Queensland man Brandon McKenzie rents his caravan out when not using it. Picture: Supplied
One Aussie traveller has found a unique way to halt the brewing street war between neighbours and caravan owners.
As more and more Australians turn to a caravan lifestyle as a way to save on the costs of holidays or permanent accommodation, homeowners are venting their frustrations at the proliferation of homes on wheels clogging residential streets when not in use.
But Queensland resident and keen caravanner Brandon McKenzie believes he has the answer.
The 36-year-old Moreton Bay resident has started renting out his rig when it is not being used by his family.
The move not only alleviates tensions between residents and councils trying to police caravan parking in residential areas, but it nets Mr McKenzie some extra income as well.
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Caravans parked on streets is becoming more of an issue across Australia.
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“In the early days, we faced challenges with street parking regulations under the Moreton Bay Regional Council,” Mr McKenzie told Yahoo News.
“We hadn’t realised that vehicles over 7.5m couldn’t be parked on suburban streets.”
Mr McKenzie began renting out his caravan for the first time in 2019 and netted $11,000 in extra cash in that first year.
While Mr McKenzie is in his 30s, he is part of a growing band of Aussies taking up the caravan lifestyle.
More and more retiring Aussies are trading in their homes and mortgages for life in a caravan, pushing the sector into a growth boom as cost of living pressures and the housing crisis force people to think outside the box for their living arrangements.
Many Aussies are leaning into caravan/motorhome culture as they give up their traditional brick-and-mortar homes to live life out on the road.
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Queensland man Brandon McKenzie rents his caravan out when not using it. Picture: Supplied
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The move enables people to avoid rent or mortgage payments, as well as traditional utilities, while also seeing the country.
Baby Boomers are the biggest demographic taking up a caravan lifestyle.
Termed ‘grey nomads’, this group of retired Australians is continuing to grow, meaning more and more caravans and motorhomes are hitting streets across the country.
The boom has coincided with a spate of incidents involving local councils.
In once incident earlier this year, the Sunshine Coast Council was seeking advice from the Queensland Government after residents lashed out at caravan owners who parked their rigs in residential areas.
A petition, signed by more than 1000 disgruntled residents, called on the council to properly regulate what they termed “long-term and unsafe on-street parking of caravans, campervans and motorhomes”.
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