Elite Caravans

Aggressive and abusive – My dealings with Elite Caravans and Adrian (one of the owners) was beyond appalling. The aggressive manner that Adrian speaks to people is absolutely disgusting. Despite always being polite towards him, he aggressively yells and swears at you, and continuously speaks over you and won't let you speak. The level of aggression and profanity is vile and completely off the charts. I strongly advise avoiding this company.

Great van we love it – We have had this van for 3 years. We have driven over some very corrugated dirt roads, and the van is still intact, nothing has moved or shaken out. The doors stay closed. And not a lot of dust gets in. The full on suite is perfect. Love it. Show details

Disappointed with the promised Warranty issues – We purchased an Elite Eildon S8 caravan October 2018 . We should of seen the warning signs then, but its so sad to think you cant trust people, especially when Adrian promised me that all warranty issues would be honoured by them. We just feel so let down and its so frustrating that all phone numbers relating to the New Ballistic RV Group are… Read more

disconnected. I managed to get an email address today which the New Elite Company gave me. Im waiting for my reply. Adrian if your a decent man please honour the Warranty you promised us. Jeanette Quinn

Great caravan – Purchased a 19ft 6, Silk Road caravan off Elite, love the layout which includes a good size en-suite, queen size bed and practical kitchen and dining area. Plenty of storage under bed and lots of cupboards. Great size van for towing, fully loaded including full water tanks came in at 2450 across weigh bridge.

Very happy Caravaners – I was brand new to the world of caravanning and our 21ft off road Van is fantastic and has a top level finish. We initially had a couple of small internal warranty issues but these were taken care of quickly and professionally. I lend my van to my Mum who tows it by herself mostly and travels extensively, she absolutely loves it. She has been to… Read more

the grampians quite a few times and down the coast and it hasn’t missed a beat. I regularly go to the high country with it and love getting off the grid and away from civilisation for a while, we have two small boys and they love climbing about the bunk beds. Dealing with Elite has been fantastic in all aspects and I strongly recommended Elite Caravans to anyone considering a caravan.

Happy with our Elite! – We picked up our Goulburn 1810 ATX Air in May 2018. Everything about it has been great. The build quality is excellent. A couple of minor issues needed to be repaired, but the after sales service has been good and problems have been fixed. Taylor is very approachable and obliging. Wherever we are camped people comment on the presentation and quality of build. Tows like a dream. Highly recommend Elite caravans.

Poor, cheap construction – We initially used our Off road Elite Goulburn on road for the first 18 months we had it, only touring on bitumen or gravel roads where it performed OK, with just a few items working loose and were easily repaired myself. A trip across the Oodnatatta track, which wasn't that rough, soon revealed the many problems of poor workmanship and short… Read more

cuts that had been taken in construction. The drawer runners were only fixed in with 2 or 3 screws and loosened, drawers falling out, the water filter was fixed to the ply dividing wall, coming off the wall & damaging the ply as the screws pulled out, as was the hasp & staple holding the ensuite sliding door. The microwave door fell off, the front door lower hinge broke, this was due to the oversize stopper causing pressure on the door when it is opened. The pellet over the dining area window fell down, again minimal & short screws used, there was a large gap in the floor where water pipes went through,allowing huge dust problem in cupboards. All together it seems very shoddy & short cut methods used to minimize construction costs, not a van built for any purpose than simple on road work, & none of these build problems covered by the 1 year warranty

Elite lacks integrity – Elite by name, snakes in the grass by nature. It would be hard to argue that Elite makes well specified caravans, but that's where it ends. Once the deposit is paid they are renowned for not returning phone calls and emails. Quality is not a strength with issues over represented followed by deny, delay and do little with rectification. Caravan… Read more

weights are understated and differ vastly from those previously agreed too or stated on the compliance plate. On the road Elite owners are like bees to the honey pot with common threads of poor quality, excessive weights and managements customer disregard. If you are considering an Elite or have already committed you need to have your eyes wide open and tread cautiously. Last year the Director liquidated Elite and the previous year another of his companies, who know's whats next.

