By: John Westbury - September 2011
Photos By: Judie Groves & Cub Campers

I'm all for "Australian made" and I proudly support "Buy Australian", but sometimes it becomes a little difficult! As example I recently had to purchase a pair of shoes. I know my shoe size, but I had to try on four pairs because not all fitted properly, simply because they had all been made overseas.Of course I also wonder how long they will last. It's also happened when I've tried to purchase a shirt and even a pair of jocks! There are other products that were once manufactured here and they are not the same any more. Vegemite doesn't taste the same, some canned fruits I don't buy any more and I even eye suspiciously some vegetables in supermarkets. When we travel in our caravan I always buy our fruit, vegetables and other items from local farmers simply because I know they are fresh, grown here and I'm going to enjoy them and the money I spend is going back in to our economy. There are those including some in our media who seem to be talking down our economy lately, and I wonder why we all don't seem to get off our backsides and do something about it.

01/14 

   

But now and then someone comes along, and with that great Aussie tradition of ours "has a go"! They don't just talk about it, they get up and do it and put investment back into our country, and at the same time provide us with a great product. With that in mind I have pleasure in telling you about a bloke named Roger Fagan and his company Cub Campers, who are one of Australia's largest manufacturers of camper trailers, and who recently made a multi-million dollar investment in new state-of-the-art production facilities in Sydney to ensure it remains competitive against imported product from competitors.

Cub Campers and their CEO Roger Fagan have been around for 43-years, and in that time he has seen the highs and lows of his industry. His company has survived several recessions, manufacturing downturns, and seen countless competitors come and go remaining proudly Australian throughout. Many of his company's competitors have shifted their manufacturing to countries such as China where cheaper production appears as an attractive alternative, but he cautions against this false economy and believes with apparent cheaper production comes questions of not only quality, but durability and longevity.

"Cub believes that using quality Australian material with the latest production techniques, highly skilled Australian trades people and craftsmen is the one way to guarantee Australian customers can buy quality campers that are built to cope with our unique conditions. Our success over the past 43-years has been built on testing and engineering our products here in Australia to cope with the corrugations, dust, pot holes and generally rough conditions. That expertise and knowledge combined with the latest technology manufacturing machinery will now allow us to remain competitive with imported campers", he says.

Cub Campers new manufacturing facility at North Rocks in Sydney occupies more than 12,000 square metres, features the latest high technology computer controlled manufacturing equipment, employs over 35 people in its operations including welders, fabricators, assemblers, canvas finishers and spray painters. Cub has also installed the latest next generation computer controlled brake presses, CNC routers, canvas cutting tables as well as cutting and stitching equipment to ensure absolute accuracy, close tolerances and fit for long lasting quality. All their off-road models, and there are eleven of them,  are thoroughly tested at Cub's own proving ground south west of Sydney and are warranted for full off road use. Like all its camper trailers, off road models are fitted with the Cub "Ezy-Wind" system for easy opening and closing by people of all ages.

"Offshore Chinese production has enabled our competitors to sell inferior camper trailer products into the Australian market at a much cheaper price for a quick buck, but the reality is we are one of only a few Australian manufacturers making camper trailers that suit our rugged Australian conditions" Roger says. He added that it's this long term commitment to Australian manufacturing that has enabled Cub Campers to not only compete with, but beat its imported rivals because of the often under appreciated aspect of Australian made products; quality!

"It may sound like a tired cliche, but the reality is you really do get what you pay for in life, and when it comes to other camper trailers, some products may look like they can talk the talk when new, but soon enough it's the heat, dust, rust, vibrations, wind storms and torrential rains of the Australian landscape that quickly reveal the flaws. We have made the commitment to invest in the company with these new facilities so that when our products are compared with our rivals, the difference in build quality and materials is clearly apparent to customers" he said.

As Roger points out Cub's investment in Australian manufacturing isn't just patriotic, it's all about ensuring that our customers will know that they are investing in a quality product that's built to last in Australian conditions.

"Aussies take their hobbies, holidaying and relaxing very seriously, they value their laid back lifestyle and personal time so they want to ensure that when they get away, they get away in style and without any dramas along the way. Their spare time is too valuable to be wasted with breakdowns, balls-ups or anything else that ruins travelling this great country because their camper trailer let them down", he said.

Roger Fagan says that because of this growing problem with imported camper trailers being passed off as Australian made, he has taken another step forward, and with the support of other Aussie camper trailer manufacturers has formed the Australian Manufactured Camper Trailer Guild Incorporated. More than 20 local manufacturers have already signed up as members of AMCTG with more likely to come on board very soon. We will be telling you more shortly about AMCTG on our web site including a listing of their committee and members, so keep an eye on our site at www.whatsupdownunder.com.au

If you would like to know more about Cub campers a visit to their web site at www.cubcampers.com.au is an absolute must!

By: John Westbury - September 2011