There’s nothing better than hearing the story of an Aussie doing bloody well on the world stage and today at CES I met one bloke you’ve likely never heard of and his company is doing big things in the US and UK and this year their products will hit Australia.
In the US the “beat the Joneses” race to have the best RV (recreational vehicle, those caravan/campervan and bus based homes on wheels they love so much) is pretty extreme. Pimp my RV is a common theme in the lead up to holiday season.
And when pimping your RV you can’t just pop down and grab any flat screen TV. A standard TV will shake itself to failure bumping around on a long drive.
Enter Furrion – this company makes products specifically for the RV market and they are making a killing.
Over $95 million in turnover in 2016 and their growth trajectory is enormous.
Walking into the custom-built RV they have with their own branding to demonstrate in a show-home like way their product range, you’d be blown away to see how many products they have.
For the driver there’s a fully digital instrument cluster. In the centre there’s a huge touch-screen display reminiscent of a Tesla, and we haven’t even stepped into the back yet.
Walk down the centre of this bus – sorry, RV – and you’ve got an induction cooktop, rangehood, fridge, oven, microwave, 75 inch TV and gas fireplace and we’re not even half-way done.
The toilet has a heated seat, the tap is electronically controlled the shower is high-tech and every one of these things has a Furrion logo on it.
It’s these components they make and design to be part of the RV of the future.
Furrion partners with RV manufacturers in the hope of influencing future RV designs, breaking the shackles of the boring and mundane to introduce high-tech new features.
In the back is a bedroom – but you can’t sleep there while the RV is on the road – nope. And not for any legal reasons, it’s just that while you’re driving the helicopter currently on the roof of your RV is lifted, twisted and lowered inside the RV for transport. Yep, a helicopter.
In the middle of the RV is also a staircase to the roof, this is where your chopper sits when you’re stationary. Heading out onto the roof while stationary is also a good time to go for a dip in the spa… which is also on the roof. This RV is essentially a super yacht on wheels and it’s a nod to their past experience.
So what’s all this got to do with our Australian coverage of CES? Easy – the founders are Aussies. Aaron Fidler and Matt Fidler were working as marine engineers, sailing the world on super yachts, loving life. Then 12 years ago formed a company to make power cables and attachments for the marine industry, one thing lead to another and they started making electronics for the RV industry and the rest is history.
Now they’re making TV’s and Home appliances for the home – after so many RV owners fell in love with the brand.
The best news for Aussie grey-nomads or lovers of caravanning? Furrion is coming to Australia.
Through a partnership with caravan manufacturer Jayco, Furrion products will be appearing in new caravans really soon.
If you’ve got an existing caravan or camper and are looking to pimp it out? No problem, EFTM understands Furrion products will be sold by Jayco in Australia through leading outdoor stores like BCF.
The range won’t be amazing, perhaps 6 of the many thousands of products the Furrion team are selling now, but it’s a start.
This is huge, not just because they will open up and inspire a customisation and upgrade frenzy in Australia, but how great is the story of two Aussie brothers who’ve done good bringing their product back home.
It’s not like Australia is a critical market for them in terms of revenue – it’s a blip on the future radar, but it’s surely great to be home.
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