Cruisemaster rolls out aftermarket caravan suspension

Over the last decade or so, Queensland's Cruisemaster has established itself as a major player in original equipment suspension systems and couplings for Aussie caravan and camper trailer manufacturers.

Now owned by the Auto Pacific Group, the off-road specialist's focus on highly engineered, robust systems has coincided with and helped drive the growth in more off-road/off-grid oriented 'vans and campers.

Having conquered the OE market, Cruisemaster is now tackling the aftermarket on two fronts with the launch of its latest 'Red Stag' range at the 2026 Victorian Caravan & Camping Supershow.

First up are new Red Stag springs and shocks that can be fitted to non-Cruisemaster systems to improve performance - with Cruisemaster showcasing a Red Stag-enhanced Jayco Crosstrak at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

The idea is similar to 4WD owners looking for better handling and reliability, by swapping out their factory springs and shocks for higher-performance units.

The second front is replacements for common wear and failure parts such as bushes, bolt kits, cam adjusters and water tank straps.

“Typically, a single axle lightweight caravan gets a lot of side-to-side rolling. When you come out of corners, or you hit a bump, the 'van wants to keep on rolling," a Cruisemaster rep explained at the show.

"Customers come to us wanting to replace shocks because they don’t feel safe. We now offer shocks that can be fitted into other suspension systems that have been tuned to bring the 'van back in line and limit that wobble."

"We're focusing on monotube shocks that will typically be a step up from their original equipment. Monotube shocks have the benefit of a clear separation of oil and gas for longevity and performance," he said.

"In a dual tube shock, you run the risk of hitting a big washout or pothole, and the oil and gas mixes and the shock becomes useless. The problem with just replacing a like-for-like twin-tube shock is that you could have the same problem a few weeks later. Replacement coils will also be part of the program."

The Red Stag upgrades will also allow adjustment of wheel alignment where it wasn't available before.

"Our eccentric cam adjusters can be retrofitted to enable tow and camber adjustment," he explained. "This will really help with handling safety and tyre wear. Our replacement bushes will be another really important one for getting 'vans back on the road."

Cruisemaster's annual Rat Run durability testing also exposed the limitations of some humble caravan fittings.

"On one of our testing trips out on the Gibb River Road, we had a tank strap snap, and we lost the water tank which is huge," he said.

"We learnt from our repairers that this is not unusual on Outback roads. OEM tank straps have 90-degree sharp turn folds, which are a weak point and are quite thin, so they're more likely to crack on corrugated roads."

"Our folds have a radius, and the straps are a lot thicker, making them more suited to rough roads. We will have three different sizes that will cater for most of the market," he said.

"The whole idea is that this will grow into a line of products that will fix common issues that we're seeing. To start with, we'll focus on simple components to keep 'vans on the road.

"It’s important for all travellers, but vital when you need access to spare parts in remote locations." 

The new Red Stag range will start rolling out to Cruisemaster's national network of repairers in coming months.

Looking to the future, Cruisemaster also sees opportunities for substantial upgrades like airbag retrofit systems, including auto levelling, as a way of modernising older 'vans without the cost of an all-new replacement.

Related: Cruisemaster delivers full caravan body control