pioneer or Kimberly camper?

[Fringe Dweller]

G'day all
Myself & my wife are looking at moving up for our belovered black wolf tent to a rear fold hard floor camper trailer, my wife prefers the Pioneer Gascoyne where as I would prefer a Kimberly camper, while there seems to be plenty of information around for the Kimberly theres not much about Pioneer, has anyone either dealt with or own a Pioneer, I believe the company changed hands a couple of years ago but I'm struggling to find much about current owners or their campers, any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Kevin & Vicki.

[gronk]

while there seems to be plenty of information around for the Kimberly theres not much about Pioneer,

Probably because there aren't many Pioneer owners out there.

The latest models look good, but maybe coming from WA, they haven't many/any dealers over this side of the country to promote them ??

For that reason, and if prices were similar, I'd go the KK.

[evolution]

Could be worth popping up to the Wodonga camping show this weekend.
Its only a few hours drive from melbourne. I was setting up today and there is a few different campers there already.

Cheers
Nick

[grizzlymatt]

We have recently bought a Pioneer Argyle SE. Very happy with the camper. We are based in WA and the team at Pioneer here in WA were excellent throughout the whole decision process.
My wife asked a million questions and we felt like stalkers hanging around the showroom for hours every weekend for about a month.
We did look at the Kimberley Kampers but once we optioned up to what was recommended as a minimum it was getting out of our budget very quickly. Since you are looking at the Pioneer Gascoyne sticking to a budget is problem less of an issue.
I think you would be happy with either but it was the customer service from Pioneer which got us across the line.
I believe the Pioneers are made over east as our was shipped to Pioneer in Perth.

[MDS69]

Are you looking at new or used. A few years ago Pioneer had issues with stub axles.

[Fringe Dweller]

Thanks for your advice.The Pioneers are made in Melbourne now,we have visited their factory a couple times as they are only a short distance from home, which we thought would be good if any problems arose. Yes we are looking at new.We were looking at a Longreach, but when you add a few options  the Gascoyne with a few of the standard features removed is a cheaper option.We  are glad to hear the after sales service is good.Thanks again .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Kevin and Vicki

[BTMNDR]

Does one story tell the story?

A couple of years ago we were camped at Cape Leveque and talking with neighbours about their Pioneer camper, purchased new, and customised to some degree at the time of ordering.

They wer very disappointed.

The fridge compartment was built too small for the fridge it was too accommodate, and they had to fight hard to have this rectified to what they ordered and paid for.

Zips on the canvas didn't work properly, and numerous other issues revealed this couple to be very unhappy Pioneer owners.

I think they drove a Jeep too, so that might have influenced their ability to put up with problems.

[Gazza00]

Hi
We own a 2006 Pioneer Argyle SE and have had no issues whatsoever with it.
Bought it because it was locally manufactured here (WA) at the time, locally made Gaffa independent suspension, and had heard good reports on aftersales service, although I’ve never needed to contact them since.
Over the time I have added several things - LED lighting to the gull wing lockers, changed the exterior lamp near the kitchen to G4 LED globe and replaced the flexi reading lamps to LED’s as in the newer models, added a solar regulator to the electrical panel along with extra external Anderson plugs, changed the tap on the sink and rewired the water pump so it is not “live” as when first built. When I got the ‘Cruiser, I changed the hubs to the 5 stud LC pattern as well.
It’s a good solid camper, constructed with quality materials, easy setup and pack up and totally dust proof. About the only thing I can say that I ‘m not over happy with, is the access to the under bed storage while folded up. It’s a bit restrictive through the rear door, but with all the other storage at the front I don’t find it too bad.  The Cruiser has a dual swingout tyre carrier on it, and I reckon the drawbar could do with about being 300mm longer now. It’s a bit tight getting past the stone guard with the tyre carrier opened out to access the rear of the Cruiser, and in a real tight jackknife type turn, clearance between the stoneguard and tyres is very minimal.
I haven’t had a look at the new ones yet in real life, only pics. I was going to go the 4X4 show last weekend, but never got there, but they look a bit “different”. Not too keen on the front storage setup now. 
I see you are in Melb, so maybe a trip to the agents over there, AJ Thomas in Caulfield might be worthwhile to check them out.

