The steps that take you from cubby house builder to vintage caravan restorer may seem huge to some, but for entrepreneur and collector Alan Stevens, it was a natural progression.

"I've made many cubby houses in these sheds, but in the past years they have given way to the vintage caravans, and quite a lot of other collectables," Alan says.

He is a collector of all things retro, and a great raconteur about his many finds; there are some of the earliest Australian caravans and motor homes in his sheds, and a story to match each.

Where they came from and how much they cost, who owned them and why they sold, what they are made out of and the restoration process they need to go through are meat and gravy, indeed their very lifeblood for Alan.

"About 20 years ago, I was offered a 1947 Carapark 'Superb' caravan for $200.

Because of my interest in the Veteran, Vintage and Classic Club Bendigo and car restorations, a mate thought I might like to take this on.

It had a monocoque chassis and frame, like the material aircraft were made out of, and could be welded like a car.

"It was rotted in the windows, but it seemed to be a good challenge. Of course it brought back many happy memories of camping when I was a kid.

"The Don was another 1947 Australian-made caravan.

With its leadlight windows, bath, washbasin, icebox, and cigarette lighter, you can sink to your chin in nostalgia."

 But Alan's favourite restoration is a 1938 South Australian-built Paramount with etched glass windows, cut glass cupboard doors and its original canvas roof.

Alan takes his family on many a tour in the holiday season, and towed the iconic Paramount behind an original 1947 Austin Princess, making stately progress at 80 kilometres an hour for their 1500-mile round trip to Lakes Entrance.

"The 1952 Austin motor home was owned by a Bendigo couple. Touring Australia in the 1960s, the map on the side is their 'Lonely Planet' guide of where they travelled, with some of the lines just stopping completely.

They were in some of the most inhospitable places in Australia where there were no roads that early in the piece.

"We plan on taking her to Tasmania next year, where she had her inaugural trip in 1959.

"Mates keep a look out for oldies for me. 

Probably one of the best rescues was a 1930s fruit picker's caravan from Murchison. It was in a pretty poor state but it could be renovated.

"It is still under wraps in the yard.

It is such a rare find and possibly the only surviving covered wagon in Australia.

It has a boat nose with a black malthoid roof and a 'ducks bum' back like the rear of a 1920s car, plus a railway carriage door."

That's a major project in the making.

It rests nicely beside the other homemade caravans on Alan's property - all full of character and great possibilities.

With names like Carapark, The Don and Paramount, all easily recognisable as some of the earliest brands on the market, Alan is busy restoring them to give them a new lease on life.

These vintage beauties have certainly moved past the covered wagon status, and while you may think all caravans and motor homes share the same pedigree, it was not always so.

In the 1950s and 60s, most caravan clubs would not permit membership of those with motor homes.

It could have had something to do with their poor on-road performance, unreliable brakes, and sheer wind buffet problems, but nonetheless the motor home was a second-class citizen back then.

Many of Alan's customers share his soft spot for vintage caravans and if you're a film maker, they are an essential part of any pre-1970 story.

He has hired them out recently to the producers of 'The Dressmaker', and even had enough gear in his shed to stock a make believe pharmacy store for the movie makers. Now that's vintage!