A Wrap up of the Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow 2006
It was our first time back at the Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow for a couple of years so I was excited to see what new products were on offer. The show certainly didn’t disappoint. First let me set the record straight, my main interest at these types of shows is checking out the camping gear and in particular, camper trailers. Although I appreciate and understand the attraction of caravans and motorhomes, I’m not at that stage yet. I’m still holding onto my youth.
We arrived in the morning, about 10am. We waited for the 3rd last day to attend because I know that the crowds at this show are usually huge. You know, perhaps by day six of an eight day event the crowds would be less… I was wrong. There were thousands of people there, and that’s a great thing. The outdoor industry is alive and thriving!
We headed immediately to the camper trailers. They are spread out a bit at the show. Some were located under cover while the more rugged models were kept outside in the open. As I mentioned it had been a couple of years since last visiting the Supershow and I was surprised to see a number of the camper trailer manufacturers venturing into the 4WD caravan market. Two standouts that I had a close look at were the Kimberley Karavan manufactured by Kimberley Kampers at Ballina on the NSW north coast and the Highrise Off-Road Appartments by Highrise Offroad from New Gisborne in Victoria. Both companies pitch their products at the 4WD market and both offer similar capabilities.The Kimberley Karavan is built on solid foundations, chassis and suspension are direct for their camper range. With over 2,500 campers travelling around Australia they claim you can expect the same excellent off-road performance from their Karavan. The unit features a unique monocoque composite shell which opens up in minutes. When folded down, the unit is a compact shape designed for easy travelling. The unit is a similar width, length and height to a Toyota Landcruiser. It also has a similar wheel tracking width to a Toyota Landcruiser. It comes with independent coil-sprung suspension, monotube shock absorbers and disc brakes. Interior wise, its got a queen size bed, ceramic cooktop, 130L fridge, sink, ample seating, internal vacuum toilet and shower. I was impressed, although when watching the salesperson lower the top section it fell and narrowly missed his head. A few people were put off by that.
The Highrise Offroad Appartment says you can rough it in comfort, anywhere your 4WD can go! This unit isn’t as large as the Kimberley Karavan, but they do boast that in travel mode, the Highrise Transcontinental is no wider or longer than the average camper trailer. This unit is designed to set up quickly for overnight stops taking away the drawbacks associated with canvas. As with the Karavan, the Highrise cabin rises to provide the spacious living interior. I noticed that the unit offers a double bed for sleeping, kitchen and dining areas plus full ensuite facilities. Externally, the large door forms an awning for shelter with quick lunch stops. When travelling, the Transcontinental gives you a 30º departure angle and a wading depth of almost one metre.
The chassis is made of precision engineered galvanised steel. It has independent long travel coil springs or optional air bag suspension. Off road electric brakes and a fully articulated AT35 off road tow coupling. I didn’t see the unit assembled or disassembled so it was hard to judge how quickly it goes up and down.
References:
http://www.highrise.com.au/
http://www.kimberleykaravans.com/
Pricing for both the Kimberley Karavan and the Highrise Transcontinential will set you back around $50,000 + extras so it is a considerable investment.
Of course the traditional camper trailers where on show and our friends at Complete Campsite displayed their range of off-road camper trailers.
Reference:
http://www.completecampsite.com.au/
Ever wanted to get your tent off the ground? Another product that caught my attention at the show was the Tent Cot by Kamp Rite. This unique tent will have you 28cm off the ground. The Tent Cot comes in three sizes, the Original 213cm long x 71cm, the Oversize 228cm long x 81cm, and the Double at 213cm long x 132cm wide. There’s an optional fly to make sure the rain keeps out, an optional storage bag.
Reference:
http://www.tentcot.com/
A quick visit to the 4WD track had us watching Getabout 4WD Adventures demonstrating how to safely achieve a little added excitement on your next off-road holiday. The Supertank was on display with a demonstration of how to use soft plastics when catching Barramundi. Off course we did spend some time looking at the Caravans and Motorhomes on display. Some stand out products included the Bushtracker range of offroad caravans. Designed for more than just general touring and dirt roads, Bushtracker Caravans can tackle some of the remotest 4×4 tracks. These units appeared solid, clean and very functional.
Reference:
http://www.bushtracker.com/
The new Future Trailer by Radical Trailers was on display. Radical Trailers are a new and innovative aerodynamic, lightweight, lockable trailer with a stylish look to compliment the your towing vehicle. Australian made from lightweight fiberglass it is a user-friendly storage unit suitable for the carrying of all types of leisure, sporting and work equipment and Radical Trailers tell told us it’s been designed to suite the needs of the outdoor enthusiast, sports person, camper, skier, fisherman, picnicker and traveller.
With a tare weight of only 200kg, and loaded weight of 750kg the trailer can easily be towed behind a small car, trike or large motorbike making it the ideal modern vehicle accessory.
Its roomy 1300 ltr capacity can easily carry snow skis, snowboards, scuba gear, fishing rods, surfboards, tents, bicycles or any other equipment. The Radical Trailer is also fitted with dust and water seals and is lockable to secure your valuables.
Reference:
http://www.radicaltrailers.com.au/
In my introduction I mentioned that there were many products on display, I hope you find these I’ve mentioned of interest. If you have any information or comments about the products I’ve discussed above and you’d like to add, please do. Sharing information may help others when it comes to their decisions.