B-Leisure trend - make cash while travelling

It is no secret COVID has changed the way Queenslanders live and work, but an emerging caravanning trend has shown that it’s also changing the way they holiday, giving rise to the concept of ‘B-Leisure’ (mixing business and leisure) for the new or experienced caravanning fraternity. 

Caravanning and camping continues to be the preferred holiday option across Australia, however this new ‘hybrid holiday’ trend is seeing many ‘Cara-fans’ explore creative van customisations that enable them to make a living while on the road. 

However, this phenomenon has since led to a spike in requests for specially modified caravans that allow travellers to generate an income no matter where they are, enabling them to make their nomadic adventure a more permanent lifestyle. 

“The previous trend was renovating old vans into food trucks, but what we’re now seeing is an emergence of manufacturers working with specialty businesses to create bespoke caravans, specifically modified for Aussies to run face to face businesses from the road – just some of which include portable coffee shops, on-the-go hairdressers, travelling massage stations and soon-to-be cocktail bars,” he said.

Sales of caravans have continued to rise over the last couple of years, with Queensland leading the charge nationally for the highest number of recreational vehicles (caravans, campervans, camper trailers and motorhomes) registered in Queensland, accounting for 26 per cent of the nation’s registrations.

While Queenslanders want to explore off the beaten track, an increase in requests for interior caravan customisations is further evidence that they want to do this while still making a living. 

Brisbane Camperland Managing Director, Josh Carnavas, said the trend of being off grid and fully self-sustainable, both physically and financially - is continuing to rise and a key reason to why travellers are looking to modify their vans. 

“We’ve certainly seen an increase in customers looking to mix business and leisure, whether it’s working remotely from a laptop or creating a (portable) face-to-face business model,” he said.

“One indicator of this, is the significant increase in customers opting for lithium power and moving away from gas or electricity requirements which support them in running their business from literally anywhere, but without losing any of the creature comforts.