Sunseeker charity caravan raises $50K

Sunseeker Caravans' boss Chris Michel was a bit nervous in the days leading up to the auction of a very special Sunseeker 'charity' caravan on display at this year's Queensland Supershow.

Would the 'Trip in a Van' replica sell above its six figure reserve price on the day, so he could then contribute a large chunk of the proceeds to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation?

He needn't have worried, with the auction which took place on the Sunseeker stand at the Brisbane Showgrounds at 4pm, Saturday June 11, going off without a hitch...

With the large crowd looking on, the winning bid of $190,000 arrived within three minutes of the bright red jacket-clad auctioneer taking an opening bid of $100,000.

"An amazing result today for the Daniel Morcambe Foundation with Sunseeker proudly donating $50,000 to help support the wonderful work that they do in keeping kids safe. Congratulations to the winning bidder who gets this amazing caravan for $190,000," Michel posted on social media after the auction.

The charity caravan was also supported by suppliers including Dometic and Cruisemaster.

"And thank you to everyone who has contributed and supported this event," he continued.

Before the auction Sunseeker committed to donating all proceeds above the reserve price to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, which provides child safety education and support to young victims of crime.

With a retail price estimated to be in excess of $200,000, the tandem-axle, triple bunk Sunseeker Desert Storm family 'van has a features list as long as its 23 foot body, including Cruisemaster Level 3 ATX airbag suspension, disc brakes, a dust reduction system, automatic satellite TV, a gas space heater, rooftop air-conditioner, bike rack, smart management system, a bamboo queen mattress, 224 litre compressor fridge/freezer and a wall mounted washing machine.

It's also set up for extended off-grip camping with 1260 Watts of rooftop solar feeding a 600Ah lithium battery set-up, with a 2600W inverter to help power a range of 240v appliances and 340 litre fresh water and 85 litre grey water storage.

Sunseeker said the big 4500kg ATM 'van was inspired by the dream caravan of popular Youtube family travellers, Trip in a Van.

"This amazing van is a close twin of the one Trip In A Van will be picking up from the dealership in the coming weeks," Chris Michel said.

The icing on the cake for the wining bidder was the immediate delivery of the charity van, avoiding a long COVID-induced wait of up to 14-15 months according to the auctioneer.

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