20/06/2023
Melbourne Showgrounds welcomed back the biggest Caravan and Camping Show in Australia earlier this year for the 70th Anniversary edition. The 2023 Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow was held from Wednesday 22nd of February and conducted on Sunday 26th of February. Almost 48 thousand consumers visited the pet friendly event, which is a record number for a 5-day Supershow in Australia
Words Irene Viergever
The Victorian Supershow is one of four Caravan Shows organised by Caravan Industry Victoria, featuring more than 215 exhibitors and spanning across 100,000 square metres of exhibition space. Daniel Sahlberg, CEO of Caravan Industry Victoria: “Off the back of huge demand, the question is where the industry will realign too. Our focus with our caravan shows and everything we do is to keep the caravan industry at the forefront of consumers’ minds with constant education and training on how to use the products. And with the global financial impact we are promoting that you can do more with a caravan or RV and it’s more affordable.”
This year’s theme was “Start Here, Go Anywhere”, which has been the main message for all marketing and promotions. New for this special anniversary edition were the RV Master Stage and Adventure Zone. The RV Master Stage welcomed over 30 live interactive sessions from caravanning and camping experts. For those who were not able to attend the show in person, these sessions were streamed live on the Caravan Industry Victoria Social Media channels. The Adventure Zone, located on the campground food court, hosted a large number of demonstrations on off-road driving, weight, towing and much more.
Celebrating over 70 years in manufacturing, Truma (part of Leisure-Tec Australia) was again the major partner for the 2023 Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow. Supporting partners were AL-KO and BMPRO.
History
The first annual Victorian Caravan Show was held over three days in September and October of 1954, at the Wirth’s Circus site in Melbourne. The organisation, formed by leading caravan makers of Australia, got together to start promoting the caravan lifestyle and its products in Victoria. A newspaper article from 1954 to encourage people to visit the caravan show reads: “All caravans offer big advantages over tents and camping – in weather protection, comfort and convenience. Some of the luxe models may even be better equipped and more comfortable than your own home”. A total of 22 exhibitors showcased their products and over 10,000 people visited that first Caravan Show in 1954.
After that premiere in 1954, the Victorian Caravan Show moved locations a number of times. The Passport of Freedom competition has been a beloved tradition at caravan shows since its debut. Being the 70th anniversary edition, Caravan Industry Victoria went all out for the 2023 prize pack: the major prize this year was a $70,000 Jayco Starcraft Bush Pack caravan. In addition, 70 other prizes were included in the prize pack, increasing the total value to a historic high of $100,000.
Below: Nat Schiavello, Daniel Sahlberg and Stuart Lamont
The 2023 Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow commenced with the official opening on Wednesday morning. A number of VIPs, exhibitors and key players from within the Australian Caravan Industry joined presenter and radio broadcaster David Mann for a morning of industry announcements, product launches and 70th anniversary celebrations. David Mann: “You are all in business, I won’t hide the fact it has been a difficult three years. But this industry has made a lot of people very happy, particularly in the mental health and wellbeing space. They got out, got fresh air with like-minded people and had a terrific time”.
First keynote speaker of the opening event was President of Caravan Industry Victoria Nat Schiavello. Nat took the opportunity to express his gratitude and support to everyone attending. Nat: “Collectively we create, operate and promote the best industry in Australia. […] I am proud to be part of this industry and to see the vast majority of our members and industry products continue to evolve”.
Chief Executive Officer of Caravan Industry Victoria Daniel Sahlberg took the stage for a number of announcements and industry updates, including the latest stats on Caravan manufacturing. Over the COVID-19 years, Victoria has seen a 35% industry growth and the state’s Caravan industry is now responsible for 93% of towable manufacturing in Australia. The Victorian RV industry is worth over AU$3 billion, providing jobs to over 10,000 direct employees. This number of jobs has doubled from 11 years ago when the industry was worth AU$1.1 billion. Daniel: “It is quite amazing; Victoria is the heartland of caravan manufacturing here in Australia. Caravan manufacturing came across from Adelaide in the 1930s and since the mid 2000s Victoria alone has 120 to 130 Recreational Vehicle manufacturers, mainly based north of Melbourne.”
