Just saw the preview on their website.....can't quite make out the name on the side but it looks to be a top dollar van, not your off the rack mass produced van........

I think the caravan brand was called 5 star. He paid 40,000 I'm sure he said.
They really didn't want to know did they, but finally caved in and gave him his refund.

It wasn't on in Perth tt.

I saw the story and it looked like a complete and utter shonk to me.
The poor guy paid $40,000 for a custom built, allegedly off-road van to get to Cape Yorke with his family. Young family, hard worker.
The agent didn't want to know, and denied any obligation because he didn't build the van.
The builder didn't want to know because he didn't employ the idiots who glued the van together.
Nobody wanted to accept liability for the shoddy workmanship.
The buyer demanded his money back, and they agreed, providing the buyer didn't publish the story. (blackmail)
The buyer refused to play that game, and they agreed to pay his money back, and the story went to air anyway.
He was determined the story would be aired to ensure the shonks didn't resell the van to some other poor, unsuspecting sucker.
It was a time bomb. Poor wiring, leaking electrical fittings, no gas inspection certificate, among some of the problems.
I saw similar problems in most of the vans I looked at at the van show. Shoddy workmanship is the name of the game.
It's disgusting. I concluded the people who build and sell them don't travel with or use the caravans they build.
Between the lot of us we could probably build a brilliant, strong, light, insulated caravan cheaper and better than these crooks in the industry.

I don't care how long/tall you are, but if you support the Eagles, you certainly are suffering.
Like the Crows, when they had the pick of the whole state's best players they could win. Now the resources are spread a bit thinner they have to work harder to kick the goals.
Too much money and not enough sport(s).

5 Star Caravans are the dealer involved

43 Lear Jet Drive, Caboolture, Queensland on the bruce highway

Havent heard of 5 star, are they another overnight wonder?
How about the 2nd inlet power socket at a low level, just right for a kid to lift the cover & stick their finger in.
Need to stay with a known brand, nomatter what the product is.
Too many people base things on price not quility.

i just saw the item on tv, and I think its hows that some dealers have no morals and are only after your hard earned dollars. It also shows that you get what you pay for.A bushtracker would have been better, but probaly twice the price.This doesn,t indemnify the dealer or manufacturer. Now we all know what 5 star means.How do they get these things on the road? Do they have roadworthys for new vans?I hope this brings better standards.I have my own home built slide on which is by no means flash, but it has done some of the roughest roads in oz,twice to the cape and back, and hasn,t fallen apart yet.I amcontemplating a much more salubrios(I hope I spelled that right) slide on soon.

-- Edited by bill12 on Thursday 10th of March 2011 06:35:31 PM

On TV tonight they gave a clarification that theres a "5 Star" dealership in Belmont NSW that is completely separate from this fiasco.

This mob will be a definite overnight wonder, especially after this exposure.
I had a good look a dozens of vans at the recent show, and even novice van hunters picked out poor workmanship and finishes.
From the door they look all shiny and new, but when you get inside and start opening a few doors and drawers, it's scary.
I have to wonder at the design which includes glass doors on the overhead cupboards. Not perspex, and not lined with plywood.
Some of the latches left a lot to be desired in security when travelling.
I had visions of everything ending up on the floor in some of them.
These vans may be ok for a short trip and short use, but for long trips and long-term living they are not.
The blokes who build them don't use them or live in them. If they did none of these poor standard vans would exist ever again.
Someone needs to be out there to ensure the safety and quality of these aluminium or fibreglass boxes with pop rivets and staples.
A man here in the park designed and ordered a custom built van, to his specifications and legal design.
The triple axle BIG van cannot be registered in SA because the axles are too far forward, and the infrastructure would have to be rebuilt to accommodate moving the axles to comply with regulations. It stands on-site, and can't go anywhere.
You'd think the van builder would know the law on these things at least in the state they build them. The case isn't finished yet.

Yeah, the builder should be shot, but the dealer should also be aware of the product he's selling. In the end it's the customer who gets ripped off and disappointed.

Just reading an article on working while on the road. Had to laugh when it finished off with a comment that the writer is currently employed at 5 Star Caravans at Caboolture.

Hi all, I am trying to locate the article on Faulty Caravans aired on Today/Tonight on 8th March as mentioned in above posts, can't seem to find it on the link that was posted. Can anybody steer me in the right direction with finding it please as I am going through a case at present with a faulty caravan and demanding a replacement van (through another dealer). No names yet, but when the dust clears I will post all the relevant names!

Thank you in anticipation of help.

Cheers. Julie. (burky53)

Unfortunately the company in Melbourne who built the van featured on channel 7 is still in business building vans.
The ones I've seen at the Melbourne Caravan Show and built under their own name appear (At least on the surface) to be OK.
OJ