Franklin Caravans is one of Australia’s most storied caravan brands. In 1947, 17-year-old Geoff Robertson from Ballarat, Victoria, built a caravan so he and a mate could take a Christmas holiday to Lorne. When asked the name of his caravan business, the first thing that came to mind was his old family home, “Franklin.” By the 1950s, Geoff was producing one van per month and soon expanded into a proper factory with hired workers. By the 1970s, Franklin dominated the Australian caravan market, employing more than 500 workers manufacturing approximately 200 vans per week from their Ballarat factory.

The brand went through troubled times in the late 20th century, changing hands multiple times. It was eventually revived in 2004 when Queensland caravan retailer Kratzmann acquired the brand and contracted Concept Caravans in Melbourne to build Franklin vans. A dedicated Franklin factory opened in 2017.

Ownership & Structure

Franklin is currently owned by brothers Keir, Bruno, and Steve Caruso, who are also the co-founders of Concept Caravans. They purchased the Franklin brand from Kratzmann and took it national. The Caruso family also owns the Newlands brand. Franklin, Concept, and Newlands are all manufactured under the same corporate umbrella in Melbourne.

Manufacturing

Franklin caravans are manufactured in Melbourne, Victoria. The current factory was purpose-built in 2017. Production capacity is approximately 7 vans per week. The vans share manufacturing expertise and some componentry with the Concept Caravans brand.

Market Position

Franklin targets the mid-range touring caravan market, with models spanning from compact couples tourers (Core range) to semi off-road and full off-road models (X-Factor range). The brand trades heavily on its heritage as one of Australia’s oldest caravan names, while offering modern construction methods and layouts.