Campervan builders combine as demand rises

By SIMON HENDERY

The country's second-largest builder of motorhomes and campervans, Coach-Kraft, has joined forces with Australian manufacturer Trakka to take advantage of growing demand for rental mobile homes.

Henderson-based Coach-Kraft's founders, Doug and Jenny Sheldon, and Trakka founders Sally and David Berry, have jointly bought Coach-Kraft's assets and will trade under the Trakka NZ name.

Doug Sheldon said the two companies had previously focused on building different-sized vehicles. The merger would allow the expanded Trakka brand to comprehensively target the Australian and New Zealand markets.

"With the way the motor caravan industry has exploded in New Zealand and is now starting to explode in Australia, there is a much bigger market for the Trakka product here and for the Coach-Kraft type of product in Australia," he said.

"Integrating the two businesses is a marvellous opportunity for each company to advance."

Coach-Kraft has been building about 100 vehicles a year, making it the country's second-largest motorhome and campervan manufacturer behind Otorohanga-based CI Munro, a subsidiary of Tourism Holdings, which owns the Britz and Maui vehicle rental business.

Tourism Holdings (THL) is also upbeat about future growth in the mobile home rental market as it calls for tenders on a significant upgrade of its fleet.

The company has invited four automotive manufacturers - Mercedes, Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford - to tender for the supply of 1200 new vehicles for its Maui and Britz operations in Australia and New Zealand.

THL Rentals' chief operating officer, Chris Rusden, said the tender would allow an upgrade of the company's fleet and also cater for growth, which the company was confident would occur.

The company has recently increased its targeting of domestic holidaymakers in New Zealand and Australia. It continues to market to overseas tourists, particularly Europeans.

Between February next year and June 2005, the successful tendering companies would provide either new vans or cab chassis on to which THL will build motorhome bodies.

The bodies are built by CI Munro, and vehicles intended for the New Zealand market are fully assembled in Otorohanga.

Bodies for vehicles to be driven in Australia are shipped to Melbourne and assembled in THL's plant there.