Top Brands: Little Gem Caravans
Little Gems of the industry
Picking the brains of some of Australia’s Caravan company owners provides some profound insight into the nature of the industry and its vision for the future. We spoke with John Burke, owner of Little Gem Caravans on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland to gather his experiences
How did you get started in the caravanning industry?
For the majority of my working life, I have been involved in the RV industry. Starting off in boats, I then progressed to motorhomes some fifteen years ago.
Whilst selling Paradise Motorhomes, I was offered the design of what would become Explorer Motorhomes. I immediately recognised the concept of the one piece fibreglass body, and how attractive a ‘no leaks‘ body would be. Over the next ten years, with the help of Ridings Boats, I developed the various models of the 4WD Explorer Motorhome to become a much sought-after small motorhome.
Thinking to retire after 10 years and have some travelling time, I bought my wife a small Wingamm caravan. I was drawn to the fact that here again was a one-piece fibreglass body — apparently the only one of its type in Australia. Beautifully moulded, sleek well insulated, Italian styling and light enough to be towed by the average car. My wife loved the caravan with its full rear ensuite, kitchen and adaptable sleeping setup. She also liked the way the caravan was easy to manoeuvre, even light enough to be moved by hand. Fully self-contained, it can be used anywhere, and the solar panel and water tanks enable free camping.
I found myself, far from sitting back and watching the world go by, negotiating with Wingamm in Italy to become the sole distributer for Australia. A year on we are settled into the role of importer. It has not been easy, with lots of improvements to the two models to ensure they pass Australian inspection. My wife picked the company name of Little Gem Caravans, as she thinks they are little gems. Also, the model names of Weekender and Long Weekender are perfect for the short trip traveller.
You clearly have a strong background in the industry with your various experiences. What would you say is your point of difference to other caravanning companies and what would you attribute your growing success to?
We are at the start of the journey with our products, and the success we have had so far is due to the attractiveness of the caravans; their unique one-piece body, the Italian styling — which is superb — and the practicality of a lightweight caravan. They stand out from the large offroad caravan, currently in vogue, as being appealing to women who make up a large percentage of the travelling population and are our biggest buying group.
Which caravan is your best seller?
Of our two models, the Long Weekender is our best seller. It has a fixed double bed and the option of additional travellers on with the dinette that converts to a double bed, which seems to appeal to grandparents wanting to take grandchildren away. A great way to get the next generation travelling!
The purpose of a caravan is to get out exploring, so do you have any advice you would give travellers?
We always like to help the buyers of our caravans who are new to travelling with useful lists of what to take on a trip — usually, a lot less than you think you need! You quickly get packing a caravan down to a fine art, with a minimum of essentials and food.
What are some of your top destinations you recommend to travellers?
Running a business doesn’t give you time to set off on a long trip so any of our trips have to be within a short journey of the Sunshine Coast. Our recommendations for great spots would be, Imbil Retreat, a great little township. Woodgate Beach, as this is a beautiful spot of coastline and an obvious one Carnarvon Gorge.
Where can interested buyers find Wingamm caravans?
As we are the sole distributor of Wingamm caravans, buyers can find the Weekender and Long Weekender on the Little Gem Caravans website at littlegemcaravans.com.au.
They can also find us at two exhibitions this September! The Newcastle Outdoor Adventure & Motoring Expo from 3 to 5 September and the Sunshine Coast Expo from 24 to 26 September.