2023 NSW Caravan Supershow highlights

One of Australia’s biggest caravan shows, the 2023 NSW Caravan, Camping & Holiday Supershow, has kicked off at Rosehill Racecourse and runs for six days (April 18 to 23).

While not quite as jam-packed with exhibits as previous years, the Sydney Supershow still has plenty of the latest RVs and accessories on show with more than 260 displays spread out over the picturesque Rosehill Racecourse grounds and indoor facilities.

Not to mention a few sideshow acts including free daily educational sessions, cooking classes and children’s entertainment. It's a dog-friendly event too, so no need to leave Fido at home while trying to nab a show bargain.

Here are a few of the highlights of this year's show…

Show-stopping Titanium

One of the most impressively equipped and expensive caravans on display at the Sydney Supershow is this top-spec 20ft 6in family off-grid caravan from Melbourne's Titanium Caravans.

Fresh from competing at the 2023 Caravan of the Year Awards and boasting an eye-watering $247,225 on-road pricetag, the Titanium Hardcore ATX off-grid van is dripping with off-road and luxury equipments including Cruisemaster's ATX airbag suspension and a monster Enerdrive lithium battery and solar set-up.

But the real eye candy is inside the lavishly appointed family layout which includes a front king bed and triple bunks and ensuite up back.

There's little expense spared on the fit-out which includes patterned caramel upholstery, handle-less cream cabinetry and to top it off, hexagon-embossed splashbacks with matching white sinks and gold taps and towel rails.

And for something a bit different, the top-spec Titanium also boasts twin lightweight composite gas bottles on the A-frame to help reduce the Tare weight a bit on the 4500kg ATM off-grid van.

Vancraft debut

Hybrid off-road caravans are all the rage right now, so it is little suprise to see Melbourne's Network RV joining the party with its tough-looking new VanCraft 16ft 6in 1660CD tandem axle couple's van.

Boasting full composite construction, the new VanCraft hybrid has all the things you want in a rugged off-roader including a DO-35 coupling and Tuffride trailing arm coil suspension, mud tyres, and a large checker plate toolbox with slide-outs and a wood carrier.

Not to mention a comfy interior with double pillowtop mattress, kitchenette, dinette and rear ensuite, and a more than decent off-grid camping package including twin 95 litre fresh water and single 95L grey water tanks, and a 600Ah lithium battery system with 3000W Victron inverter and 400W rooftop solar.

Two new Frontline campers

Sydney's Frontline is best known for its Volkswagen and Toyota based campervans, but to broaden its range it's unveiled two new variants at the Sydney Supershow including a 5.48m campervan based on the latest Renault Trafic commercial van, and another camper based on the Chinese-built LDV G10 panel van.

Priced from $96,000, the new Renault camper has a similar spec list and layout options to the Frontline HiAce camper, while the new LDV Frontline camper is pitched more at buyers on tighter budgets with fewer camping and comfort features for its $69,290 starting price.

Crafty new Jayco

Jayco has been ramping up its campervan and motorhome production recently to meet increased demand, and at the Sydney Supershow released another new option for buyers after something a bit different.

A year after debuting the Volkswagen Crafter-base Kampervan that was sold only through Volkswagen dealers, Jayco previewed its own 22ft Crafter van-based camper priced from $145,990.

The two berth, 6386mm long display model was well equipped with just about everything you need in a camper tourer, included an inside/outside kitchenette, combination shower toilet, lounge/dinette area that converts to a double bed, and comfort features like a 3.7m box awning, internally mounted TV and rooftop aerial, and rooftop air conditioner.

Solitary Sunliner fifth-wheeler

There was a time about 10 years ago when Australian caravan shows would feature plenty of Australian and American built fifth-wheel caravans, but that's no longer the case with only one fifth-wheeler spotted on display at this year's Sydney Supershow: a Melbourne-built Sunliner Houston model priced at $179,888.

Sunliner is among a handful of Aussie manufacturers offering a fifth-wheel option which remain most popular with American RV travellers due to their superior towing and packaging, not to mention motorhome-style layouts with slide-outs and overhanging front bedrooms that help deliver an apartment-style experience.

Apart from the premium pricing, we suspect the main reason for the rapid decline in fifth-wheel popularity in Australia is their unsuitability for off-road travel, although Melbourne's Trailblazers does offer a unique rough-road version.

Special edition Avan

Pakenham, Victorian RV manufacturer Avan debuted one of its most expensive models ever at the 2022 Sydney Supershow, and for this year's show it went down the 'limited edition' route with a stylish new version of its Aspire fixed roof composite caravan.

