The great Aussie Holiday on Wheels comes up trumps this Season

More than two thirds (68%) of RV owners are planning a caravan or camping holiday in the next 12 months, according to new research by leading caravan, motorhome and campervan insurer CIL, with more than a third of them (38%) planning to be away this Christmas and New Year period.

CIL Insurance Manager Greg Matton said these results was also reflected in their customer data which found Australia’s love affair with the great outdoors was far from over.

“The great Aussie outdoor holiday has come up trumps as a popular and family-friendly choice,” said Mr Matton. The national survey of owners of caravans, motorhomes and campervans also revealed that families are starting to catch up to the baby boomers when it comes to RV ownership. “We found that families accounted for almost one third (30%) of RV ownership, but are nudged out of top spot by the baby boomers who came in at 48%,” said Mr Matton.

“I think there are probably a lot of parents who have fond memories of their own caravanning or camping holidays when they were young and perhaps they want to share that same experience with their kids,” he said. “The December/January caravan and camping escape has always been a great tradition with Aussie families and it’s great to see this alive and well this year” said Mr Matton.

When asked to nominate their favourite Australian state to visit when holidaying, 59% of people had their own state at the top of the list, when taking a caravanning or camping holiday, whilst 34% said they would travel to ‘another state’.

The top state to visit for that great outdoor holiday adventure was New South Wales with 25%.

Rankings by state/territory for caravanning or camping holidays were as follows:

1. New South Wales
2. Queensland
3. Western Australia
4. Victoria
5. South Australia
6. Tasmania
7. Northern Territory

“With most of Australia enjoying strong rainfalls this past year our national parks and waterways are looking like the perfect spot to spend a few weeks enjoying a great outdoor experience,” said Mr Matton.

“Australians are definitely spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding on a great destination for a caravanning holiday,” he said.

For families who will be making the great outdoors their home away from home this holiday season CIL encourages holiday-makers to remain vigilant about security.

“We would encourage everyone going away this season to follow some basic tips for a happy holiday,” said Mr Matton.

CIL’s theft prevention tips:

• Fully close your windows and lock your doors whenever you leave your caravan or RV.
• At night, try to park your caravan or RV in a well-lit, populated and secure area.
• Never leave your car or RV running while it is unattended.
• Ensure you remove any valuable items such as wallets, mobile phones, handbags, cameras and laptops from your caravan before leaving it unattended.
• If you must leave personal items in your caravan or RV, ensure that they are out of sight, or concealed in a safe or security box.
• Don’t hide a spare set of car keys anywhere in or around your car, caravan or RV.
• Consider investing in a security device such as a wheel clamp, hitch security device, alarm, steering lock, engine immobiliser or tracking device.

These findings are based on a study conducted nationally among 264 respondents aged 18 years and over in households that own a caravan, campervan, motorhome or camper trailer. The study was conducted by telephone by Newspoll market Research during November 2010.

_{Source: CIL Media Release}