Is it time to step back and accept imported products.

[McGirr]

Just putting it out there but regretfully imports are here to stay.

I know I am opening a can of worms but we will see more people asking about what members think of abc brand of camper etc.

Yes I know some members have bought an imported camper and had problems but some have had no problems and are happy with them.

We will never see a completely made Australian camper (95% still maybe fully Australian made) as some parts will always be imported either buy the manufacturer or their suppliers and yes they can say australian made because of the laws (50% made in australia) but that's life. Yes some company's dont exclose the truth but again that's life we have all bought things that we were told untruths about.

When members ask, they don't want to be critised for asking just opinions from current owners of certain brands who can give their honest opinions. If they have had a problem that's fine.

Most topics on subjects like these go of course most of the time. Not everyone can afford a camper $10,000 camper plus not everyone wants a second hand camper but a new one. Yes there are plenty of second hand campers these days but the fun of a new one is always an attraction. If they have problems down the track so be it, these things happen maybe more than Australian made. That's the risk all buyers take.

We all have budgets to work with and as long as people get out and enjoy camping that's the main thing.

Regretfully we will see more australian camper trailer companies close but that's something we have to accept.

This thread is not about imports v Australian made but realising this is the way things are now.

Mark

[klx_dude]

Its a fact of life. Even holdens have less australian made parts in them now than a toyota. It comes down to doing your research before buying anything.

[DarWen]

Totally agree Mark, not to many people bad mouth all the imported cars that people use to pull the imported campers.

[Turbojohn]

Each to their own I suppose!  I just hope these people  keep in mind that you get what you pay for. A mate of mine purchased an imported camper at the same time I purchased my lifestyle ct, it has not been used more than half a dozen times and the cover is buggered, some stitching on the tent is coming apart, tow hitch came loose, fly screens tearing. These are just a few of it's issues.  My camper has covered over 50 thousand k's and  more nights away than I can remember and I don't have any of these issues. Only lots of red dust on the canvas. Yes the extra cost hurt at the time but looking back now I don't regret it one bit. In saying that I don't begrudge people who buy imported trailers they just need to keep in mind that all the extra things you get for your money are at a cost elsewhere.  My $0.02

[muzza01]

Imports are here to stay I guess; but I am happy they are here, I have no regrets whatsoever.
We mostly drive imported cars and stock our house with imported appliances like computers, TV's Mobile phones, dishwashers, clothes washers/dryers to name a few.  We are all happy to fill our house and our workplace with imported goods, clothes, tools and machinery. 
For some reason people seem to have a big chip on their shoulder about imported CT's. I think it is hypocritical; plain and simple.

If trailer companies disclose that their trailer is imported fine. My CT is imported.  The company I purchased from admitted it straight up.
My hardfloor cost $10K. I would have preferred a 2nd hand Cub, CYT or KK but I couldn't afford one.  Imported trailers are making CT's more affordable for a lot of families.

What makes my blood boil is when CT companies pretend to be Oz made by lying to the customer or by advertising OZ made on their website. It is deceitful, its lying and Un-Australian.

[Murph]

80% of everything we grow or have a hand in manufacturing is exported so you can imagine this conversation is being repeated in many countries around the world .

[DannyG]

I think it's important to understand that not all imported campers etc are the same.

And when we refer to imported I guess we are talking about Chinese products?

China manufacture quality products, in fact they manufacture a lot more than most of us realise. Apple iPods, iPads, iPhones etc spring to mind, yet we don't hesitate to buy those because they are manufactured to a strict tolerance.

I accepted Chinese products long ago. But I am cautious as to what I'm buying and what its purpose is.

Imported camping related products whether it be camper trailers or fridges, will get better to the point where good old Aussie companies are getting their product manufactured in China to a particular quality. Yes it's already happening but the poor quality imports are hurting those that are at the forefront of off shore manufacturing.

Just my opinion of course

[Mace]

It's called opportunity/cost

these are lots of  locally assembled CTs using imported componentry. Put together by Australians in Australia. can anyone show me a fully assembled overseas and then imported  and retailed CT? I doubt it for the price range we are talking about here.

So, yep, there are cheap campers badly assembled here, there are also cheap campers well assembled here. So, some swaggers seek opinions from members here on various models.

Then, we usually get the expert opinions following, usually with an I know better attitude, making the op and responder wonder why they even bothered, and a little confused when they see the expert drives around in a fully imported 4x4!

Which is why I'll respond by PM from now on.

[Marschy]

Imports are inevitable, as is the bullish!t thrown around by some people about imports who feel compelled to justify the purchase of their expensive Australian made camper being pulled by their fully imported 4x4. I don't contribute to these debates very often because they p!ss me off.

More often than not, its about people bragging about how much money they have.

[koshari]

More often than not, its about people bragging about how much money they have.

or had before spending it on a large purchase.

or even more accurate from my observations, "how much they owe".

[02-SR5]

Nothing wrong with imports, there a good ones and bad ones. Like imported winches. The potential new owner has to do their homework before laying down any$$$$$.

The only thing I despise more than anything, is the imported companies saying they are Australian Made.

There needs to be strict rules to wear the sticker.

Assembled here does not mean made in Australia.

