardware store.

“We went to hire a tip truck and I said to my husband, ‘Why don’t we hire out the caravan?'” she recalled.

Homes on wheels

The Kalbfell family is one of thousands of caravan owners in Australia who rent out their recreational vehicles (RVs) to generate income.

For the Kalbfells, their side hustle ensures their expensive COVID purchase does not go to waste.

Online sharing platforms connect van owners with prospective renters via a third party.

“People who were thinking of selling vehicles, maybe they can’t, so renting is a great alternative,” Camplify chief executive Justin Hales said.

“Across Queensland, we have over 3,500 and most of those will be in regional areas.”

Caravan Trade and Industries Association of Queensland chief executive Jason Plant said caravan hire offered a “great” alternative to people “not ready to jump in and purchase [a caravan].”

Rental rules

Van owners set their own rules as part of the rental agreement like “no smoking”, “no pets”, or how far renters can travel.

Ms Kalbfell admitted she had some hesitation before handing over the keys to strangers.

“Our main concern was on the legal side of it … if someone was to damage our caravan or write it off,” she said.

Mr Hales said owners could choose to have damage cover provided to them or take out their own rental insurance for peace of mind.

“Generally speaking, we do have really low incidents,” Mr Hales said.

“The owners who want to rent their vehicles out love their vehicles, so they make sure that people who are going to take it away also have that same love for it.”

Mr Plant, however, urged anyone renting out their caravan to “do it through a recognised provider”.

Economic alternative

The economies of outback communities rely heavily on the drive tourism market.

In 2023, caravanning accounted for $10.7 billion in visitor expenditure nationally, according to the Caravan Trade and Industries Association of Queensland.

Queensland has the most caravans and camper trailers in the nation at 30 per cent of the 858,663 registered RVs last year.

“The demand is still there, albeit not as great as during COVID,” Mr Plant said.

But as cost-of-living pressures squeezed people’s wallets, Ms Kalbfell said caravan hire offered families an economic alternative to expensive or long holidays.

“Some people don’t want to drive all the way from Brisbane,” she said.

“People can fly up here … and you can do all these little remote towns that you may not otherwise do.”