Rise of the $200,000 caravan
It's not hard to spend big bucks on a feature-packed caravan these daysIt's not just popular tow vehicles that have been soaring in price... the cost of a top-end luxury caravan has risen dramatically in recent times too.
It wasn't that long ago that $100,000 was a lot to pay for a caravan. Now, you'll need to pay twice that, and more, for the latest and greatest in Australian-built, off-grid, off-road caravans.
Lithium/solar systems that run the appliances for extended periods; cutting-edge airbag suspensions for the toughest corrugations, and five-star city apartment-style interior fit-outs, have driven prices for Australia's most expensive caravans to luxury motorhome levels.
More recently the COVID 'tax', coupled with the latest RV boom, has added another 10-20 percent to prices across the board.
It was Brisbane's Kedron that really got the $200K-plus caravan ball rolling with its unique 26ft triple axle 'van with the lot', with other brands joining the party including the short-lived Soul, Zone, Bushtracker, Sunland, and Paradise.
It's not just locally-built caravans breaking price barriers, with camper trailers also reaching unbelievable pricepoints like Ultimate's silver anniversary X25.
For cashed-up buyers, here are five new (or almost-new) caravans around the $200,000 mark currently advertised for sale...
After some time on the show circuit, the fully self contained, all-electric Mountain Trail 21ft 5in family bunk van has officially hit the market with a cool asking price of $210,000.
Its long list of features include 1660 watts of 48volt glass solar panels on the roof feeding into a 14.3kW lithium battery pack that together with a 5000watt inverter, should keep the appliances running for extended periods without having to plug in at the park.
Zone RV Summit
We reviewed Zone RV's carbon-clad techno tour de force, the 21ft 6in Summit, in 2018, which back then boasted an optioned-up pricetag of $225,000.
The starting price of $203,900 has gone up a bit since, and you might have to wait a few months in the queue as each Zone is custom built to order at the Sunshine Coast factory.
Sunseeker Desert Storm
We recently reviewed Sunseeker's flagship Desert Storm ATX, complete with Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension, but this latest 21ft 6in family bunk model takes the off-roadability up a notch or two with fully auto-adjustable air suspension, 37in wheels, disc brakes, 400Ah lithium battery system and 340L fresh/grey water capacity. Yours for $184,302!
Travelhome 29ft
New for 2021, the NSW-built Series 3 29ft Travelhome fifth-wheel caravan is for those who want more interior space and storage offered by a more conventionally hitched caravan.
Judging by the photos there's very little lacking in the way of features, from a leather lined club lounge and dedicated desk space, to plenty of lithium battery and solar power, a gas heater and air-conditioner.
Bushtracker 21ft
The off-road caravans that roll out of Bushtracker's Kunda Park, Queensland factory are some of the priciest in the country, and for good reason, so this four-year old, 21ft example advertised for $178,500 could be smart buying for buyers in a hurry to head off on that dream Outback trip.
To make things even easier, the seller is also offering a second-hand, four tonne rated LandCruiser Sahara, for an additional $95,500.
Related:
Caravan sales and prices continue to rise
Top-10 most expensive caravans
Rise of the off-road, off-grid caravan
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