In his professional life, Don dealt mostly with aircraft refuelling equipment — a far cry from designing clever caravans, although he admits the mechanical expertise came in handy.

In both cases, he joined with Caravan Court in Springvale South, who built the vans from his designs.

But Don said they realised the Extender market was too limited.   The Eco-Tourer, however, has much wider appeal.   Production has just started, and already it has been widely acclaimed.

"In designing it, I asked myself: ‘What do people want?’ They basically want a solid van that’s easy to tow and completely weatherproof," he said.

"I’d seen different folding vans, here and overseas, and always thought I could come up with something better."

The Eco-Tourer folds down so it is barely noticeable behind when towing.   It enables higher speeds and greater fuel economy compared with towing full-sized vans.   When you’re not using the van, it can store next to the car in a double garage.

A unique, patented folding mechanism allows the double-insulated roof to rise to full height, supported by insulated fibreglass walls.   A full-width picture window provides light and views.

The other end is hinged.   Inside this is where the double bed is.   There’s not the room to stand at the very end, but plenty of room to sit up in bed, and for a wardrobe either side of the bed.

"I started looking at a design like this because I found as I got older I became less confident with towing big vans," Don said. "When you go on holidays, the last thing you want are hassles with towing.

"With this, you don’t notice you’ve got it on the back.   There was an older couple who bought one and took it to Sydney having never towed a van before.   They said they had to keep checking their speedo to make sure they weren’t over the limit."

Critical to the van’s design is the folding mechanism.   Don said his original design used pullies and wire ropes, but they presented problems.

It’s now a purpose-built spring-assisted mechanism that enables the van to be folded out and be totally functional in about 30 seconds.

"We did hundreds and hundreds of trials on it," he said. "We wanted to make sure it was idiot-proof."

Don has plans to keep designing.   An Eco-Tourer with shower and toilet is in the pipeline, as well as a few other ideas he’s got floating around.

"I retired at 60 and never thought I’d be doing this five years on," he said.   "It’s something I love.   It keeps me occupied and the mind active.

"It’s much better than working full-time.   I’m not tied to it and not bogged down in administration.   It gives me complete freedom."

For more details on the Eco-Tourer, visit www.ecotourer.com.au