THL closes Brisbane RV factory, shifts Winnebago and Coromal production to NZ

Tourism Holdings Limited (thl) closed its Brisbane manufacturing facility on 19 December 2025, ending Australian production of five long-running RV brands and shedding around 110 Australian jobs in the process.

The closure affects Apollo, Talvor, Winnebago, Coromal and Windsor — brands that came under thl’s umbrella following its 2022 acquisition of Apollo Tourism & Leisure. All production has been transferred to Action Manufacturing in Hamilton, New Zealand, with thl expected to exit the Brisbane lease at some point in 2026.

What thl said

In statements reported by Caravan World, thl chief executive Grant Webster framed the move as a cost-driven restructure: “The transition of production to New Zealand will allow thl to capture the cost advantage opportunities immediately.” Webster added the company “remains committed to the Australian market, anchored by an RV rental business that continues to have a strong forward order book.”

While some frontline manufacturing roles are expected to be recreated in New Zealand as the Hamilton facility ramps up through 2026, the bulk of Australian support positions will not be replicated. Affected employees were notified through 2025.

What it means for existing owners

The five brands have a substantial installed base in Australia — Winnebago in particular has been one of the country’s best-known motorhome names since the 1970s. Owners of recent thl-built product should expect:

• Warranty and service to continue via thl’s existing Australian dealer network through the warranty period. thl has not signalled any reduction in warranty cover.
• Spare parts availability to depend on Hamilton’s production schedule. Common service items should remain available; specialised parts for older models may take longer to source.
• Future model availability to continue, but built in New Zealand and shipped to Australia. Lead times and pricing may shift.
• Resale values for late-model thl product to potentially soften in the short term as buyers digest the “no longer Australian-built” question.

The broader industry picture

The thl closure is the second major Australian RV manufacturing exit in six months. Sunshine Coast premium off-road brand Zone RV entered administration days earlier and was eventually sold to Essential Caravans, leaving 100+ deposit-holders out of pocket.

For buyers, the practical implication is consistent across both stories: factor manufacturer financial health and supply-chain location into a purchase decision the same way you’d factor in chassis quality or warranty length. Twelve-month build queues with substantial progress payments now look meaningfully different from a 10-per-cent-deposit transactional purchase.

The Australian RV manufacturing base is now noticeably smaller than it was a year ago. The buyers who can adjust their shortlist accordingly will be the ones least likely to be surprised by the next exit.