Vision eyes off-road perfection

If there ever was a sign that the big caravan drought is breaking, Queensland’s new Vision brand of hybrid and full-height off-road models is leading by example.

From its start-up in 2020, the dedicated off-road brand of the Sunshine Coast’s Sunseeker Caravans that began life in a cramped Noosaville factory as Noosa Off-Road Vans, has outgrown two factories and in 2023 will gear up to produce up to five top-spec models a week while still on the lookout for larger all-in-one premises in the Coolum area.

Recently, Sunseeker added a second Coolum Industrial Estate Vision factory to its portfolio, allowing it to move chassis production in-house after previously out-sourcing it to Toowoomba.

The move was instigated by slowing chassis output from its supplier in Toowoomba that was struggling to match the increased demand for Vision models since the company last year added its larger VX range of full-height vans to its introductory and smaller VH hybrid pop-top models.

From one completed Vision per week, production output is now up to five per fortnight, with the intention to produce five chassis per week by Easter next year, with more than 100 pop-top and full-height Visions currently on Australian roads.

National roll-out

The company says 80 per cent of Vision buyers to date have been from Queensland and New South Wales, but from 2023 all Vision campers will be marketed nationally. While an Australia-wide sales network is not yet envisaged, Sunseeker plans to attract interstate buyers through a full interstate caravan show display roll-out, tackling its key market rivals including Australian Off-Road, Rhinomax, Track Trailer, Pioneer, Cub, Mountain Trail and North Coast Campers, head on.

At the new Coolum factory, completed Vision bodies made from German composite panels arrive fully assembled from China to be wedded to their hot-dipped galvanised chassis. Vision’s patented trailing-arm suspension is formed in-house from 74mm x 5mm thick seamless gas pipe, with air bag springs and twin hydraulic shock absorbers per wheel, while the Vision’s standard disc brakes are also fitted here.

The rolling shells are then flat towed to the nearby main Vision factory for fit out and completion.

Countless changes

While this expansion has been going on, Sunseeker claims more than 1000 running changes have been made to the top-selling Vision VH14 model.

One of the key ones is to change its rooftop solar panel from three 200 Watt to two 330 Watt panels, with an option for a third 330W panel to deliver power to the model’s standard 300Ah lithium battery.

With either combination, the more space-efficient panels allow a Truma Aventa roof-top air conditioner to be fitted instead of the previous under-bunk unit. As the operation of the strut-assisted roof raising actuators can cope with the extra weight, more storage space results.

A 2000 Watt inverter is now standard, which allows you to option and operate a portable induction cooktop for indoor cooking.

The latest Visions also have the same honeycomb poly flooring material extending underneath the bed in place of aluminium to avoid moisture condensation.

And the exterior kitchen has been completely reorganised to deliver more bench space.

There are also two external shower outlets – one on each side of the front A-frame storage tub – rather than one, but rather than charging extra money for these upgrades, prices across the entire Vision range have actually gone down around five per cent since the brand’s release.

Still to come in the New Year is a third layout, no-cost option for the VH14 hybrid that will include a separate shower and toilet internal bathroom.

The best thing about the Vision expansion is that delivery times on new models have been cut back from 18 months to less than 12 months, with the actual time to build a new VH model from paint to delivery now taking six to seven days.

More to come

But it’s not over yet.

Sunseeker has a lease option on another shed adjacent to its new chassis manufacturing operation, with the ultimate aim being to have all production and its current 35 staff concentrated on a single site.

It’s an impressive aim that fits in with Sunseeker founder Chris Michel’s mission statement to make Vision the world’s best off-road caravan...