Is there still a market for soft floor camper trailers?

[SEADOO]

Trying to sell a 2915 Lifestyle Elite Walkthrough. I have noticed not many (if any) companies manufacture soft floor campers anymore. Everybody wants the rear fold, forward fold, hybrid or the Jayco style campers now.

I reckon good luck to anybody trying to sell their top shelf Australian made soft floor camper.

Mine is now for sale on Gumtree for $11k. I paid just under $20 2 years ago. I think I may just hang onto it as he wife and I want a Jayco Van now. I can't bring myself to give the camper trailer away.

[D4D]

Agree, as manufacturing practices get cheaper and more efficient, the cost entry point for the more complex style of campers comes down. Hence traditional side fold soft floors are going the way of the dodo.

It is similar in other industries. Today I was speaking with a guy who owns a bbq/outdoor furniture business. 10 years ago he stocked 80% furniture (jarrah) and 20% bbqs (traditional 4 burners on trolleys). His business is now 80% high end bbqs (built in, smokers etc) and 20% furniture (not jarrah). Again due to the cheaper and more efficient manufacturing processes, the price point for high end bbqs/furniture has come down.

[Coolblue80]

Trying to sell a 2915 Lifestyle Elite Walkthrough. I have noticed not many (if any) companies manufacture soft floor campers anymore. Everybody wants the rear fold, forward fold, hybrid or the Jayco style campers now.

I reckon good luck to anybody trying to sell their top shelf Australian made soft floor camper.

Mine is now for sale on Gumtree for $11k. I paid just under $20 2 years ago. I think I may just hang onto it as he wife and I want a Jayco Van now. I can't bring myself to give the camper trailer away.

We too are looking at a van. I have mentioned to the wife that the camper will be hard to sell for any sort of reasonable dollars. Only put a new tent on it just over 12 months ago and have used it once. Trailer is a Gulf King, Oz made. The problem will be no one(very few) have the cash. Hard to sell private when they can walk in to any camper retailer and put it on finance with out having to stump up any money straight up. Looking at a van tomorrow which suits our needs and I don't think I'll get it for fear of not being able to sell the camper.
Just my 2c worth.
Cheers, Mike.

[Foo]

Why wouldn't you trade it in or have you been offered peanuts for it? 

Foo

[gronk]

Always a market for good soft floors, especially if the price is right.

[03GV]

Definetely a market for them but its now alot smaller with other offerings out there.

They're ideal for families on a budget, but as said above the fact you can get them very cheap new now and finance through all the sellers it much easier and more attractive to buy that way rather than privately.
Even though there is some serious bargains to be had secondhand.

Some sellers took none of their soft floors to the show in Adelaide when we went looking,  because they said they don't get the interest anymore so no point transporting them across.

[duggie]

I bought a Trackabout in 2009 brand new , I was nearly 40 years old at the time . I figured way back then that by the time I am too old to set up my soft floor , I will be too bloody old to go camping anyway . 

I have no intention of selling and getting something else . I have added and modified the Trackabout to suit my style of camping, and even if I were to buy another brand/type I again would have to modify the bloody thing to suit what I already have .


I have seen some people in this same period of time, buy and sell 3 camp trailers , just so they can keep up with the Smith and Billy Blog families. 

[Bird]

can't bring myself to give the camper trailer away.

Thats why I havent tried selling mine.

Its also a Shit time of year to sell... people are away, people have already bought for their summer holidays and are using them.... now is not the time to try and sell.. coming into spring is best time.

To answer your question about the market - No. but 99% of hybrids I've seen are tiny and they are laughable prices...

[Luckymiles]

'While the premium end of the Australian camper trailer market continues to do relatively well, the once thriving sub-$30K local tent trailer sector is on its knees, as Chinese campers continue to flood the market to the point where they now account for an estimated 10,000-plus sales in Australia annually.'

https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/editorial/details/another-aussie-camper-bites-the-dust-58898/

I was only reading this the other day. It is an article about customline (I have one and thought I'd check out what accessories they now offer)/ armadillo camper trailers shutting down.

I also happened to ring another camper trailer manufacturer about a kitchen picture on the webpage and he said he'd gone out of business because there was no money in it. He just hadn't taken the website down but was happy to answer my questions.