Caravan Industry Victoria has 246 trade members, including manufacturers, suppliers, dealerships, retailers and service companies. On top of that there are a number of caravan parks and affiliates with a membership. During this year’s Supershow the association announced a number of member support initiatives, including a Weight Inspection Program, Membership Benefit Program and the roll out of the RV Master Manufacturers Accreditation Program.
Weight Inspection Program
Weight is a big issue for both cars and recreational vehicles in Australia as more and more accessories are being fitted in the aftermarket. For the last three years, Caravan Industry Victoria has been working closely with VIC Roads to gather data from manufacturers and dealerships regarding this issue. As part of the Caravan Industry Victoria’s strategy to better educate the industry and consumers, the Weight Inspection Program is designed to help consumers to understand weight with the goal to increase driver safety whilst travelling on the roads. During the inspection days, organised in conjunction with WIM Technologies, consumers can have the weight of their RV measured and corrected for free.
Membership Benefits Program
The Membership Benefits Program offers all Victorian members and their staff discounts to a range of mainstream items, including IT, flights, accommodation, fuel, shopping and entertainment. Signing up for this benefit program results in an average annual saving of $1400 per person.
RV Master Manufacturers Program
The RV Master Manufacturers Program, designed to raise industry standards, launched two years back and is now ready to be rolled out in Victoria. The program covers five key areas, being Business Systems, Quality, Human Resources, Regulatory Compliance and Customer Service. Like RVMAP, participants will be subject to annual audits to maintain their ‘RV Master’ status.
Stuart Lamont, CEO of Caravan Industry Association of Australia highlighted the importance of vehicle quality in Australia, as Australians love to explore parts of their country that are not as easily accessible. Areas you would not think of taking your car, Australian RV owners expect their caravan, camper trailer or motorhome to be able to go. Stuart: “We have some of the most stunning places in the world. Australians love to get out of the cities and travel terrain for which caravans and camper trailers probably aren’t traditionally used to. Caravans and camper trailers need to be built in such a way to accommodate that consumer demand”. For this reason, Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) has been at the forefront of lobbying and advocating for tougher laws around supplying caravans and camper trailers to the Australian market. On 1 July 2023, the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) will finally come into full effect after a transition period was extended a further 12 months leading into last year’s federal election.
Over COVID-19, Caravan Industry Association of Australia supported their members with a number of initiatives and campaigns, including Camp At Home Heroes and Travel Your Road. Now that Australians are allowed to travel again, the National Body continues to inspire people on a National level to explore the country in an RV. On a state level, Caravan Industry Association of Australia and Caravan Industry Victoria work closely together on a number of initiatives, including compliance merchandise, access to Australian standards and educational sessions. On top of that, Caravan Industry Victoria subsidised 50% of the registration fees for one employee per current financial business member who attended this year’s CIAA National Conference.
The next event organised by Caravan Industry Victoria is the 2023 Caravan Industry Victoria Trade Expo, held mid-July at the Hyatt Place Melbourne in Essendon Fields. This one-day Trade Exhibition is an Industry only event to network, do business and to see the latest products and services from suppliers and manufacturers. Several key speakers will discuss important topics within the Australian caravan industry, including compliance, RVSA and ACCC.
AboutCamp BtoB had the pleasure to explore 100,000 square metres of exhibition space during this year’s Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow, meeting exhibitors and learning more about the Australian trends and market.
Founded in 1975 by Gerry Ryan, the iconic Jayco has grown to be the biggest caravan manufacturer in Australia. In fact, Jayco is the largest vehicle manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere. The Jayco stand at this year’s Supershow, located in the Grand Pavilion, was impressive as always and showcased Jayco’s full range, including caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers, pop-tops and campervans. Jayco considers “Australian Made” to be essential to its values and success and therefore all Jayco RVs are manufactured at the Jayco factory in Dandenong.
Jayco All terrain
Although campervans are not as in demand as towables in Australia, the Jayco All-Terrain Campervan is getting more and more popular due to the off-road capabilities. The All Terrain Campervan is built on a sturdy Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4×4 chassis, which provides exceptional stability and traction. This luxury model looks compact and can be driven with a normal licence, however it has a lot of internal features, including a separate shower and toilet, decent size kitchen and large fridge. In addition to its off-road capabilities, the Jayco All-Terrain campervan is also equipped with safety features such as airbags, electronic stability control, and a rearview camera.
