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Home or Holiday –the answer is both!

Thu, May 21st, 2009

Take your home on holiday with a caravan

It is all too easy to get bogged down by life and just exist within the tight confines of our lives, work, children and home. Who hasn’t at some stage of their lives said ‘I could do with a break and get away to somewhere nice’

Without doubt, Australia is one of the most amazing countries on this planet, what is more amazing is that it is all on our doorstep. Within 2 hours from central Melbourne you can get to the Great Ocean Road, the Dandenong mountain ranges, Phillip Island, the Goldfields with Bendigo and Ballarat, the Yarra Valley with all its wonderful wineries and maybe, just maybe to the foot of the Snowy Mountain range. Add a little more time and there is so much more to see just within the state of Victoria.

Imagine sunsets on the beach, icy cold streams from the mountains, campfires in the hills; the list of possibilities is endless.

Of course it is easy to imagine it, but the reality is being able to do it and being able to do it without a great cost – we all know that in these days what with increased mortgage, tax food and let’s not forget fuel costs, getting away has become more and more expensive, but with the right equipment, that needn’t be the case.

Caravans come at all costs and in all shapes and sizes; get the right one and you can be off on your well-earned break quicker than you imagine – and the really brilliant bit is that you can move it to wherever you want to go and when you want to go.

I know people who tow their caravan to a camp and spend a couple of weekends there leaving the caravan on site when the return to Melbourne, the following weekend they shoot off in the car and spend the weekend at the campsite until they feel they want to move on and find a new place, every weekend could be somewhere different.

I also know people that have found their great escape, one fellow I know has been going to the same spot for 22 years and does not want to change, his caravan now has roots it has been there for so long! And that is what it is about: choice and keeping it simple. The opportunities are endless and the activities are endless and with a caravan you are in the situation where you come back to your place time and time again.

Unlike a holiday let, when you stock the cupboards of your caravan you don’t have to pack them away when the weekend is over, everything is ready for your next visit.

So the difficult choice that you have to make now is not where you want to go, but what caravan you should choose and the budget you have to make your escapes possible. Unlike a holiday, your caravan is an investment you will get to use over and over again and the best course of action is to find a reputable caravan dealer and talk to them about your options – there is definitely something for everyone.

So, take a look at where you want to go and tell yourself that your ideal break is possible!

The Caravan you need for the holidays of your dreams

Thu, Jan 15th, 2009

What to consider when buying a caravan

They say that two of the biggest purchases over your life are your house and your car, then a caravan must rate as being counted in both camps, being a home on wheels.

It’s nice to dream of having your caravan. A take anywhere home on wheels that allows you that breath of fresh air, down by the sea or in the middle of the peaceful countryside. You can take it anywhere and get away from the daily grind, even if it’s just for a long weekend.

The art to enjoying caravanning as a pastime is to have good equipment, and by good equipment that doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. Like any other industry, the caravan industry is full of gimmicks, but it is also full of really good equipment that will make your time with your ‘van a good one – what your choice will boil down to is: is it the veneer that gives you gloss, or veneer that will genuinely add value?

Veneer has been the caravan manufacturer’s way of saving weight which is a good thing when towing a caravan behind you, but what you need to look at is beyond the veneer, as I said, saving weight is good, but you also need to consider the sum total of parts that make up the caravan.

Here’s what to look for…..

As far as choice is concerned, you are spoilt for choice. There are large manufacturers like Jayco, medium sized manufacturers like Coromal and smaller manufacturers like Windsor – when considering a caravan, the size of the manufacturer doesn’t denote whether they make a better product or not, it’s what they put into them.

The very first step I recommend to anyone looking to purchase their first caravan is go talk to people that already own them and get their opinion – even if this means a daytrip out to a big caravan park, the feedback you’ll get is going to be the most valuable.

So, when thinking about a caravan you have to look beyond what you first see and address the sum of parts. By this I am referring to the fact that a caravan plays many roles; it is a trailer, a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom, an entertainment area and so on and therefore needs to be considered on many levels.

These levels can be defined as:

Towing safety & suitability
Weight and maintenance
Comfort and Liveability

Towing safety & suitability

When you have loaded your car and caravan for your holiday and you’re about to set off with your loved ones, think about the fact that you are towing a considerable weight and you need to have piece of mind that what you are towing is up to the journey – even if that journey is just a short distance down the coast from where you live. A good chassis is crucial to being able to tow with confidence and a good chassis is not only safer, but will also allow you to tow your caravan with less stress on your car and you. Chassis design has come a long way in the past 20 years, and caravan manufacturers such as Coromal who heavily invest in their chassis technology, create the foundations of a caravan gives better safety and is better equipped to tackle the Australian environment.

Weight and maintenance

At a recent Caravan show in the UK in February of this year, a towing specialist company Towequipe inspected the tow bars of visiting caravanners and found a staggering 50% did not conform to UK installation standards – the main culprit was securing bolts that were not tight enough.

Maintenance is essential and equipment must be fitted by a professional to ensure maximum safety – it is a simple process and all caravanners should have safety checks carried out on their vans at regular intervals. Most suppliers will be happy to verify that a towbar has been correctly fitted as well as to complete periodic checks of the installation.

