In 1986 the first ever Coachman caravan was hand built in a small factory in Hull, East Yorkshire. Thirty years later, while the production line looks very different, we have maintained our reputation for excellent craftsmanship and high quality build and design.
In the years following WWII, the British public embraced caravanning. By the 1960s, caravan sales were booming, with Hull and East Yorkshire becoming the centre of the manufacturing industry. Ace Caravans was one of these new manufacturers. Founded in 1962, it grew quickly, and by 1972 had become ABI Caravans – a major player.
After deciding on a name that reflected the quality of the tourers the company wanted to produce, Coachman Caravans was formed in late 1986. Establishing a manufacturing plant in Hull, the company began to create its first range – the Coachman.
This range consisted of four layouts covering two, four and five berths. These were quality tourers, built on AL-KO galvanised chassis, with bonded side panels and GRP front moulded units with three windows. They were well equipped for the time, with contemporary, plush interiors, full mains electricity, a shower, oven and fridge.
Coachman Caravans was in business – it was forcing a path into the market, and taking sales from the more established brands. Sales took off and, in 1988, the Coachman line-up expanded with the launch of a new luxury range, the VIP. With features like blown air heating, a full oven, fully equipped showers and a luxury finish, it was an instant success. It’s remained a popular model in the line-up ever since.
The business continued to grow, and Coachman introduced its first entry-level, lightweight family tourer in 1989 – The Mirage. Designed to offer Coachman quality and high specification at an affordable price, it proved popular with first-time buyers.
Coachman had arrived – by the end of the decade, the company had established a strong reputation for quality and innovation, and was growing fast. Backed up by a strong workforce and a management team that understood what caravanners were looking for, the future looked bright…
Despite the difficult environment, Coachman continued to thrive – the dealer network grew and sales expanded. The company needed to double manufacturing capacity to keep up with growing demand, and invested heavily in new equipment and a factory extension.
In 1993, a group of Coachman enthusiasts formed The Coachman Owners’ Club and held the first rally in May at Ranksborough Hall in Rutland. The club has prospered ever since, and enjoys an excellent relationship with Coachman to this day. Its feedback has helped to shape the development of our tourer ranges ever since.
Coachman continued to develop and enhance the Genius, Mirage and VIP ranges throughout the mid 1990s, using the latest computer aided design systems to improve the aesthetics and aerodynamic profile of the caravans. Other innovations included moving the models to the new AL-KO Euro-axle with shock absorbers, and the addition of flexible new layouts to suit a growing range of customers.
In 2000, the Pastiche was launched to replace the Genius. Positioned between the Amara and VIP, this range of five high quality, well-specified touring caravans would prove instantly popular with couples and families alike.
By 2001 Jim and Verle Hibbs had decided that the time was right to break away from the Explorer Group. After a management buyout headed up by Jim Hibbs, Coachman was an independent manufacturer once more.
Coachman purchased three acres of land, extending the factory by 30,000 square feet as part of a £1.5 million development. Coachman focused on developing the quality and design of its tourers, developing a stringent new testing process and introducing a new three year warranty in 2004.
2006 saw the introduction of a new wider shell for the Laser, Pastiche and VIP, whilst new layouts and enhanced specification were introduced across the ranges. The reaction from the caravan press was overwhelmingly positive, with Coachman picking up nearly a dozen industry awards between 2004 and 2006.
Following years of expansion, investment and development, Coachman began the new decade by planning a major overhaul of its caravan designs. This began in 2011 with big changes to the popular Amara range to bring it up to date.
The Coachman factory was further extended by an additional 5,000 square feet as well as buying land to increase the tourer storage area by an acre.
Coachman added a key new member of staff in 2014, with Jim Hibbs’ son Elliot Hibbs joining the firm, with a view to running the company and taking it forward from 2017.
In early 2014 Coachman also began working with Bostik, the global leaders in adhesive solutions, to develop the ABC system. Utilising the latest adhesives and swapping out wood for advanced polyurethane (PU), enabling Coachman to make all its caravans stronger and lighter, whilst virtually eliminating the threat of water ingress.
With four members of its current senior management team. The MBO led by Elliot Hibbs, who is the company’s Managing Director, ensures that Coachman remains in the family after taking over from his father, the late Jim Hibbs.
In the 2021 season Coachman Caravans rebranded the company, creating a completely new logo and incorporating a new colour scheme in a bid to push forward into and mark a new era of caravanning. The new logo creates a stronger brand identity and combines parts of the company’s history with the present and future, and represents the same great quality and exceptional standards as the caravanning industry has come to expect from Coachman but with a refined, clean and more inviting look. For the 2021 season Coachman removed the blue colour scheme and instead introduced a carmine red tone across all brand material.
In a landmark move for the company, 2022 saw the launch of Coachman’s first motorhome range – the Travel Master.
With record growth in the UK mobile leisure market, customers demand the highest levels of luxury, with premium features as standard. This new venture delivers an exceptional, UK manufactured product to meet the expectations of a new generation of motorhome owners.
The Travel Master range brings the outstanding build quality and luxury for which Coachman caravans are known, to the motorhome market.
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Tightening up its ranges with improved and enhanced features, all designed with customer comfort and confidence in mind, Coachman’s presence in the 21st century leisure vehicle market continues to grow…
Expanding on a successful first motorhome launch in 2023, Coachman returns bigger and better than ever for 2024 with its very first A-Class motorhome. The Travel Master Imperial range is the epitome of home-style living.
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