Jayco Conquest
Jayco Australia brought their first motorhome to market in 2004. Since then, a range of on road and off-road motorhomes have been launched. The current Jayco Motorhome range consists of the Conquest and Optimum series, with the Conquest being the more economical option. The Jayco Conquest motorhome is available on the Renault Master platform, Mercedes Sprinter cab chassis and the Fiat Ducato – AL-KO chassis. AboutCamp BtoB had a look inside the 25ft Conquest motorhome built on the Fiat Ducato – AL-KO chassis. This motorhome has a large slide-out area, which accommodates both the dinette and the bed. The full ensuite is located at the back of the motorhome and includes a separate toilet and shower. This roomy motorhome can still be driven on a normal drivers licence here in Australia.
Jayco Silverline
Jayco’s Caravan range consists of four models, the Starcraft, Journey, All Terrain and Silverline. The top of the range Silverline is Jayco’s most luxurious option and comes in a Touring and Outback version, with the main difference being the suspension. The Touring features a lower ride height that enables greater fuel efficiency, coupled with Jayco engineered JTECH 2.0 suspension. The Outback comes with JTECH 2.0 independent suspension, off-road electric brake magnets, higher ground clearance, protective side aluminium checker plates and 200W solar panel and regulator. Both the Touring and Outback are available in four different floor plans, with the 21ft-3 being the most popular option. Being Jayco’s flagship model, all Jayco Silverlines come with a range of luxurious key features, including air conditioning, washing machine, 216L Dometic absorption fridge, Truma ducted gas heating, continuous gas hot water system and Shurflo 12v water pump. All Silverlines come with a slide out. The Jayco Silverline sleeps up to four people and is mainly popular under the older demographics.
As with many businesses, COVID-19 has interrupted the flow of new development, products, and business focus – Dometic is no exception. As we exit the dark days of the pandemic, Dometic continues to adapt and develop the product offering to meet the evolving market. Managing Director Trent Rowe: “Getting closer to consumers is a recent focus for us. Being closer to consumers and really understanding the different types of consumers across Caravanning & Camping is very important. A common misconception is that Dometic is only focussing on the aftermarket and retail. That’s not entirely true as the RV industry is still a major focus for us – hence our acquisition of Enerdrive in 2021. With 28,000 RVs built locally and over 20,000 imported RVs, that’s almost 50,000 opportunities where you can see a Dometic and/or Enerdrive product fitted somewhere.”
Established in 2014 by Matt and Paula Sutton, Everything Caravan and Camping is a community-driven resource for those who share the love of adventure, travel, camaraderie and road trips. With over 380K members, ECC is one of the largest Facebook communities for caravanning enthusiasts in the Southern Hemisphere. When Leisiure-Tec Australia acquired the platform early 2022, they expanded with the Everything Caravan and Camping marketplace. This one-stop-shop for everything caravanning and camping is developed with marketplace software and technology that allows sellers to create digital shop fronts on the ECC website. Almost 5000 products are currently listed on the ECC Marketplace, sold by 44 different sellers.
New to the RV Industry and Melbourne Supershow is Spartan Innovations, a Queensland based company that has been around for only three years. They set the bar and expectations high by announcing the arrival of a new product for the RV Industry during the Official Show Launch. A product that, according to founders Bill Seawright and Alex Muzic, will revolutionise the trailer industry. Spartan Innovation’s new trailer hub system will get rid of the stub axle of any trailer system completely and their combined trailer hubs and axles will eliminate anything that can go wrong with stub axles. And if they do break, it is only a 10 minute job to have the full system replaced. The Spartan Trailer Hub System will last for approximately 225.000 kilometres on a 2.5ton axle and is rated up to 2.75ton. AboutCamp BtoB caught up with co-founder Bill Seawright a few weeks after the show to get the latest news on Spartan Innovations and the new trailer hub system. Bill told us there is a lot of interest from end users who are looking at upgrading their current system. The product will be released to market in June this year and the team is currently having conversations with a number of key players within the trailer industry, including RV manufacturers, suspension manufacturers and RV Service Centra. Next is the launch of their heavy-duty system, which will be rated at 4ton.