They should be 100% up front.

I have an imported camper, IPod, Mitsubishi Challenger and pretty much everything I own comes from overseas.

[Marschy]

And what I despise more than anything is ill informed opinions about a importer when questions are posed by potential buyer without any basis of fact.

[Bird]

what option do we have??

manufacturing in aussie is extinct.

[02-SR5]

And what I despise more than anything is ill informed opinions about a importer when questions are posed by potential buyer without any basis of fact.

Like what?

[Marschy]

Like what?

You made a claim that enztrading slap Australian made stickers on their campers. Their website make no such claims, mine had no such sticker, neither does the other ezytrail I inspected today. Yet you made this comment on a thread by a potential buyer. Where have you seen claims made by enztrading that they Australian made, or the elusive sticker?

[02-SR5]

These are the one sold on Ebay, yes? My mate brought one the same time I got mine from G.C.....

His has ezy trading on the red and white mud flaps.

Aussie made sticker smack bang on the drawer bar and tail gate.

Show me an importer that admits 100% their campers are imported?

Just because something comes in a flat pack and assembled, does not mean it is Australian made.

[Marschy]

These are the one sold on Ebay, yes? My mate brought one the same time I got mine from G.C.....

Aussie made sticker smack bang on the drawer bar and tail gate.

Show me an importer that admits 100% their campers are imported?

Just because something comes in a flat pack and assembled, does not mean it is Australian made.

Well as an owner of an ezytrail, not someone who has a mate who owns one, I say this is garbage.

[GeoffA]

I accepted imported goods long ago.

The car was imported from Nippon, and the camper was imported from NSW......

[Nomad]

We are very much a global economy. Whoever can make a widget cheaper will get the business. As the widget sells more, production costs decrease on a per unit basis and more additions and improvements can be made to the quality of the widget.

I had a look at the MDC in BCF today for about 1 second. Whilst it is branded as "Australian Made" it is clearly not. But it is a hell of alot better quality than my POS MDC from 4 years ago.........sell more widgets and improve your product...........don't know a business that does not evolve.

Edit.....except maybe Telstra...... 

[jetcrew]

Long bow to draw comparing an imported camper with an imported car. Nissan and Toyota have spent millions of $$ on research here in oz. Then go back and build a car to meet the environment.

Am yet to see much R&D from the fly by night importers hell bent on making a $$$.

Not everyone can afford a nissan or toyota so they may buy a great wall 4x4 ute...still a 4X4 but not quite as good as the others .

Same same with campers, some are built to our conditions and cost XXX some are just built and cost less .

I will never flame a person for purchasing what they choose to ..but by the same token if you take it outback and it breaks don't get upset if I post "what did you expect" 

use it for the 80% of weekend campin around aust prob no issues at all, but there are certain areas that will destroy them.

Buy it understanding the limitations as some members have and I am sure you will get years of happy use. Push/expect it to traverse areas that are the domain of custom aussie built units and it will prob fail but I doubt the manuf ever had that type of use in mind.

Happy campin 

Jet

[Mace]

Long bow to draw comparing an imported camper with an imported car. Nissan and Toyota have spent millions of $$ on research here in oz. Then go back and build a car to meet the environment.

I reckon the only research they would do here would be for paint and upholstory fabric durability. There, that's my expert of the cuff opinion!

 

Where's mgirr, throws a bit of fuel on the fire and doesn't stick around to moderate?   

[macca]

I work for a company that sells and services machinery and 99% of it is imported, unfortunately there is next to no machinery being manufactured in Australia anymore. Probably 80% of our machinery now comes out of China, some Taiwanese and some European
As we all now you can some real crap out of China but where Aussie companies are prepared to work with the factories  they can make a real difference to the end quality and I think in certain products this is starting to show. I think it is unrealistic to think that you could ever match (at least in the near future) the quality of, in our case the European manufacturers, but in a lot of cases it is improving. Just to keep it camper related, we supply quite a few guillotines and pressbrakes to the Aussie trailer builders to cut and fold the steel  for our Aussie made trailer

[kiwi_camper]

What makes me sad in this whole debate is that the company we bought our CT from has recently had to close its doors because they can no longer justify staying open. We assume a large part of this is due to people buying imported CT's. Because overseas importing is on the rise, it is putting a lot of Australian CT companies at risk of going out of business. I guess it is another area of the consumer market that will have to adapt to the changing world (like internet shopping). On a national scale it is hardly going to be noticeable but on a personal level it is a tragedy.

[markpeh]

what option do we have??

manufacturing in aussie is extinct.

Lots of things yes, but when I can still buy a quality Australian made product I will. My trackabout in 2010 was not lots more than a cheap option, and I know I got a better long term deal. 
Imported gear can be great, it is the warranty, quality control and distributer support that becomes important.

[02-SR5]

Kiwi,

Mate, totally agree. We purchased our first camper. Arrow Campers built in South Australia using BHP steel and 100% Australian canvas.

This was over 6 years ago. They went bust not long after. A I tried it get the zipper repaired after I broke it. I brought at the Jayco/Caravan yard on the Mooroonda Hwy in Melbourne.

I wish I kept it, I didn't really know much about campers back then.

Only paid 6k.