Article from: Unsealed 4X4
Booze buses, industry-first technology and the Sydney Olympics: Avida’s rich history in a nutshell.
1. Avida started life as a slide on camper company. Way back in 1965, Bruce and Ruth Binns kicked off the Freeway Camper Company which introduced the first slide on camper to Australia. The company then grew to produce motorhomes, caravans, fifth wheelers and tent trailers.
2. Channel 7’s Morning Sunrise television program used an Avida Motorhome to do live weather coverage all over Australia.
3. The company has had a couple of name changes over the years, first in 1978 when it became known as Winnebago Industries (no relation to the American Winnebago) then again in 2013 when the name Avida was adopted. This stems from the word ‘avid’, meaning passionate and enthusiastic, to reflect the company’s core values and its genuine love for the Australian touring lifestyle.
4. Avida re-entered the caravan market after 35 years in 2013, with the release of the Sapphire caravan range, followed by the Topaz and Emerald ranges.
5. NSW Police purchased three Avida motorhomes and turned them into ‘booze buses’.
6. Avida has the only electric pop top on the Australian market. It also has a number of other ‘firsts’ to its name, including the use of slide-outs on motorhomes, the manufacture of sandwich panel walls, floor and roof, and the use of electric roll down beds.
7. Avida Motorhomes had an important role in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, with one of the brand’s motorhomes used to follow the torch relay in the lead up to the games.
8. Avida motorhomes and caravans are manufactured in Sydney at the brand’s massive 10-acre property at Emu Plains.
9. A proud Australian manufacturing success story, Avida employs around 250 people who produce approximately 600 Avida RVs each year. There are over 70 models in the Avida range, and the company has an extensive network of dealers across Australia and New Zealand.
10. Decades on from the humble beginnings, Avida is still proudly a family-run business to ensure the legacy of the company continues.
For more information on Avida’s range of motorhomes, campervans and caravans, click here.
