Ultimate Campers join the que

[McGirr]

Personally, I think they are not going to survive. The market has changed too much and with the same design for many years and the increasing prices, buyers are now looking for better value for money which is out there.

Hence the reason for the position they are in.

Hopefully I am proven wrong.

Mark

[SEADOO]

You only have to look at the market.

Soft floors have come and gone.
Rear folding hard floors soon to follow.

Forward fold the new thing and you can purchase new under $20k.

Hybrids with very limited canvas stil in fashion.

Caravans and pop tops here to stay.

[KathyL]

Just posted on the Ultimate Campers Facebook page:

The Adventure Will Continue....

After the recent voluntary closure of Moruya-based Ultimate Off-Road Campers, Eagle Outdoors Group is excited to announce the purchase of this iconic off-road brand and is looking forward to continuing to manufacture these world-class innovative campers in Moruya.

“We are one hundred per cent committed to the people and local community who have made this amazing camper such a success over the past two plus decades and are pleased to announce production will recommence immediately,” said new owners and founders of Eagle Outdoor Group, David and Bronwyn Rodgers.
Eagle Outdoors is a large, well known and respected outdoor and camping manufacturing family business that has been in operation since 1978. The company?s headquarters is in Melbourne.

“We are delighted to be re-employing many of the local team who know this product inside out and will take us forward in the years ahead. These are high-quality campers that will continue to be made in Australia, by Australians, for Australian off-road adventures,” they added.

Other Eagle Outdoor Group brands include, amongst others, Bluewater Campers, EMU Camper Trailers and Didgeridoonas Australia.

The team at Moruya met with David and Bronwyn (standing together in the centre of the photo) and Eagle Outdoors Group Operations Manager Tim Drysdale (kneeling beside them) earlier this week. The team in Moruya will be led by Jason Stevens who has been with Ultimate Campers for the past 10 years.

[fc_holden]

Good to hear they will keep going and staying within Moruya, wish them luck with the future

[wilson79]

Great News, Good Luck to them..

[Pottsy]

Excellent result for the workers, hope it all goes well.

[jw2170]

This news may not be a good as indicated.   

I have seen a number of companies go into Administration, the Administrators sell the "business", which trades on.

The creditors of the old company may only get 5/10 c/$.....It is based on a "Deed of Company Arrangement"  V " Liquidation...

I hope this is not the case here.....

[tryagain]

This news may not be a good as indicated.   

I have seen a number of companies go into Administration, the Administrators sell the "business", which trades on.

The creditors of the old company may only get 5/10 c/$.....It is based on a "Deed of Company Arrangement"  V " Liquidation...

I hope this is not the case here.....

I think it would be pretty much a certainty that the creditors wont get all they are owed, it's generally why the Administrators are called in in the first place as they have become insolvent. As the business wasn't operating at a profit the value of the business is generally pretty low as it's pretty much just the stock, equipment and goodwill that is of value so not much money from that for the creditors.   

[alnjan]

One good thing to come from it is those that had ordered campers and not completed could still get their unfinished camper.  Apart from the fibreglass mould everything thing else to fit out the campers can be sourced elsewhere.  The new owners were given access to the Ultimate Forum and the wealth on information there to finish there campers off.  So not all bad there.

[jw2170]

I think it would be pretty much a certainty that the creditors wont get all they are owed, it's generally why the Administrators are called in in the first place as they have become insolvent. As the business wasn't operating at a profit the value of the business is generally pretty low as it's pretty much just the stock, equipment and goodwill that is of value so not much money from that for the creditors.

Agreed.....shame.

[KathyL]

One good thing to come from it is those that had ordered campers and not completed could still get their unfinished camper.  Apart from the fibreglass mould everything thing else to fit out the campers can be sourced elsewhere.  The new owners were given access to the Ultimate Forum and the wealth on information there to finish there campers off.  So not all bad there.

It'd be nice to think that customers who had paid deposits/progress payments will be looked after by the new owners - guess they'll make a decision in relation to that once they know the full extent of the financial situation and what they are actually buying.

I've been told the fibreglass moulds are no longer in the factory although there are some incomplete campers so hopefully moulds can be made from those.

Finally, the new owners will need access to all the design information, specifications and drawings to be able to start manufacturing again - the official forum consists mostly of information contributed by *approved* owners (not everyone who owns an Ultimate was allowed to join/remain a member) and was regularly censored by the forum admins to remove references to products (eg, solar panels, etc), suppliers (eg, other canvas businesses, etc) and service agents (independent businesses that could service/repair Ultimates) Ultimate did not want their customers to know about.

[Bad Scott]

It'd be nice to think that customers who had paid deposits/progress payments will be looked after by the new owners - guess they'll make a decision in relation to that once they know the full extent of the financial situation and what they are actually buying.

I've been told the fibreglass moulds are no longer in the factory although there are some incomplete campers so hopefully moulds can be made from those.

