This camper looks very familiar

[mickmac42]

Whaddya reckon... Chinese ripoff?



There doesn't appear to be too much information on the web page but it looks like the trailers and manufactured in China and sold through a company in Clontarf Qld. The welds don't look great, and i'm not a fan of the white canvas. I wonder how much they're selling them for.

http://www.davcar.com.au/pages/trailers.html

Mike

[DropBearRacing]

It's the way of the world isn't it. Anyone can take a design of any product that they like and commission a manufacturing plant in china to reproduce it with their own badge and brand name on it.

[rockman]

looks like a chinese factory in the background ... lol

[DropBearRacing]

I thought it looked like the quad of my old high school although my school wasn't that bright and colourfull. 

[Stozz]

Here are some more pics on their facebook page... (follow the link - there are about 30 photos)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.544656545632685.1073741840.100919633339714&type=1

[kylarama]

I wonder how much they're selling them for.

Dunno? but I bet the ebay price will be massively below it's claimed RRP of $(insert huge unrealistic figure here)...

[Gazza00]

The cocky crap welds on the suspension and pop rivets says it all

[IanC]

Just what we need....more chinese made junk.  Manufacturing in Australia is on life support, well at least those businesses that still have a pulse.  It's ridiculous that these imports are allowed especially when they are clearly ripoffs of quality australian made and owned goods.  And as for those importing these items, well unfortunately there is no emoticon that truly displays my annoyance.

[scoot]

Four Corners had an interesting documentary recently on the Chinese boom. Chinese steel manufacturers are state owned and are under instruction to pump out as much as they can at the lowest price possible to support the construction boom. As such they are almost all operating at a loss. Subsidised steel explains a lot.

[macca]

Unfortunately Kimberley face the same the same dilemma as Lifestyle do they start a very expensive legal campaign to try and protect their product, a fight they will probably never win
Lot of people say that all campers are similar and this is true to some point, after all there is only so many ways you can do a hardfloor etc. Manufacturers pinch ideas to use on their campers, if you have a good idea people are probably going to copy it. But what annoys me is when it appears  another manufacturer just make an exact copy of a competitors trailer, as this looks like and the XT10 is with the Lifestlye AT10 

[Stozz]

I think that anyone who is in the market for a genuine KK is probably not going to consider this particular product, so it shouldn't affect KK much, despite it being a direct copy of look/layout.

However there is a market for all campers at all prices and you get what you pay for. As long as you go into any purchase with eyes wide open and realistic expectations.

Agree with earlier comments re the struggling Australian manufacturing industry though.

We dragged our KK through Bilbunya Dunes and the Baxter Cliffs track in WA and were confident that all parts we started the track with would still be there at the end!!

[DropBearRacing]

I agree with you macca. Australian manufacturers are on a hiding to nothing if they think they can beat there cheap importers in the courts.

I hate the pure copy cats especially when these companies don't spend any money on R&D they just buy a product strip it down and then work out how to build a copy at the cheapest possible price.

There is now doubt that there are different levels of a Chinese build that start from rubbish and go right through to a very high quality. Let's face it we all have products in our homes that are foreign made more than likely that figure would be about 98% of everything we own is foreign owned.

People really need to think about what they are spending their money on, why buy cheap crap when you will be replacing, repairing and redesigning from the moment you take delivery.

There are some quality campers which are manufactured in China or at least a majority if the components are from there but are built to strict standards.

Maybe we should be targeting these people who are importing this cheap crap and boycotting their businesses.

Chinese manufactures are not going to go away but as consumers we should be telling them "no don't serve up your crap, lift your game". We should only support those who comply with our standards and expected quality.  We also need to be prepared to pay for better quality items. If ou can't afford new buy second hand. How many quality second hand campers sit in the classifieds for months on end without even a nibble?

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Not too many people think like that Dogsta.
They just spend the least they can, and then crow about it.

