Delay in Avan’s Eurostar release

The much anticipated release of the futuristic Knaus by Avan’ Eurostar luxury caravan has been further delayed until later this year, with next year’s Melbourne Caravan Show in March now looking like the earliest the public will get to see inside its super-sleek exterior.

While Avan is set to have the Eurostar’s smaller brothers – the Australian-assembled Knaus by Avan Sudwind 450 and 590 and the Sport 460 – ready for delivery in about two months’ time, the Eurostar’s launch has been held up by the need to completely redesign its interior for the Australian market.

Because of its cutting edge design and planned luxury living features, Avan hopes to market the locally-assembled 19ft 6in Eurostar 590 on a modified Australian Avan chassis for around $82,000.

Avan Managing Director Scott Van Baardwyk says the stylish newcomer has attracted a lot of interest at this price from prospective buyers in its two ‘exterior-only’ previews at the Melbourne and Sydney caravan shows.

He personally attended both shows to gauge crowd reaction and says the time spent was well worthwhile in formulating the Eurostar’s final specs.

“One thing was clear and that was that that Australian buyers felt a lot more comfortable buying a caravan with a solid Australian chassis underneath it,” he said.

“As a result we have abandoned our earlier plans to offer locally-assembled Knaus by Avan models with a choice of the lightweight Al-Ko European chassis or the heavier Australia Avan chassis. They will all be built on modified Avan chassis now.”

However that interest has been based on the Australian-spec Eurostar being fitted with a full, separate shower and toilet ensuite, whereas in European spec the Eurostar 590 only has a combined shower/toilet ensuite.

Van Baardwyk discussed the redesigning the interior layout of the Eurostar with Knaus German management team that visited the recent Sydney Caravan Show, but the task has proved more complex than Avan first thought.

The problem is that the Eurostar’s interior is fully moulded and hence major changes are necessary to not only incorporate the ensuite, but also to make it work in a left-side entry door version, as all Eurostars are currently with right-side entry.

The good news, Van Baardwyk says, is that the Germans are prepared to redesign the full three-model Eurostar range, but it will take time.

The wait should be worth it. With an estimated 2200kg tare weight (and up to 2800kg ATM) on a modified Avan chassis, the Eurostar will be one of the heaviest Euro vans ever offered Down Under. ??However, it should be comparable in size and weight to a number of other caravans in its potential market place, yet will be more stylish and more luxurious, Van Baardwyk believes.

In the meantime, the cheaper  ‘Aussie’ Sudwind and Sport ‘Knaus by Avan models are about to go onto the production line following the arrival of all their components at Avan’s sprawling and soon to be extended Pakenham, Victoria plant.

?In the interim, the locally-assembled prototypes of the 15ft Sport 460XB, 14ft 6in Sudwind 450FU and 19ft 6in Sudwind 590FUS will again be on display at the Queensland Caravan Show in early June to pre-load the order books.  

Weighing in at approximately 1500kg, 1550kg and 1850kg on their Aussie Avan chassis and priced at around $46,500, $48,250 and $59,000 respectively tow-away in Queensland, they’re expected to roll off the Avan production line from early to mid-August.