Have given up with Elite caravan dealings – Well where do i start. Lots of issues to many to mention. Lies were beyond a joke felt sorry for the office ladies as they were in tears as the sales man continued to lie. We traveled 4000 km to pick it up. Had to stay in motel the night as was not finished when we were told 3 weeks prior that it was complete. Then when we were traveling home… Read more

the splash back was bubbling of the walls. Happy Birthday to me what a joke. Spent 150,000 not worth that at all. Management a joke a box of 12 chocolates do not make up for you bad workmanship. Let the woman in you office do the sales. At least they are honest when you ask if you need more time to get it finished. So many things we had to fix our selves but so much that can not be fixed as second rate products were put in on the build. Will never ever but from you again.

Trade as Balistic RVs now no warranty – Eildon S8 Off Road custom. 2nd Elite van stupid mistake on our part. Picked up May 2017 have had numerous issues too many to explain. All warranty approved several times several people inc [name removed]- now he decides he does not want to talk or honour anything to do with Elite at all only Balitstic RV. This comes despite [name removed]… Read more

(Director Elite now Balistic) circular to Elite owners stating he would honor all warranty - this is not the case.

Elite by name only – Paid 132,00 for my elite palazzo they are a very bad company and no one should be sucked in to their lies.they ignore my phone calls and emails didn’t reimburse our rego all the legs under the caravan are different lengths ,the cupboards are warped which they promised to replace ,the skylight fell in when we opened it ,the frame fell off around… Read more

the slide out bed .just don’t put yourself through the agony of buying one when you can save yourself half the money somewhere else .the company is shonky and so are the staff at Campbellfield Victoria

Warranty a total fiction – The Elite warranty is a total fiction. Nothing is elites (ballistic) caravans responsibility it is continuously kicked down the road until you give up or (as some have said have a nervous breakdown). Don't take delivery until you have your van checked by a qualified person. It will save you untold grief

Great product and after sales support! – We have had two Elite caravans Both have performed well in all weather conditions - and we have experienced nearly all of them! Caravan is easy to tow, especially with the ALKO system fitted  Show details

Excellent caravan, couldn't be happier! – We bought their Eildon model in April this year. We have traveled around 7,000kms since we picked it up in Melbourne. It is the best thing we ever purchased and we couldn’t be happier with the after-sales service. A big thanks to their dealer in the Gold Coast who provided really great service at short notice on our recent trip. We have been… Read more

down some rough tracks as well as highway driving and it has performed fantastically. Tows really well behind my Ranger. The quality of the finish is perfect and we wouldn't hesitate to buy another or recommend them to anybody looking to buy a new caravan.

Elite Caravans warranty not worth the paper it's written on – I have been having an ongoing issue with Elite Caravans ever since I picked it up from the dealership in March last year. The air conditioner specified in the build was not the one fitted. I have a Dometic Harrier instead of the specified Ibis Mk3 and it runs at an unbelievable 80dB measured with a sound meter. To give you an idea, my lawnmower… Read more

runs at 82dB.

It was only when we pulled into Port Augusta on a 43 degree day on our way back across the Nullabor a few days later that the issue became apparent. We couldn’t hear the TV unless it was at full volume and getting to sleep was another story. Upon contacting Elite Caravans, They told us that the Ibis wasn’t available during the build BUT at no time did Elite inform me of the intended change during the build and not even at the shortened handover. I indicated to them that I would be happy to stay with the Harrier IF and only IF they could fix the noise issues. (3) visits over a period of months from Dometic agents did nothing to rectify the problem. Dometic aren’t blameless here either. After the ‘to and fro’ with them promising us that they would fix the problem, they had the gall to come back to me and say ‘that the noise levels were within specifications’. Are you serious? I have a lawnmower on the roof of my caravan and that’s alright?

