Avan opens super showroom

Big-selling RV manufacturer Avan has snapped up the prized 4000 square metre indoor showroom in the Melbourne RV hub of Campbellfield left vacant after former tenant, the Caravan Super Centre, went bust earlier this year.

Avan recently took over the lease at the eye-catching, glass fronted building at 1872 Sydney Road, where the Caravan Super Centre represented various brands over the years including Roadstar, Elite, Swift, Atlantic, Universal and Sunliner.

Servicing Melbourne's busy northern and western suburbs, the new ‘flagship’ showroom fills a gap in Avan’s Victorian dealer network which includes smaller outlets in Geelong, Wodonga and Pakenham.

Avan Super Centre general manager Tony Yall, who also worked at the Caravan Super Centre, said the close to one acre display area makes it the second largest indoor RV showroom in Australia, behind Dave Benson Caravan’s 10,000sq.m facility in South Australia.

Currently there are around 40 RVs on display, although Yall said that could double to as many as 80 as more models are added from Avan’s ever-expanding range of locally-built and imported on- and off-road caravans, pop-tops, camper trailers, and motorhomes including the premium Knaus Eurostar caravan due to arrive shortly.

“This is pretty much where the full range of (Avan) stock will be on display. It’s like a show, so the idea is you don’t necessarily need to go to a show, you can come here and see the full range,” he said.

A service and parts department will also be added although Avan is not planning to occupy the currently vacant, similar building next door, which the Caravan Super Centre used for additional storage and servicing.

With annual RV sales “in the vicinity” of 2000, Yall said Avan “is number two in the country in terms of volume and we’re growing”.

He said the 23-year-old business now offers Australia’s largest range of RV models, with most built at its 10 factory/16 acre Pakenham, Victoria site under the Avan, Golf and Knaus by Avanbrands.

Meanwhile, Avan has launched an on-line retail website selling thousands of spare parts and accessories, mimicking a similar service offered by Australia’s biggest RV manufacturer Jayco.

The AvanSpareParts website offers Avan owners a ‘one stop shop’ for spare parts, including nationwide delivery.