Mars unveils new glamper trailer

Melbourne-based budget camper trailer manufacturer Mars Campers has unveiled its first hard-top hybrid camper at the Let’s Go Caravan & Camping Super Sale at the Adelaide Showgrounds.

The release of the pint-sized off-road 'glamper trailer' marks a significant move upmarket for the nine-year-old camper trailer brand, which until now has offered a range of entry-level, on- and off-road, soft- and hard-floor campers ranging in price from $7000 to $15,000.

With a 10ft 6in long body the Mars One prototype caravan on display in Adelaide is marginally smaller than the Complete Campsite Exodus 9, and should have a similar sub-$60,000 starting price when the first production versions go on sale next month.

However, Mars Campers’ national sales manager, Celso Prado said a point of difference with the Mars van is a long list of standard features plus a fixed roof  "strong enough to stand on" thanks to the use of lightweight aluminium composite panels for the walls, floor and roof.

He's also claimed it’s lighter than similar-sized rivals, with a Tare weight around 1200kg, 80kg ball weight and 2000kg ATM.

“We may even reduce the weight further by using an even stronger and lighter honeycomb aluminium construction,” he said.

Unlike Mars camper trailers, which are produced at the rate of 200-300 a month at Mars’ own factory in China, the Mars One caravan at least in the short term will be built locally, in partnership with a Melbourne-based off-road camper manufacturer.

The prototype features a hot dipped galvanised chassis with off-road hitch and tyres, independent trailing arm suspension, 12in electric brakes, scrub bars, and drawbar-mounted front toolbox and twin gas bottles.

The compact interior includes a 200 x 180cm double bed with benchspace and storage cabinets along the rear wall, while there are plans to produce a slightly larger family version with twin rear bunks.

Other interior features include a roof-top mounted air-conditioner, 140 litre fridge, microwave, 19in TV with multi-directional aerial, roof hatch, and double glazed windows.

The Mars One is also equipped with a twin battery system including invertor and roof-top solar panels, an external slide-out kitchen with BBQ and sink, 12V water pump, hot water system, two 65 litre water tanks, triple lock entry door and pull-out awning.

Given the limited interior height of the prototype, it’s also likely a pop-top version will be introduced as well as various changes made to the final production versions expected to start rolling out next month.

With 28 retail outlets around the country, Prado said Mars Campers had experienced rapid growth in recent years to become one of the major players in the Chinese-built camper market in Australia, competing head-on with popular budget brands GIC and MDC.

He said Mars Campers expects to produce 2-3 Mars One campers a week and had big plans to grab a major slice of the booming, hybrid off-road ‘glamping’ market, with more caravan models in the pipeline.

“We want to be a $100 million company in the next five years, and you can’t do that producing camper trailers only,” he said.

With around 200 employees, the Mars Campers factory in China also builds campers under different brand names for other businesses selling camper trailers in Australia.