Did anyone on here get spotted by the Expedition Portal crew?

[Pete79]

I was surprised to see this article from the crew at Expedition Portal pop up in my inbox.

Apparently they'd been travelling around with the guys from Hema (I'm assuming to do a different story on us Aussies) and they've posted up a bunch of photos of every day Australian rigs.
I was wondering if anyone here had been snapped whist out and about?

https://expeditionportal.com/the-four-wheel-drives-of-australia/

Some the mildly amusing comments from the yanks perspective:

"What does your work truck look like? Is it equipped with a bull bar and winch? The ones in Australia sure are, and we’re hoping it catches on here in the States. (Note: Notice how the truck in the second photo below only has one light and it’s bent. That was from a kangaroo strike just that morning.)"

"Driving across Australia also made me realize how woefully inadequate our large trailer market is. The flimsy plywood units that pass as RVs here are complete junk compared to most of the products available overseas, and I’m sad to say I don’t see that changing anytime soon. We can only hope that some of these awesome companies decide to bring their trailers over to the states, so those of us who want to get off the beaten path have real options."


And these yanks have shown me something new.
I'd never heard of these trailers before and I'm surprised they've never been mentioned in any of the responses to the 100's of "what trailer should I buy" threads on here.
https://bruderx.com/

[Bird]

I'd never heard of these trailers before and I'm surprised they've never been mentioned in any of the responses to the 100's of "what trailer should I buy" threads on here.

They have been mentioned numerous times..  from memory Elon Musk looked at buying one but couldn't afford it

[Spada]

[quote author=Pete79 link=topic=54587.msg948292#msg948292 date=1525067780
And these yanks have shown me something new.
I'd never heard of these trailers before and I'm surprised they've never been mentioned in any of the responses to the 100's of "what trailer should I buy" threads on here.
[/quote]

They only make about 50 of them a year, and 60% of them are exported, they sure do have a lot of drool factor when you see one in the flesh. I suspect the price puts it a bit out of the reach of the average punter. It's in the same price range as the Kimberly Karavan, and a fair bit above an AOR Matrix, CC Exodus 16, or Trackmaster Pilbera or Kimberly.............................not that I've been looking Not to mention the 11 month waiting list 

[Spada]

slightly off topic, there is also the SLRV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIynR07JKtE (this video was shot on the 2000 acre property where we just built our bush dunny (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=28369.msg948219#msg948219)

[Pete79]

Haha, still looking aye Spada...?

Not being in a position to look at any new trailers means I’ve only just seen my first 3 Kimberly Karavans in the flesh over the last month or so.

There was 3 big points that put me off them in a big way.
1) my god they are ugly
2) the price tag and the fact that the company gives them to the yanks at half the price that us Aussies can get them (that’s factoring in exchange rates and a generous freight rate). Making money off the locals to subsidize the exports is pretty poor form in my books.
3) they are big and ugly


Not that I’m in the market for a $100k trailer, but these Bruders would have to be top of my list if I was.
An actual off-road trailer, can easy sleep a family and even has the sacred ensuite without being the size of a semi trailer (unlike pretty much every “family sized” van that’s on the road today).


Anyways, it was interesting to see the sorts of local rigs that caught the eye of those Expo guys as they toured around the country.

[Spada]

There was 3 big points that put me off them in a big way.
1) my god they are ugly
2) the price tag and the fact that the company gives them to the yanks at half the price that us Aussies can get them (that’s factoring in exchange rates and a generous freight rate). Making money off the locals to subsidize the exports is pretty poor form in my books.
3) they are big and ugly

got that right, they we're never on my list of contenders. Until my lucky numbers come up, all I can do is look and dream 

[Craig Tomkinson]

Have not seen one of them but there is a KK caravan at Pomona looks wild, Craig

[trinityalyce]

The price and weight of the Bruder crossed it off our list. It was actually mentioned in one of our threads from early on when we were tossing up between hybrid vs caravan...

