22 Apr, 2024

Great Aussie Caravans: New 2024 models announced

by John Hughes

Caravan World’s John Hughes attended the recent Great Aussie Caravans dealer conference and reports on some new models as well as the company’s long-term plans for the brand.

I have reviewed a couple of Great Aussie Caravans over the past year or so and spent a bit of time with new General Manager John Cullen. He exudes a passion for the industry and an openness to share the company’s plans, the strengths and the opportunities for further development. So, it was no great surprise when I received an invitation to attend the dealer conference ealier this year to learn more about where the company is heading.

The conference assembled the Great Aussie Caravans team including owners Randy Comester and Joseph Perera, GM John Cullen and key staff from manufacturing, customer service and marketing. The dealer contingent was significant with representatives from 10 organisations representing the brand nationwide.

I learned that Randy and Joesph are hands-on operators, focused heavily on manufacturing and that John has joined the company to help set the strategic direction and refine systems and procedures to bring the company to the next level. As caravan enthusiasts, readers are probably most interested in the 2024 product line-up but there were also many other takeaways indicating the robustness of the company going forward.

Randy Comester opening the dealer conference

Let’s start with Great Aussie Caravans’ philosophy regarding the products it offer to the marketplace. Some manufacturers can be almost arrogant, claiming to have the best caravans in the industry. John speaks of working hard to be in the conversation in order to be among the best caravan manufacturers in the country. Great Aussie has decided to achieve this not by taking a niche position, but rather by having an expansive offer. In fact, it claims to be the only Australian manufacturer to offer three construction techniques, marketed as Timbertech, Allytech and Fibretech.

Timbertech is a traditional meranti frame construction favoured by old-school buyers working to a budget. Great Aussie uses a stud spacing of 27.5cm for greater frame strength and combines this with a one-piece marine grade floor, one-piece fibreglass roof and composite aluminium wall sheeting.

Allytech is an aluminium frame construction using a combination of 38mm x 19mm and 19mm x 19mm studs welded together. The frame is matched to a one-piece honeycomb floor, one-piece fibreglass roof and 3mm composite aluminium sheeting. The internal wall lining is also a one-piece fibreglass skin making the body a completely timber-free construction and therefore impervious to rot.

Fibretech is Great Aussie Caravans’ latest construction method hitting the market this year. The manufacturer describes the body as being manufactured from an eco-friendly, recyclable material that is odourless and approximately 25 per cent lighter than traditional framing. It also has a B1 low flammability rating with moisture, chemical and corrosion resistance. Combined with the internal furniture being manufactured from a composite material polyboard, the entire van 100 per cent timber free.

The Tonka definitely looked tough

The 2024 model range launched

Great Aussie Caravans takes covering all aspects of the market a step further by offering a new range of caravans in multiple categories. In conventional caravans, you can choose from on-road touring, semi-offroad, offroad, and extreme offroad models. Great Aussie Caravans also offers hybrid models and even has plans to add a motorhome to the stable. The conference was a great platform to launch the 2024 range to the Great Aussie Caravans dealer network with a number of impressive RVs on display.

The on-road touring van is memorably named the 2ourer. It focuses on simplicity and lightweight engineering meaning you don’t need a huge tow vehicle. The simplicity is reflected in traditional leaf spring suspension, 15in wheels and a standard 50mm ball coupling. Minimalist electrical power (by contemporary standards) is also the order of the day with 200W of solar and a 100Ah lithium battery with a Projecta entry-level battery management system.

The semi-offroad is known as the Gravity. The spec makes it much more suited to rough roads and minimalist off-grid camping as evidenced by independent coil spring suspension,16in wheels with mud tyres and a Cruisemaster DO35 articulating coupling. Power jumps up to 400W solar, a 200Ah lithium battery and a mid-spec Projecta battery management system.

Moving up the hierarchy we have the off-road Xplora. It also has independent coil spring suspension, 16in wheels with mud tyres and Cruisemaster DO35 articulating coupling. A higher-spec off-grid power system comprises 600W of solar panels, a 200Ah lithium battery and a premium Projecta battery management system.

The Xplora full offroad van

At the top of the tree, Great Aussie has the all-new Tonka extreme offroad range, described as being designed to provide the ultimate off-grid experience. You can see my review of the Tonka here, and I can say there is a lot to like. In short, the undercarriage is made up of a truss chassis, independent airbag suspension with remote operation to raise and lower ride height and enable easy levelling at camp. It rolls on 17in rims with premium mud terrain tyres, stops with ventilated disc brakes and hitches up with the ubiquitous DO45 coupling. Electrical power goes to another level with 1000W of solar power feeding a 400Ah lithium battery controlled by Projecta’s flagship battery management system. A 3000W inverter completes the premium package. Some other stand-out features include an externally accessed, upright fridge to complement the larger interior fridge and a huge roll-out storage drawer at the rear of the van.

The Tonka extreme offroader featured an impressive bathroomThe Tonka was full of surprise features such as this trundle drawer

While the 2ourer, Gravity and Xplora are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 15ft 6in through to 22ft 6in, the available sizes for the Tonka ranges from 19ft to 22ft 6in.

The conventional caravans are complemented with a hybrid known as the Striker. It is a single axle, quite short (15ft 6in or 16ft 6in), narrow, light van that still manages to have a decent payload. A compact interior makes for a cosy layout van with more of an emphasis on exterior living. Unlike some hybrids, the Striker is a full-height, fixed-roof van. On the electrical front, it has 300W of solar, a Projecta 200Ah high-discharge lithium battery and a 2000W inverter.

We were fortunate to see a prototype motorhome on display at the conference known as the Paragon 600. It was based on a Fiat Ducato platform, but John tells us it is early days and to watch this space.

The Great Aussie Caravans conference presented the prototype Paragon motorhome based on a Ducato platform

Progressing to corporate developments. One of the key things that John and his expert team covered off early was the new dealer portal. It allows dealers to login and check the build status of customers’ vans which makes it much easier to keep consumers up to date on the progress of their van.

Great Aussie Caravans’ Marketing Manager also outlined its marketing program for 2024 which includes various activities to raise the profile of the brand and support existing customers. A notable example is the plan to hold a national gathering of Great Aussie Caravan owners. Of course, marketing activity builds cost into the purchase price of a van, but it also signals a company committed to the long-term future of the brand. Which in turn inspires confidence for prospective buyers that Great Aussie Caravans will be around for the long haul to support the product.

The wrap

I like the fact that Great Aussie Caravans had the vision to invite us along to its dealer conference. It shared a roadmap demonstrating it knows where it’s going. Great Aussie Caravans has a comprehensive range and construction methods to suit all market demands. Standing out from the crowd with some truly innovative product ideas, it is a brand to watch.