A pair of “vanlife” YouTubers have been ordered to pay more than £532,000 after a bitter legal row with a caravan manufacturer exploded over videos shared online.
Jackson and Kyla Cartwright – who document their family road trips and camping lifestyle on YouTube – were sued by Australian firm Masterpiece Caravans following a dispute over a luxury caravan.
The couple, known online as The Cartwrights, boast more than 77,000 Instagram followers and over 129,000 YouTube subscribers, as reported by Need To Know.
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Court documents show the pair paid AUD $198,500 for the caravan in April 2022 before taking delivery in February 2023.
The family then reportedly used the luxury vehicle as a mobile home for around six months.
But the relationship later turned sour after the Cartwrights claimed the caravan had “a number of serious defects”, allegations strongly disputed by the manufacturer.
The two sides eventually struck a deal for the caravan to be returned and the purchase money refunded.
As part of the settlement, the Cartwrights also agreed not to “talk negatively” about the company, including on social media, the court heard.
However, in February 2024, the family uploaded a YouTube video titled: “HOMELESS!! OUR CARAVAN’S GONE!! RAW 1HR HOME VIDEO STYLE into OUR LIFE – DELIVERY of our NEW HOME”.
District Court Judge Kevin Andronos ruled the video suggested the company had forced the family to hand back the caravan with only a few hours’ notice, leaving them homeless.
Another video later uploaded under the title “WE NEED to TALK … + GET to KNOW US!” was also examined during proceedings.
Judge Andronos said the footage implied the company made caravans with “catastrophic defects” and painted the manufacturer as “evil” or trying to stop the family revealing the “full story”.
According to the judgment, the videos spread widely throughout the caravanning community and Masterpiece Caravans saw orders fall sharply after they were posted.
Judge Andronos ruled the videos caused financial damage and losses to the company.
The Cartwrights did not appear in court during the proceedings.
The judgment states Jackson Cartwright emailed both the court and the plaintiff in October 2025, but the couple later failed to attend after being warned their defence could be struck out.
A default judgment was eventually handed down in favour of the caravan manufacturer.
Judge Andronos ordered the pair to pay AUD $1,211,349 in damages – the equivalent of more than £532,000.
The Cartwrights have not publicly commented on the ruling.
The videos mentioned during the case appear to have since been removed from their YouTube channel.
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