[Bird]

This is something you have to decide between you... what suits 2000 others may not suit you..

maybe speak with each company and see if they can change things so your both happy... whats another 10k at that level

[WilSurf]

The reason why we went with the KK over the Pioneer was the opening for loading gear when the CT is closed.
The rear opening was very small and almost impossible to store you stuff while the CT was closed.
This might have changed as we haven't looked back after buying the KK. 

[gronk]

. whats another 10k at that level

Umm..............about 200 cartons !!    .

[Fringe Dweller]

Were going to the Pioneer factory on Saturday morning for a close up look, the wife prefers the styling of the Pioneer over the Kimberly, I think the Kimberly seems to be simple function over form which obviously has worked for them for a long time. At the end of the day we will work it out, maybe compromises on both sides, thanks for all the opinions and advise it has certainly given us food for thought and a lot of questions to ask both manufacturers. 

[gronk]

Don't look at something because it looks pretty......

Ask them to open them and compare times.  Don't be swayed by features that you don't need ..Get into bed, try out the kitchen....think if you need to pack it while closed ?

Don't rush into a decision.

[Quarters]

My recommendation is that it is all about your personal situation. Who is using the camper and where are they going? Write a list of what you must have and what you want to have and see how the two campers perform. Then there's the functionality for your type of camping I.e, the kitchen.

We recently ordered a Pioneer Onyx after looking at a few different brands including the KK.

For us we moved away from the KK for the following reasons -
Small floor space
Flimsy hard floor
Kitchen didn't suit us
Can't adjust water temp whilst showering in ensuite (control is up front in delta box)
Small gas supply
Didnt want fumes from diesel hot water heater
Less storage
Electronics panel under bed
No step up into bed (must byo)
Boat loader doesn't lay dinghy flat when offloaded
Reported heavy tow ball weight
Overall length (KK always recommend draw bar extension but it wouldn't fit in our garage)
Camper price (there was an additional $2k charge to get it to Perth as well)
Old styling (my thought is they will restyle in the next 5 years and having the old style will be bad for resale)

This was just our assessment and perception and by no means hole proof. There were a couple things that the KK had over others but in summary they weren't essentials for our needs. A few things to look at on your journey anyway.

We only looked at KK in QLD and the salesman was a champion. Our dealings with Pioneer in Perth and Melbourne have been flawless. They are now manufactured in Vic, there are a few vids on YouTube including manufacturing.

All the best and enjoy the ride!

[tracker]

Don't look at something because it looks pretty......

Ask them to open them and compare times.  Don't be swayed by features that you don't need ..Get into bed, try out the kitchen....think if you need to pack it while closed ?

Don't rush into a decision.

                   X2

[jeffreyks]

Thanks for your advice.The Pioneers are made in Melbourne now,we have visited their factory a couple times as they are only a short distance from home, which we thought would be good if any problems arose. Yes we are looking at new.We were looking at a Longreach, but when you add a few options  the Gascoyne with a few of the standard features removed is a cheaper option.We  are glad to hear the after sales service is good.Thanks again .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Kevin and Vicki

Hi Fringe Dweller,

Out of curiosity, what standard options did you remove? I am currently looking at an onyx/Gascoyne myself and once you add the extras I want to the onyx the Gascoyne seems the better buy.

[rsser]

This is an old thread but those doing a search may wash up here.

We've had an Argyle SE for two years.  It's had a lot of punishment and the only failure has been a pop rivet on an inside panel.

Customer service is very good.  When the unit was brought in for a service they added a couple of upgrades they'd made to the model since we bought ours, for nix: new floor struts, new outside tap.

The front of the wheel arches get sandblasted on gravel roads and there's optional stainless overlays which I would recommend getting.  IMO they should be standard.