The 2016 Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow

The 2016 Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow was held over six days at the end of February and, with more than 350 exhibitors showing off their wares, there was a huge array of campers, caravans, motorhomes and accessories on offer.

Prospective buyers browsed the more than 60,000sqm of exhibition space at the Melbourne Showgrounds. This is the second year the event has been held at Flemington and the show’s new, more central home was well-received once again.

The camper trailer market was, of course, well-represented. Camper Trailer of the Year (CTOTY) winner Patriot Campers (Softfloors up to $50K category) had two new models on show, with the focus on its new entry level camper, the compact Patriot X2 which, at $28,990, has the same construction methods as its X1 model, but comes in a foot shorter at only 3m-long and weighing only 700kg. Also on display was its X1 Limited Edition, available in white, slate grey or green, with a slightly smaller bed that folds up at the end for extra living area, a new drawer layout, and additional awning space over the barbecue area and entrance.

EzyTrail had an array of its brightly coloured hardfloor K-Series models set up for buyers to peruse, including a range-topping $25,000 white Lincoln LX complete with internal club lounge area, a slate-grey Stirling LX, and a bright orange Albany GT.

US-based Northstar slide-on campers recently appointed Jeff’s Shed in Kyabram, Vic, as national distributors and took the opportunity to launch its brand new Northstar Traveller 700SC at the show. The $42,990 slide-on camper fits the back of a small extra or single cab ute, sleeps up to four people and is fully-detachable for freestanding use.

Another CTOTY winner, Mountain Trail Campers, brought along its electric opening and closing rear folding EDX hardfloor model that took the trophy in the 2016 hardfloor category (Up to $60K), as well as its latest release Escalade softfloor.

Complete Campsite was also there with its hard-top Exodus range, while Southern Land Campers had its hybrid pop-top PT12 model and PT16 complete with internal ensuite on show.

With the mercury hitting nearly 40ºC during setup the day before the show opened, exhibitors were relieved with the drop in temperature in time for opening day. A cloudy, humid morning turned into a warm, sunny day, but plenty of shady umbrellas and cooling stations as well as icy refreshments helped keep energy levels high and the overall vibe from visitors and exhibitors was certainly positive.