We always knew we would one day go back to a caravan we just weren’t expecting it to be so soon but circumstances late last year bought that time frame forward.
At caravan and camping shows over the years we have always popped into a few caravans to see what the latest designs and innovations were, keeping a mental note of anything that caught our eye.
We had a list of what would be nice, must haves and a stringent criteria of what the van was to be made of. We have had two previous vans made out of timber and cladding built in the traditional way that have leaked, to the point damage occurred that we have had to repair. We did not want to go through that again.
This did narrowed the field down a bit but we are seeing more and more manufactures realising the old way just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. People want lighter, sturdier rot free vans and we don’t want to have to pay a fortune for them.
So for us we wanted a composite van with aluminium frame. A fully Australia made van was well out of our price range. So yes we choose an imported van. But what isn’t imported these days, our cars, our TV’s, electronics, clothes, furniture, to be honest it can unfortunately be hard to find Australian made products.
Now there is “Made in China” and there is “Made in China” It’s fair to say some important vans and camper trailers don’t get a very good wrap, with a lot of us thinking that they are ummm “rubbish”. A Chinese company bought Regent Caravans (so yes Regent a well known, well established, respected Australian brand is now owned by a Chinese company) and decided to expand their range. To oversee this project they brought in Regent’s production manager who helped develop the “Snowy River” brand. Under his guidance, supervision and he regularly reviews quality control and construction. Of course these caravans are built to Australia conditions and standards.
The vans are built using fibreglass reinforced composite wall panels on an internal structure of an aluminium frame and XPS insulation foam. These walls are bonded and fixed to single piece 40mm floor and 42mm roof to form a stable monocoque body. This is set on an electro-galvanised steel chassis with a semi-independent suspension to complete a well-proportioned and robust structure. Information taken and you can read a full review on the Snowy River Caravans in On The Road Magazine.
We joined a Snowy River Caravan Owners Facebook group and over several months just watched, learned and asked a few questions. We did a lot of research and looked at other options but we couldn’t go past the Snowy River Caravans for quality, innovation, style and value for money, really they were everything we wanted in a van. Sure all vans have their issues but one of the things that impressed us was how the manufacture dealt with such issues and any warranty claims. And from what we can see that can’t be faulted. We also joined a Lemons Caravan Facebook Group and well that was certainly an eye opener and so sad so many people have one issue or another with vans and manufactures.
We decided we wouldn’t buy one off the lot but have one made in our colour choices and options. Of course this has meant we have had to wait and wait but we feel it will be worth the wait in the end.
So we don’t have any pictures of our new van yet so you will have to wait until next time 🙂 But I’ve thrown in a few random photos of the Victorian High Country (seemed fitting) to break the writing up. 🙂
So while you wait 🙂 If you would like to learn more about the Snowy River Caravans you can visit their website, read the review mentioned above or there is also this review. You can be assure over time we will write our own honest warts and all review. They have vans as small as 15ft with full ensuite, yes amazing what they can fit into these vans. Up to Family vans with bunk beds and again with full ensuite and washing machines.