"EXPOSED: Why Most Camper Trailers DON'T Live Up To Their Advertising Hype – The Simple Truth From Australia's Number One Camper Trailer Experts"
If You Want To Know The Secrets That Some Camper Trailers Retailers Don't Want You To Know Then You Need To Read This
So, you've decided to invest your hard earned money in a camper trailer (sometimes referred to as camping trailers, tent trailers or travel trailers) ... fantastic!
I bet you're already imagining your adventures in Australia's magnificent outback, or you can see yourself relaxing with a spot of fishing beside one of our many spectacular rivers or beaches.
Either way, before you decide on which of the seemingly ever-increasing brands of camper trailers to buy, I would like you know something about our industry so that your decision will be an informed one.
Important Update!
In the last couple of months, several articles have appeared in well respected, 4x4 and camper trailer magazines on the topic of sub-standard camper trailers now being sold in Australia.
Just a few of the concerns raised by the authors of these articles are:
- Bargain priced campers being very lightly built.
- Components which don't comply with Australian Vehicle Safety Standards are being used on many camper trailers.
- State and Commonwealth governments are only just becoming aware of this dangerous situation.
- Poor finishing, such as welding which wouldn't pass at a basic welding course, let alone comply with Australian Standards welding requirements.
- Camper trailers being called "off-road" by their manufacturers, but in reality they wouldn't possibly survive off-road use.
- Buyers aren't being told of the camper's origin or non-compliance.
- If you're looking a complete camper unit selling for around $6,000, just be aware that some or all of it is more than likely Chinese made – it costs more than this to make a quality unit.
These articles echo our concerns exactly and prove that the problems we have been predicting for the last few years are finally starting to bite!
You don't just have to take our word for it - here's an article by Camper Trailer Australia magazine which talks about problems people have faced after buying an imported camper trailer ...
(Article reproduced courtesy of Camper Trailer Australia magazine)
Seeing Past The Hype
Pick up any 4x4 or camper trailer magazine and you will be inundated with ads for camper trailers with tag lines along the lines of "built for harsh Australian conditions" and so on.
Have you ever really thought about how many of these claims are true?
Camper Trailer Explosion
The last few years have seen an explosion in the number of people selling camper trailers throughout Australia – it seems every man and his dog now sells a camper trailer of one sort or another.
The truth is almost all of these new brands of campers are actually being imported into Australia, mainly out of China – either the canvas tent component or a flat-packed trailer (which is just bolted together on arrival in Australia) or both.
Don't let yourself be fooled by the 'Aussie' or 'outback-ish' sounding names being given to these campers, it often disguises an import.
Cheap And Nasty
Now, I am not going to deny that these imported campers are sometimes quite a bit cheaper, but there are reasons for this – nasty shortcuts taken in materials and labour.
It goes without saying that what suffers most from these shortcuts is the quality – and in the end, those unsuspecting people who end up with one of these campers.
How many times have we all heard the saying "you get what you pay for" – well in most cases it's actually true.
At one time or another we've all bought cheap copy-cat items because they look all right, only to have to throw them out when they don't last or they don't ever work properly at all!
While this doesn't matter much if you have only paid $2 for something, if you're going to spend several thousand dollars on a camper trailer you actually need it to be safe to use, not fall apart on you and most of all, you'd like to be able to use it more than once or twice.
The funny thing is that sometimes these imports are not even much cheaper than a genuine Australian made camper.
Of course, if you ask enough people, you can find the odd person or two who have been happy with their cheap 'knock-off' camper – I'm not going to deny that – but these people are certainly in the minority.
I also can't help but wonder, if you were to ask those same people again in a couple of years, would they still be as happy?
You might end up being one of the lucky ones, but there's no way of telling – is that a risk that you're prepared (or can afford) to take?
I can categorically state that we have customers whose Cavalier camper is still going strong after 20 years!
It's The Little Things That Count
It's usually the little things you wouldn't notice which are cut back on in the rush to make a cheap camper trailer.
We know from experience that it's these little things which actually make all the difference between a camper that can last you a lifetime or a camper which will cost you nothing but time, money and frustration!
At Cavalier Camper-Trailers we have specialised in making and selling camper trailers since 1983.
Over the last 27 years we have sold well over 10,000 campers Australia wide and you would be hard pressed to find a Cavalier owner who is not delighted with their Cavalier camper trailer.
Cavalier camper trailers have a proven record of safety and reliability, and our camper trailers actually live up to our promises.
Watch Out For Deceptive Advertising
It never ceases to amaze me how much front some people have! Claims made by some dubious camper trailer retailers include:-
- 100% or All Australian made (when they are not, or only half is).
- Limited time sale now on (we have never known them NOT to be 'on sale').
- Showing an original price and a heavily discounted 'sale' price (we know they have never sold these campers at the 'original' price).
- Using the Cavalier brand name to advertise non-Cavalier campers (this is down right illegal and dishonest).
This last one is really a worry. I totally understand people being jealous of our good name – we have worked hard over the last 27 years to build an unrivalled reputation all over Australia – but really, would you be comfortable dealing with someone who is happy to stoop to such dishonest behaviour?
Haven't You Got Better Things To Do With Your Time?
One of our dealers is in the business of repairing caravans and camper trailers.
He tells us that he is doing a roaring trade in camper repairs at the moment, thanks to imported campers – true story!
Imagine being on holiday and ending up stuck somewhere waiting for a complete new axle for your camper – this will cost you big bucks and could almost wipe out any 'saving' you thought that you had made on the original purchase price, not to mention the aggravation.
Similarly, getting repairs to your canvas could work out to be expensive, if you can even get it repaired!
We actually know of other camper retailers who sold imported campers in the past, but no longer do so, quite simply because they couldn't deal with the issue of every camper that they had sold coming back with problems.
So ask yourself, wouldn't you rather spend your time having fun in your camper rather than spend it taking your camper back and forth getting problems fixed?
Now, I'm not saying that we've never had a problem with one of our campers – after all, stuff happens – but, we absolutely value our reputation too much not to bend over backwards to make sure that it's fixed – every time!
Say No To Chinese Sweatshops
Cavalier Camper Trailers are 100% Australian made using the best Australian made components available to us.
Cavalier camper trailers are NOT made in Chinese sweatshops by people who are virtual slaves, but by happy Australian tradespeople who love their jobs and are passionate about the quality of the camper trailers they make.
At Cavalier we strongly believe in supporting Australian workers and industries.
So What's Our Point?
At Cavalier Camper-Tailers we are not afraid of competition – in fact, bring it on!
However, we do object to people being conned into buying something that might look like a camper trailer, but doesn't do the job of a camper trailer.
We also object to the deceptive behaviour of some other sales people who have been known to tell outright lies in order to make a sale.
Time and time again we have heard horror stories from people who have thought "Why do I need to pay extra for a camper trailer when this cheaper one looks ok?"
If you think they are surprised when the seams in their 'bargain camper' tear on only the camper's first use (allowing the rain to come pouring in) or the flimsy flymesh in the windows rips and everybody gets bitten by mosquitos, then you can imagine their surprise when the people who sold them the camper tell them that there is no warranty or they find that the warranty has so many conditions attached that it barely counts as a warranty.
Please, don't let all this put you off buying a camper trailer – it's quite simply the best way to spend quality time with your family and get to see Australia at the same time.
What I want is for you to make your decision based on all the facts and that you are able to look behind the price tag when making your choice.
John Welsh
Owner of Cavalier Camper-Trailers
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