Once a soapie heartthrob, Andrew has steered himself into an unexpected career (original) (raw)

He was once a TV soapie star, a familiar face in households across Australia. But in a real-life plot twist, Andrew Morley has become a king of caravan storage.

The former regular cast member of two drama series, Home and Away and Neighbours, stumbled on this unusual alternative career and hasn’t looked back. Morley is just 34, but he is a man with thousands of vans.

Andrew Morley at the Scoresby yard of Store My Van.Credit: Eddie Jim

His business, Store My Van, currently holds more than 2600 caravans at 11 Victorian sites it leases or owns.

It’s where many caravans go for their own “break” when summer is over and owners go back to work.

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Seeing the Scoresby yard, his daughter Skyla, 6, was amazed they owned so many caravans.

“They aren’t actually ours, we’re looking after them”, Morley told her.

Six of the 11 Store My Van sites opened in the past four years. A 12th site will soon open in Keilor, in Melbourne’s north-west and Morley aims to expand to every Australian state within five years.

Morley, who has three children, also works full time as a firefighter.

He loves the challenge and task-focused life as a firey. “I’ve been raised with a good work ethic,” he said.

His mother Robyn helped start Store My Van and is still involved, and the business is partially run online from home. Customers can sign up and enter sites via an app.

Andrew Morley in a 2016 publicity photo when he joined Neighbours.Credit: TV WEEK/Facebook

Morley said the caravan industry provided better long-term security for his family than acting.

The idea came from his grandfather Murk, who kept a caravan in storage in the Netherlands so he could travel around Europe for part of the year.

“That amazed me because we had nothing like it,” Morley said. “I thought, surely there’s a market here.”

Morley paid rent to his parents so he could store caravans at their farm north of Melbourne. He distributed pamphlets in letter boxes, networked with caravan dealers who could refer clients, and advertised online.

Wheely successful: Former TV soap star Andrew Morley at the Scoresby yard of his business, Store My Van.Credit: Eddie Jim

He has since expanded to sites including Coldstream, Euroa and Geelong, as demand has grown.

Store My Van has been more successful than he dreamed. “It’s a little surreal,” he said. It helped that caravan sales grew during the COVID-19 pandemic when international travel was prohibited and customers decided to explore Australia instead.

Another operator, Andrew Gallop, said the capacity of his storage business Swift Caravan Services had grown to 1000 caravans since opening 15 years ago. It has outlets in Kilsyth and Hastings with a bigger site at Tyabb planned to replace Hastings to meet growing demand.

Most of Store My Van’s clients use their van two to three times a year, while some never use their van. “There are a lot of inherited caravans that are stored with us for sentimental value,” Morley said.

Store My Van owner Andrew Morley, pictured with children Eris, Skyla and Arion, is also a full-time firefighter.

Customers can visit their vans – daily if they like – between 8am and 8pm.

“There’s a client that comes almost every day, to his van at Scoresby. I don’t ask questions. We say ‘g’day’ when we’re out there and he’s usually in his van reading a book.

“And he lets me know where there’s an alarm going off or a hatch is open on someone’s caravan. I appreciate people being on site looking out for each other.”

Outdoor storage at Store My Van’s rural sites can cost 600ayear,whereasatsitesclosertoMelbourne,itcanbe600 a year, whereas at sites closer to Melbourne, it can be 600ayear,whereasatsitesclosertoMelbourne,itcanbe1080 and a space in an enclosed shed can cost $2200 per year.

Caravan Industry Victoria chief executive Daniel Sahlberg said 31,289 caravans and recreational vehicles (RVs) were manufactured in Australia in 2023, compared to 21,465 in 2019. It was the strongest year of caravan manufacturing since the 1970s.

The industry body says 93 per cent of caravans and RVs are produced in Victoria.

And from 2019 to 2023, the number of caravans imported rose from 10,400 to 18,971.

Sahlberg said caravan storage was a growing and important part of the industry.

“Due to the growth of Melbourne’s population and housing estates having smaller lots, caravan storage is paramount to support the industry and its continued growth,” Sahlberg said.

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