Correct weight distribution also plays an extremely important part of how a caravan tows – when looking at new caravans be sure to include tow weights into your test drive to get the true feel of the set up out on the road.

Comfort and liveability

Without doubt part of the reward about a good caravan is the home form home feeling it gives as well as the ability to take it anywhere. Crucial then is the consideration you should give to the fixtures and fittings: Is the bed good enough quality on which to sleep? Will the kitchen survive over the years or is it too fragile? What is the bathroom like? Does it fit? The list goes on and these points should get you thinking. Make a list and go have a good look.

Caravans Wests' Relocation

Sun, Nov 22nd, 2009

After 11 years of steady growth and service in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, Caravans West will relocate to  new and larger  Premises located at 845 Princes Hwy Springvale, 3171. The New Facility has been open for business for a little over 4 months, as part of the preparation for the final stage of this transition. 

This move to a central location within Melbourne will benefit  a great many customers, with less travelling for service, spares and sales.

Offering easy road access, paved surfaces and under cover areas, better customer amenities, the Springvale Dealership is set to take Sales of Coromal Caravans, Pop Tops and Camper Trailers to a new level in Melbourne and Victoria.

Alan Bell and his team are enthusiastic about the opportunity the new location for Caravans West brings with it, committed to the Coromal product for over a decade, " We are looking forward to 2010 as our best year ever, with Coromal set to release a range of new models and layouts as well as launching a Brand New Product for the Family buyer." Alan said recently.

More staff will be recruited and trained as the new Dealership expands to handle the incease in business over the next 12 months.

Sadly Spencer Kelly our Sales Executive will be leaving the Caravan Industry after more than 8 years with Caravans West, all our staff and management wish Spencer all the best in his new endeavours.

A new location, a new team, with a mix of experience and youth, Caravans West/ Coromal Caravans the partnership continues. 

Coromal Magnum Makes Its Debut In Victoria

Wed, Dec 9th, 2009

Coromal's latest entry in the Pop-Top Market has arrived in Victoria, Featuring all the usual Coromal hallmarks, such as Independent Suspension, Aluminium Frame and a Galvanised Chassis. The new model boasts the standard inclusion of 4 new main features, a CD Radio system, a Rear Window, Beautiful polished silver and black alloy mag wheels, 12 v pump to the kitchen sink. In addition new black out window and door treatment is obvious along with black rubber infills in the corner trims to set off the van with new sleeker decals.

The interior gets the new Eurpean style furniture look and feel, not unlike the styling of the immensely popular Lifestyle range of Coromal Caravans. The Rear wall is treated with a distinctly different look, now with a square style upright focus, including new moulded silver pods to house modern looking separate Stop/tail/flasher lights, not unlike the look on some Eurpean Sports Cars.

Destined to become a classic,  like the famed Seka range of Coromal Pop-Tops. Ownership of the new model will not be easy as pre-release sales have been excellent. Alan Bell is quoted as saying " We have waited a long time for the next generation of stylish pop-top caravans from Coromal, we expect sales to be bouyant as the public have now got a good reason to step up from their much loved Sekas to the new Magnum."

Limited numbers will be available prior to January 1st 2010, for those interested in viewing the Magnum before next years Caravan Show at Caulfield in March 2010. 

Magnum Transforma MT 450

Fri, Feb 26th, 2010

Coromal's long awaited new model for 2010 has arrived in Victoria, With all the benefits of a pop-top and the spaciousness of a Camper without the long set-up time associated with a camper trailer makes this versatile caravan the ideal cross-over unit between a camper vs touring pop-top.  Featuring all the usual Coromal standard luxuries, such as Independent Suspension, Aluminum Frame and Galvanised Chassis, Battery System, CD Radio system, 12 Volt Pump,...offering optional larger fridges and air conditioning and also available in an Off Road " XC " version....come and see if it fits your lifestyle too. 

Hail Storm Strikes Melbourne Caravan Show Models

Mon, Mar 8th, 2010

Saturday 6th March a colossal storm swept through the city of Melbourne, with heavy rain and galeforce winds accompanying hailstones ranging in size from marbles to tennis balls. Caulfield Racecourse the Venue for the Annual Melbourne Caravan and Camping Super Show was spared no relief from the onslaught. Dealer Principal For Coromal Caravans Sandown, Alan Bell and his staff watched their stock of almost 36 new caravans, campers and pop-tops pelted with hailstones for almost 20 minutes.

The damage bill is estimated at more than $350,000, for the Coromal stock alone, with no time to replace the stock before the caravan show opens to the public on March 9th, all vans displayed will show obvious signs of significant hail damage. The majority of Exhibitors are similarly affected, most on a smaller scale.

Alan Bell of Coromal Caravans Sandown apologizes to all visiting members of the public, that the display of new season models for 2010 are presented in their present state. We are sure the public will understand and sympathise with us in this disaster. We look forward to seeing many new and existing customers over the next 6 days, till the show closes on March 14th.