Stories

Rick Boyd and his partner Dave Jetts chanced into refurbishing vintage ’vans for a living more than a decade ago. Rick tells the story of their Northland company, Retro Caravans Northland Ltd.
When faced with a lack of availability, Frank and Dale Appleton decided to build their own Teardrop Camper and have travelled many an incredible mile since.
It’s easy to make costly mistakes when you buy a new or used vehicle. Peta Stavelli offers some advice on getting it right.
Swapping your RV’s incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes for LEDs is an obvious step toward easing the load on the batteries — but it also presents a sparkling opportunity to unleash your creative juices and stamp a little exclusivity over the vehicle. Lawrence Schäffler reports.
A re-upholstery project can instantly rejuvenate an RV’s tired interior, but there’s more to it than simply choosing a colour and pattern. Lawrence Schäffler outlines some of the basic issues you need to consider.
Three generations of the Croot family have been manufacturing Gipsy Caravans in Levin since 1951. Peta Stavelli talks to Robin Croot, who survived the storms of the ’70s and built a thriving business over a 40-year career.