New van style...

My advice is being a 10 footer, It would make a good cubby house for the kids... What a you gunna do with it..

andson - has it been able to be registered in Australia with the door on the right hand side.

The consumer may not like this aspect and so reduce the price even further.




A J

You are not the first to have been offered these types of vans. Also you cannot get them registered with the door on the wrong side. This rule applies to motorhomes as well. I know of someone who brought their MH back to aus after touring USA Canada. They were forced to remove the door, and fix a permanent non removable panel in it's place, then cut a new door on the opposite side. Yes, it still remains a LH drive vehicle.

I Currently have a CVan build by this company which is licenced in WA and was in QLD also.

The wiring, gas and tow hitch are all Aust. Compliant.

Shane

the shape of it appears a bit like a home build?
While it has white rims, I dont think it qualifies it as an off road van, hence of little use to any one here perhaps?

Seems a little crude compared to whats available here on road-must be cheap?

Can you give a price for it? Or is the "Business Opportunity" - we will sell them to you for $xxx and you can keep the difference?

Interesting concept Shane.

There is a definite demand for a small van with S&T.

On pricing. Adria do a 16 foot lightweight (about 900kg) S&T van for $30,000 which is far better appointed. Jayco do the single ended Expanda wit S&T for about $31,000.

Numerous van makers do a 12 footer (no S&T) for around $20,000. These do offer the benefit of a bed AND two seat dinette.

It is bloody small, but that may appeal to some. Also, setting up the bed each night is a negative. How big is the bed (L & W)?

Does it have two water tanks? Without two the Shower becomes near useless unless staying in Van Parks all the time.

My guess, at $20,000 it would be hard to overlook and some of its shortcomings could be put up with. At $25,000 it would fail because it would be too close to others offering greater space and appointments.

I note the fridge appears to be very big, this is a plus but you would need to check its brand and rating. If it's a Dometic at that size it should be rated "T" and that would be a bonus.

I reckon it has got potential at the right price. We've been considering a S&T van for ages, but they're generally too big and heavy, and too expensive. As we spend most time outside the table would be permanently dropped, BUT it would need to be Q/S.

Also needs an awning. Fiamma wind out (not rope and pole style) would be the go. They should be available in ten foot.

Cheers,

Jim.

Shane,

I think that the market for tiny vans might be skewed to the person who wants to take it on dirt tracks. The person who wants the nimbleness of a camper, but hates the canvas and set-up time.

To be a success in that market, you would need a bullet proof suspension , very good dust proofing, two water tanks, solar panels , big deep cycle batteries ( and other bits and pieces ). This sort of build does not come cheap.

In the last year four or five off-road purpose built "mini vans" have hit the market - I don't like them though because they are pop tops. I am not sure if they are a success yet - they are all quite expensive, as they built like a brick outhouse.

There are also a couple of cheap, lightly built mini vans around, but these are not too popular.

Be careful,

Willie.


See
http://www.tracktrailer.com.au/Topaz/Overview.html
http://www.australianoffroadcampers.com.au/quantumconstruction.php
http://www.gemhunter.com.au/about.html

I see it as a alternative to a Avan (although i wonder how many people buy Avans for the low towing height) but it has a decent size fridge, shower & toilet & in my opinion a better,more usable conventional shape

I would expect it would sell at around $25,000

I am not a big fan of the US built vans & 5th wheelers as the ones i have seen have a lot of features (slide outs,etc) but the quality of fittings & construction in my opinion is a bit ordinary

Regards Don

If it was aust spec and had adequate warranty back up and no supply delays it would sell. Not sure on what issues apply for being a licenced(?) distributor.

Have a look for comparison at the current March 09 Caravan World magazine page 38 - Franklin Micro. although there are differences you should be able to guage a suitable opinion on pricing etc. the micro has no shower/wc facilities and has less storage space inside despite being slightly longer so this on would appeal to those with smaller towing requirements, smaller budgets, storage space issues etc. obviously this van needs to look like it is strong enough to survive but a hands on and personal visual inspection would satisfy that.

Best way if you are serious and can satisfy oz requirements is to get an oz version asap and get it onto the road and into a few different van parks, holiday places etc, different cities to guage real interest. i would be happy enough to drive it round the country for you if you are looking for a new employee :))) I believe you would always be able to re-sell the one complying van at a later date (if no price etc issues) good luck with it - would love to be in your shoes evaluating this opportunity as it could be a winner if it ticks all the necessary boxes