Finally, the new owners will need access to all the design information, specifications and drawings to be able to start manufacturing again - the official forum consists mostly of information contributed by *approved* owners (not everyone who owns an Ultimate was allowed to join/remain a member) and was regularly censored by the forum admins to remove references to products (eg, solar panels, etc), suppliers (eg, other canvas businesses, etc) and service agents (independent businesses that could service/repair Ultimates) Ultimate did not want their customers to know about.

That’s interesting 🤔. You got a source of this information?.
Facts, no owner has been denied access to the forum nor any warnings issued.
Nothing has been censored by the admins either. Ie, Drifta’s Snow peak is well spoken about and other suppliers
 

[KathyL]

That’s interesting 🤔. You got a source of this information?.

Yes - multiple.

Facts, no owner has been denied access to the forum nor any warnings issued.

Not true - I know of two Ultimate camper owners who are not allowed to join the forum and/or who have had their accounts deleted by Ultimate.

Nothing has been censored by the admins either. Ie, Drifta’s Snow peak is well spoken about and other suppliers

Also not true - a number of my posts have been deleted (I was never told - just noticed they had gone missing), posts made by others have been censored (if you search for the word 'censored' you'll find at least one plus there are quite a few empty posts that have no content because it was deleted by the forum admins) and two posts referring to Ian Goldsmith/3D Sails in Batemans Bay were deleted last week ...

[Moxley]

Yes - multiple.
Not true - I know of two Ultimate camper owners who are not allowed to join the forum and/or who have had their accounts deleted by Ultimate.
Also not true - a number of my posts have been deleted (I was never told - just noticed they had gone missing), posts made by others have been censored (if you search for the word 'censored' you'll find at least one plus there are quite a few empty posts that have no content because it was deleted by the forum admins) and two posts referring to Ian Goldsmith/3D Sails in Batemans Bay were deleted last week ...

Well, that is interesting reading.

[Bad Scott]

KathyL.
Can you now correct the false information. 

[McGirr]

You would not take over a business without going into fine detail about what stock is on hand, tools and machinery, out standing orders etc and why they went into liquidation. Also make sure the original owners sign legal documents that they will not start another business making similar products.

Mark

[KathyL]

KathyL.
Can you now correct the false information. 

What false information?

[Bad Scott]

I've been told the fibreglass moulds are no longer in the factory although there are some incomplete campers so hopefully moulds can be made from those.

Not gonna start a war with you.

FACTMoulds never left the factory and are still there.

Check your sources information as it’s incorrect

[KathyL]

You would not take over a business without going into fine detail about what stock is on hand, tools and machinery, out standing orders etc and why they went into liquidation. Also make sure the original owners sign legal documents that they will not start another business making similar products.

Agreed - and given the Eagle Outdoors Group has been around for 40 years I'm sure they'll have thoroughly checked everything out.

[KathyL]

Not gonna start a war with you.

Ditto ...

FACTMoulds never left the factory and are still there.

Check your sources information as it’s incorrect

Two different and reputable sources - one at Vic Muster and one via private conversation.

[Bad Scott]

Ditto ...
Two different and reputable sources - one at Vic Muster and one via private conversation.

I’ll just get my popcorn

[tryagain]

On a change of tact, what's the chances these end up being at least partly offshored, based on the Modcon C3 I would be guessing they could retail them around $25K if they were mass produced in China and they would provide a compelling alternative to the popular forward folds given it's weight advantages. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the direction the new owners end up going given that they already import campers, might just start with a few components from OS and then increase from there, kind of like what happened with Modcon. I just watched the Ultimate campers factory tour and there was quite a few staff there so decent savings could be made if done overseas.

[KathyL]

On a change of tact, what's the chances these end up being at least partly offshored, based on the Modcon C3 I would be guessing they could retail them around $25K if they were mass produced in China and they would provide a compelling alternative to the popular forward folds given it's weight advantages. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the direction the new owners end up going given that they already import campers, might just start with a few components from OS and then increase from there, kind of like what happened with Modcon. I just watched the Ultimate campers factory tour and there was quite a few staff there so decent savings could be made if done overseas.

That's possible although the new owners have said the campers "will continue to be made in Australia, by Australians, for Australian off-road adventures.” (from newspaper article in Moruya Examiner last week).

[tryagain]

That's possible although the new owners have said the campers "will continue to be made in Australia, by Australians, for Australian off-road adventures.” (from newspaper article in Moruya Examiner last week).

That's what I would say too, then get production happening here and start looking at what I could outsource cheaper, but first port of call would be to get the ball rolling again which is much easier to do with those who have done it before. They could outsource up to 49% to china and still claim the "made in Australia" tag AFAIK. As Modcon seem to have experienced, the majority of people will go for a small reduction in quality for a substantial reduction in price as I have read they only import now.

[KathyL]

Well, that is interesting reading.

Posted information in reply to a request for information about an awning for a 20 year old camper (in my reply I mentioned the name of a canvas business in Batemans Bay) at 0847 this morning and my post was deleted by 0912 ...