After this crap, I went back to Elite Caravans requesting the Ibis Mk3 originally specified be fitted and then the ‘fob off’ began. After (15) months of wrangling, my patience ran out and I contacted the ACCC (Victoria) to take up the case on my behalf. Alas, the Company is in receivership and the ACCC contacted me to say that that they could do no more. Ironically, the Warranty Manager signs off to the ACCC with this:

warranty@elitecaravans.com.au

www.elitecaravans.com.au

www.facebook.com/elitecaravans

So here we have this ‘Phoenix’ company rising from the ashes with no absolutely no obligations to honour any warranty issues with previous customers. Frankly, when co-owner [name removed] states: "it's business as usual for Elite owners, with warranties and other support with full factory backing", to Caravanning News, he’s telling porky pies. It’s total and utter crap.

This company is bereft of ethics and integrity.

I ask you one question [name removed], just one and it simply requires a YES or NO answer:

“Would YOU spend the money that I did on a caravan and put up with an air conditioner that you didn’t specify on the build that runs at the same noise levels as a lawnmower?

Would you? Or would it be straight back to the factory?

YES or NO [name removed]?

Elite piece of crap – We bought an elite van in nov 2016 and have battled with them since to try and have repaired 40 plus warranty issues because of their poor workmanship. We bought the van to enjoy a better lifestyle because of family illness and they have sucked the joy out of it and caused untold stress. They no longer return emails, have 'lost' information and… Read more

want to change their nominated repairer each time the van is inspected! We have been to fair trading and they even don't return their calls and tell deliberate miss truths. I wouldn't recommend anyone buy an elite van. The management and owners are the biggest scum bags going around.

Great Van – We bought a smaller Elite van in 2015. The quality finish speaks for itself.The Staff were very supportive in making changes to the design. The followup support was also very good. There has only been a small number of issues which have been rectified promptly. Thank you to the Elite owners and staff.  Show details

We love our Goulbourn Elite 2017 – We love our Elite Caravan!!!! Our Goulbourn caravan has been made to a very high standard and is pure luxury. After years of research we decided on Elite which we feel was value for money as to what you receive. After a few initial warranty issues that have been rectified I can say i would deal with Elite again. Congratulations to Adrian for following up our few problems. I wish Elite good luck in the future.

Luxury class 19'6". Top quality - happy customer – Good, sturdy easy to tow caravan with all the amenities to make caravanning life a luxury. A few minor teething problems all fixed by Elite. Great online service by Elite team to help us work thru' any of these problems. Love my Elite van - it's my pride and joy. Thankyou Adrian and all the Elite team. Wishing you all the best as you move forward.  Show details

perfect van excellent service – We have a 2015 Eildon 8 .Some modifications were asked for in the build .Quite simply the van is brilliant . We have not had an issue with it since delivery .Quality ,comfort and tows at speed really safely .The layout suits us perfectly . Recently we purchased a 3000 kg tow capacity vehicle (up from 2500 kg ) and decided to change up our comp.… Read more

plate to suit the new tow (all legal as the van had the capacity ) the warranty team at Elite who handled this were caring , knowledgeable and really helpful .

As far as we are concerned , we will buy another and recommend this great van .

Poor warranty protection – Elite regard the removal of the cladding on a caravan as regular maintenance. Having been in discussions with them since the 13th February and receiving a quote from a repairer in Queensland that they accepted, yesterday they informed the repairer, who has done all our servicing , that the leak was due to inadequate maintenance, and therefore our… Read more

extended warranty was not valid. The leak was due to poor build quality and can only be accessed by removing the side wall of the caravan. If you are travelling through rain with your Elite caravan be sure to carry tarpaulins, or, even better, deal with a reputable manufacturer.

