Ross has spent the night what feels like miles from anywhere ... no piped water ... no electricity ... not another person in sight. But like a snail with his house on his back, Ross has all the comforts of home in his self-contained motor caravan.
Ross has owned his Fiat Ducato motor caravan since 2006 and says it was one of his best investments ever: "After I retired I wanted to be able to travel as and when I felt like it. My van has enabled me to travel easily and with comfort. I'm free to go almost anywhere."
An ever-increasing number of "movanners" like Ross are enjoying the freedom that comes with going mobile. The organisation representing movanners, the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA), has seen member numbers jump from just 1700 in 1990 to over 38,000 today.
NZMCA
The NZMCA - started in 1956 by a small number of enthusiasts - is a not-for-profit body representing the owners of an estimated 75 percent of the 26,260 licensed motor caravans on our roads.
The NZMCA promotes the interests of movanners with government, local and regional councils and businesses - and it has a group insurance scheme for members.
Movanners we spoke to all rated the NZMCA highly, particularly its range of member discounts and technical advice and the fellowship of other members. The association also publishes its own magazine Motor Caravanner.
It costs $100 to join the association, plus an annual $60 subscription.
Read what our members have to say close
To save money on essentials and make buying decisions easy, you can't go past Consumer. We're proud to have over 65,000 members all enjoying our independent information online or in Consumer magazine.
Here's what some of them say...
"Just wanted to let you know that I find your site excellent! Easy to find my way around, everything at my fingertips - just a click away.
I only took out a 3 month membership as I wasn't sure but it is actually really easy to use and if I want it on paper I can print the
reports. Thanks again".
Denise Watkinson - Waitakere
"My mother (74) got a renewal letter from her insurance company for her car insurance, wanting $570. After reading
your article on car insurance, I contacted one of the companies you recommended, who quoted her $318 for the same
level of cover. I just wanted to stay thank you very much for your article, as it has saved my mother a substantial amount of money".
Adrian Lane - Kapiti Coast
"I've been a member to the magazine since 1997 and enjoy reading it a lot. I've found lots of helpful information on different issues...
Thank you for being so helpful".
Peter Kovalenko - Porirua
"I have been a member of the Consumer NZ for 20 or more years and have enjoyed much reliable advice.
I turn to their tests before making significant purchases".
Lyndal Print – Auckland
Join Consumer now and make your decisions easy on a huge range of products and services
- Over 500 reports, plus interactive tools and calculators
- Independent advice from NZ's trusted source of information
- Join over 65,000 members who help us get all NZers a fairer deal
from just $28
Previous: Introduction
