snowy river caravans

phil b · Member

snowy river caravans

Craig1 · Guru

made in china, how can they ship it here for the money?

terrola · Veteran Member

as far as i know made in melbourne

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Bit of both, I suggest.....

Cheers,
Peter

dogbox · Guru

imported from china some assemble here very similar to blackseries caravans

Pariss · Veteran Member

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 · Guru

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/

Mike Harding · Guru

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/

Paullo · Newbie

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 · Member

Hi evryone thanks for your help from what i have found people are happy with their vans, so thanks again
regards
Phil b

dogbox · Guru

let us know about the after sales service that seems to be were a lot a problems occur

Wizardofoz · Guru

Only 400kg carrying capacity seems very restrictive.

ZacnEllie3 · Member

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 · Newbie

They are built by Regent Caravans in Melbourne.

86GTS · Guru

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. biggrin

Stretch60 · Senior Member

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 · Guru

"I wouldn't buy anything made in China....I'm an Aussie and fully support Australian manufactured"

Then I saw the price!

montie · Guru

If you leave the destiny of your economy to the consumer your manufacturing base will disappear.
We should know!

jade46 · Senior Member

The rubber torsion suspension is a disappointment for me

Wanda · Guru

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 · Guru

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 · Senior Member

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

vince56 · Senior Member

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 · Senior Member

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 · Guru

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 · Senior Member

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 · Guru

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 · Guru

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 · Guru

Yes, very true, unfortunately.

Gary Wilson · Newbie

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.