15 Apr, 2024

Recap of the 2024 Victorian Caravan and Camping Supershow

by John Ford

Following four bumper years of sales, the caravan industry has settled back into a more normal market, so I was keen to see how the various manufacturers are dealing with the new normal while at the 2024 Victorian Caravan and Camping Show held at the Melbourne Showgrounds in late February. Along with many other outdoor enthusiasts, we braved the oppressively hot weather on the first two days of the show and despite reduced crowds and flagging enthusiasm from the heat-affected patrons, many manufacturers were happy with the number of signatures on the bottom of contracts on the first day.

Day two was even more miserable weather-wise with a strong wind moderating temperatures but lending a grim western movie atmosphere as the metaphoric tumble weeds rolled down the deserted walkways and outdoor activities were poorly patronised. When the show organisers ended things 45 minutes early because of an approaching storm, a collective sigh of relief wafted across the grounds.

It seems things improved as the show moved into the weekend because Daniel Sahlberg, CEO of Caravan Industry Victoria reported there were 43,500 showgoers checking out the wide range of brands that included more than 1100 vans and RVs from 72 caravan manufacturers.

We wanted to see what was new across the range and because we are continually asked to talk more about smaller vans we also went in search of what the show had to offer. I was keen to see any new concessions to the looming electric tow vehicle future and while some builders suggested we should look forward to announcements in the coming months, pickings seemed slim for anyone who has an electric SUV on their shopping list. I thought even Adria with its European import missed an opportunity on its display with the 1000kg baby van hooked to a wallet and fuel-sapping Mercedes SUV. And perennial lightweight Centaur could be towed with a Tesla, but it wasn’t obvious to the masses.

So, what about the rest of the industry? Well, it was a bit like previous years but with less family vans. There were plenty of big offroaders which we are assured is what the market wants. Have all those influencers with their monster trucks and self-sustaining oversize vans won the hearts of every wanna-be caravanner? Or are they bad influencers leading us to a reckoning down the track as the climate emergency/European emission laws get real? Maybe caravan buyers are quietly joining the climate deniers with our wallets in a blinkered effort to get the last drop out of our fossil-fuelled freedom? OK — you’ve seen my rig so I’m asking from a risky position, tow as I do a V8 Toyota which is no paragon of frugality at the bowser. But I do worry that a different future is fast approaching and if the opening caravan show of the year is a guide, we don’t seem to be gearing up to face it.

With that in mind we went looking for what the show represented in terms of new ideas and cheaper, lighter vans. Mountain Trail RV had prime position near the main gate and opposite the canteen with the smallest and most expensive toasted sandwich in the known universe. Mountain Trail makes innovative and well-engineered offroad vans and has plugged into the lightweight sector with a new XVR pod-style camper built with the same bulletproof composite construction as the caravans. It looks cool and weighs in at 1580kg, making it a good prospect for smaller tow vehicles. Mountain Trail’s smallest full-size van is the LXV 4.7 at 2036kg and I think it’s a sensible prospect for a touring couple.

Prime Edge Caravans surprised the judges at the 2024 Caravan of the Year event (see the results in early May) with smart ideas and a very competent build. I liked the single axle van they had on display for its compact size and easy towing design. It has a full ensuite, island bed and a reasonable kitchen and lounge considering the size. $159,990 will get you into a van I would happily tow into the sunset.

Snowy River Caravans had a comprehensive display and anticipated the hot weather with a selection of air-conditioned igloos for customers to order vans in comfort, and the team seemed to be enjoying a steady flow of sales. Snowy had an impressive range with a couple of big new vans including a 23ft 6in club lounge tourer starting at $91,990. We were told the owner of the Snowy River parent company was due to visit the show on the Friday with an entourage of high-ranking Chinese government officials. This is a big deal for the company and points to a serious push into the market for increased sales.

Jayco surprised with a new olive-green colour in the range and some new show release models including a Base Station with a $3000 free upgrade. A new 15ft Starcraft has bunks, a double bed and an ensuite and weighs in at 1740kg empty. It was $51,990 with $1500 of free extras. A lot of mid-range vehicles would happily drag it away for the weekend. For something more rugged the 16in All Terrain had a $3000 saving at $77,939 tow away.

Another larger builder breaking out new colour schemes was New Age Caravans with its sandy toned Road Owl Expedition featuring Cruisemaster XT suspension and significant upgrades to off-grid performance. The 19ft version had an introductory price of $95,410 or $6500 under recommended retail.

Masterpiece Caravans is a show favourite, and the team displayed a new XTM offroad van with composite R-TECH construction and the new TerraGlide suspension from Premcar that we featured recently. Urban Caravans also partnered to produce the new suspension and had upgrades to the Tungsten X-TREME range with a great looking new multipurpose rear bar.

Retreat Caravans showcased a big 22ft 6in Whitsunday with a truss chassis and composite construction. If its luxury you are after, then the roomy club lounge and central ensuite is worth a look. Displayed at $118,584 with some premium upgrades it looked like good value.

