Australia’s cheapest motorhome?

Fast-growing Chinese caravan brand, Goldstar RV, has introduced its first 7.5m long motorhome that, with a starting price of $89,990, is set to shake up the local motorhome market where six figure price tags are the norm.

The Goldstar motorhome (it has no designated model name yet) is built on the Chinese LDV V80 cab-chassis and available with two layouts accomodating up to four people.

Jayco lowered the price barrier for full height, cab-chassis based motorhomes in Australia when it introduced in 2017 its 6.34m long, Renault Master-based Freedom priced from $99,990 drive-away.

However, at $10,000 less and more than one metre longer the Goldstar motorhome is arguably even better value for money, with standard equipment including 150L water storage, a twin 100Ah battery system with two 100W solar panels, Waeco 140L compressor fridge, Thetford four gas burner cooktop and grille, a glass-lidded sink with mixer tap, a microwave oven, Dometic roof-top air-conditioner, touchscreen LCD control panel, instant hot water system, audio system, LED lighting, roll-out awning and rear camera.

Although buyers of the Goldstar motorhome will need to fork out another $4500 if they want both the optional rear drop-down electric bed as well as six-speed automatic transmission, in lieu of the standard five-speed manual transmission.

Two, slightly different layouts are available; both with a rear club lounge, kitchen, shower/toilet, and a Luton Peak queen bed and two-seat dinette up front, with enough seatbelts to legally carry four people in total.

Layout ‘A’ (pictured) gets a bigger ensuite with separate shower and toilet, while layout ‘B’ gets a combination shower/toilet  along with a drop-down double bed over the club lounge.

While the décor and packaging is not dissimilar to its Australian-built rivals, the prototype did have a couple of ‘Goldstar’ touches including mirrored entry step, and a 40in HD TV built into the underside of a flip-up panel located in the base of the overhead bed.

Construction is similar to Goldstar’s caravans, including a galvanized steel chassis, fibreglass sandwich panel body with aluminium reinforcement, and an FRP rear mould.

Goldstar, which is based in Old Reynella, South Australia, joins Melbourne's Sunliner sub-brand Unicamper in using the LDV V8 cab-chassis with 100kW/330Nm 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine as a motorhome base.

An LDV-based 6.5m long UniCampa motorhome with drop-down bed, is currently being advertised for $105,690, while Australian LDV distributor Ateco Automotive is planning to introduce a factory-built LDV motorhome within two years.

The Goldstar motorhome is now available for customer orders, with limited personalisation including choice of fittings and appliances available.

Goldstar launched its range of cut-price Chinese caravans in Australia around five years ago and currently sells around 200, mostly on-road caravans annually, which are largely built in its own factory in China with final assembly in South Australia.