Melbourne Supershow: Highs and Lows

What we learnt from this year’s version of Australia’s biggest RV show

The Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow (to use its official name) was held for the 63rd time, and third time at the Melbourne Showgrounds, in late February. According to the organisers, the six day show attracted 50,613 visitors and remains Australia’s biggest display of RVs at 60,000 square metres.

While still strong, visitor numbers were down compared to a peak of 64,000 achieved at the much smaller Caulfield Racecourse venue in 2012. They’re also below the NSW Caravan Supershow, which normally attracts around 75,000 visitors but that’s over nine days.

The Melbourne Supershow’s 300 exhibiters and 1200 RVs on display were also down on previous years, lending the show a more spacious feel. Perhaps that's why the golf cart ‘bus’ service was kept busy all week, ferrying punters from one side of the venue to the other...

So what else did we learn from this year’s Supershow?

Small is big

Made popular in the 1930s as a budget camping option, teardrop campers are making a comeback but today’s versions are a lot fancier than their predecessors.

Melbourne’s Roadstar unveiled its $25,000 Colt and Roma its funky new imported Little Buddy for around the same money, while Jayco had another crack at its JPod camper with a bigger and better equipped version starting from around $15,000.

There were plenty of lookers at the show, but whether buyers will be enticed by these cute but increasingly expensive little caravans remains to be seen…

Camper capers

Wind-up camper trailer stalwarts Jayco and Goldstream had their usual array of family canvas models on display, ranging from $17,000 to $50,000-plus.

But noticeable for its absence was Australia’s newest wind-up camper, the Road Tripper from New Age Caravans. Chatting to various people, it seems New Age’s new entry-level model has been pulled from the line-up due to some teething issues, primarily around the functioning of the wind-up roof mechanism.

There’s also talk of an electric roof being developed at the skunkworks of major New Age investor Walkinshaw, with the help of at least two ex-Jayco employees. Either way, don’t expect production versions of Road Tripper ‘Version 2’ to break cover until much later in the year, despite potential buyers already lining up.

Until then it leaves a big gap in fast growing New Age’s entry-level range, with its cheapest model at the Supershow an 11ft Gecko pop-top van priced at $40,440 tow-away.

Jayco fights back

By all accounts Jayco remains the top-selling Aussie RV manufacturer, with as much as 40-50 per cent of the market, but rivals are catching up.

In response, the Dandenong, Victoria-based business guided by new CEO Carl Bizon went on the offensive with a bevy of new products and innovations designed to keep the 42 year-old company on top, including the JHub digital management system, caravan air suspension, Adventurer off-road caravans, Jpod MkII camper and new cut-price Freedom campervans and motorhomes.

There were even a couple of very colourful examples of Gerry Ryan’s new Lets Go rental motorhomes on display, and don’t be surprised if US-built Airstream ‘travel trailers’ join the Jayco fleet before year’s end.

Deals on wheels

Caravan shows are always a good time to pick up a ‘show special’, runout or discontinued model, often for thousands off the RRP price.

This year’s Supershow was no different with Avan out with all guns blazing, slashing around $7000 off the price of some of its latest aluminium composite-bodied vans, while Bailey Australia was advertising its UK-built Unicorn Barcelona van for $57,990 – a whopping $17,260 off the retail price!

Just shows you need to have your eyes open and your finances ready for that once in a blue moon discount – like the one-off, almost half-price luxury Franklin van, which sold not long after we ran this news story on Caravancampingsales. However, it pays to be vigilant with one of the big exhibitors, the Melbourne Caravan Centre and Cell Caravans, shutting up shop only a week or so after taking orders at the show...

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

If you believe my caravanning partner in crime, you can never have enough mirrors in a caravan. Judging by what we saw at this year’s Supershow, manufacturers appear to be listening, with bigger mirrors and more of them being fitted inside vans to cater for both the vain and narcissistic.

The finest example we spotted was on the 80 vehicle strong Avan stand, which had a 20ft 6in Aspire couple’s van with island bed and full width front wardrobe literally covered with mirrors – great for a brothel but we're not so sure for your average grey nomad couple!

However, Avan boss Scott Van Baardwyck did admit that it was mainly for ‘show’ and didn’t expect too many takers when it came to orders.

Caravans at motorhome prices

While there’s plenty of competition at the lower end of the market, the prices of up-spec caravans just keep going up, judging by some of the models on display at this year’s show. Not long ago a $100,000 caravan was a rare sight; now $150,000 is the new frontier, and before long, $200,000…

Reborn Universal Caravans had its two slide-outs/three TV, 24ft Hollywood van advertised for $136,990, while Elite had its brand new, shiny composite Ballistic priced at $158,000.

However, the headline act was

Bushtracker’s triple bunk 20ft family van, which had a sticker price of $171,935. But even that couldn’t match the

first 22ft slide-out van
from Queensland’s Soul Caravans, which sold for an eye-watering $185,689.

Where will it end?

Charity starts at shows

West Australia’s Fleetwood RV, which builds Coromal and Windsor caravans, is regularly in the news thanks to being the only ASX-listed RV manufacturer in the country forced to report its financial results. But it’s

been all good news lately, thanks to a remarkable turnaround following its post-GFC slump, that has seen it double production from 10 to more than 20 vans a week over the past 18 months.

But aside from a thorough revamp of the entire Coromal/Windsor range, one of the keys to its success appears to be a form of charity, or a series of ‘Win a caravan’ competitions.

Just a week or so after giving away one of its Element caravans at the South Australian show, Coromal gave another one $53K van away in Melbourne, which to our counting makes around half a dozen vans the company has given away (or will be giving away) in recent times.

Based on current form, show-goers at the upcoming Sydney and Brisbane caravan ‘supershows’ can look forward to another spanking new Coromal or Windsor going their way....

Gloss all the rage

While there are still plenty of traditional, ribbed aluminium sided vans available, they’re gradually being replaced with flat, shiny aluminium or fibreglass composite walls that not only look more modern, but offer better insulation and are more resistant to external damage.

New Age

joined the gloss set
at the Melbourne Supershow with its shiny new Oz Classic and Big Red vans, joining other top-selling caravan manufacturers including Jayco,

Supreme, Avan and Coromal that have made the move to smooth.

Which type of cladding is best though, is fiercely debated, with Avan arguing via an information board the superiority of its aluminium composite panels; Universal vouching for its German Hylite panels, while Jurgens went for the jugular by scrawling “We don’t use this” on a piece of Alucabond-like panel, similar to that used by New Age and Supreme.

Side-show antics

Having the biggest, brightest, cheapest or most technologically-advanced caravans at the show isn’t always enough to pull in the punters, with exhibitors at this year’s show trying various tactics to attract the eyes of the wandering public.

After years of marketing itself as Australian, Jurgens ‘outed’ its African heritage with a fearsome array of almost life-sized safari animals, including lions and giraffes, guarding its display of lightweight composite vans (although there were also a couple of smaller indigenous species including a kangaroo and wombat)!

Melbourne’s JB Caravans earned a ‘best stand’ trophy for its impressive garden exhibit featuring ferns and ceramic pots, while flamboyant Melbourne manufacturer Elite Caravans employed the talents of local warblers Phil Ceberano and Russell Robertson, who strummed acoustic guitar and sang some old favourites in front of a massive TV screen.

Almost as entertaining as the world-record holding whip cracker near the Patriot Campers stand...

Melbourne Supershow: Highs and Lows

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