Thetford Australia always seems to amaze the crowd with their inviting, colourful and well-staffed exhibition stand at the Melbourne Supershow. Customer Service is one of the key strengths at Thetford in Australia and there is a constant flow of consumers entering the stand to ask (technical) questions about the products. Predominantly known for their sanitation solutions, Thetford now has high market shares in all their main categories. Director Daniel Dunn: “We see quite a large trend towards electrification. We released a new range of compressor fridges in recent times, and we are seeing a huge increase in our sales of compressor fridges and electric cooking solutions.” Thetford offers a range of Absorption and Compressor fridges that fit in the same cut-out, to meet the needs of the Australian manufacturers to easily change between compressor and absorption models. “Within the range of cooking appliances, we see a similar trend with both gas, induction and dual fuel options.” Daniel Dunn said.
Crusader Caravans is one of the top five caravan manufacturers in Australia and the winner of two Caravan Industry Victoria Manufacturer of the Year Awards over the last years. In July 2022, Crusader Caravans moved to a new purpose-built factory in Epping Victoria. The new factory is five times larger than the previous manufacturing facility, reflecting the rapid growth of the Crusader Caravans brand.
Below: Crusader-Gladiator-Force
With this move, Crusader changed from a traditional meranti timber frame into a full composite caravan range, which makes Crusader Caravans the first volume manufacturer that went fully composite. The most popular model, the CRV Gladiator, was launched in the middle of COVID and solely sold online for a number of months while showrooms were closed due to lockdown. Now that Australia opened up again Crusader Caravans is doing better than ever.
Below: Crusader-Musketeer-Treville
Proudly Australian made since 1965, Avida is the leading manufacturer of Motorhomes in Australia. We caught up with Billy Falconer, Sales and Marketing Manager, to learn more about the market and Avida products. Motorhomes represent 5% of the total Australian RV production, which is very low compared to for example Europe. Billy explains: “What we see is that when people go through the cycle of life and hit the age of 65, they are more likely to buy a motorhome, whereas caravans are popular under all age demographics including young couples and families’’.
Below: Avida-Diversion
Although most people know Avida from their motorhomes, the company expanded into caravans and camper trailers in 2013. Their most recent addition is the Avida Diversion campervan, built on the latest Mercedes Benz Sprinter. It comes with a number of unique features, including an electric roll out bed and larger fridge than most campervans.
Below: Avida-Esperance
Retreat Caravans, based and manufactured in Victoria Australia, was the first Australian caravan manufacturer that went fully electric. The ERV model is now one of Retreat Caravans most popular models and AboutCamp BtoB had the pleasure to learn more about this one-of-a-kind caravan and the people behind it. Going fully electric all starts with the construction of the caravan, General Manager Tilly Rexhepi explains: “Back in 2019 we came out with the concept of an all-electric caravan. Retreats industry leading RXP wall construction is basically a full composite shell including flooring, walls and roof. Because it is fully composite it will keep the caravan cool when it is hot outside and warm when it is cold outside. This forms the perfect base for an electric caravan”.
Everything within the Retreat ERV is powered by the 14.3 kW chassis integrated DCX battery system from OzXCorp. Unlike other manufacturers that might install several batteries under the bed, Retreat Caravans mount theirs directly underneath the caravan. For extra protection, the battery has a 50mm crush resistance zone and is completely waterproof and dustproof. Furthermore, the ERV includes a 5,000-watt smart inverter and up to 2400 Watt of commercial grade solar panels on the roof, which allows the user to run all electric appliances at the same time. One of the benefits people like most about this ERV is the safety feature, as there is no gas involved. This includes the barbeque on the outside of the Caravan, which is an electric Weber.
The inside of the Retreat ERV is just as unique as the outside, as the air conditioning is mounted under the bed instead of on the roof. Tilly: “Because we use the roof as real estate for solar panels, our air conditioner and heater are under the bed. Due to the full composite construction, the warm or cool air will stay inside the caravan as soon as you close the doors”. The ERV further includes a 240V induction cooker, conventional microwave oven and large Thetford compressor fridge.
