How this family designed a custom Great Escape Caravan remotely.
Some families just roll differently, and we are here for that! And this family of four is not only unique but also ready to travel indefinitely around Australia.
- They started by considering tent camping – but quickly realised it wasn’t for them.
- Next came the idea of weekend getaways with a camper trailer, but it still didn’t feel quite right.
- Even a Jayco Swan couldn’t offer the lifestyle they were chasing.
A family caravan with a rear bunk layout would be the setup Jasmin and Mitch would finally settle on to suit the lifestyle they want to lead.
For many caravanners, the first place to begin when looking for the right caravan for your family is a caravan show.
The usual place for first-time caravanners to get a good idea of what they want in their caravan is the long list of caravan shows. A great place to go, browse, get a feel for each brand, walk through each layout and see the quality and price of each caravan.
It is also a good place to get pressured into making a deal if you are not careful!
Yes, we’ve heard all the stories about pushy sales teams with multiple customers telling us the same thing: ‘they ask you to leave a $5k deposit to secure your caravan, but want you to sort out the design and details later’.
Determining the right brand of family caravan requires research and confidence.
After researching the brands Jasmin and Mitch had seen at the Newcastle Caravan Show in NSW, they determined that the high prices of some brands were not justified when comparing quality, inclusions, and customer service.
Although they had figured out that a rear bunk layout was right for their family of four, with five-year-old twins, an ensuite was a luxury they were looking forward to!
After Googling ‘rear bunk caravans’, they found Great Escape Caravans right there at the top of the page, and, having not heard of them before, as they weren’t based in NSW, they dug into their research.
What they found is exactly what we strive for!
Facebook groups and comments praising the quality and service of our team, and many happy customers ready to share their feedback and pleasure in being part of the Great Escape Caravans Family.
Instagram posts with happy customers sharing tours of their caravans as they travel Australia, sometimes in the most remote areas of our beautiful country.
They found YouTube videos with real people, just us in our showroom and at the factory, and from our digital platforms alone, they had gained the confidence in Great Escape Caravans they needed to make the call and start planning their own custom-built family caravan.
Still, without seeing one in person.
They did, however, send Jasmin’s Dad to Millers Caravans in Queensland to take a closer look at the quality of Great Escape Caravans in person, and via FaceTime, Dad had our back and told Jasmin and Mitch that if he was shopping for a new caravan, even he would buy one! (Thanks Dad).
The positive online reputation and Dad’s OK gave this family what they needed to call us, work with us via email and text to design and build their own custom family caravan.
Jasmin says “Chantel was a legend, helping choose interior colours and finishes for their family caravan with bunks, and Anthony and Jason were there throughout, with any questions asked being answered with no trouble at all.”
One Great Escape Caravans Maximus, an off-grid caravan with our first exterior TV unit as a brand and a huge toolbox, was designed and ordered by the family.
Having worked to a set budget with the Great Escape Team, they were almost spot on, with Jasmin saying the open communication during the design phase helped, and it was only the ‘extras’ that Jasmin and Mitch had added to their wishlist that pushed it just over their budget, but they were also happy to pay for the exact custom built caravan they would have delivered in just a few weeks from confirming the order.
Sighted! A Great Escape Caravan in the wild!
Only after they had placed their order and their own custom-built family caravan was underway in our Melbourne factory did Jasmin and Mitch spot a Great Escape Caravan in the wild.
Our very loyal customers were packing up their own Great Escape Caravan and were almost ready to hit the road, but only too happy to show the family through their own caravan.
It was a very different layout and colour scheme, being another of our custom caravans, but they could see the quality for themselves and speak in person with another of our very happy customers.
The best way to decide if a Great Escape Caravan is for you is to see one in person.
Jasmin and Mitch’s caravan is our first one ever ordered exclusively from online communication, phone calls and email only. However, not the first to begin that way.
Thanks to our loyal customers, very often those looking for a family caravan have seen one of ours in the wild, taken the word of our community, then visited our showroom for a chat and a closer look.
A family of four begins the journey into a life of caravanning around Australia full-time.
- The house has just sold!
- Their 5-year-old twins are getting ready for Prep next year via homeschool on the road
- Planning is underway for an indefinite lap of Australia.
Jasmin and Mitch are preparing to head north from home in Foster, NSW to drop the doggo off to Mum for a while and from there….adventure.
We wish them all the best in their travels and will be here anytime they need advice, support or additional accessories as they settle into their life on the road.
Wondering what this custom-built rear-bunk family caravan includes?
See the list of inclusions and extras below and follow the family @roaming.amatos on Instagram to see more.
Amato Family Caravan with bunks - custom specifications and inclusions...
- 4.4 Tuff Rider suspension upgrade
- Large upgraded toolbox
- 5 x 250w solar panels
- Shortened bunks – added shelving storage
- Custom cabinetry
- Larger battery management system
- Diesel heater
- 274lt fridge
- Upgraded aircon
- External laundry with chute
- Relocated skylight
- Starlink access points
- External TV Box
