Chinese-built Kedron caravan rip-off emerges
Cut-price copycat Chinese caravan capitalizes on Aussie brand's hard-earned reputationWell-known Queensland off-road caravan manufacturer Kedron is the latest 'victim' of a Chinese rip-off, after evidence has emerged of a cut-price, Chinese-built Kedron-branded caravan available for sale online.
The 'Kedron Trip KD15' compact off-road caravan has been displayed at trade shows in China and is currently advertised for sale online to export markets including Australia by the Shimao Group, which appears to have a factory in the Chinese city of Qingdao and specialises in food trucks and trailers. The business offers other 'replicas' including lookalikes of the iconic Volkswagen Kombi.
While it shares the same brand name the advertised 'Kedron Trip KD15' appears to have more in common with a number of Chinese-built compact hybrids currently available in Australia under various brand names, than Kedron's typical upmarket heavy-duty models.
A starting price for the Kedron 'copy' of as little as US$23,900 (around $33,500), is also a far cry from the big six figure price tags that the Brisbane-built Kedrons regularly fetch.
Like all Australian manufacturers Kedron sources at least some of its caravan parts from China, but otherwise sources many components for its Brisbane-built vans locally including the rugged galvanised chassis used for its heavyweight vans.
Kedron co-owner Glen Gall said "it was quite a shock and heartbreaking" to learn about the Kedron brand name rip-off, He said Kedron was in the process earlier this year of trying to trademark and prevent the use of its brand name in the US.
“At the start of the year we engaged a lawyer, because of the growth of interest in America, and we were looking to trademark it there, because you are not going to export to China,” Gall said.
“So it was more about protecting the brand in America than trademarking in China."
"The more we can get the word around that these are in no way connected to our brand the better," he said.
The news caused an uproar on Kedron's Facebook page, with some fans describing the unauthorized use of the Kedron name as "disgusting", "despicable" and "heartbreaking".
"Kedron Caravans are of very high quality and run by a honest family. Having a Chinese company ripping them off is a very low act," was one of many comments in support of the 58-year-old family business that employs around 40 staff at its Brisbane factory.
Kedron lawyers have tried to contact the Chinese manufacturer directly for a response, while faced with the difficulty of trying to protect a brand name that's also the name of a Brisbane suburb.
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