Royal Flair hops on bling bandwagon

Already we’ve seen a number of eye-catching uses of the latest Alucabond panels, a material more commonly used by the building industry, on the likes of New Age’s one-off, ll-black Oz Classic Slidera and Van Cruiser’s ‘any colour except white’ Interceptor…

Now Royal Flair Caravans has released a special DLX version of its off-road Aussiemate model, complete with mirror-finish brown and black Alucabond composite panels for the sides and roof.

The Aussiemate DLX currently on display at Royal Flair’s Melbourne dealer May West Caravans, also features orange pin striping to match the black and orange 16in G & S alloy wheels and orange-accented Royal Flair logo on the body. ?

Also adding to the limited edition feel are laser cut aluminium pieces along the sides, engraved with ‘Aussiemate 1941’ to highlight the 19ft 4in body length and ‘no.1’ production status.

The DLX extras, which also include steel scrub bars and galvanized underbody protection, add around $10,000 to the price of a ‘standard’ Aussiemate, according to May West’s Peter May.

Priced at $73,443, the display model made its debut at last month’s Bendigo Leisurefest. It’s no lightweight though, with a 3145kg ATM and 350kg ball weight.

A similar glossy colour scheme continues inside the front queen bed/full width rear ensuite layout, which is loaded with all the usual Aussiemate features including a full-size fridge/freezer and cooktop/grille from Thetford and separate toilet/shower incorporating a Sphere 2.5kg washing machine.

Like all Aussiemates, the DLX rides on rugged Control Rider off-road suspension and is available in six layouts. To celebrate May West dealership’s 25th anniversary, May said he’ll also throw in a few extras such as an additional battery and solar panel.

And if you’re worried about the tendency for the automotive-style gloss finish to attract dust, May said the Alucabond panels are covered by a 20 year warranty.

He also said we’re likely to see more Aussie RV manufacturers adopt Alucabond-style finishes in 2015, as caravan buyers increasingly seek the latest trends and styles.

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it ticks the boxes for a lot of people,” May said. “(Buyers) are always looking for something new… you’ve got to re-invent the wheel a little bit, put a little bit of sizzle in the steak.”