[Fizzie]

Surprised that they seem so surprised

What, they don't put bull bars & winches on fourbies in the US

[Bird]

What, they don't put bull bars & winches on fourbies in the US

its scary the chunks of Shit they allow on the roads in the USA

[Pete79]

They just go about things a little differently.....
8 inches of lift and 45 inch tyres kind of negate the need for bull bars and winches a bit.

[Hoyks]

Its a different world though.
The distances traveled to go wheeling aren't anything like in Australia. If you are going interstate a lot have the big RV and tow a jeep for the off roading bit. Used cars a lot cheaper than here and it is also rare to use your work truck as the weekend play truck. Bull bars and roo bars are a rare item, although a deer will still make a mess of you if you hit one. A lot of the weekend play jeeps have pipe bars to protect them from rocks and mount winches, but not bullbars as such.
Transport departments and police aren't anywhere near as restrictive in what you can do to the vehicle, California is the only one close to Aus and they are only really concerned with emissions.

[gronk]

The old Bruder van ??  I don't recall ever seeing a post in any forum etc from anyone that actually owns one ? Has anybody seen one in the flesh ?

[tryagain]

The old Bruder van ??  I don't recall ever seeing a post in any forum etc from anyone that actually owns one ? Has anybody seen one in the flesh ?

I haven't seen anything and I have gone looking, maybe it because the type of people who can afford them don't seem to spend much time posting in forums etc, maybe it's because from what I have read the majority are exported. Sounds like Spada has seen one though, I would like to have a look over one but their business model (which seem as impressive as the campers) just has predominantly qualified people coming to them to look at them, no travelling around to shows etc. If they are selling 1 a week that about a 5 mill turnover pa and with an 11-month waiting list, it seems to be working out well for them.

Interestingly my dream camper (that we all plan out in our minds) had quite a few similarities to the Bruder before I saw theirs, but as Pete alluded too prior to it there was/is nothing like it for a family of 6 that I know off so I guess that isn't too surprising.

[gronk]

If they are selling 1 a week that about a 5 mill turnover pa and with an 11-month waiting list, it seems to be working out well for them.

I've never heard of a van company making 1 a week and been "unheard" of in the marketplace. Have they got a factory where these mythical buyers can look at one ?

[Paddler Ed]

The old Bruder van ??  I don't recall ever seeing a post in any forum etc from anyone that actually owns one ? Has anybody seen one in the flesh ?

Seen one out in the wilds of the New England, being towed by a Land Cruiser 79 series double cab Ute with Portal axles etc... All on WA rego - they were doing a big lap in their 30's. Had a good chat with them, and had the offer of a look around but they hadn't set up, and I went back to drinking beer and then decided to leave them be.

[Spada]

Have they got a factory where these mythical buyers can look at one ?

Yes they have, but you will need to make an appointment.

When we had a little "lookey-lookey" a couple of months ago, there were 6 in the workshop at all stages of construction (from bare chassis up to pre-delivery), as well as 2 very interesting looking prototypes of potential future models (a slightly bigger one, and a baby one) None of the ones under construction at that time were for domestic sale, they were all going to UAE & USA.

When we went there for a visit, I was very clear to them that I was only "tyre kicking" and dreaming about what could be in a few years time, but they still spent over an hour & a half explaining in detail every facet of the product. Personally, before I'd seen one I thought they were way too pricey and out of our reach, until I saw them in the flesh. Expensive....yes, but in my opinion they are a top shelf product, I have not yet seen anything else that matches them (and I've been looking). They do not have a set price, you need to spend some time with them talking about what you want from the finished product, and they will then design and price accordingly. Apparently no 2 are the same, they all start from the same base, but each one is individually built to the buyers needs. They are a serious amount of coin, and the price on it's own would make your eyes pop............but having crawled all over one, I can see where the $$$$ ad up.

