Australian Off Road (AOR), a Queensland-based caravan manufacturer, has collapsed into administration after more than 25 years in business, leaving dozens of customers who had paid deposits and over 100 staff in limbo. The Caloundra-based firm, which built 250 caravans in 2025, blamed increasingly sophisticated and cheaper Chinese imports for undermining its ability to compete as a premium Australian manufacturer, alongside rising domestic competition from manufacturers in lower-cost states with cheaper wages and rents.

Founder Steve Budden, 77, said the manufacturing environment had "changed dramatically", making it hard to sustain the business against rivals with lower overheads and amid growing product copying in the caravan and outdoor gear sector. Administrator Nick Keramos of DVT McCleods is now assessing the company's total debts, with early CreditorWatch data showing 21 outstanding payment defaults to two suppliers; the firm behind AOR, Rhost Pty Ltd, was also directed by Barry Evans, 62. Budden reflected that what began in a carport in Maleny had grown into a business supporting hundreds of families and Australian suppliers over its lifetime.