The Bolwell "Edge"

[Hoges]

Happened to come across this while searching for 'something completely different' ...used to lust after a Bolwell kit car as a young bloke:( .
My Dad was less than enthused at donating the donk from the family car :twisted:

however this camper looks really interesting..anyone got any knowledge /seen one ?

cheers

[grover7488]

Hi Hoges

I used to love the bolwell's as well. I think that they are worth a small fortune now :o

About the 'edge' i saw it at the recent show at sandown. was really different and after looking at all of the 'lick-me stick-me' veneer caravan interiors this was more like a luxury yacht :thumbsup:
interesting conecpt designed for soft roaders and small 4wds

not LR :wasntme:

[PhilipA]

I personally will not buy any camper/caravan with a transverse bed as I am 189 CM tall.
If you want to go to the toot, you either have to be jammed up against the front with no headroom, or get a knee in the cods as SWMBO crawls over you.
Regard sPhilip A

[Magic]

A friend of ours is waiting to take delivery of his in about three weeks. He's mega-excited by it. It looks ok, but still to be proven, and I don't think it would stand up to too much rough treatment.
And I have to agree with the comment about the bed. Wouldn't got back to climbing over again.
But he's happy, and it's horses for courses.

[DI5CO]

Saw one at the Caulfield show, had a chat to the guy there. VERY well built if thats what you are after, high quality sort of stuff!! 50k+ with a few options. It is a dirt/rough road type van & he didnt imply it was anything more. If it was the 2 of us travelling & we wanted something small & easy to set up, I would very much consider this.
The Bolwell Edge – The Evolutionary Caravan | Bolwell RV Edge (http://www.bolwell-rv.com.au/)
Dave.

[Vern]

A friend of ours is waiting to take delivery of his in about three weeks. He's mega-excited by it. It looks ok, but still to be proven, and I don't think it would stand up to too much rough treatment.
And I have to agree with the comment about the bed. Wouldn't got back to climbing over again.
But he's happy, and it's horses for courses.How did your friends go with this? According to the owner of Bolwell and his son who were visiting my folks factory the other week, they still haven't sold any:(

[wardy1]

I've said sooo many times over the last couple of years "how can all these camper maker guys be making any money?
I mean especially the makers in the $50+k bracket.
Where is the real value? I have an O'briens soft floor atm (worth $6k on the used market) and wish to upgrade to a hard floor, can't find anything under $30k with most well over $45k..... How is this justified? End of the day it's a trailer, it's mass produced albeit with a few optional bits and bobs.
I can buy a Commodore complete with an engine, auto transmission, aircon, abs,esc and all the bull**** for $30-35k.
Why is a travelling bed with a gas stove and water tank $20k+ more expensive than an entire car?

[Ranga]

I recently went through the motions working out how to do the big lap.

I think the camper trailer market is 1 of 2 things:

1. made to a price point, sacrificing quality. Often made in China, with a cookie-cutter mentality. Sell heaps, make little on each one.

2. good quality, but bloody expensive. Not sure if they're making much money, but these companies appear to hope to only sell a few, but make heaps on them.

At the end of the day, we went with a small caravan. 2 minutes to setup, and a damn site more comfortable. Perhaps a little less fuel economy, and not rugged, 4WD-type capable, but that's what the camper canopy on the back of the 130 is for ;)

If a camper trailer was my style, I'd definitely be making my own, probably out of a 130 tub :)

[Vern]

Wardy, thats why i bought a second hand cub camper, not for the build quality:angel:, but wanted a larger hard floor, and if it suits us as a family and is easy to use, then i may borrow some dimensions from it and build my own then off sell this one:)




oneday:(

[bigcarle]

there's a Bolwell car under a house near me just sitting there, every time i go past it i dream ;):(

[bigcarle]

i think i prefer my castle camper, heaps bigger and at only $8k new, cheap but not nasty,:D
i have seen people set up caravans that take longer than us to set up :o

[Symo]

I have an Ultimate Elite Gold. Its bloody brilliant on and off road but hugely expensive. Im sure you pay a premium as i cant see $57k in it with the options but if its what you want then why not..

Set up is a breeze and it tows beautifully. I had a big "conventional camper" prior - 1.5 ton loaded and about 400kg on the draw bar - huge distance between rear defener axle and camper angle so ramp over angle was horrible and navagating tight tracks was painful. On and offroad you dont know the Ultimate is behind you. Cant recomend it highly enough.

[Vern]

bigcarle, they turned up in this:)

[bigcarle]

bigcarle, they turned up in this:)
that's very nice [thumbsupbig]:TakeABow::thumbsup:

[Franz]

I've said sooo many times over the last couple of years "how can all these camper maker guys be making any money?
I mean especially the makers in the $50+k bracket.
Where is the real value? I have an O'briens soft floor atm (worth $6k on the used market) and wish to upgrade to a hard floor, can't find anything under $30k with most well over $45k..... How is this justified? End of the day it's a trailer, it's mass produced albeit with a few optional bits and bobs.
I can buy a Commodore complete with an engine, auto transmission, aircon, abs,esc and all the bull**** for $30-35k.
Why is a travelling bed with a gas stove and water tank $20k+ more expensive than an entire car?
After visiting the Sandown Show again yesterday I also wonder how you get to $50K for a bed and kitchen on wheels? As people have pointed out, a vehicle with engine costs less!

Granted, a car is made with economies of scale, volumes are much higher and assembly processes more automated than in the camper trailer & caravan industries.

One of the cost drivers is the suppliers of things like stoves, fridges and other goodies in these vans. Their products are enormously expensive - look at the prices of portable two and three way fridges - you can buy a household refrigerator with 10 times the capacity for the same or less! Yes, I know the portables are smaller but they cost less to make - som somebody (insert manufacturer here) in the chain is making a lot of money (I know this for a fact).

I guess the answer is - expensive components, manual assembly, low volumes and the more I look at it good margins. At last count, there were over 130 manufacturers of camper trailers in Australia! And, every year, new ones enter the market.

Cheers,

Franz