Camperagent arrives in Melbourne

As foreshadowed on caravancampingsales, Adelaide’s Camperagent has set up its own showroom and manufacturing facility in the Australian caravan heartland of Campbellfield, Victoria.

Already one of Australia’s biggest RV dealers, Camperagent plans to bring its ‘one stop shop’ concept of new and used caravans, motorhomes and tow vehicle sales to East Coast travellers, with the new venture.

The 2300sq m. former Safari Caravans high-visibility site opposite the former Ford Australia factory has already been sub-divided into a separate factory and indoor retail showroom.

Camperagent’s Hitch Hika ‘home brand’ caravans are now being built in the factory, taking over the task from former Campbellfield single brand contract builder Drifter, with plans to add Chinese-built Signature Campers to the new RV range in 2018.

Both the Hitch-Hika caravans and Signature Campers will then be sold exclusively through Camperagent outlets as they open throughout Australia, giving buyers a wide range of used and new options in a tiered price range.

Like most Chinese imports, Camperagent plans to import the campers in largely-completed form, but to fit suspension, appliances and obtain the necessary certification locally.

Camperagent will also act as a new and used vehicle agent for tow vehicles to match the caravans and campers it sells, with the new Melbourne facility selling a range of American-built tough trucks.

Ford, GMC, Dodge and Chevrolet pick-ups are imported in original left-hand drive form and then converted to right hand drive and certified by nearby Vehicle Development Corporation in Barry Road, Coolaroo.

Established in 1996 in Adelaide, Camperagent currently sells around 60 Hitch Hika vans a year, but with production in Melbourne due to rise from its current rate of two, to five a month, new ex-Paramount Victorian Manager Luke Sheen, expects to meet demand in their first full year of operation.

“We are very big on customisation with Hitch Hika,” said Sheen. “If a customer doesn’t find exactly what they want in our used or new stock, then we’ll build it for them.

“The aim is to stay relatively small and flexible, not to go for volume. We see ourselves as a niche manufacturer.”

Hitch Hika currently specialises in 20-23ft luxury touring and off-road tandem axle vans, built with timber frames and aluminium cladding and ranging in price from around $65,000 to $115,000.

Despite taking the brand ‘in-house’, Sheen said Hitch Hika will remain only a small part of the Camperagent business, which includes annual sales of around 700 new and used caravans and motorhomes.

Camperagent in Adelaide is also an official agent for the popular Goldstream, Avida (and until recently Coromal/Windsor) nameplates. Its sales and service facilities, spread over 29,000sq.m (round three hectares) at Parafield, can claim to be one of the largest RV yards in Australia.