Choosing a Kedron

[Chris]

It would be interesting to know what factors influenced you to buy a Kedron? I know this topic is one which comes up around the campfire at times and it is always interesting to hear the varying reasons why people chose the brand.

If fellow Koggers are willing to nominate the factors behind their choice it could assist others trying to make a decision, as well as make interesting reading!

Now I do know that in some cases the decision might be due to a bad experience at another sales yard or with the product, but if that is the case, please don't name the builder or give any identifying features of the other brand. This forum is not into denigrating other brands. It is always preferable to say what we liked about our brand rather than what we dislike about another brand.

In our case, we searched long and hard before making the decision to get a Kedron but in the end it was a mixture of the van being structurally very sound, and how well we were treated at the factory. We initially bought an ATV for its stronger chassis and we travelled around some of Australia's roughest roads for four years before buying a second Kedron (a Top Ender).

In summary the factors which influenced us are:

* the strength of the chassis and A frame rails

* the courtesy of the Gall boys and factory staff

* the ability to tailor the van to our design (where possible within the strength and stability parameters)

It will be good to hear others' experiences in making the choice to go with the Kedron brand.

[John and Tina]

In my case Chris I was looking for a caravan made with an aluminium frame and the number of manufactures quickly diminishes when this is the case.

I also had a trade in that I needed a commitment to before signing which Kedron had given me even though I ended up selling my old van privately.

A $2,000 deposit was also a major factor. Other manufactures required much more. The general ease in dealing with all of the Kedron staff was also a major factor. All in all we have now had the ATV for 10 months and could not be happier. Warm Regards John

[Betsy2]

Dear Chris

Bev & I recently bought a Kedron, we hadn't heard of them before an existing Owner told us about the brand, so we went back to last years caravan show in Brisbane and found out about them.

A year later and considerable research on all types & sizes of vans we purchased an ex show XC3.

We quickly learned that second hand Kedron's sell for close to new price, which is a Major contributor to the value package.

There isn't one single thing about buying a Kedron, it is the whole package really

The People ( Gall Boys ) and the team of lovely folk.

The quality of the product is second to none, and it shows in the passion & enthusiasm from the factory to the people who own these vans.

The knowledge of being able to go anywhere is not something many brands can offer, which impacts on insurance & ownership considerations.

So, al in all it is the Whole package, Quality Always Pays.

Kind regards

Bev, Terry & Betsy

[Gini]

Wanted a van that would be able to just stop as fast as possible [when I yelled "STOP" ] and pull over into the bush, or U-turn, on a cent piece , so could take pics of wildlife mainly fast disappearing sigh , so needed an off road van. Needed one we could sleep anywhere ,anytime ,had lots of storage /cupboards, to store all my junk/ art canvases, / tripod , easels/ electronic playthings. Magic finding Kedron was detailed so well in the finish. P.S. [we bought ours second hand private, took out kids bunks and added the toilet/ shower.] PPS we deliver for people who need their van moved or towed for various reasons, hundreds of brands of vans all over Australia and local via 4 x4 and can say the Kedron is just the best.

[Stu and Jean]

We looked high and low for a van we both liked that was reasonably priced. We wanted offroad touring capability, aluminium frame, strong chassis/suspension, dependability, stand alone (solar) with shower and toilet.

After a lot of looking we found a second hand ATV, in excellent condition, that was fully set up and even has a diesel heater. Apart from normal servicing there is nothing we need to do to it. When we were looking at it I could tell my that my wife liked it as much as I did. We had found our Kedron.

The only thing we needed to buy for it was a Stormcover so it isn't out in the weather when we are at home. In the next few months she will be going in to the factory to visit Tom for a routine service.

Cheers

Stue

[RodnSue]

We’ve had our ATV2 caravan for 4 yrs now & we couldn’t be happier.

We chose Kedron because of -

* size & weight to suit our chosen 4WD

* locality of factory as apposed to interstate

* the friendliness & approachable staff when concerns were brought up

pre purchase

* when all the boxes were ticked & compared to other manufacturers,

it was the inside & outside style & finish that swayed us.

