Cheaper Kimberley Kruisers coming

Ballina, NSW-based premium off-road RV manufacturer Kimberley is releasing a barrage of new versions of its luxury off-road Kruiser caravan at this weekend’s Brisbane Pre-Christmas Caravan & Camping Show, which runs from October 30-November 2.

Making its debut at the show is the new-look tandem-axle Kruiser, which now features a redesigned and extended ‘Roman’ nose to increase interior living space, while also improving aerodynamics.

The new aquiline ‘nose’, which will also appear on the company’s similar-sized 2015 Black Caviar and uber-luxury T3 Kruiser models, has allowed the Kruiser’s queen-size bed to be pushed 200mm forward, resulting in a similar gain in galley and dining space, without increasing the Kruiser’s overall travelling length.

According to Kimberley Group chief Bruce Loxton, total living space is now 93 per cent of the van’s total length – amongst the best in the industry.

At the same time he says the new nose almost halves the wind drag of the blunter-nosed outgoing Kruiser, which he claims previously achieved fuel consumption figures of around 14L/100km behind his V8 diesel Range-Rover.

The T2 Kruiser’s nose cone is also a little wider than that of its predecessor, resulting in more robe space beside the island queen bed.

A fully-lined tunnel front boot with pantograph doors is incorporated in the new nose cone, while there’s also a front storage pod with an external lift-up lid, designed to house dirtier items, like hoses and so on.

Not yet built, but the big news from Kimberley at the Brisbane Show this week-end is a new single-axle, Prado-friendly version of its Kruiser model that can now be ordered for delivery from December this year on.

Firing a direct broadside at Australian Off Road’s single axle Matrix full-height off-road caravan, the Kruiser ‘S Class’ has been designed for vehicles with a maximum towing capacity of 2500kg (i.e. Prado) and is expected to have a Tare weight of around 2100kg and the industry minimum tandem axle payload of 400kg.

It has a similar-shaped, albeit scaled-down, fibreglass body as the regular Kruiser and shares its outside kitchen, but is 900mm shorter overall.

However it will not be a poverty pack, with alternative options including a separate 55-litre freezer, or front-loading washing machine.

Pricing will be keen for a vehicle in this elevated market segment, with prices for the thee S-Class models starting from $89,900 for the entry level S1 and stretching into six figures for the top-spec S3.

The top-spec T3 Kruiser retails for around $150,000.

Soon to celebrate its 20th year of camper trailer manufacture Kimberley, like arch rival Australian Off Road  is steadily moving upmarket, with the innovative Karavan and Kruiser accounting for a great share of its total sales each year although the Kamper is still the company’s major breadwinner.

The Kimberley Group expects to produce around 450 to 500 units in total this year, adding to the estimated 7000 currently in customer hands.

No immediate upgrade of the existing Ballina factory is planned, however Loxton says the company has land with building approval available that could allow it to double the size of its existing production lines if demands warrants it.