What Melbourne Leisurefest 2026 Told Us About the Future of Caravanning

Melbourne's Caravan & Camping Leisurefest has wrapped up for another year, closing out its four-day run at Sandown Racecourse on Sunday. With 165 exhibitors across more than 55,000 square metres, the 34th edition of the show arrived at an interesting moment for the industry — towable caravan production has been soft, two well-known builders have collapsed in the past two months, and buyers are more cautious than they've been in years [1].

Against that backdrop, the product wave unveiled at Leisurefest wasn't defensive at all. It was arguably the most forward-looking show season lineup the Victorian event has had. Three stories came through the launch slate clearly, and each one matters if you're buying in the next 12 months.

Story one: 48V power stopped being a premium option

The clearest trend in this year's launches was electrical — not "bigger battery" electrical, but full platform shifts from 12V to 48V architecture:

• MDC showed its new XT MK4 range across eight models, all featuring Projecta Intelli-Grid 48V power, 48V air conditioning, high-output solar, induction cooking and built-in air frying as standard [1]. Snowy River Caravans and BMPRO jointly debuted the new Snowy River MY27 range alongside a purpose-built 48V power platform, designed and engineered in Australia for faster charging and greater off-grid capability [1].

Why it matters: on a 12V system, running air conditioning, induction cooking and fast charging through an inverter means enormous current draw — thick cable, heat, and real efficiency losses. At 48V, the same power moves at a quarter of the current, which means faster solar charging, cooler-running gear, and enough grunt to genuinely live off-grid with modern appliances.

Two of Australia's biggest-selling brands committing to 48V as standard equipment is the moment the technology stops being a premium curiosity. If you're comparing vans right now, the question "12V or 48V?" belongs on your checklist alongside payload and towball weight — because a 48V platform will likely hold its value better as the industry standardises around it.

Story two: the toy hauler finally lands in Australia

Austrack Campers introduced its first-ever toy hauler at the show — the Gunbarrel X19, a 19-footer sleeping up to six, built for family getaways and off-road trips [1]. The spec sheet is telling:

• 1,050W of solar and 920Ah of lithium batteries Diesel heater, instant hot water and reverse-cycle air conditioning Internal ensuite and full kitchen Push-button electric tailgate

The tailgate is the point. A toy hauler's defining feature is a rear load space that swallows motorbikes, e-bikes, kayaks, jet skis or fishing gear — the stuff Australian families actually travel with — and converts into living or sleeping space when you arrive. The category has been huge in North America for two decades without quite landing here. When a volume builder like Austrack bets its first entry on the format, expect competitors to follow within a model cycle or two.

For buyers, the practical question is payload: a van carrying a jet ski or two dirt bikes plus water, fuel and family needs genuine capacity headroom, not a brochure figure. If the toy hauler format appeals, read the ATM and towball download numbers twice before the brochure photos once.

Story three: the motorhome keeps climbing

Supreme Caravans marked its 40th anniversary with an all-new motorhome range on a 4,500kg GVM Iveco Daily chassis in 10 layouts, while Vista RV unveiled its new 2XL [1].

The motorhome push is arithmetic, not nostalgia. The latest RV Production IQ data recorded 3,728 new RVs entering the market in July — and while towable production fell 14% year-on-year, motorised RV production rose 36% [1]. Rolling 12-month production sits at 47,567 units [1]. Buyers who would once have defaulted to a caravan-and-4WD combination are increasingly doing the maths on a single vehicle that drives, sleeps and stores everything.

Caravan Industry Victoria CEO Daniel Sahlberg framed the backdrop plainly in the lead-up to the show: business pressures on manufacturers and dealers should not be read as Australians falling out of love with caravanning, pointing to continued high trip numbers and regional spend [1].

The numbers underneath all three stories

The industry Sahlberg is defending is still enormous, according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia's State of the Industry 2026 report:

• Roughly 937,000 registered RVs are on Australian roads, up 4% year-on-year [2]. Australians took 17.3 million caravan and camping trips in 2025, spending $12.6 billion [2]. Average trip length has fallen to 3.4 nights — travellers booking later and staying closer to home [2].

That last figure explains the show-floor tech almost perfectly. Shorter, more frequent trips demand faster setup, better off-grid power, and layouts that work for a family across a long weekend rather than a six-month lap. A 48V system that recharges quickly between trips and runs the aircon at a beachfront free camp is exactly what a 3.4-night traveller needs. The industry isn't just recovering — it's re-engineering around how Australians actually travel now, and Leisurefest 2026 was the clearest public display of that pivot yet.

If you missed it, you didn't miss your chance

One show does not make a buying decision. The same exhibitors, the same 48V platforms and the same toy haulers will roll through spring show season across the eastern states over the coming weeks — and the leverage advice stands at all of them: get pre-approved finance before you walk in, compare show-only pricing against written dealer quotes from home, and never sign on day one. The post-AOR-collapse lesson is the most current one: ask builders and dealers directly about their financial position, warranty backing and delivery track record before you commit a deposit, no matter how good the show special sounds.

Shows are research accelerators, not buying deadlines. Leisurefest gave the market its clearest signal yet about where van design is heading — 48V platforms, load-carrying family layouts, and the motorhome alternative. Let the show season inform your shortlist, then do your dealmaking on your own timeline.

Cat Cruisers builds Australian-made amphibious vessels on the Gold Coast, and follows the RV and marine markets closely — the same 48V shift happening in caravans is well underway on the water.

Sources

1. Grant Jones, Travel Weekly, "Melbourne Caravan & Camping Leisurefest returns with 165 exhibitors", 23 September 2026. https://travelweekly.com.au/melbourne-caravan-camping-leisurefest-returns-with-165-exhibitors/

2. Caravan Industry Association of Australia, "State of the Industry 2026 report" (via caravanindustry.com.au and GoRV coverage), 2026. https://gorv.com.au/state-of-the-australian-caravan-industry/