Little while later they're whinging/griping/moaning about stuff not being up to scratch any more.
They never realise, "It's their own fault!"

[Bird]

Hasn't the Aust V Chinlee argument been done 23098542309840298402938402398048230489203942304920394023948023 times....

oh and that white tent looks like pure quality

[briann532]

Agree with comments re chinese etc etc....

But I just can't believe how far back the wheels are.
That's a lot of weight over the front end. Pretty much all the weight.
Hope you have a good tractor to tow it.....

Cheers
Brian

[McGirr]

If I took that camper to the Cape the handbrake set up would be the first thing to go break off 

Mark

[kylarama]

I think that anyone who is in the market for a genuine KK is probably not going to consider this particular product, so it shouldn't affect KK much, despite it being a direct copy of look/layout.

Agree that new KK buyers wouldn't look sideways at these, but it could affect resale of 2nd hand KK units though?

I guess its one thing to have something manufactured in China to reduce production costs, ie Trak Shak, but it's another to completely rip off someone else's design and R&D.

I'm surprised we haven't seen more Chinese rip offs of Jayco campers given their popularity.

[D4D]

I'm surprised we haven't seen more Chinese rip offs of Jayco campers given their popularity.

There have been a few come and go. I think in that case Jayco are beating the Chinese at their own game with cheap volume production. In fact if you look at all the Jaycos they're very cheap for what you get. For example an equivalent Goldstream is $10-20K more expensive depending on the spec, quality discussions aside.

[Bird]

Agree that new KK buyers wouldn't look sideways at these, but it could affect resale of 2nd hand KK units though?

it has happened to other brands - LOTS...
Some importers are calling their models the name of some better soft tops.. EG: the "Whoflungshyte Tambo"
There was a thread on it here with some poor prick trying to sell his genuine Tambo for cheap, but dudes asking why his Tambo was double the price of a "new" one... apples/pawpaw's...

[Stozz]

Agree that new KK buyers wouldn't look sideways at these, but it could affect resale of 2nd hand KK units though?

Well, if you have to have something shiny and cheap -

... you get what you pay for...

Any second-hand, Australian-made camper will be better.

I rest my case.

[kylarama]

Any second-hand, Australian-made camper will be better.

Can't argue with that statement.

Well, if you have to have something shiny

and this is why people are finding it hard to move their 2nd hand Aussie built campers.
Why have something well built, well loved and covered in stone chips when you can have a shiny one for the same price on ebay.
Unfortunately allot of people don't look past shiny paint.

[ozstickman]

It only has to last a couple of trips as I see so many campers in the classifieds for sale. "Near new only used twice".



Sent from my Ring-a-ding-a-ling

[fluids]

I know its an old thread, but we looked at one of these at a dealers showroom in QLD about 10 weeks ago on the way home from a trip. It's a KK knock off no doubt about it. The demo unit on the floor had an asking price of $29,900 + onroads. The chassis weld weren't great, but weren't tragic ... I've seen lots worse. The off white canvas is ... not our cup of tea ! It was optioned up similar to a higher end KK but had a BabyQ instead of a stove/griller combo, didn't have hot water or a space heater. Batteries were in the RHS locker of the trailer (not under the bed like a KK). Had the underbed drawer and LED lighting. Had the same split sliding pantry setup, etc, etc ....

The next model coming was to have a different coloured canvas and was going to have a new pricing of around $33k + onroads.

We ended up spending an extra $8k and bought a real KK ! ... with diesel hot water and space heater and dining bench and, and, and .... 

If someone was comparing a KK Classic without options to one of these .... to save $4k, would be doing ones self a BIG diss-service imho.

Kev..

[komaterpillar]

Wow another thread bagging chinese campers, thought we were a bit overdue for one

[Bird]

. The demo unit on the floor had an asking price of $29,900 + onroads

I thought they were supposed to be bargains... Didn't taken them long to really start suckering in people upping the prices


look at Jasons used one in the forsale section - buy it and spend the change on a holiday