Since we've had the van, the after sales service & back up support has been exceptional.

We've travelled > 7,000 km of dirt roads....

to name a few....Plenty / Donahue,Mereenie Loop, GRR, Pilbara roads, Cape York, Burketown to Lawn Hill & the roughest of them all Lawn Hill to Barkley Hwy & everything has held together.

cheers

Rod & Sue

[Steve and Kez]

When we started researching for caravan to suits our needs we really struggled as we had never owned a van or really knew much about them, which made it difficult.

We had done an extensive amount of outback travel and were aware of the conditions we needed the van to survive in.

Not previously owning a van made us research a lot more diligently and we annoyed a lot of people with many question, but the hardest thing was to sorting out the real off-roaders to the pretend off-roaders. I do have a personal motto being "Poor people can't afford to buy shit". Having said that we formed a short list of Bushtracker, Pheonix, Trackmaster and Kedron.

We then decided that a metal frame suited us better, which halved our list to two, being Bushtracker and Kedron. We then flew to Brisbane and did the factory tours at Kedron and then Bushtracker and decided Bushtracker was the van for us. We sat down and crunched the requirements and the numbers and was about 5 minutes away from paying the deposit .................... then in walked Steve ........ the owner and gave some poor new customer a mouthful of abuse at the counter, claiming that any issues he has with his 2 week old van was his (Customers) fault because nothing ever goes wrong with his vans.

Having witnessed that profound event, Kerry and I thanked the salesman for his time and made a quick exit out and headed back to Kedron.

We sat down with Stan and went through all the requirements and paid the deposit.

We believe that it was "meant to be" that we purchased our Kedron and now have an overwhelming feeling to buy the owner of Busthtracker a carton of beer every year to thank him for making our decision. We have never looked back or regretted it as we find the after sales service and support is 2nd to none.

[Tolley]

JAN! Lol

[Merv and Di]

We were so close to buying the Bushtracker mainly because we could physically see one at the Melbourne Caravan Show and the same thing happened down here when an owner approached one of the Sales team to question them about problems their van had and he turned his back on them grumbling "What do I care ring the factory". We walked out and paid the deposit on the Kedron sight unseen and have never looked back.

Cheers

Merv

[Chris]

This is a reminder to folk that we do not want posts denigrating other brands. The Kedron brand is sufficiently strong and robust that all we need to do is promote the good qualities of the brand. It is heartening to hear that so many others have had the same positive dealings with the Kedron factory which we experienced. And that when we have a problem with our van it is dealt with professionally and with courtesy.

I am so glad we bought Kedron!

[Tolley]

In 2007 Gayleen and I attended the Brisbane caravan and camping show. For several years we had been renting Maui motorhomes to explore the country too the north and west of our home in Cairns. We knew very little about caravans but liked the RV lifestyle. At the show we looked at lots of caravans with the last on a long list being the Kedron. We had never heard of the brand but we were very impressed with the vans, the build and the Kedron people on the stand. On that day I said "when we buy a van it will be a KEDRON". Over the next two years we kept in touch with Jan who was patient and very helpful. We took delivery of our van in October 2009 and it has been fantastic!

The whole Kedron experience from the quality and functionality of the product, the Kedron staff and attitudes to the many Kedron owners we have met, has been fantastic. With three generations involved in the family company of Kedron there is every chance that that "experience" will last for a long time yet to come. I hope so.

Colin

[Merv and Di]

I haven't read any post on here in relation to this subject denigrating any other brand of van it more a couple of comments in relation to customer service/manners. If you feel that other brands have been denigrated I personally don't have a problem with the moderation team to have my post either edited or deleted if it has caused offence to any other party.

Cheers

Merv

[Chris]

I haven't read any post on here in relation to this subject denigrating any other brand of van it more a couple of comments in relation to customer service/manners. If you feel that other brands have been denigrated I personally don't have a problem with the moderation team to have my post either edited or deleted if it has caused offence to any other party.

