Trash to Treasure - revamping caravans in the Bay

Mad about Memphis: Craig Jamieson has a retro caravan done up like an American diner.

An element of the classic Kiwi summer is back - more stylish than ever. Interest in old caravans is spiking, evidenced by rising prices and membership in retro and vintage clubs. Bay of Plenty Times Weekend reporter Dawn Picken spoke with caravan connoisseurs to learn what it takes to turn a decades-old towable from trash to treasure.

Her age is over 40 and she's looking younger each day. A 1973 classic caravan sits in Murray Holdaway's Papamoa section, where she's getting a makeover. Not just a facelift - a rebuild, from the axel to the ceiling. Holdaway says the classic was bought in Whakatane by someone who paid for it sight-unseen and didn't want to risk bringing it home to the South Island.

Murray Holdaway restores old caravans. Photo/George Novak

"The windscreen fell out, and the whole thing started to wobble. It had a lot of rotten framing timber in it," says Holdaway, who bought the 4.1-metre classic, towed it home and started renovating.

When 48 Hours visits, Holdaway is three-quarters through refurbishment and trying to decide on exterior colours. "It was teal and white. I was wanting to paint it orange."

Four caravans sit on his 1100-square metre section, along with a shipping container converted into a workshop he calls his 'cave'. "I was working in the garage, but it made the house really dusty."

Holdaway says he discovered his knack for refurbishing vintage caravans (defined on some websites as pre-1970; classic caravans date from 1970-1980) when he bought a dunger for himself to go on holiday. "We looked at a few, they were dirty and smelly. We thought we'd strip one out and start again," he says.

A full-time painter and decorator, Holdaway says that first project was so successful, someone offered to buy it. He agreed, and a new business was born. "People of our age [he just turned 50] were brought up in them and they like that style."

Work in progress. One of the caravans Papamoa's Murray Holdaway is restoring. Photo/George Novak

Holdaway buys mostly early-70s models. He says vintage caravans have been restored inside (keeping fixtures such as original cabinetry) and retro projects are completely stripped down and rebuilt with features such as insulation, fold-up sinks and solar panels - items not available in caravans of yore.

It can take Holdaway 150 hours to bring a rig from scrap-worthy to snap-worthy. "It's not really a money-making scheme. I hate to see them in a paddock going rotten."

Restoration involves stripping out the inside, including cabinetry and wall linings ("I usually find leaks and often rotten corners"). Rotten framing gets cut out. New framing and plywood are installed, along with polystyrene for insulation. An electrician rewires the caravans so plugs and lights are up to code. Holdaway builds new cabinetry, installs beds and his partner's mum makes curtains and upholstery. Interiors and exteriors get painted, bumps and dents fixed and new awning rails, window rubbers and windows are installed. "It's like building one from scratch," he says.

One work-in-progress he bought last week; another, 18 months ago. Holdaway says as long as the chassis is good, there's nothing he won't do.

Craig Jamieson has a retro caravan done up like an American diner. Photo/George Novak

Holdaway is on his 14th caravan rebuild and will customise to suit a buyer's tastes. He cruises Trade Me, gets tips from people and finds projects sitting in paddocks. "When we first started, we got them for $500. Now, they've become quite popular and people are looking at doing them up, so we're paying $1500 to $2000 - and that's for a pretty grotty old one."

His oldest project to date was a 1961 model; the youngest, circa 1978. One of his renovations, a 1961 Cresta Craft, is listed on Trade Me for $16,900 by its Mount Maunganui owner.

Mike Wells, of Whakatane, is another renovator who searches for oldies to turn into goodies. He owns a business called Retro Custom Caravans and will restore customers' rigs or find caravans for clients. A blue caravan he found in Tauranga, called Get Rhythm, won Best Retro Caravan at the Whangamata Beach Hop this year and last. His oldest project is one he's currently renovating - a Gypsy he bought from a 95-year-old woman.

"They bought it new in 1955." Wells says he can make a 1980s caravan look like it's from the 60s by redesigning chrome and trim work, using pastel colours and two-toning. "We can do a computer-generated image so they see choices before they get one done." A makeover starts at $10,000. His first caravan, called Memphis Belle, sits outside the Blue Haven Motel in Mount Maunganui. Wells bought the early-70s Oxford model for $200 in 2010, stripped it back and rebuilt it into a 4.9m showpiece.

Paula and Craig Jamieson bought Memphis three years ago. The caravan is decorated in red, white and black, American diner style, down to the checkerboard linoleum floor.

Craig says someone at the Beach Hop offered them double the $16,500 they paid for the caravan. "He came back with a cheque book open twice. We'd had it for a week and refused to sell it. Ever since, prices have just gone up, but there are none like this one." When 48 Hours visited, Craig was on his way to see - who else? The Beach Boys.

One of Murray Holdaway's clients says his restoration turned out better than he'd hoped.

Perry Frankham, of Hamilton, bought his 1974 classic Diplomat seven years ago for $7000. It sat on his daughter's farm and was used as a bedroom. He heard about Holdaway and decided it was time to overhaul the classic. A complete pull-through (refurbishment) cost $10,000. "He maintained the integrity of it. I'm 73 - it takes a lot to get me excited. It's nice to sit down and enjoy a wine with friends in the caravan."

The inside of Craig Jamieson's retro caravan. Photo/George Novak

Facts
New Zealand Motor Caravan Association:
*Has 2700 members listed in Bay of Plenty
*Has 60,000 members nationwide
*Membership took 40 years to reach 10,000, while the leap from 50,000 to 60,000 has taken two years
*Average member spends 75 nights away from home per year.
Source: nzmca.org.nz
*More information at: North Island Retro Car & Caravan Cruiser's Club Facebook page or NZ Motorhome & Caravan Forum & Community: nzmotorhome.co.nz