With a well established and rich history building custom off-road touring camper trailers and micro-hybrids Pioneer Campers has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1997.
Pioneer Campers is now a part of the TRACK Group. An Australian Family Owned and Operated business specialising in design and development of sheet-metal off-road campers and caravans including the Tvan and T4. This Group includes TRACK, Trakmaster, Pioneer and Outback HQ.
In 2011 Pioneer Campers began a journey to create premium off-road “flip-over” campers using sheet-metal and CAD. This spawned a new generation of highly engineered and extremely reliable campers. The journey continued with the release of the Pioneer Mitchell a micro-hybrid off-road Camper. The Mitchell won Camper of the Year and was well regarded for its innovative approach to hybrid camping.
Established
First build in 1997 by Mike from Western Australia
Products developed
From 1997 – 2001 products developed included:
The Prospector, the Argyle, the Gascoyne and the Longreach
The Prospector, the Argyle, the Gascoyne and the Longreach
Aquired in 2011
ACTCO Pickering, a Melbourne based steel manufacturing company aquired Pioneer Campers in 2011
Change of pace
Complete model refresh. Moving into sheetmetal designs
Development of the Mitchell
Seeing a shift in the market, Pioneer decided to emulate the long standing Track Tvan with a mirco-hybrid caravan called the Pioneer Mitchell.
Andrew Crank (ACTCO Pickering’s director): In 2013 the Pioneer team embarked on its next big challenge, to take on an area of the hybrid market and make it our own. The result was the Pioneer Mitchell, released in 2015 and named after one of Australia’s most famous explorers, Thomas Mitchell, a perfect example of a great pioneer.
We thought about offroad caravans but our next obvious move was still in camper trailers, with a premium hybrid. It took our experienced designers a full 12 months to design the product. Everyone was included in its prerequisites including focus groups from existing customers, dealers etc.
Camper of the Year 2017
Mitchell awarded Camper Trailer of the Year in 2017
THE WRAP UP
Pioneer is hardly a newcomer to the offroad camper market so it’s not surprising that their first foray into this market would be a successful one. The Mitchell (and its lower-spec cousins) are not only incredibly well equipped they’re constructed to a standard that easily puts them with the best of the best in any market they’d enter. It’s hard to hide the DNA it shares with other Pioneer campers but that should serve to reassure customers they’re not laying down significant amounts of cash for something untested. It’s the logical evolution of their product line.
So who does it actually suit? If you were heading off to spend the next 12 months on the road with a troop of kids in tow sneering down your red-dirt covered nose and townies in their weekend campers this might not be the pick for you. If you’re an adventurous couple after a camper that will take on 90 per cent of the tracks in the country the Pioneer Mitchell could just be your next home on wheels.
Gason Aquisition of Pioneer Campers
Pioneer joins Gason’s expanding RV portfolio
Ararat’s Gason Industries, which in mid-2016 bought established Victorian custom caravan manufacturer Trakmaster, has now added Pioneer Campers to its expanding off-road RV range.
The latest purchase took place in early May after a short courtship with Victoria-based Actco-Pickering.
Under the new ownership, Pioneer’s existing clamshell Mitchell and Wilpena and hard-floor Onyx and Longreach ultimately will be beefed up before being re-introduced as a sub-brand of Trakmaster later. The entry-level Pioneer Argyle might also return as a new bread and butter line.
Track Aquisition of Pioneer Campers and Trakmaster
WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT TRAKMASTER & PIONEER ARE NOW A PART OF THE TRACK FAMILY
Gerard Waldron (director TRACK) and Wayne Gason (MD Gason industries) jointly announced that Track has acquired the long-standing Australian brands.
This deal, which will see these brands stay on our shores has been in negotiation since early December 2019 and the agreement transfers all the intellectual property for both the design/manufacture and marketing of both brands to TRACK.
Under the agreement TRACK’s, OUTBACK HQ showroom and service centre, will provide ongoing service and parts for both brands and warranty services on behalf of Gason for all Gason manufactured products.
Wayne Gason said “As a board we have assessed it over the past year and being a family owned business of 75 years in October – we felt we wanted to come back to our core business in Ararat.”
Gason has recently made significant investments over 6Million dollars within its core businesses and concluded now was the time to concentrate its resources there hence the decision to find a buyer for its RV businesses.
He went on to say — ‘we just felt Track was that right business, they are family owned, building high quality products like Trakmaster and Pioneer and we just see this as the best fit in Australia to take these products forward and develop them into the future.
RVSA
The Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) is the biggest legislative change the Australian Caravan Industry has seen in over 30 years. For Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers and Importers in Australia, the RVSA is set to completely transform the industry as we know it.
The Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) 2018 is replacing the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. The RVSA better reflects the significant changes in global and domestic vehicle markets and improvements in vehicle technologies over the last few decades.
RVMAP is an Australian Design Rule (ADR) and Federal compliance voluntarily educational program providing necessary inspection, education, and technical advice.
“Working towards a safer RV industry”
CIA VIC
The Caravan Industry Victoria (CIV) was formed in 1952 to foster the growth of caravanning holidays in Victoria. The Association quickly became an integral body for like-minded entrepreneurs who were manufacturing caravans, recreational vehicles, RV accessories and technology in Victoria.
Today, 90 per cent of all caravan manufacturing in Australia takes place in Victoria. Major component suppliers use Victoria as their base including chassis manufacturers, timber, aluminium and fibreglass suppliers. There are also a growing number of electronics and alternative power manufacturers.
Dynaproofed Outback Rugged Canvas
Pioneer Campers uses 100% Australian made wax converted canvas in our tents and awnings. All camper canvas bear the ‘Dynaproofed – Outback Rugged Canvas’ logo. WTC canvas’s are woven from 100% natural cotton fibres, giving the fabric rugged hard wearing properties while maintaining breathability. Pioneer customers can be confident as all canvas is backed by a 5 year warranty. Follow the link to our suppliers website.