2024 Caravan & Camper Excellence Round Up - Rembrandt Caravans
For Chris Matthews, the decision to open Rembrandt Caravans’ first Queensland dealership was a natural next step for a man who wanted to put the customer first. I caught up with Chris at the OnlyVans.com.au 2024 Caravan & Camper Excellence Round Up to reflect on their first year in business, the Rembrandt difference, and their goals for the future.
Although only four years old, Melbourne-based Rembrandt Caravans has quickly made a name for itself with its range of customisable composite vans. That range currently comprises five models, from the entry-level Danae, the upgraded Danae LX, and the off-road-ready Danae LX+, to the flagship Nightwatch, and the all-new Pallas slide-out.
Chris has brought the Nightwatch to the 2024 Round-Up, and amongst a lineup comprised largely of camper trailers and mid-sized hybrids, it cuts an impressive and imposing figure with its substantial size, dark grey colour scheme, jet black cladding, and fluoro yellow accents.
Offering full off-road capabilities, the Nightwatch is as stylish as it is rugged. In keeping with its top-of-the-line design, the Nightwatch is packed with industry-leading features and equipped for just about anything, with a Tuffride auto-levelling airbag suspension, Gusto dust reduction system, BMPRO Smart Charger Pack, and extensive solar and lithium battery setup.
The Nightwatch is a van in a league of its own that is sure to impress. When I ask Chris who the target customer is, he tells me it’s for, “that traveller who’s had a caravan before and knows what they want, and instead of having an options list as long as your arm, they just tweak the layout a bit”.
This last point is important, as while many brands offer a fixed floorplan with no room for movement, adaptability is everything for Rembrandt. With the exception of the Pallas, every model in the range is available in seven or 10 different lengths and layouts, allowing customers to choose the features and fit out that best suit their needs and lifestyle. For Chris, this adaptability is what sets Rembrandt apart.
“That’s what we specialise in… We are factory direct, they [the customers] deal directly with us at the factory, and customise it to suit their needs,” Chris tells me.
For Rembrandt’s customers, that degree of customisation gives them the option of everything from a 17’6” single-axle to a 24’ quad bunk family model, each with the same level of finish and the same suite of features.
This flexibility is also what drew Chris to Rembrandt. After 17 years in the industry, including time spent running some of Queensland’s biggest caravan dealerships, he was ready for a change that would allow him to meet the needs of experienced owners like himself.
“It was just time to do it ourselves and give people that experience we wanted to do but were handicapped by working for someone else,” he says.
Having opened the factory-direct dealership only 12 months ago, Chris tells me that far from falling victim to the industry’s downturn, the past year has seen Rembrandt go from strength to strength.
“We’ve actually been expanding. We’ve moved to a bigger premise… both for the dealership and also for the factory.”
Evidently, Rembrandt’s approach is finding favour with buyers in the Sunshine State. What’s the secret to their success?
“Not having any middleman. We deal directly with the clients, they talk directly with the builders, and we give them what they want. It’s not just another sales guy out there chasing his commission.” Chris replies, and his comments echo those of many of the people I spoke to at the 2024 Round Up.
It’s no secret that the boom times of Covid led to an explosion in the size of the caravan industry, with dozens of new brands seeking to cash in on a population with money to burn and nowhere to travel but their own backyard.
As a consequence, prospective buyers and current owners are now craving personalised service and a level of support that goes beyond the sale. As a long-time owner himself, Chris understands this desire, and his ability to connect with – along with his innate understanding of what makes a great caravan – has fuelled Rembrandt’s growth.
It seems certain that Rembrandt will continue to connect, but when you’ve come so far in the space of just a year, how do you gameplan for the next? Chris admits that it’s a challenge.
“It’s a hard one to answer because where we are now, we didn’t think we’d be here for at least three years.”
With that said, he’s not shy about their goals for 2025.
“Double our stock hold in the yard, double our staff in the yard, and put on a show team and go to all the shows in Australia, not just Queensland.”
Such lofty ambitions may seem like bluster were they to come from anyone else but with the track record that Rembrandt has shown thus far, you’d have to be a fool to doubt them.
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