Caravan Finance
Australia's caravans are getting heavier
By Joseph Nowland, Director and Senior Finance Broker · · 5 min read
About one in seven registered caravans in Australia now weighs more than 2,500kg empty. Two years ago it was closer to one in nine.
We went through the latest national registration figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) to see how caravan weights are changing in each state and territory. Here's what we found.
Key findings
- Heavy vans are up 32% in two years. Caravans with a tare weight over 2,500kg rose from 88,980 in January 2024 to 117,696 in January 2026.
- They made up about half of all the growth. Australia's caravan fleet grew by 57,841 vans in two years, and 28,716 of them weighed more than 2,500kg empty.
- The most common van is now a 2,001 to 2,500kg one. That weight band overtook the 1,001 to 1,500kg van in 2026, with 200,757 vans.
- The heaviest vans are growing fastest. Caravans over 3,000kg tare rose 47% in two years, from 9,302 to 13,671.
- Light vans are falling everywhere. Caravans under 1,000kg tare fell in every state and territory in the past year, and are down 5.4% nationally over two years.
- WA's heavy vans grew fastest. Western Australia's vans over 2,500kg rose 15.7% in the past year and 35% over two years.
- Queensland has the most of everything. It has the most registered caravans (235,265) and the most vans over 2,500kg (32,700).
- Tasmania is the exception. Only 4.7% of Tasmanian vans weigh more than 2,500kg empty, about a third of the national rate.
Caravan weight by state
Caravans with a tare weight over 2,500kg, registered at 31 January each year.
| State | All caravans, 2026 | Over 2,500kg, 2024 | Over 2,500kg, 2026 | Change in two years | Share of vans over 2,500kg, 2026 | Change in vans under 1,000kg, two years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | 235,265 | 24,425 | 32,700 | +33.9% | 14.2% | -6.2% |
| VIC | 208,276 | 23,587 | 30,851 | +30.8% | 15.9% | -1.7% |
| NSW | 190,338 | 19,251 | 25,131 | +30.5% | 13.2% | -8.3% |
| WA | 130,502 | 13,124 | 17,706 | +34.9% | 13.6% | -2.8% |
| SA | 65,216 | 6,851 | 9,146 | +33.5% | 14.0% | -10.6% |
| TAS | 24,883 | 983 | 1,174 | +19.4% | 4.7% | -0.5% |
| ACT | 6,305 | 342 | 443 | +29.5% | 7.0% | -6.2% |
| NT | 2,555 | 417 | 545 | +30.7% | 21.3% | -17.4% |
| Australia | 863,340 | 88,980 | 117,696 | +32.3% | 14.0% | -5.4% |
Shares are worked out from vans with a recorded tare weight. Victoria has 14,753 vans with no recorded weight, the most of any state.
In NSW, vans over 2,500kg made up 5,880 of the 8,610 caravans added in two years, about two thirds of the state's growth. In the NT, just over half of all caravans (51.6%) weigh more than 2,000kg empty.
Average caravan weight in Australia
BITRE doesn't publish an average weight, but it does count vans in weight bands. This is how the national fleet has shifted.
| Tare weight | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Change in two years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 500kg | 35,087 | 34,102 | 33,127 | -5.6% |
| 501 to 1,000kg | 153,821 | 150,130 | 145,550 | -5.4% |
| 1,001 to 1,500kg | 190,513 | 192,323 | 192,395 | +1.0% |
| 1,501 to 2,000kg | 145,237 | 150,518 | 153,932 | +6.0% |
| 2,001 to 2,500kg | 169,485 | 185,866 | 200,757 | +18.5% |
| 2,501 to 3,000kg | 79,678 | 92,283 | 104,025 | +30.6% |
| Over 3,000kg | 9,302 | 11,325 | 13,671 | +47.0% |
| Not stated | 22,376 | 21,175 | 19,883 | -11.1% |
| Total | 805,499 | 837,722 | 863,340 | +7.2% |
More than a third of vans with a recorded weight (37.8%) now weigh more than 2,000kg empty.
Tare weight explained
Tare is what the caravan weighs empty, as it left the factory, with no water, gas or gear on board. The ATM (aggregate trailer mass) is the most the van can weigh fully loaded. A van can weigh several hundred kilos more than its tare once it's packed for a trip, so the tow vehicle's towing capacity needs to cover the loaded weight, not the tare.
Also in the data, boat trailers
Registered boat trailers fell slightly across Australia, from 855,561 in 2025 to 852,925 in 2026. The picture is different in each state.
| State | Boat trailers, 2024 | Boat trailers, 2026 | Change in two years |
|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | 251,657 | 254,166 | +1.0% |
| NSW | 231,496 | 226,535 | -2.1% |
| VIC | 178,332 | 178,666 | +0.2% |
| WA | 101,239 | 104,054 | +2.8% |
| SA | 50,312 | 49,051 | -2.5% |
| TAS | 28,951 | 28,810 | -0.5% |
| NT | 7,744 | 7,284 | -5.9% |
| ACT | 4,407 | 4,359 | -1.1% |
How we worked it out
All figures come from BITRE's Road vehicles, Australia, January 2026 report, released on 12 October 2026. It counts every vehicle registered for road use with a state or territory registry at 31 January each year. We used Table 13 (caravans by tare weight and state) and Table 14 (trailers by type and state).
"Heavy" means a tare weight over 2,500kg, which combines BITRE's 2,501 to 3,000kg and over 3,000kg bands. "Light" means a tare weight of 1,000kg or less. Shares leave out vans with no recorded weight.
The 2024 and 2025 figures are BITRE's revised numbers from the January 2026 report, so they may differ slightly from earlier reports. BITRE notes that some values are adjusted slightly to protect privacy and that figures may be revised in later years.
Sources
- BITRE, Road vehicles, Australia, January 2026Release page, released 12 October 2026
- BITRE report (PDF)Table 13 caravans by tare weight and state, Table 14 trailers by type and state
- BITRE tables (Excel)Same tables in spreadsheet form
FAQ
There were 863,340 registered caravans in Australia at 31 January 2026, up 3.1% on a year earlier, according to BITRE.
Queensland, with 235,265 registered caravans. Victoria is second with 208,276 and NSW third with 190,338.
The most common tare weight band is now 2,001 to 2,500kg, with 200,757 vans, or about one in four vans with a recorded weight.
Tare is the empty weight of the van with no water, gas or gear. ATM is the maximum the van can weigh when fully loaded. Your tow vehicle needs to be rated for the loaded weight.
Yes. Vans over 2,500kg tare rose 32% between January 2024 and January 2026, while vans under 1,000kg fell 5.4%.
Buying a caravan or a tow vehicle?
A heavier van often means a bigger tow vehicle too. Morella Finance compares a large panel of lenders for caravan, car and ute finance, and can help you with finance for both. It also pays to check what it costs to register a caravan in each state, as some states charge more for heavier vans.
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