What do Sydney based Bonetti Campers and KEA Campers (the former company, not the one now part of Maui/Britz et al) have in common? The answer was and still is, Stefano Bonetti. Between 2007 and 2012, Stefano was the Fleet Operations Manager for KEA Campers Australia. As you might imagine, that gave him considerable experience in everything from two berth campers to a six berth motorhomes.

Last year, Stefano set up his own company, Bonetti Campers, at Campbelltown in South Western Sydney, NSW. In addition to offering an RV repair service – Stefano is a qualified mechanic or Automotive Diagnostician in Swiss terms - Bonetti Campers also has on hand a large stock of ex KEA Campers spare parts.

I mention this because I know a number of KEA motorhome owners have been wondering where they might be able to get various KEA motorhome bits and pieces from - without making a trip to the KEA factory in Albany, New Zealand. When the original KEA Campers in Australia closed down, Stefano was able to secure a good quantity of the left over parts.

Apart from repairs and spare parts, Bonetti Campers have also started to import a very sleek and streamlined looking slide-on camper called a ‘Musica’, which is made by an Italian company, Mondo Pick-Up. Note that the words ‘sleek’ and ‘streamlined’ are not usually words one associates with slide-on campers, but this  one certainly is. It is also surprisingly well fitted out with everything, including an expanding bathroom. Naturally, it does come with a full kitchen, fold out and quick to make up bed, and a big comfortable L-shaped lounge. I have to say that the orange interior of the show unit was very colourful, to say the least! On top of all that, it is light weight as well.

A weakness of slide-on campers is often the locking-on facility to the carrying vehicle. Not with the ‘Musica’ – the electro mechanical interlock system with conical pins on rubber mounts works very well indeed, as do the remote control jacks. Another weakness of slide-on campers, at  least in my opinion, is that the carrying ute handling suffers because of the camper’s top heavy nature. Bonetti Campers have done something about this too, by offering a suspension system designed by an Italian company, Oram. That particular manufacturer knows a thing or two about suspension modifications and in this case, for the host ute, oversized shock absorbers with oil/nitox reservoirs are fitted, along with adjustable bases for the springs and a coil spring to the rear shock absorber to keep the vehicle level.

On top of all that, Bonetti Campers has also started to import a variety of specialist RV items. Two I noticed at the factory were a gas detector (Tesa, Italian built) and a water filter system with spout that looked very swish.

Proprietor, Stefano Bonetti

Category: Reviews
Written: Sun 01 Sept 2013
Printed: September, 2013
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