Over at the Outback HQ display there was the usual offering of Track Trailer campers and vans, but also the new Trakmaster Explorer. Selling at around $160,000, the Explorer is in the elite end of the hybrid market as a compact, go-anywhere hybrid with splashes of luxury and a combination ensuite.

Caravan HQ arrived with a monster range of the new imported On the Move vans including a single-axle Adventure 5.5 which at $79,990 was turning a lot of heads. On the Move’s 7.2 central ensuite looked stunning and amazingly priced at $94,990 and included a toilet door at the walkthrough which surprisingly hasn’t been common up until now in this design.

Goldstream RV celebrated 30 years building vans with a huge display and a big emphasis on electric power and, like a lot of retailers, there were vans for immediate delivery and factory rebates around $5000. The Goldstream 1860 Adventure Pack has been a favourite of mine for a while and an optioned-up model at the show had a sticker tag at $85,490.

The Aussie Destinations Unknown crew were on hand at the Titanium stand and the vibe was upbeat even under the baking sun. I liked the new design single-axle Ti22 S2 15ft version with a tare weight around 2100kg. It's small enough for mid-range tow vehicles and has all the bells and whistles to make an impact.

Supreme Caravans has been around for decades and its $78k 17ft 1760 Classic Tourer was a slick looking single-axle van destined for on-road touring and with a very liveable and well-appointed interior.

MDC Caravans is hitting the caravan sector hard, and the team had a tough looking XT16 offroader that will probably convert a lot of camper trailer owners over to the bright side.

The new team at Kokoda Caravans is doing great things with the brand with user friendly innovations across the range. Its Counterstrike C196 was listed at $179,990 with off-grid package that will see you camped for as long as you like.

The Willow Caravans team were talking show specials, but we think the 21ft 8in Waratah club lounge family van is good value at $107,440 for big competent offroader. It’s 2650kg and a mid-range twin cab will cope quite well.

Highclere Caravan’s 16ft 6in tourer slipped under the 2T barrier by 16kg and it looked well finished and sported a full size ensuite and a north south bed for $75,100. Vacationer Caravans joined the compact race with an 18ft 6in Bantam, aluminium-framed offroader with all the fruit for $135,500.

A new name to me was Atlas Caravans and it had a big range of aluminium framed vans. In the smaller size we saw an 18ft 6in aluminium-framed offroader with capable electrical power and a very liveable setup inside. Price was inviting at $92,400 which is pretty slick in this category.

Legend Caravans is known best for its very capable offroaders, but one of the most remarkable vans at the show was its touring 23ft Tycoon slide-out with a stunning luxury fit-out. A price tag of $173k might be a bargain because this van’s comfort and wow factor are immense.

The innovative team at Wonderland Caravans are known mainly for their large luxury family escape vans but they showed they can build a small one with just as much attention to detail. The relatively tiny 17ft Amaroo is a stunning couples van with all the pizzaz of its bigger siblings.

Great Aussie Caravans have a novel approach to choosing your van. The 18ft 6in on-road touring van is $85k as a timber frame 2ourer version, $91k as a semi offroad Gravity or $101k as a full off-road Xplora. Then you can option up to an aluminium frame or Great Aussie’s new Fibretech composite version, so all bases are covered.

Lotus Caravans were celebrating 20 years of bringing its rugged vans to market and had a colourful and striking stand that won best display of the show.

It took a while to uncover a truly lightweight van but there it was on the Apollo stand. The diminutive Adria Action has a convertible bed/lounge and a combination ensuite and is just on 1000kg and $54,990, so it might be the van of the future. Apollo was doing deals on the runout versions of the Coromal before they switch building at the New Age factory. Their 18ft Soul Seeker was going out at the heavenly price of $59,990, a saving of more than $11k. It’s just 2020kg empty, so one of the smaller vans in the range. But Apollo’s other brand Windsor also boasts the lightweight Genesis 176 which is also around 2T tare and was selling for $70k, a saving of $5000.

Meanwhile, over on the OzX Corp display company founder, Andrew Huett, was taking the crowds through an all-electric van powered by his impressive electrical system. He explained the ramifications of the looming European stage seven standard for the local motoring scene. The issue has been in the news of late with some politicians sounding the end of the ute as we know it. The government says it is bringing Australian emissions laws in line with the rest of the developed world and it will all work out in the wash. The reality is somewhere in the middle I guess, but we need to face a different future because the age of the big block internal combustion engine is coming to an end.

So, same old same old or the winds of change? To be fair to the sector there were hybrids and camper trailers trying to shed weight and maybe there are lessons to be learned by the wider industry.

One standout this year was the number of vans with notable mark-downs and the many that were available for immediate delivery. If you are new to caravanning or haven’t been keeping an eye on costs, then some of the prices will be a surprise. That’s the nature of the industry at present as cost of material just keeps escalating. The market has slowed even if sales were brisk at the show. Buyers have become used to picking and bargaining at shows, but out in the dealerships sales are slowing. Caravanning is still the best way to enjoy your leisure time though, so let’s enjoy it while we can. Trevor from Autophix joined the Hema Maps crew of (from left) Will, Yana and Justin for a well-deserved beer after a hot day