Ultimate Campers join the que

[sharkcaver]

Officially placed into voluntary administration today. Hope they can work things out. It's a big, sleek operation. Cant say I'm surprised, must be damn hard to keep an operation like theirs afloat. Wishing the owners, staff, customers and creditors the best outcome.

[BaseCamp]

Shocking...  another one bits the dust...
So .much for a boom (Aussie) economy..



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[Bad Scott]

It's tough to manufacture in Australia ATM

[Paddy16]

Same happened to Challenge, very sad

[sharkcaver]

It's tough to manufacture in Australia ATM

I don't doubt it. The bigger you are, the harder you fall. But if you don't grow, you die. A double edged sword indeed.

[Bad Scott]

I don't doubt it. The bigger you are, the harder you fall. But if you don't grow, you die. A double edged sword indeed.

Lean manufacturing and wanting it done yesterday or make miracles happen, but before you start have you done our site induction. It'll take 4hrs 😱, but the job is an hours work 🤔

[tombie]

Perceived value also means a lot.
Not many seeing value at that price nowadays.

The camper and van industry is very much about trying to extract big margins from punters.


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[tombie]

Lean manufacturing and wanting it done yesterday or make miracles happen, but before you start have you done our site induction. It'll take 4hrs , but the job is an hours work

inductions are about making people aware and therefore responsible for their actions.

This risk mitigation in financial terms alone is worth the 4 hours of lost productivity.


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[trinityalyce]

Definitely sad to see. They're a great product but in the current market...?

Easy to blame cheap imports from countries where paying staff a living wage is optional... but who knows how many other factors are at play for each of these camper companies going under.

Makes us grateful we got ours when we did... They're a fantastic camper and the Ulti community is such a huge bonus.

[Bird]

The camper and van industry is very much about trying to extract big margins from punters.

I believe thats called business.

[BaseCamp]

Lean manufacturing and wanting it done yesterday or make miracles happen, but before you start have you done our site induction. It'll take 4hrs , but the job is an hours work

....   hmmm - that reminds me of a job I had to do for Coca-Cola Amitel a few years back...   
N e v e r  again..
The job wasn't even "in the plant"...   it was in a marquee in the carpark...  using all my own equipment etc...


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[tombie]

I believe thats called business.

That it may be.  But as shown...
It isn't sustainable when you aim to Fleece the punters - you end up with a small closed market and low sales volumes.

Shame they are all learning this lesson now.


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[Pottsy]

Admin notice

https://insolvencynotices.asic.gov.au/browsesearch-notices/notice-details/Off-Road-Camping-Accessories-Pty-Limited-075829882/967d1d4d-a53b-49f8-832a-7259e94d8385?appointment=All&noticestate=All&companynameoracn=Ultimate+off+road+campers&court=&district=&dnotice=

[KingBilly]

Bugger!  Whilst the Ulti wasn't for me, I always admirred it for the quality product that it was.

KB

[KeithB]

About six years ago Ultimate brought out the all fibreglass Ultimate Nautilus camper which started at about $95,000 and later went to $120,000 plus options. It was a head to head competitor with the Kimberley Karavan but was a flop in the market and was later discontinued. I guess the company put a lot of money into it and I wonder if that's where its problems may have started.

https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/editorial/details/ultimate-aims-high-with-nautilus-30001/
https://www.ultimateoffroadcampers.com.au/blog/on-the-road-magazine-reviews-the-ultimate-nautilus/

When a luxury and very capable off road camper costs the same as a full-on luxury off road caravan, you gotta wonder how big the market for something like this might be. I notice that the AOR Matrix vans are now well over $100,000.

I am building a light weight off road pop up caravan of 14 ft and I reckon I could have made a 19ft caravan of similar spec for about the same money. So do luxury off road hybrids have a future?

Keith

[BaseCamp]

I feel sorry for the victims who've paid deposits on their shiny new things at the very recent Leisure Fest -- who may have now done their cash...

And also for all the existing owners...  I would think that having your manufacturer go bust would not be a good thing for "resale value", warranty claims, or spare parts needs....

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[McGirr]

My $2 worth.

There are so many manufacturers in the market today.

Caravans, hybrids, campers builders are all vying for market share.

The problem is the pricing and market segment they are in. The $40k to $60k market is the toughest.

Unfortunatly there will be more players to fall. As mentioned it's not the import competition but manufacturers that don't follow the market or adapt to changes. Having only one style of product, in this market, does not work. Look at Aussie Swag and now Ulitimate.

The company that saw the market changing years ago was complete campsite. Seeing the influx of imports in the early days, they embarked on building something different, took the risk, and it paid off.

Other manufacturers need to follow suit or it will only be a matter of time.

Mark

[SEADOO]

My $2 worth.

There are so many manufacturers in the market today.

Caravans, hybrids, campers builders are all vying for market share.

The problem is the pricing and market segment they are in. The $40k to $60k market is the toughest.