Very happy novices! – We spent years researching caravans and camper trailers before settling on our first van - a 20'10"Elite Balistic. We picked up the van in January 2016. While the actual handover was really terrible, the van itself is fantastic and we are very happy with it now that we know how to use it. Finish is great and the floor plan works well for us so… Read more

far- not much we would change if we bought a new van (maybe a longer bed as hubby is 6'2"!). A few minor issues have been dealt with by warranty staff quickly and efficiently. The van is heavy and even though we tow with a 200 series landcruiser we still did a further springs upgrade and are ever mindful about weights etc so as not to overload it. We have learnt that everything in caravan life is a compromise and 2 years on have been pretty happy with our choices to go fully offroad with extra solar panel, batteries and airbags (these are the best thing ever!). The van is easy to tow (airbags on van and car keep everything level and balanced). The bonus of buying the Elite is the Owners Club. The van get togethers that they organise are invaluable in forming new friendships, discussing how to get the best out of the vans, technical support and seeing new parts of Australia! A win win! You would have to go a long way to find a nicer group of people.

Elite Caravans - Fantastic build and finish! – We took delivery of our second Elite caravan in June 2016. It was purpose built for us and is a Goulburn 2040 Series 8 Off Road. After nearly 25,000 kms behind our LC200 we could not be happier. It is so comfortable and beautifully finished. We have seen some pretty rugged country and nothing has failed or fallen off. The only small issue we… Read more

have had was with the air-con which failed due to mud wasps building a large next in the external roof unit. This is something everyone should keep an eye on!

The van tows like a brick,no sway at all, unlike so many we see on the road.

We would not hesitate to recommend Elite,we certainly could not be happier with this van it is excellent!

Proud Luxury Class 1860 owner – I have now owned my Elite caravan for just over a year. I am impressed and very satisfied with the build quality as well as the comfort. To date we have not had any problems with the caravan. I would recommend the Elite brand to buyers that are looking for quality and after market support  Show details

NO WAY. He is now Ballistic RV. Re-branded the same rubbish – I have an Elite van that cost well over the 100 k mark. Nothing but issues. Will never deal with this guy again. Be aware he is re-branding as Ballistic caravans or Ballistic RV. Not a good product. Lots of warranty issues and a back stabber to boot. Stay well away and enjoy your retirement with another brand. April 5th 2018 Update: Elite.… Read more

Never Again!

I can only say that Elite gives good customer service to some if the reviews are honest. And others Elite treats poorly. As already stated below, My van was purchased in 2016. We have had the van back on Numerous occasions for repairs. The last time the repairs were so poorly carried out that when I sent photos to Elite, they would not even respond.

Our van is so over the stated weight that it is not usable with a standard 3500 kg tow vehicle. The ball weight empty with nothing in it and no fluids is 340 Kg. Put gas in the bottles and I'm over the weight allowance of 350 KG to the ball.

The interior has fallen apart in parts and given that it is an "Off Road" van, the damage internally should never of happened. Using cheap plastic clips to hold a pantry in place allowed it to fail on the tar.

I understand that they are going through a hard time in relation to money missing, and alleged thefts, however I paid over $100,000 for the dream that they sold. A dream that I wish I never had.

My advice is to go to another product supplier and save the grief. Go see Lotus. Go see Retreat. Even Jayco. At least they stand behind their products.

I'm now stuck with a van that cannot be towed with a 3500 kg tow vehicle and have the bare essentials on board. How can I sell it? Maybe we will all go to RAMs or F Trucks and solve Elites problem.

My Advice is do your homework and if you ignore this post and proceed with them, at least have it checked over by a professional and weighed before you take it home.

Great van – We have our second elite van and thrilled with the quality of workmanship. We have just had an alteration to the interior (at our request) and the workmanship was excellent; the van returned to us was immaculate. Elite built the van to our design and the staff were exceedingly helpful with suggestions. After 1 year of towing the van ( which is… Read more

22ft excluding chassis) we have no complaints about the towability. This van meets all our requirements, and more, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend elite to anyone.

Paid in full on top of deposit – Collected caravan after paying my deposit. I then financed the full amount for tax purposes. Paid in full 2 weeks early and [name removed] and [name removed] Promised to return deposit on pick up. 3 months later still not paid and they both are Hiding!!!! Not even a receptionist.

