Tom Hammond, sales manager at Aussie Recreational Vehicles in Eden said while business was very slow when COVID was at its height, it's now back up and running and the market has been better than average in recent months.

"A lot of our manufacturers are based in Victoria though, so lead times were delayed with the long lockdowns there," he said.

"That did put a bit of a stop to things, but in turn helped us with second-hand sales."

Mr Hammond said he had noticed a more diverse age range of customers since the pandemic hit and there were clearly lots of people who would ordinarily travel overseas but aren't able to do so at the moment.

"Our new vans generally have set retail prices, but the used van market has gotten stronger," he said.

Camplify was founded in 2015 and provides an online platform for caravan, camper and motorhome owners to hire out their recreational vehicles to travellers when not in use.

The business said motorhomes are in such high demand, owners have the potential to earn $10,000 over the six weeks of peak summer by hiring out their RVs through the Camplify site.

Camplify promotes its model as an excellent way to help cover expenses and source additional income, with the average Australian RV owner only using theirs for personal use four times a year.

"We're seeing such high numbers of bookings for caravanning holidays that many of the small family van hiring businesses on our platform are expanding their fleets simply to keep up with demand," CEO Justin Hales said.

"The record-breaking success we have seen in August and September this year is a true testament to Australians' hunger for travel in their own backyard... camping is a great way for families to spend the summer break, whilst staying safe."

Majestic Motorhomes is based just outside Bega at Frogs Hollow and offers repairs and custom fit-outs of recreational vehicles.

Co-manager Nicole Harris said although the business doesn't actually sell caravans, they know from talk in the industry that people are currently struggling to source them to purchase.

"People are paying top dollar for really old caravans, they'll buy anything at the moment," she said.

"There's a sense of desperation, people just want to hit the road."

Ms Harris said suppliers of new caravans in Victoria have a backlog of orders and are now taking orders for May 2021.

"When you're in your van or motorhome, you're in your own environment and not using public facilities or eating out as much.

"I think people are thinking it's a safer way to travel as they are not mixing with the public as much."

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