Coromal releases first slide-out

After previewing its upgraded Element vans with glossy new furniture in late-2015, Perth-based Coromal has unveiled the first slide-out model in the company’s 39 year history.

Making its public debut at last month’s South Australian caravan show, the new Coromal Element 661S has a slide-out, east-west queen bed on the rear offside, to go with a good-sized central kitchen and C-shaped, front lounge/dinette with seating for around six adults.

The off-the-shelf Schwintek slide-out from North America’s Lippert Components measures approximately 150mm high x 150mm wide x 40mm deep, and when open allows occupants to walk past the base of the bed to the full width rear ensuite.

Along with optional leatherette upholstery, the slide-out adds around $5000 to the overall price.

Like the rest of the revamped Element range it features a mix of stucco aluminium and composite cladding, along with Coromal’s trademark aluminum frame and galvanized chassis.

Darren Raven, the National Events Coordinator for Fleetwood RV which builds Coromal and Windsor caravans, said the new slide-out model was in response to growing demand for slide-outs in the Australian caravan market.

Raven said the prototype was built last year and has undergone on- and off-road real-world durability testing, with a few minor modifications expected for production models.

He said its 21ft 8in (6.6m) long body offers a similar amount of interior room to a standard 7.1m long model. With a Tare weight of 2290kg and 2690kg ATM, it’s also lighter as well as cheaper, with a $74,900 drive-way price on the display model.

“Besides Jayco which has 40 per cent of the market, who else builds a slide-out for under $80 grand,” he said. “It’s a premium product for a bloody cheap price.”

“We’re looking in the future at introducing more slide-outs but on different models of vans."

Meanwhile, Fleetwood RV also plans to upgrade its Windsor range of caravans later this year, after dropping the lavish, $100,000-plus Royale Phantom range-topper from the line-up last year.

“(The Phantom) was a bloody great van but the market just wasn’t there for it,” Raven said. “We are reworking all (Windsor models) this year.”

The company also seems to have finally given up on its once-popular range of entry-level Coromal camper trailers, after introducing a cut-price, Chinese-built Navigator range in 2013 to try and compete with the market-leading Jayco campers.

The publicly-listed Fleetwood RV is working feverishly to rebuild sales volume in its caravan and RV division, after recently announcing another disappointing interim half-year result.

Revenue for the RV division which also includes the Camec RV accessories business, for the six months was down $5.4 million to $51.3 million compared to the corresponding period last year.

Prior to the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08 Fleetwood RV built around 2000 camper trailers and caravans a year and enjoyed a 20 per cent share of the market. But it has lost significant market share in recent years due to various factors including increased competition, outdated designs and a lack of east coast dealers.