Cheers

Merv

You are perfectly right Merv. No problems with any posts on here so far. My earlier post was just a reminder.

[Andrew and Sally]

Hi Steve & Kez

Purely out of interest, could I ask what factors caused you to decide on the BT during your comparison: "We then flew to Brisbane and did the factory tours at Kedron and then Bushtracker and decided Bushtracker was the van for us." Having checked out both products and factories, what was it about the BT product you liked over the Kedron?

For our part, we preferred the Kedron from the start. Both are great vans, we just liked the Kedron design and friendly staff we spoke to at the caravan shows. Ours is stored next to a BT and every time I see them both together I'm glad we bought the Kedron. Like all the other happy customers, we've had great service from all at Kedron even though we didn't buy our van new from them.

Regards, Andrew

When we started researching for caravan to suits our needs we really struggled as we had never owned a van or really knew much about them, which made it difficult.

We had done an extensive amount of outback travel and were aware of the conditions we needed the van to survive in.

Not previously owning a van made us research a lot more diligently and we annoyed a lot of people with many question, but the hardest thing was to sorting out the real off-roaders to the pretend off-roaders. I do have a personal motto being "Poor people can't afford to buy shit". Having said that we formed a short list of Bushtracker, Pheonix, Trackmaster and Kedron.

We then decided that a metal frame suited us better, which halved our list to two, being Bushtracker and Kedron. We then flew to Brisbane and did the factory tours at Kedron and then Bushtracker and decided Bushtracker was the van for us. We sat down and crunched the requirements and the numbers and was about 5 minutes away from paying the deposit .................... then in walked Steve ........ the owner and gave some poor new customer a mouthful of abuse at the counter, claiming that any issues he has with his 2 week old van was his (Customers) fault because nothing ever goes wrong with his vans.

Having witnessed that profound event, Kerry and I thanked the salesman for his time and made a quick exit out and headed back to Kedron.

We sat down with Stan and went through all the requirements and paid the deposit.

We believe that it was "meant to be" that we purchased our Kedron and now have an overwhelming feeling to buy the owner of Busthtracker a carton of beer every year to thank him for making our decision. We have never looked back or regretted it as we find the after sales service and support is 2nd to none.

[Steve and Kez]

Hi Andrew,

At the time of doing the factory tours, we were of the opinion that while the BT looked to be a bit "Dated" compared to the Kedron, the workmanship was far more neater/cleaner and you could see the pride in the product. I don't believe the BT is stronger van or really better than the Kedron, it was just a "Feel Good" thing at the time.

I am not saying Kedron lacked these things, it was BT seemed a bit better to us.

Now after having our Kedron for 4 years and travelling some pretty crappy roads over this time, also meeting up with and socialising with BT owners as we travel, it seems that BT have a lot of issues themselves as do all brands. But BT's aftersales back up or should I say ....... lack of seems to be a common issue and we are so thankful we went to Kedron.

I am not saying Kedron have the "Best" vans as I don't believe there is such a thing. What I am saying is that we are very happy with the product and amazed on the after sales back up and support from Kedron.

In saying all this. It is exciting times with some of the new brands entering the "True Off Road" market. Spinifex and SLR vans being true contenders

Cheers

[dismart]

We looked hard at what we needed when we purchased our first van, we wanted something rugged that would handle the remote and often coregglated and dirt roads we intended to travel. We wanted a van that was able to go to remote places and be self contained. We looked at a number of vans before finally deciding on a Kedron ATV. When we visited the factory we were impressed by the strength we saw in the build. We felt welcome by the staff and after we took delivery the support has continued. It was like being part of a family. Our van handled all the rough stuff we encountered over the next 4 years and we did it in comfort. When we decided to update our van we didn't have any hesitation in ordering our second Kedron, this time a Topender. This one too has performed admirably as it has criss-crossed the country through river crossings, corrugated tracks, up and down riverbeds and through endless dusty roads. We made the right decision, our Kedrons have allowed us to go we we wanted in comfort and safety.