If I won lotto I'd have one tomorrow, instead I just have to keep stuffing the pennies under the mattress for another year or so 

[tryagain]

I've never heard of a van company making 1 a week and been "unheard" of in the marketplace. Have they got a factory where these mythical buyers can look at one ?

Yeah, that's the way they work, you go to their factory by appointment for a look, it would stop a lot of the tyre kickers and just get those who are really interested and can afford one. This looks like it might be their factory https://www.whitepages.com.au/bruder-expedition-11929172/oxley-qld-11929171B The one a week figure isn't exactly high volume though compared to say Jayco who last I heard spit one out every half an hr.

This is just purely speculation but I suspect they outsource a lot of the manufacturing and more so assemble all the bits.

[Fizzie]

I thought I remembered seeing them on here a while back , & turns out I was right

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=47770.msg816490#msg816490

Which doesn't really say anything more than what we've just discussed.

[Spada]

Yeah, that's the way they work, you go to their factory by appointment for a look, it would stop a lot of the tyre kickers and just get those who are really interested and can afford one. This looks like it might be their factory https://www.whitepages.com.au/bruder-expedition-11929172/oxley-qld-11929171B The one a week figure isn't exactly high volume though compared to say Jayco who last I heard spit one out every half an hr.

This is just purely speculation but I suspect they outsource a lot of the manufacturing and more so assemble all the bits.

Yep, you picked the location, but they don't openly advertise it and there are no big signs on the building. Whilst I didn't see a chassis being welded together, I did see them cutting and assembling a monocoque body in one of the workshops, and in another workshop they had an entire wall dedicated to electrical with a massive pin board for making the wiring looms. Given the different stages of construction I saw units at, my impression was it all appeared to be done in-house (with the possible exception of the chassis?).

I'd also suspect that the attention to detail would be a little less on the Jayco assembly line ?

[rockrat]

A small group of cyclists here in Brisbane this morning having a “die in” by laying on Vulture St near the Lady Cilento children’s hospital. What a bunch of d-heads!

[tryagain]

Whilst I didn't see a chassis being welded together, I did see them cutting and assembling a monocoque body in one of the workshops, and in another workshop they had an entire wall dedicated to electrical with a massive pin board for making the wiring looms. Given the different stages of construction I saw units at, my impression was it all appeared to be done in-house (with the possible exception of the chassis?).

I was kind of thinking chassis, suspension arms canvas work etc made offsite, the composite panels are obviously imported but I was thinking probably CNC cut elsewhere but looks like they do the cutting on site. It would make sense for a startup to outsource those bits as opposed to having to fork out for expensive equipment to begin with and have it sit idle for a fair bit of the time, they can always bring it in-house later on.

I'd also suspect that the attention to detail would be a little less on the Jayco assembly line ?

 
You would think so, my point was that by manufacturer standards, they are still quite small, hence Gronk thinking of them as "unheard" of is likely to do with relative size and length of time them being around for.

They are a serious amount of coin, and the price on it's own would make your eyes pop............but having crawled all over one, I can see where the $$$$ ad up.

 Yep, 

If I won lotto I'd have one tomorrow, instead I just have to keep stuffing the pennies under the mattress for another year or so 

By the sound of it, even if you won tomorrow you would likely still be waiting for a while to get your hands on one.

[edz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah0VtsrH078  Not a lot of room inside of this one for my liking though

[tryagain]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah0VtsrH078  Not a lot of room inside of this one for my liking though

I think that is kind of the point, if you want bucketloads of internal space you go for a big Caravan and then seem to pretty much stick to caravan parks. I think this one is more about being able to get to more remote locations and then be outside to enjoy them as opposed to being holed up indoors all whilst not having to sacrifice on features or luxury.

[tryagain]

Here is the specifications page that doesn't seem to be linked too from their website for anyone who is interested.

https://bruderx.com/specifications/

Spada, if you have crawled under one, where is the 200L of water capacity hiding, I haven't been able to make it out from any of their pics/vids

Sorry about the thread hijack OP