Priced at a 'show special' $71,990, the 7.1m long (overall), Triple 5 Limited Edition touring van on display is loaded up with extras including an Adventure Pack, extended drawbar with toolbox, security door, 120W solar power, and limited edition decals.

The Euro-van inspired interior also stands out with its woodgrain benchtops, black sinks and tapware, leatherette upholstery and blue grey cabinet finishes.

We also like the opening rear window for the extra ventilation and view out when brushing your teeth or toweling off after a hot shower...

AOR rises to another level

Queensland premium off-road hybrid caravan manufacturer AOR has an impressive four-model display in Sydney, including its latest updated Series 5 Quantum pop-top which has shed some weight thanks to many new aluminium components, along with a redesigned external kitchen, flusher fitting new windows, more interior space and new standard equipment. 

Like all other AOR campers, it's beautifully built and worth a look up close to appreciate the fine workmanship even if your budget doesn't quite stretch to its $110,900 starting price...

Cut-price Cub

Sydney's Cub Campers is a regular at the NSW Supershow, and this year's main attraction is the new cut-price Cub L16 hybrid off-road caravan which has a starting price of $89,990, or $40,000 less than the similar sized C16 version released in September 2022.

The L16 misses out on some of the more upmarket off-grid, safety and comfort features fitted as standard on the original model, but remains a nicely built van with a decent set of features that should hopefully pull in a few more buyers that were put off by the C16's six figure pricetag...

Perfect rest stop

We first experienced the joy of 'zero gravity' caravan bedding back at the 2017 Queensland Caravan Supershow, and since then multi adjustable RV mattresses are seemingly everywhere, judging by the number of brands on display at the Sydney Supershow.

We're not sure how many punters are actually purchasing one of the thick, electrically adjustable and vibrating memory foam beds that can cost as much as $5000, but we spotted plenty of punters resting up and trying them out during their lengthy hikes around the Rosehill Racecourse...

Hollywood treatment

If there's a prize for best display at the Sydney Supershow, then Great Aussie Caravans located in one of the Rosehill Racecourse pavilions shared with Jayco, surely must be in the running.

Apart from a supersized screen running video footage of the latest vans in action, the stand includes celebrity-style red carpet entry to some of the display vans including a $99,950 15ft 9in Striker off-roader complete with attention-grabbing bright yellow LED exterior strip lighting...

After debuting a prototype at last years' Queensland Caravan Supershow, big selling imported brand Snowy River has some production versions of its tough new off-road caravan on display in Sydney.

Priced sharply at $83,990, the SRT-20 Tough Travellers luxury couple's van on display features Snowy Rivers' latest 'Alopex' aluminum composite construction, along with trailing arm coil suspension, twin 100L fresh and single 95L grey water tanks, and a twin 120AH AGM battery system with 400W solar power.

Also on display is the latest family pop-top model that also previewed at the 2022 Brisbane Supershow.

Windsor adopts LDV chassis

Making its Sydney Supershow debut, the $119,990 Windsor Waveline campervan is based on the increasingly popular Chinese-built LDV Deliver 9 LWB high roof van powered by a 108kW/375Nm 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, along with a six-speed automatic transmission and 80 litre fuel tank.

Aimed at budget buyers, the close to 6.0m long Waveline camper sports a similar layout to the Windsor Otway, with walk-through access from the two front seats into a living area that includes a kitchenette with sink with mixer tap, twin gas burner cooker, microwave and 80L fridge/freezer.

Tiny town

Super lightweight ensuite caravans are rare as hen's teeth down under, but flying the flag at this yeer's Sydney Supershow is NSW's Carlight caravans with an impressive line-up of around a dozen Polish-built composite vans catering to different budgets.

The display ranges from a bareboned, two berth Eriba tiny-van priced at $15,500, to a range-topping Euro Hobby which manages to pack in a dinette/bed, kitchenette and combination shower toilet into a 4.5m long (overall) couple's layout, with 680kg Tare weight, for $41,900.

Go on safari

Sydney dealer Everything RV has all guns blazing at the Sydney Supershow, with an impressive display that included the latest Aussie-built Hike and Crusader caravans, and just released South African-built Echo 4x4 hybrid camper and caravan range.

The three-model Echo range is unlike anything else on the market and worth a look if you appreciate clever design and full moulded construction combined with tough underpinnings.

Related: 2023 Victorian Caravan Supershow highlights