The fully offroad ERV comes in a number of different lay-outs and is fast becoming one of the most popular models in the Retreat Caravan range. For caravanners that do not want to go fully electrical, Retreat Caravans created the Retreat Daydream. This semi-electrical caravan is powered by a 7.1kW battery system, which is integrated in the chassis as well.
Tilly: “Going electric is undoubtedly the future of Australian caravanning and we are glad to be the innovators that launched the first full electric caravan in 2019. There are other manufacturers that have adopted this technology, however Retreat Caravans is ahead of everybody else as we already validated the system in the field.”
Being the major supplier of Power Management Systems and Smart RV Systems in Australia, BMPRO has been the Heartbeat of the Australian RV for over 15 years. In fact, about half of the RVs manufacturers in Australia use some form of BMPRO. Latest for this innovative power solution supplier is the recently launched ProBoost: a range of DC-DC chargers for both the Caravan and 4×4 Markets. ProBoost features an in-built MPPT solar regulator and blends both solar and auxiliary inputs to ensure there is always a consistent charge to the battery.
A company to watch out for is brand new supplier to the industry Global Heritage. Although you may not have heard the name Global Heritage before, owner Brad Slater is exceptionally well known in the RV Industry, inside and outside Australia. Global Heritage did not have their own stand at the 2023 Melbourne Supershow, nevertheless their products were on display at a number of RV Manufacturers. One of these manufacturers is Masterpiece Caravans, where AboutCamp BtoB caught up with Nicolas Chevalier, Head of Product Innovation. Global Heritage has the aim to create the most durable and sustainable products on the market, without losing focus on the ease of use for the end user and the visual appearance. The Global Heritage awning range on display at the VIC Supershow demonstrates how these principles translate into a product: cast aluminium frame, heavier weight fabric and details that stand out for ease of use. The experienced team at Global Heritage is working on an extended range of products for both the RV and Outdoor Markets. We will keep you up to date on any news regarding this promising brand.
MDC is one of the leading camper trailer manufacturers in Australia. Camper trailers are growing in popularity every year, mostly due to the Australian climate and the fact that Australians love spending quality time outside.
Below:MDC_XT16HR
MDC’s camper trailers are all about outdoor living and the slide-out kitchens and outdoor storage are some of MDC’s key features that suit this market really well. The most popular MDC model is the XTT, which was recently brought to North America. Next to the wide variety of camper trailers, MDC manufactures a full range of caravans and hybrids for both the Australian and US market.
Below:MDC-ROBSON-XTT
Founded in 1985, Apollo Motorhome Holidays is the largest privately owned recreational vehicle operator in the world. Since 2014, Apollo RV Sales has been the exclusive importer and distributor of Adria Mobil in Australia.
Below: Coromal-SoulSeeker-196
Soon after this partnership, a significant licensing agreement was established with Winnebago Industries to produce and promote the globally recognized brand in Australia. Coromal and Windsor Caravans are iconic Australian brands which Apollo adopted in recent years and all production is now done under the Apollo Motorhome Holidays brand.
Below: Winnebago-Iluka
Established in 1966 and originally known for their timber products, NCE has developed into a leading supplier of various components for the RV industry in both Australia and New Zealand. NCE is the sole distributor for a number of Australian and overseas manufacturers, including CAN, Gree and Puretec. Plus, they developed a full range of NCE products over the years, including appliances for bathroom and kitchen. Often without realising it, most Australian caravanners have a NCE product inside their RV as NCE supplies to nearly all caravan manufacturers Down Under. The centrepiece of this year’s NCE stand was the DCX power supply system from OzXCorp. Being the distributor for OzXCorp in Australia and New Zealand, there was a lot of interest in this chassis mountable battery system. A number of leading RV manufacturers already adopted the DCX system, both in Australia and more recently in North America.
Established in 2005 under the name Vehicle Components and rebranded in 2018, Cruisemaster has grown to become a trusted name in the Australian caravanning industry. Cruisemaster offers a range of high-quality products, including independent suspension, airbag suspension and shock absorber systems. As well as other accessories and upgrades to improve the performance and safety of caravans and trailers. What really sets Cruisemaster apart is their product testing in remote areas of Australia, which is performed during a yearly R.A.T Run.
