New Chinese hardcore camper stands out from the crowd

A new imported, lightweight compact off-road family camper that's packed with features for its $60K starting price, including some not seen on its rivals, made its debut at the Queensland Caravan Supershow in early June.

Displayed on the Aussie Escape Caravans dealer stand, the Chinese-built NJ Star RV campers have been on the market for around 10 years, but only recently went on sale down under with the Explorer model, sporting a few tweaks to make them more suitable for the local market.

These changes include the addition of familiar off-road items like a Queensland-built Cruisemaster DO-35 coupling and the optional Airbag Man suspension that was fitted to one of the display campers at the Brisbane Showgrounds.

The 1400kg Tare/2000kg ATM, Aussie-spec NJ Star Explorer appears solidly built with an alloy frame and aluminium plate body construction with an automotive paint finish, on a hot dipped galvanised chassis with some black armour coating on the A-frame for further protection and an independent coil suspension with twin shocks as standard.

While small in size, the 5.0m long by 2.0m wide, pod-style family camper opens up with a pop-top roof and a drop-down canvas-walled double bed at the front, to go with an internal club lounge/dinette that converts to another set of beds.

There's also an internal shower with cassette toilet and a vanity with mirror, to go with an outside shower and an external kitchen with slide-out 45L fridge.

The Explorer also packs in quite a bit of storage including front and rear toolboxes, a rear rack and some internal cabinetry.

Also standard is 140L fresh water storage, a stereo, bug lights, an awning and a diesel space heater, along with a 300Ah lithium battery system fed by 450W rooftop solar.

The Explorer stands out with some eye-catching external as well as internal highlights like leather storage pouches, a teak wood floor and a 'bubble-wrap' padded internal roof lining, while other trick features include a digital door lock and a wall-mounted 12V DC air-conditioner that the Australian importer Not Lost Australia says will run for hours directly off the house batteries.

Pricing starts at $59,450, with a range of options available including customised exterior colours, internal fans, a 240V inverter and a 600Ah lithium battery and 600W solar upgrade.

Further details on the NJ Star Australia website or check out the 2024 NJ Star RV Explorer advertised on caravancampingsales.