Hi everyone I am hoping I can get some information from any one out there that may have or has looked at the snowy river caravans
As we are thinking about buying this brand and would like to get your thoughts on the pros and cons off this type of van
regards
Phil b
Craig1 said
04:26 PM Mar 18, 2018
made in china, how can they ship it here for the money?
terrola said
05:17 PM Mar 18, 2018
as far as i know made in melbourne
Peter_n_Margaret said
05:20 PM Mar 18, 2018
Bit of both, I suggest.....
Cheers,
Peter
dogbox said
08:19 PM Mar 18, 2018
imported from china some assemble here very similar to blackseries caravans
Pariss said
09:15 AM Mar 19, 2018
G'day Phil. May I suggest you get onto facebook and see if 'Snowy River Caravan owners group', or similar comes up. If people have a gripe with their vans in general they will post their problems on the groups page. Good Luck.
Possum3 said
09:29 AM Mar 19, 2018
They do not appear on the Buyer Beware list so that's good for a start. Are you aware of how many vans they have produced and sold in Australia? For more details and compliance check list go to Caravan Council of Australia's free downloads. www.caravancouncil.com.au/
Hi I have ordered one very impressed with the quality and feedback on the snowy river fb site, also you can customise the van for your requirements!! My list is as long as your arm lol
phil b said
07:04 AM Mar 22, 2018
Hi evryone thanks for your help from what i have found people are happy with their vans, so thanks again
regards
Phil b
dogbox said
09:33 AM Mar 22, 2018
let us know about the after sales service that seems to be were a lot a problems occur
Wizardofoz said
03:28 PM Mar 23, 2018
Only 400kg carrying capacity seems very restrictive.
ZacnEllie3 said
09:58 PM Jul 18, 2019
Craig1 - they come in a flat pack from China and assembled in Australia. Steel framework with Snowy River I believe is Australian produced.
Richard D said
07:10 PM Mar 1, 2022
They are built by Regent Caravans in Melbourne.
86GTS said
07:43 PM Mar 1, 2022
Like any brand of any product you will find a mix of negative & positive reviews. As far as caravans go they may be made in China & assembled in Australia but they're probably no better or worse than the 100% Australian manufactured product Personally I try to avoid Chinese products except 2 minute noodles.
Stretch60 said
09:09 PM Mar 1, 2022
Friends in Wodonga have an SR19, very happy with it including after sales service. If I was in the market for a new van, I wouldn't hesitate.
montie said
10:08 PM Mar 1, 2022
"I wouldn't buy anything made in China....I'm an Aussie and fully support Australian manufactured"
Then I saw the price!
montie said
10:36 PM Mar 1, 2022
If you leave the destiny of your economy to the consumer your manufacturing base will disappear.
We should know!
jade46 said
07:35 AM Mar 2, 2022
The rubber torsion suspension is a disappointment for me
Wanda said
08:43 AM Mar 2, 2022
jade46 wrote:
The rubber torsion suspension is a disappointment for me
I am not familiar with the type of suspension that Snowy River use, but is it the same that Pheonix Caravans used on a lot, if not all, of theirs?
I think, not certain, but that was Alco type from memory.
Pheonix are(were) a very well made van and I have never heard of any issues with their type of rubber torsion suspension.
Just saying as we all have our preferences
cheers
Ian
Ivan 01 said
10:23 AM Mar 2, 2022
When I got my SR caravan the torsion independent suspension was optional.
I went with it and I found it to be excellent for ride and stability and would not hesitate to go with it again.
I cant put my fingers on the specifications now but from memory the leaf spring suspension added considerable weight to the tare weight and this extra can not be afforded if the owner wants to carry, what I would consider to be, normal belongings.
Leaf springs are from a previous century when it comes to their use on caravans and campers.
My situation with my health left me very little option but to sell my SR van but I would get another one in a heartbeat provided that their build and pricing remain the same, of course pro rata to the current economic status in Australia.
kgarnett said
12:02 PM Mar 2, 2022
The "Caravaners Forum" has a Snowy Rivers owners groups which may be helpful for you.
I had a heavy trailer with rubber torsion suspension, my gripe was that the rubbers "Squashed" over time at different rates and the trailer ended up permanently tilted.
Replaced with a leaf spring set up that was solid as a rock for years.
jade46 said
03:03 PM Mar 2, 2022
Ivan
My choice would be coil springs on independant trailing arms. I do understand everybody wants different things and yes i'm sure there is a weight advantage. I was replying to the original post asking for opinions
-- Edited by jade46 on Wednesday 2nd of March 2022 03:07:26 PM
Mike Harding said
03:01 PM Mar 3, 2022
An old post revived it seems:
I have lived in my Snowy River SR-19 for over three years and am currently deep in a forest in central Victoria (no person or car sighted for the 14 days I've been here) and I have no complaints about it worth mentioning - if it burnt to the ground tomorrow I would buy another.
I too wondered about the suspension but it has been fine over all sorts of road surfaces.
Stretch60 said
09:50 PM Mar 3, 2022
I agree with you Monty in that I would ordinarily buy Australian. Unfortunately the cost these days make my eyes bleed. I would be comforted by the fact there is some Australian content going into them. (Labour to assemble). However I could never replace my old Boroma that I am slowly refurbishing.
