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They had already launched the ADX as a more traditional RV option (and the Grenadier was featured in that marketing) - so I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that based on that press release, I wouldn’t touch it for now until there’s more clarity for the future. Interested to see what our Aussie friends think about it. Wish we had more Australian options here in the US.
We’ll have to see how they fare - they whiffed that press release badly enough where I would choose to wait - I had already called their US sales office in Texas several months ago, but this makes me want to wait. Didn’t need to hear all about the philanthropic ventures or that the new owner admired them from afar. Really, really cool caravans - but a lot of money to drop when they don’t have a robust NAM support structure and are going through ownership changes. Glad to hear you guys are feeling positive about it, though!No inside knowledge here but this article may give some more insight:
Queensland's Bruder X gets new lease on life - caravancampingsales.com.au
Former New Age Caravans boss takes the reins at Brisbane expedition trailer specialistwww.caravancampingsales.com.au
The new owners are very experienced in the field, the Bosschieter brothers have stayed on and Melbourne is the centre of Australia's caravan production industry and supply chain (90% of volume and 120+ brands) so seems a good story. I would have thought the expanding Patriot ST range will be putting pressure on the Bruder EXP product so the move into a slightly more main stream offering like the ADX will help keep the company viable?
Ironically the biggest risk to these guys and the entire Australian caravan industry is the US operation in Iran. If fuel prices stay elevated the grey nomads will reconsider their plans, deposits will dry up at the same time as input costs start to rise. Fewer progress payments flowing in over the next six to twelve months will result in many operations considering their future.
You guys just have better options - Bruder, Lotus, Patriot - some of them we can get, but service and parts can be sketchy, especially if the company is in trouble. The US market was geared more towards highway cruisers parking in RV lots with water and shore power. I’m just going to wait for now - maybe a few years down the line. Let’s see if Bruder (or I) am still around ;o)
We have even more options like Vista RV and a few other locally made brands.
That might explain why my order was delayed so much and then I finally backed out.
Do they still supply to Australian defense forces or was that a once-and-done thing? EXP such a cool line - hope this makes it an enduring one. If they play their cards right, I think they could absolutely kill in the North American market, but they have to have stability, decent lead times and the ability to back up their warranty (sound familiar, IA???).FWIW: Bruder have recently merged with another company. Family member visited the factory (by appointment) recently. They're in the process of moving to larger premises in an industrial suburb near Brisbane amongst defence contractors which gives them access to other extended capabilities.... The Bruder 6 is no longer in production. They're developing Bruder 5 as the future model between the 4 and the 7.
Good point with the US market, specially if they have a ST5 contender. I think the hurdle for US market is the 12+ more like 14 mth wait..... They should start producing this side of the pond in my opinion. Drop costs like so many do when they start building here and really contend. just my two cents or .two cents. lol
The wait time for a BruderX is similar in Australia. My Vista RV Crossover was about 6 months from order to delivery. Which is on the shorter time frame for made to order. Other brands have shorter wait periods when they just mass produce the same van, with minimal changes.
Yeah the ADX (the one featuring the Grenadier in their marketing) would do well in the US. I think people would be OK with a longer wait time for the EXP as well - but at $150k+, they would want assurances on parts and warranty. This kind of drama doesn’t help.
