Extract from a Spotlight on Hugh Isermann (Designer, Golf Caravans)

It's come a long way from camper trailers to your current range

For the small volume we build we have a very wide range of products. We did build a camper trailer called the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) - an overused term these days - we were leaders in the 1980s in that style of product. Our Bushman has become a bit of a legend - only a handful were built, it really was a trailblazer. Lyn and I were sitting on a beach at Fraser Island with our Camp-o-matic, which we were assembling for a while. And we realised we wanted a bit more comfort. We had no product in our range to suit our needs so we designed the Bushman. A 14ft 9in caravan which tracked behind the nIssan - how can you be serious about outback travel if the trailer doesn't track behind the tow vehicle ? We designed it : a small van with shower / toilet, single beds - it had everything we needed. We never intended it to go to market - probably on dollars per square inch, it was one of the most expensive caravans ever built in this country small vans and big prices in those days didn't mix.

So then all sorts of people got into the so-called off road market and we decided we didn't want to be there. I didn't believe in what they were building - it doesn't mean I was right and they were wrong - they were a lot smarter than we were in terms of packaging, but I believe that a lot of "offroaders" need a reality check. We built no more than a couple of dozen Bushmans, but it was a talking point for the industry at the time.

In 1983 we had introduced the Positrack independent suspension. It won an Australian design award - probably the only Australian design award won by a caravan manufacturer and in 1986 we introduced front lockers on our Tourer GT. We also introduced the "GTX" Tourer with comprehensive 12V lighting, instrumentation etc, and by 1990 we were streets ahead. In the mid-1990s we went through a bit of a rough patch. We built more caravans than at any other time, except for the camper trailer days. But we weren't making any money. Dealers always wanted a cheaper van but I find it hard to justify, as it will be at the expense of product integrity. Then somewhere along the line I decided it was time we got back to where we had come from, where we made our name - building quality products, hence the Linwood. I think it's fair to say the Linwood set a new benchmark for caravans.

The rest of the range is a reflection on our attention to detail, product quality and wanting to give our customers a caravan they can rely on and features that others call options.