Off-road caravanning the ‘gecko’ way
With lockdown restrictions on travel lifted, South Africans have taken to the roads (and off-roads) to celebrate months of staying at home. Herald asked local caravan builder in Haenertsburg, Gecko Off-road, for a few tips when buying and travelling towing a caravan.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/113/2020/10/Caravan-being-towed-Medium-780x470.jpg)
In Haenertsburg a group of outdoor enthusiasts are making inroads in producing high-end quality multi-terrain caravans.
Keith Teubes started Gecko, a caravan building company, more than ten years ago.
“My wife, Alison, and I are fanatical about caravanning and the outdoors and do not enjoy staying in self-catering units or chalets.
“For the past 35-years we have owned a number of caravan brands and had one caravan for on-road use and another for off-road. The on-road caravan was a 6,5m long, luxury 2-berth unit with a double bed and an inside shower cubicle and separate fixed toilet,” says Keith.
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We believed that there was a gap in the top end of the market for a luxury off-road/ on-road, 2-berth caravan with the same facilities.
“It would have to have a pop-up roof to reduce overall height for off-road use. We often sat at the campfire debating the pros and cons of a caravan which combined both on- and off-road capabilities and finally decided to set about designing such a caravan,” he says.
They used the gecko as their brand.
“These little creatures can go virtually anywhere and so the Gecko multi-terrain caravan home came into being.”