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NEWS
Price Just right for family van
Melbourne dealer releases new Just Caravans 17ft family bunk van for well under $40,000Small Melbourne dealer Just Caravans has fired a shot through the fiercely competitive Australian caravan market with the introduction of a well-equipped, full height 17ft single axle family van with a Jayco-rivalling price tag of just $36,990 drive-away.
The sole Victorian dealer for Condor and Chesterfield caravans, Just Caravans recently introduced its
first ‘home brand’ model called the Holiday Maker, which is built by another manufacturer located in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Diamond Caravans.
The 17ft Holiday Maker is promoted as an entry-level caravan but lacks little in the way of features, with the option of two or three bunks, a walk-around queen bed, full kitchen and lounge/dinette.
Standard equipment extends to leatherette upholstery, roof-top air-con, 19in TV, radio, 177 litre fridge/freezer, twin gas bottles, 95L water tank, a solar-powered battery system, awning and gas bayonet.
About the only thing missing for a typical touring van is a shower and toilet, although it still compares favourably with similar-spec models from volume-selling price-leaders like Jayco and Avan.
To help keep weight of the single axle, leaf sprung model down, the Holiday Maker is built with an aluminium frame and traditional ribbed aluminium cladding.
The five-berth van has a Tare weight of 1620kg and 2000kg ATM and comes with the standard 12 month factory warranty.
It's typical of other cut-price models sold by Just Caravans, which include 21ft Condor two-berth and family vans, both priced at $49,990, and a 23ft family bunk van priced at $53,000. These come with ensuites but are a bit heavier, with Tare weights starting around 2250kg.
Just Caravans’ Paul Weston, who works in the business with his father Merv (a 40-year industry veteran and an original owner of Traveller Caravans), said a combination of low overheads, slim profit margins and a 'bulk buying' of a limited number of stock models helps keep prices down.
“We’re not New Age or the like, with fancy lights and lots of employees; we'’re a low-key operation which allows us to keep our prices down,” he said.
A small showroom with indistinct signage and a lack of passing traffic, located well off the main streets of Coburg North doesn’t seem to be affecting sales, according to Weston, who says they currently average three to four van sales a week.
“In my opinion location isn’t everything. Gone are the days when you have to be on the corner with lights, with the internet attracting many buyers.”
Just Caravans is also a dealer for Chesterfield RV, a ‘one-man’ operation in Campbellfield that churns out around 12 vans a year.
Weston says having a ‘home brand’ also avoids having to under-cut other dealers selling the same model.
“We decided to introduce our own branded caravans as we couldn’t keep up with orders on the other ones,” Weston said. “Our waiting list had stretched out to March next year, so we’ve gone for a different floorplan and we’ll see if that works before trying other layouts.”
Despite the surge in sales, he says there are no immediate plans to move into bigger premises.
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Written byChris Fincham
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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