Avan Cruiseliner Camper

Submitted: Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 10:55
ThreadID: 67102 Views:15399 Replies:5 FollowUps:4
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Dear Members.

My wife Linda and I are about to retire and are in the market for a camper trailer so that we can visit and experience more of our magnificent country.

We went to the Perth Caravan and Camping expo yesterday, with the sole intention of sussing out what camper trailers were available (as we are really pretty ignorant when it comes to these sort of things). We visited the Jayco, Corromal and dozens of other stands and looked at literally dozens of campers and then came across the Avan stand (a brand that I wasn't aware of !!!). What we saw here was a completely different slant on the camper trailer and to put it mildly we were very impressed.

What I would love is any feedback that any of you may have on these particular campers (both good and bad) and any comparisons to the Jayco and Coromal equivalents would be welcome.

We were particulary interested in the Cruiseliner 5 model.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Don and Linda. (Dunsborough WA).
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Reply By: ross - Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 11:43

Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 11:43
Ive never had one ,but I have always been intrigued by their design.
Being tall I have always liked the airy feeling because of the roof height.

However Im not sure I would want to have to put the roof up every night
Maybe a pop top you just push up would be better.

The beds also looked a little short in the Avan but maybe it was the model I looked at
AnswerID: 355631

Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 12:22

Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 12:22
Spoken to people in caravan parks who had them and they were very happy. On the models I looked at I thought the towbar looked a bit short. This might vary with different models. Then again, I always prefer longer towbars.
AnswerID: 355635

Reply By: Mandrake - Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 12:22

Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 12:22
Probably a good starting point

http://www.avanclubaust.org.au/

They are a very nice unit - but for me 6' 2" a bit short near the bed end where the roof slopes ... So I bought a camper trailer instead..

Cheers

Mandrake
AnswerID: 355636

Reply By: Shawn - Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 14:49

Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 14:49
Don,
I own a Cruiseliner 3C and have had it about 5 years. Took it to Tassie for a month in Dec 05 and have done a lot of shorter 1-2 week trips away. Bought it over to Perth when we moved here 2 years ago and took 3 weeks to come over from Sydney.
It is a great van for what WE want and use it for, but doesn't suit everyone's needs.
I am 6' and don't have any dramas with it, there is a routine the wife and I have for cooking/cleaning etc, but I think most van owners have some sort of routine to keep out of each others road.
Be aware that it not a big caravan but it is a caravan, not a camper trailer. We don't take it off sealed roads much, have done a few 'good' dirt roads but would not like to take it in the dirt continually.
We have done a few minor modifications to the inside/outside of the van to suit our purposes and is now very well set up for my wife and I.
We are both very pleased with it, but you need to work out what you want to do and if it will suit your purposes.
Good luck with your looking/decisions/purchase as it took my wife and I 3 years of looking and deciding what we wanted/needed.
Cheers
Shawn
AnswerID: 355672

Follow Up By: lindon - Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 at 13:47

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 at 13:47
Hi Shawn.

Many thanks for your response.

I currently drive a 2005 Commodore, which I would use for a few "practise runs", but before setting off into the sunset I would upgrade to a midsized 4x4.

Something along the lines of a Nissan Xtrail or Mazda Tribune would be my choice purely from the fuel saving point of view. I don't intend attempting full blown 4-wheel driving, but would certainly be using good dirt roads a fair bit.

What do you reckon?

Kind Regards.

Don.
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FollowupID: 623876

Follow Up By: Shawn - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 12:43

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 12:43
G'day Don,
Should be OK with the commodore, not sure about the Xtrail though, I have a 4.2 TD Patrol and it pulls it with ease. The little Xtrail, not sure how good/gutsy they are but would assume that they would chew the juice something chronic pulling a van.
The tow ball down weight of the Cruiseliner is around 100kgs so should not be a problem with the towbar, you would need to look at the overall weight of the van, packed (you would need to estimate the weight of you food, gear, clothes etc).
Good Luck
Shawn
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FollowupID: 624083

Reply By: HappyCamper - Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 18:28

Monday, Mar 23, 2009 at 18:28
G'day Don and Linda

I have an Aliner camper trailer and it's just perfect for my needs. You don't mention your tow vehicle? The Cruiseliner range is quite a lot heavier than the Aliner models so you would need to take this into consideration. For me, I didn't want to upgrade my tow vehicle as well so I have an Aliner (2B floorplan).

The roof is spring assisted and setup is less than 30 seconds so setting up for a hot coffee or lunch along the road is not a problem. Quick setup is one feature that every owner loves!!

Someone mentioned short beds....my 6'4" son owned an Aliner for a while and the bed length and roof height were ample for him.

The lower head space near the ends is a non-event because the lounge/bed/dining are at each end so you are not standing in the lower roof areas.

BTW, there is a 2007 Cruiseliner 5 in Tradingpost.com.au (NAYY). In a past life I owned a Jayco camper trailer and would 'never' go back to all that cafuffle with wet canvas...not to mention lunchtime or coffee on the road.

If I can help further don't hesitate to get in touch.
Bronwyn ;-)
AnswerID: 355728

Follow Up By: lindon - Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 at 13:43

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 at 13:43
Hi Bronwyn.

Many thanks for your response.

I currently drive a 2005 Commodore, which I would use for a few "practise runs", but before setting off into the sunset I would upgrade to a midsized 4x4.

Something along the lines of a Nissan Xtrail or Mazda Tribune would be my choice purely from the fuel saving point of view. I don't intend attempting full blown 4-wheel driving, but would certainly be using good dirt roads a fair bit.

Kind Regards.

Don.
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FollowupID: 623875

Follow Up By: HappyCamper - Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 at 13:54

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 at 13:54
G'day Don

I'm not familiar with max tow weights for either vehicle but first thoughts are that a Cruiseliner ?might be too heavy...only because I was camped next to a Cruiseliner a while back and the bloke told me his Prado was having trouble towing such a heavy trailer and he would either have to downsize the camper trailer or upgrade his tow vehicle.

I'm unsure how he had the interior packed as far as weight distribution goes but it appeared to ride level.

Might pay to check both vehicle and trailer weight limits before making your final decision.

As far as I know there is no Aussie Aliner online group, but there is a US based group so if you'd like to post (disguise) your email address I can send you an invitation to join.

Bronwyn ;-)
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FollowupID: 623878

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