Rob Driver said
10:20 PM Mar 3, 2022
Buying Australian is the honourable thing but it doesnt add up to much when most, if not all of the Australian made caravans are actually full of Chinese or at the very least, overseas manufactured components.
I would hazard a guess that even most of the steel for caravan construction in Australia could be sourced from China.
It is a shame but it is how it is.
Wanda said
10:59 PM Mar 3, 2022
Actually, you can swap caravan with household for that.
Most of what we buy today, house or caravan sadly, is made in China
Thats life
Ian
Rob Driver said
11:22 PM Mar 3, 2022
Yes, very true, unfortunately.
Gary Wilson said
01:38 PM Mar 8, 2022
I bought a Snowy River Caravan a couple of years ago and had many issues with it mainly due to poor workmanship. Several water leaks due to lack of sealant in many places. Supposed to be SuperGal chassis that rusts in no time. Marks on the new van where obviously quick repairs or touchups were done before handover to us. I don't know how painting over Gelcoat will last in time but obvously not their problem. Also other minor issues that I guess you get with most vans. Nicely finished inside...which got me in. I guess as long as the water damage and the quick touch ups shows itself when it's out of warranty....it's not their problem.....it's yours... along with the resale value. Could have been such a nice caravan if a little more effort was put into quality control. Would I buy again....not in your life...not worth the stress...look elsewhere. And good luck if you've had a complaint to them and you wish to compare stories on their facebook site....you won't make it on there.
Hi everyone I am hoping I can get some information from any one out there that may have or has looked at the snowy river caravans
As we are thinking about buying this brand and would like to get your thoughts on the pros and cons off this type of van
regards
Phil b
as far as i know made in melbourne
Cheers,
Peter
G'day Phil. May I suggest you get onto facebook and see if 'Snowy River Caravan owners group', or similar comes up. If people have a gripe with their vans in general they will post their problems on the groups page. Good Luck.
Tempting:
http://www.snowyrivercaravans.com.au/index.php/model-range/sr19
http://www.springvalecaravans.com.au/for-sale/Caravans/NEW-2018-SNOWY-RIVER-SR19-CARAVAN-21FT/43FSBH/details?fr=13&fd=3000&ft=7&fb=0
http://ontheroadmagazine.com.au/snowy-river-sr-19/
regards
Phil b
Only 400kg carrying capacity seems very restrictive.
Craig1 - they come in a flat pack from China and assembled in Australia. Steel framework with Snowy River I believe is Australian produced.
Like any brand of any product you will find a mix of negative & positive reviews.
As far as caravans go they may be made in China & assembled in Australia but they're probably no better or worse than the 100% Australian manufactured product
Personally I try to avoid Chinese products except 2 minute noodles.
Then I saw the price!
We should know!
I am not familiar with the type of suspension that Snowy River use, but is it the same that Pheonix Caravans used on a lot, if not all, of theirs?
I think, not certain, but that was Alco type from memory.
Pheonix are(were) a very well made van and I have never heard of any issues with their type of rubber torsion suspension.
Just saying as we all have our preferences
cheers
Ian
I went with it and I found it to be excellent for ride and stability and would not hesitate to go with it again.
I cant put my fingers on the specifications now but from memory the leaf spring suspension added considerable weight to the tare weight and this extra can not be afforded if the owner wants to carry, what I would consider to be, normal belongings.
Leaf springs are from a previous century when it comes to their use on caravans and campers.
My situation with my health left me very little option but to sell my SR van but I would get another one in a heartbeat provided that their build and pricing remain the same, of course pro rata to the current economic status in Australia.
The "Caravaners Forum" has a Snowy Rivers owners groups which may be helpful for you.
https://www.caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=106&t=79297&hilit=snowy
Replaced with a leaf spring set up that was solid as a rock for years.
Ivan
My choice would be coil springs on independant trailing arms. I do understand everybody wants different things and yes i'm sure there is a weight advantage. I was replying to the original post asking for opinions
-- Edited by jade46 on Wednesday 2nd of March 2022 03:07:26 PM
An old post revived it seems:
I have lived in my Snowy River SR-19 for over three years and am currently deep in a forest in central Victoria (no person or car sighted for the 14 days I've been here) and I have no complaints about it worth mentioning - if it burnt to the ground tomorrow I would buy another.
I too wondered about the suspension but it has been fine over all sorts of road surfaces.
I would hazard a guess that even most of the steel for caravan construction in Australia could be sourced from China.
It is a shame but it is how it is.
Most of what we buy today, house or caravan sadly, is made in China
Thats life
Ian
I bought a Snowy River Caravan a couple of years ago and had many issues with it mainly due to poor workmanship. Several water leaks due to lack of sealant in many places. Supposed to be SuperGal chassis that rusts in no time. Marks on the new van where obviously quick repairs or touchups were done before handover to us. I don't know how painting over Gelcoat will last in time but obvously not their problem. Also other minor issues that I guess you get with most vans. Nicely finished inside...which got me in. I guess as long as the water damage and the quick touch ups shows itself when it's out of warranty....it's not their problem.....it's yours... along with the resale value. Could have been such a nice caravan if a little more effort was put into quality control. Would I buy again....not in your life...not worth the stress...look elsewhere. And good luck if you've had a complaint to them and you wish to compare stories on their facebook site....you won't make it on there.