Chinese caravans are coming

The Chinese are coming! That’s the message from ex-Boroma caravans co-owner, Peter Russell, who in partnership with two Australian businessmen and a Chinese factory has set up a new company that will import a range of quality, Chinese-built caravans to Australia.

As the general manager of Queensland-based Exclusive Caravans, Russell spent seven months in China overseeing the design and manufacture of the new range, which includes a 21ft full body caravan, 18ft poptop van and 13ft 6in camper trailer.

Speaking at the 2011 Queensland Caravan, Camping & Touring Holiday Show, Russell said the Chinese factory builds a range of quality products for overseas markets, and had been looking at expanding into the caravan market for several years.

"We went over there to talk to them and they said they wanted to build caravans to be sold in Australia," he said.

"They also want to sell them in China; to do that they have to get their game right, because wealthy Chinese won't buy a Chinese product unless it's accepted somewhere else."

While Russell admitted there are some benefits to building in China including cheaper labour costs, other factors like language barriers and the difficulty in sourcing products ensured it had been a "hard process".

"There’s not a lot of advantages (to manufacturing in China)," he said. "One thing is yes, you do get cheaper labour, but we're not using a lot of Chinese parts; we're using parts from Europe and Australia to get it done."

Acknowledging some negativity in the marketplace regarding imported RV products, Russell said Exclusive Caravans had "done a lot of extra things" to ensure "a very solidly built van".

For example, he said: "We’ve got rid of the J-mould joins in the (three piece) fibreglass roof, and the floor is insulated."

"We have a full ADR design certification on these caravans as well which I don't think anybody else has in Australia."

And unlike some other imports, all parts used will be readily available in Australia.

"We've not brought in anything that can't be got here (in Australia) because we want to be able to replace it here if necessary," he said.

"The firm we're working with is not into copying, for example we use a Vehicle Components suspension from Brisbane."

While produced in China, the fibreglass skinned vans will be finished off in Australia, where items like the toilet, fridge, air-conditioner, stove, hatches, and gas and hot water services, will be fitted.

The 21ft Walk-A-Bout 640 ST, a luxurious two-berth, rough road van with separate shower/toilet and 3000kg ATM, comes with an extensive list of standard features that gives it a "price advantage" over locally-built models, according to Russell.

"A similar type of van in the (former) Boroma range would have sold for about $100,000 two and a half years ago. We're offering this at a recommended retail of $69,990," he said.

The Campa 400 with pop-top roof, slide-out bed ends and 2050kg ATM, comes similarly well equipped, and is available in three or five-berth layouts, priced from $43,990.

"It’s got an electric (roof) lifting system in it, and we're using a (European-sourced) reflective lightweight canvas in the tent area which makes it so much brighter inside," he said.

Exclusive Caravans is in the process of setting up a national dealer network, and plans to introduce other full body van models ranging from 17ft to 23ft sizes.

So far the response at RV shows has been "very, very good", with "a couple of orders" taken since launching about three months ago.

"We know we've got a good product, it's just a matter of getting it out in the marketplace now," he said.

See Exclusivecaravans.com.au for further details.