Aussie DIY builds offered by Queensland Zone RV

[4x4coaster]

Hi all,
just received this news via a regular industry email.
Zone RV is offering flat pack or assembled units for all kinds of designs - mostly caravan design but no reason why it can't be adapted for a camper on chassis or removable design.



http://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/news/2014/caravans/build-your-own-caravan-from-17000-47191?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=caravancampingsales_071114&utm_content=caravancampingsales_071114+CID_2e8044ceb28d756f84b7e30ceef44de4&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=Build%20your%20own%20caravan%20from%2017000

 

[kerry]

Very good idea. Seems pricey though.

 

[Maninga]

I've talked to Cure Composites (guys behind zone rv) before on their offerings. They're quite happy to do once off builds and shells for truck campers.

 

[4x4coaster]

I've talked to Cure Composites (guys behind zone rv) before on their offerings. They're quite happy to do once off builds and shells for truck campers.

Joe,
did you get into detail discussion with Cure about your build or was it just high level discussion and why did you eventually choose the guys you are using?

 

[Maninga]

I talked on multiple occasions with the owner of Cure about what I wanted to do, met with him while they were setting up their Melbourne factory. Smart guy. If it was a normal build and my truck was down here, I liked them more than anyone else locally. I was probably 6 months into contact with Styromax at this stage.

I liked the Styromax approach better for the hard sided popup, John was able to deliver it there (I'd been down with ill health for a few months), and I felt it would be more of a collaborative design with them. Sofar it's all held true, ask me on Monday how I feel when I get the final build tally (only 1 change to their third cad version, have asked them to start final detailed production blueprints and work out build total).

As for why the other 30 odd places I talked with didn't work out, I'll leave that for another day.

Joe

 

[Maninga]

Actually, here's a list of companies I can remember that'll do custom truck campers that I've talked to.

Curlew Campers, Bundaberg Qld. Met him on a trip around Aus.will do shell and fully finished.
Penguin Composites, Penguin, Tas. Build the Innovan, their own campers and arctic living pods. Really liked them but would have put us way over budget.
Wombat Campers. High level talks after deciding on Styromax.
Aerovan Echuca. They were after a challenge with mine too. High level talks only, good follow up.
Trailblazers RV. Predominantly slideons and caravans/fifth wheelers. Would have built a hard sided popup fully completed, but his way.
Cure Composites.
Van Glass.
Gemhunter caravans. Builders of zatruk. http://www.zatruk.com Looks good, but only got a basic price for the shell off them.
A lot of small caravan builders will build a truck camper. I wanted to stay away from Miranti timber builds though, most still used it.

I know there's more I talked with, but these stuck out for me.

 

[Jfet]

The shell is the easy part. Fitting out an interior to your wife's specs takes ages.

 

[Gatsma]

The shell is the easy part. Fitting out an interior to your wife's specs takes ages.

So true! But to expand on that, PROPERLY fitting an interior to ANYONE'S specs is where the real work is in any RV.
ANYBODY can build a shell, be it a truck body maker or ambitious homebuilder....

 

[Maninga]

The shell is the easy part. Fitting out an interior to your wife's specs takes ages.

Sigh..... Yep

 

[ozzyfishaman]

Yep,thats why most of road caravan and camper builders still use Meranti Timber,for its strength and ease of placing interior structure (as in walls and cupboards etc ) JMO:ylsmoke:

 

[Czechsix]

The shell is the easy part. Fitting out an interior to your wife's specs takes ages.

Hehe, that's sig material, that is.

 

[MikeParsons]

Zone RV

I live 30 mins from this company, I visited them 2 weeks ago and they no longer doing DIY kits. They are now building a range of caravans that are a game changer in the Australian industry anyway, no timber in the van at all, all interiors are more yacht that caravan.
I noticed this composite technology in caravans when I was in europe last year, it makes sense and when I was there the general manager took a piece of composite and beat it against a metal pole - so strong for what it is. I will keep the thread posted as I am going back down to do final compare with another composite van built here in QLD.

 

[SkiFreak]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the update.