Elite Balistic Armageddon – We bought our van in December 2014. The quality is 5star and the finish is excellent. We visited the factory twice throughout the manufacturing process. We custom designed several aspects of the fitout and are very pleased with the result. The caravan has been super reliable for 3 years now, easy and comfortable to use. We tow with a 200 series LC. The tow and the ride is a breeze. Admitedley we went top shelf and Elite delivered.

Elite by name only, we were blatantly lied to – We researched extensively for a second hand van and decided on Elite as one of 4 top quality manufacturers in our price range. At last years Caravan, Camping and Touring Super Show we were offered a traded 3 year old Elite Goulburn Diamond 2 Offroad van. Buying a traded second hand van from the "Industry multi award winning" manufacturer we were… Read more

confident was a good option and whilst there is no warranty on second hand vans were assured by the Sales Manager that we would be getting a fully checked and recently serviced vehicle including new wheel bearings. We were looking forward to joining the Elite Owners Club.

Generally we are happy with the build of the van unfortunately its the best of a poor quality mid range field in an unregulated industry that in my experience employs people who are either unqualified or poorly trained or who are prepared to carry out poor quality work.

I'm an award winning qualified house builder from a regulated industry and I do top quality work. I've built my own campers, done my own research, I know how 12 volt sytems should be built and have built them, I know too how solar works and have built systems.

From the start there were issues, the "state of the art" instantaneous endless hot water service didn't work at all, the fridge only froze everything, the water pump constantly cycled (and couldn't easily be found!) one wheel was out of alignment scrubbing out the tyre, the tv remote didn't work, there was a missing boot seal, the water mains pressure connection only supplied a dribble and the tanks took an hour to fill.

Of the first 25 weeks we owned the van Elite had it back in their yard for 13.

There were numerous communications going back and forth, hollow promises to fix all the issues and sleepless nights on our part, after all $56K is a lot of money. We eventually agreed to pay the wholesale cost of a new hot water service, when I went to finally get our van back I discovered a damaged external door and the control box and wires fell out on my feet when I opened the cupboard under the sink.

A new fridge circuit board cost us $400, the water paump was incorrectly installed under the van exposed to rocks, dust and gravel so had to relocate it, the filter was clogged too, the tv was replaced but with no instructions to use it ( I can figure out most things but I'm not psychic). Despite promising to send the van back to the chassis manufacturer for a check and adjustment when I went to check on progress, the Elite Sales Manager went back on his word and refused to address the visibly out of alignment wheel. My wife and I appealed by email to the Elite owners and their commitment to quality and customer service that we had been sucked into on their website and youtube videos. We were never extended the courtesy of a reply and told by the Sales Manager that the response had been to basically leave.

The issue that shook me the most came after we got the van back after 3 months. When the wheels and brake drums were removed as part of the alignment and to remove what sounded like stones rattling around in the drums the brake shoes literally fell out on the ground. They were worn to the point they had delaminated. The bearings showed signs of over heating and were rusted to the stub axles, the grease was water and dust contaminated. We had done 1000kms on made roads since delivery of a serviced and fully checked van.

Elite is happy to send vans onto the road in a condition that poses a threat to the lives of the owners and other road users and they're prepared to lie about it. I have rarely experienced such unconscionable behaviour.

This industry needs regulation and stay away from Elite.

Incompetent staff, no customer service and part owner and salesperson dishonest – Quality is average, drawers under sink have never been aligned properly, edging on melamine keeps coming off, sink rusting, 12volt fridge not insulated properly and overheats. Reliability has been good. Caravan is comfortable. Van is easy and great to tow but we’ve since heard the people who built our chassis won’t deal with Elite anymore. … Read more

Asked to pay $10K in cash on pickup and then wanted to show as a discount. Had money problems for a long time now catching up with them.

