Importer debunks Chinese camper myths

Cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean inferior, argues local boss of Chinese-built campers

Ezytrail boss Dean Porter has lashed out at critics of Chinese campers, arguing that budget-priced imported campers can no longer be dismissed as “cheap knock offs” inferior to locally built products.

In a blog titled “The Chinese Camper Trailer Paradigm” on Ezytrail’s website, Porter claims it’s no longer always the case that imported brands “have poor customer service and don’t honour warranty claims”.

He says as an Australian “distributor” of Chinese-built campers, it’s hard for companies like Ezytrail “to claim any form of manufacturer warranty from the suppliers in China. Most of this cost must be worn by the re-selling brand in Australia and this is one of the main reasons many brands shirk or dodge and weave their way around such claims”.

But as the company has grown to become one of the top-three camper trailer importers in Australia (Porter says Ezytrail along with fellow Chinese brands MDC and Black Series now account for between 7000 and 10,000 sales in Australia annually) there's a greater focus on honouring warranty claims that might have been ignored in the past.

“We now back up our warranties… you can read our (online) reviews over probably the last six to seven years and we were no different to many of the importers three or four years ago, but most of that is changed now,” he said.

“Over the last 18 months as we became a truly national company, Ezytrail has put in place the honouring of warranty claims on top of our customer service policy in an attempt to become the best in the business when it comes to our customers enjoying their purchase.”

Porter says Ezytrail has worked closely with its Chinese supplier Compaks to improve the quality of the ‘off-the-shelf’ campers it sells, including up to 150 changes made to its current K Series model.

“We’re also the first full Chinese importer to be accepted into the CIA (Caravan Industry Association) Victoria, which we’re very proud of, because as you would probably know their members are not fans of Chinese imports," he told Caravancampingsales.

“(We were accepted) mainly due to the fact that Ezytrail is trying to lead the market in changing or dispelling the myth of Chinese imports, we’re trying to clean up that side of the market and legitimize the product.

“For a long time now the Aussie market has thrown mud in our direction, rightly so because there are importers that are just backyard operators. You’ve got $40 grand lying around in equity in your home, so you fly to China and buy a container of these things, pump them out… you might be around for 12 months and you then piss off, and that really hurts our market.”

Set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2017, Melbourne-based Ezytrail currently has 14 outlets and employs around 75 people around Australia according to Porter. Their range of soft- and hard-floor campers are priced from $7000 to $25,000, but the company is about to introduce more expensive hybrid camper models.

Porter also disagrees with the common perception that all Chinese campers are copies, claiming the forward-fold style camper was actually designed by a Chinese manufacturer, and that Australian-made canvas is always better than imported canvas when there's only one Australian business “that mills their own canvas for use on tents”.

Shedding light on other "outrageous claims", he says it's not true that Chinese campers are not designed for Australian conditions when many “have been put through the ringer with reputable experts” in the media.

Porter also believes lower manufacturing costs in China are not the only reason imported campers cost less to buy.

“It has a lot to do with the higher margins that many local brands are using to add on to their cost price. Ezytrail operates at much lower margins due primarily to our volumes and more efficient running costs,” he says.

“Another argument is we’re taking Australian jobs,” Porter told Caravancampingsales. “I have 75 people on the books in all different facets from sales to marketing to graphic design and assembly.

“The more skilled China is becoming the more work is done in China in regards to fabrication but because you’re restricted out here on what can go in the container you still have to do some fabrication or assembly here in Australia.”

Importer debunks Chinese camper myths

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