My style of camping has changed from long static stays to remote touring where I'm on the move nearly every day and the canvas fold out and pack up is a pain compared to say something like a lifestyle camper that pops straight up and you're ready to sleep.

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[DrewXT]

Customline made such a good product it's sad.  My experience was that I left them probably 10 voicemails, a dozen emails to buy some gear from them, but never heard back.  Disappointing, because we love the camper, and were more than happy to buy the extras we wanted from them rather than having to go where

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[D4D]

Customline made such a good product it's sad.  My experience was that I left them probably 10 voicemails, a dozen emails to buy some gear from them, but never heard back.  Disappointing, because we love the camper, and were more than happy to buy the extras we wanted from them rather than having to go where

Yup, as soon as it was sold it was never going to end well.

[Luckymiles]

It is a shame. I thought that they made a good product originally.

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[GeoffA]

Always a market for good soft floors, especially if the price is right.

Agree. The same applies to anything. Supply and demand.

The sale price is determined by what the market will pay, not what the seller thinks it's worth.

 

[gronk]

It is a shame. I thought that they made a good product originally.

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They did, but if you can only sell X amount per year at a price that still turns a profit, and that profit isn't enough to pay the way, you go bust. Or you shut up shop before you find yourself owing lots of money to the bank, or like some owe deposits to poor suckers who  thought they were going to get a camper, not knowing the business was never going to actually build it !!

[DrewXT]

It is a shame. I thought that they made a good product originally.

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Ours is an Armadillo Customline, and it's very well made - a few small issues we've resolved along the way .

I'm involved in a small business at the moment as well as my day job, and we're adamant that good communication with a potential, current or former customer is paramount. 

Everyone I spoke to about the guys at Armadillo including some of their resellers said they were always impossible to get hold of... To my thinking, that's not a good recipe for continued success.  5 minutes on the phone, or sending SMS messages with one customer can translate into good business... But you don't know if you're uncontactable...

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[gordo350]

Some people treat phone calls and enquiries from customers as a nuisance.  If they are hard to get ahold of when you are trying to give them money I take my business elsewhere

[Bird]

Some people treat phone calls and enquiries from customers as a nuisance.  If they are hard to get ahold of when you are trying to give them money I take my business elsewhere

Agree totally on both counts

[DrewXT]

Some people treat phone calls and enquiries from customers as a nuisance.  If they are hard to get ahold of when you are trying to give them money I take my business elsewhere

Yeah, I know - the first bit I don't get because the customer puts food on your table... The second bit, agree 100% ... It's so damn hard to find good suppliers in the camper trailer industry though.

Anyone know a good canvas mob in Melbourne?  We want to get our tropical roof converted to a u-bow configuration like the Kimberley's have, as ours currently lays flat on the roof of the tent

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[D4D]

Anyone know a good canvas mob in Melbourne?  We want to get our tropical roof converted to a u-bow configuration like the Kimberley's have, as ours currently lays flat on the roof of the tent

Southern Cross?

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Bedggoods 5/98 Canterburt Rd., Bayswater Nth.
If the son is anything like his Dad to deal with, You won't be disappointed.

And You have ADP just a bit further out the road too.
http://www.adpcaravans.com.au/

[DrewXT]

Thanks guys, I'll give them both a call - they're in the same Bayswater area aren't they?

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[Cruiser 105Tvan]

They are all within 2Km of Dorset Rd. intersection.

[Bird]

Rob at ozzie campers in Somerville... had him do some work on mine a few occasions, did a top notch job replacing the flyscreen on my tent

[PilgrimTraveller]

We bought a new soft floor recently (Black Series) because it naturally had a larger footprint than the hard floors did which was good for a family. So yes, there is a market. But as others have said, I can get brand new something which does most of what I need, albeit not top notch quality, for under $10k with a warranty. I feel for those who have quality campers but can’t sell them. Hold onto it and enjoy it I reckon.

[Beachman]

As our kids are getting older and now sleeping in their own tents I did play with the idea getting selling our Soft Floor camper (Jimboomba brand which means apart from the Chassis the body is Aluminium) and buying a Hard Floor, but the extra weight of the Hard Floors turned me off.

Most of our camping is remote beach camping and the thought of towing another 500+kgs was the deciding factor.