Demand grows for holiday home on wheels

Merv Tyree can watch TV from the double bed in his custom-built motorhome, Endeavour. Photo / Christine Cornege

The summer bach is a Kiwi institution and generations of New Zealanders have grown up spending weekends and Christmas at their family's beach house.

But as more want their own plot of land in popular getaway spots and property prices soar out of reach, some holiday-goers are trading the dream of a place in the sun for a holiday home on wheels.

The RV (recreational vehicle) is hugely popular in Australia and the United States and Platinum Motor Homes director Andrew Dazeley says demand for the vehicles is increasing in New Zealand.

"Boat owners and the baby-boomers are looking to do something different now - they've done the boating thing and motorhomes are the next thing," Dazeley said.

"The price of baches has gone through the roof and [with motorhomes] they get different scenery every time. It's luxury of getting out of the rat-race and doing your own thing," he said.

While entry-level motorhomes sell for around the $200,000, Dazeley said interest in custom-built vehicles is growing, with owners willing to spend up to $800,000 on their 11m by 2m piece of paradise.

And for that amount of money, there is little these on-road homes go without.

"You're getting a luxury boat interior, granite on the floor, flatscreen televisions as well as solar panels and a fully self-sufficient vehicle," he said.

Merv Tyree is one enthusiast who went a step further than most - rather than just spending weekends and holidays away, Merv permanently lives on the road.

Without a property to maintain, he was happy to pay more than twice the price of the average New Zealand house for a start-of-the-art motorhome.

His home, the Endeavour, features hardwood floors and is furnished with Italian leather. A computer controls the lights in the kitchen, lounge and bedroom. Rather than "getting away from it all", Merv brings everything with him - a 32-inch flatscreen TV slides out from behind the couch and another allows him to watch television from his double bed.

A gas stove, grill, four-burner hot plate and dish-drawer decks out the kitchen while down the hall is a fully contained shower and bathroom.

"There's nothing in there you wouldn't put in your home," Merv said.

"Everything fits in - there's no square corners and there are reasons for everything," he said.

When parked up, the sides of his motorhome push out to provide more space.

"People are amazed at the room. In the bedroom you can walk around the double-bed."

Merv's search for his motorhome took almost two years. After selling his house he toyed with the idea of converting a Japanese bus, but his dream was only realised when he met the team at Platinum motor homes.

And despite the money he dished out for the Endeavour, Merv said he was not really involved in the process.

"Andrew came up with the design. The only thing I told them was that I didn't want to go outside to put my washing in the machine," he said.

While the Endeavour looks flash, it's also functional - it holds 800 litres of water, is powered by solar panels and has a generator if more electricity is needed.

"It's got everything you need - it's fully self contained and if you don't like your neighbours you can just up and move."

Although some might miss having their own patch of land, throughout the 12 months Merv's been on the road, he has never got sick of his new lifestyle.

"I love it. If I go away I just can't wait to get back in my own bed in the motorhome," he said.