Unfortunatly there will be more players to fall. As mentioned it's not the import competition but manufacturers that don't follow the market or adapt to changes. Having only one style of product, in this market, does not work. Look at Aussie Swag and now Ulitimate.

The company that saw the market changing years ago was complete campsite. Seeing the influx of imports in the early days, they embarked on building something different, took the risk, and it paid off.

Other manufacturers need to follow suit or it will only be a matter of time.

Mark

Very true, Lifestyle is another example. They no longer build soft floor campers, only Hybrids. No doubt caravans within the next couple of years as the novelty of Hybrids dries up and every body wants a full sized van.

[Bigfish]

Very true, Lifestyle is another example. They no longer build soft floor campers, only Hybrids. No doubt caravans within the next couple of years as the novelty of Hybrids dries up and every body wants a full sized van.

Its all about glamping now.  So many retirees cashed up and wanting to go away but live like they do at home.  They are welcome to it.  I much prefer being out bush camping.  The more big arsed vans and hybrids the better...at least I know they aren't going to the bush areas.  Second hand campers are real value for money.

[Craig Tomkinson]

That is sad they are a great camper, But it must be hard to keep new things to themselves, My mate use to build a top of the line camper years ago he had a lot of firsts on campers seen in Aus, but all it takes is one person with a camera to take a few photos, and your competition just change the design around 10 percent    , he give it away as patterns met nothing, Craig

[lukeycat]

Sad but it's happening in all facets of Aussie manufacturing, being a Kimberly owner I feel for the people who may loose cash and the employees, by the sounds of it they had just ramped up employing a bigger work force.

Currently working on a project for Toyota closing down their manufacturing facility and have previously worked at the two Victorian Ford plants, shutting these things down  impacts significantly throughout their supply chains which sucks, quite a few mum and dad businesses get shut down also when these things close really feel for the people. After working at the Ford plant it was no surprise that they saw it was too expensive tand  manufacture here, you had staff whose one job may have been to attach door trims as the cars passed down the line and they were earning big dollars relative to their skill and the job required which clearly wasn't sustainable.


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[Rumpig]

Its all about glamping now.  So many retirees cashed up and wanting to go away but live like they do at home.  They are welcome to it.  I much prefer being out bush camping.  The more big arsed vans and hybrids the better...at least I know they aren't going to the bush areas.  Second hand campers are real value for money.

just did a trip with a mate who towed his Lifestyle van along on the trip...we went from Brisbane down The Darling River run (Bourke, Louth, Trilby Station, Wilcannia and onto Broken Hill), out to Silverton, South to Yunta and then onto Arkaroola Station in the Flinders Ranges, straight up to The Strzelecki Track, Montecollina Bore onto Merty Merty and Cameron Corner, then through Sturt National Park to Tibboburra and onto Hungerford via Wannaring and into Currawinya National Park, then home via Thallon and Nindigully....reckon that counts as going bush with his van doesn't it?...lol.

[SEADOO]

Sad but it's happening in all facets of Aussie manufacturing, being a Kimberly owner I feel for the people who may loose cash and the employees, by the sounds of it they had just ramped up employing a bigger work force.

Currently working on a project for Toyota closing down their manufacturing facility and have previously worked at the two Victorian Ford plants, shutting these things down  impacts significantly throughout their supply chains which sucks, quite a few mum and dad businesses get shut down also when these things close really feel for the people. After working at the Ford plant it was no surprise that they saw it was too expensive tand  manufacture here, you had staff whose one job may have been to attach door trims as the cars passed down the line and they were earning big dollars relative to their skill and the job required which clearly wasn't sustainable.


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I recall reading an article on how the unions got their members massive pay and holiday contracts. Old mate leaves school at year 10, gets a job on the assembly line, works his way up from floor sweeper to dash board installer and he is on $80k and 5 weeks annual holidays. Not bad for someone that installs dash boards.

[lukeycat]

I recall reading an article on how the unions got their members massive pay and holiday contracts. Old mate leaves school at year 10, gets a job on the assembly line, works his way up from floor sweeper to dash board installer and he is on $80k and 5 weeks annual holidays. Not bad for someone that installs dash boards.

Too true mate didn't wanna mention the U word as people get offended hahahaha but they absolutely killed the car industry there and were nowhere to be found when their industry closes down.


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[Moxley]

Its all about glamping now.  So many retirees cashed up and wanting to go away but live like they do at home.  They are welcome to it.  I much prefer being out bush camping.  The more big arsed vans and hybrids the better...at least I know they aren't going to the bush areas.  Second hand campers are real value for money.

I agree, but I've seen some caravans where I didn't expect to, and unfortunately heaps of remote/difficult to get to places seem to have been closed off.

I think people are time poor, so after quick (even though towing a caravan is not as quick as a camper), and they want the usual luxuries. That's why a lot of caravan parks I've been to in the last year or so are, themselves, adapting to change. And that change seems to be many more cabins, and not as many van or camper sites.