Elite ??? No Elemon – I bought an elite atlantic diamond over 3 years ago and it has been back for warranty issues many times its a lemon !!!! Cracked wall , internal door fell off , leaking front boot , internal linings falling off the list goes on and on these idiots know how to play the game , australian consumer laws state repair , replace or refund they just keep… Read more

repairing and repairing until you get sick of it , yes they look nice buyer beware , take the covers off drawers out and look at the shoddy workmanship , keep away from these crooks

August 22nd 2019 Update: Rubbish

Have had my Elite atlantic for just over 5 years and it has been used sparingly due to all the defects !! I have now decided to sell it as I have lost all interest in caravaning because of this elemon , I now find myself tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket , cracks on walls , water leaks , linings falling off gas leaks from oven which has never been used , cracks in plywood in overhead cupboards the list goes on and on , I have been in business for near on 40 years and would not have lasted very long if I treated my clients the way this bunch of crooks do , consumer law , repair , replace , refund !! This crooked mob just keep repairing repairing till you get sick of it , they even extended my warranty for another year for what was worth as I live 320 km from melbourne and no caravan companies up our way would touch our elemon , I showed my elemon and the many pics to caravaners who come to our engineering company for help and repairs all of them cant believe how badly made and the poor after sales service we have endured good riddance to this piece of crap and to you elite caravans you should be ashamed for producing this rubbish and the way you treat your clients .

Purchased a new 2017 2210 Balistic – Absolute fantastic Van and apart from a couple of minor issues that were addressed immediately by Elite we have covered many kms off road and would highly recommend to put Elite on your shopping list.  Show details

Elegant and robust. This 18 foot van is the perfect 2 person caravan! – This van is a surprise. It combines luxury and practicality. It has a large modern ensuite with a built in washing machine. The toilet and shower are separate with the modern vanity in the middle. There is a large fridge freezer and a queen sized bed. There are plenty of led lights and a marine quality sound system. There is also an air… Read more

conditioner and a Kogan tv DVD combo. It has plenty of cupboards and there is also under the bed storage as well as a tunnel boot. There is a small dining area which is adequate as we eat outside mainly. This is probably the only feature of the van that I don't rave about but as I said before it is adequate! It is easy to pull. My husband originally wanted a van with tandem wheels but we fell in love with the van when we saw it and the single wheels are fine. It is strong with independent suspension. This an Elite Luxury Class 2015 model and despite it being second hand it is in excellent condition. This really works well and is a real home away from home! The van is comfortable and the quality workmanship is obvious!

We love our home on wheels! Quality, reliability, form and function – We have been living full time in our Elite Hume Series 1 family van for almost 5 months now as we travel around Australia with our family of 4. We have gotten to know the van quite well as you would expect and a have experienced extreme weather, blizzard conditions in the alps, -10 degree temps & 110km/h winds for days, as well as dragging it… Read more

across sand, mud, dirt, corrugations, ice and even snow and we are only just getting started. We bush/free camp entirely off grid almost always and have done so since we left home.

We opted for the cruise master XT coil suspension to help off road and along with the strong and sturdy g&s chassis it makes the van a pleasure to tow given it weighs 3.4 tonne loaded with all of our worlds belongings.

I could go on about the van but will try and keep the feedback as short and simple as i can.

The build quality of the van is unbelievably good both inside and out. It is sturdy and strong, And the suspension truly compliments the van, things inside barely move over the rough stuff and what's more the van handles extremely well when towed behind our 4.2 patrol.

Inside it feels more like a home than a camping setup, which is nice when your're spending a long time travelling. All the creature comforts are there and we love our Webasto diesel heater (even more so after spending a month bush camped at the snow)

customer service was great throughout the purchase process and for a couple minor adjustments required shortly after. They say you get what you pay for and this is true. Our van has been a reliable and comfortable home on wheels.

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Love our Elite – This is our second Elite and we are very happy. Few warranty issues, but Mel fixed immediately. Tows beautifully, easy to keep clean inside and looks good. The only criticism I would make is the handover was not great. Took far longer than expected but he still didn't cover everything. Elite are a professional company