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7th ANNUAL SHOWCASE FOR BEST AUSSIE VANS (BAV)
7 TH ANNUAL SHOWCASE FOR BEST AUSSIE VANS
WORDS BY ANJI BIGNELL
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Australia's Best Aussie Vans Competition is back for another year
Caravan World
Best Aussie Vans (BAV) is Australia’s premier, invitation-only caravanning event and it’s back again in 2019
This year marks BAV’s 7th annual showcase and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.
Each year, Caravan World magazine reviews more than 100 caravans and only the best vans in the industry are chosen to participate in BAV.
We invite Australia’s leading manufacturers to come together at an iconic Australian destination where their vans go head-to-head for the top award.
Caravan World
THE JUDGES
Our judging team is chosen to reflect a wide range of industry-centric skillsets, from retired electricians to outback survival experts and long-time caravan owners; experience plays a big part.
Independent assessment of all qualified entrants during the testing and review component of BAV is a critical aspect of each event too, as is independence from manufacturers. No judge for Caravan World can be sponsored by the industry.
Our people are young and old; some are more aligned to the harsh outback and some the gentle life a resort park affords. We do this to offer a balance of opinions and to reflect our readers more widely.
All vans invited to take part in BAV are assessed by our team prior to the event
Caravan World
HOW IT WORKS
Aside from a few wording changes, tightening up the criteria and adding some new voices; how we judge the vans has remained the same since the inaugural Camper Trailer of the Year (CTOTY) in 2009, and we use the exact same judging criteria system at Best Aussie Vans (BAV), with two key differences:
The first being we take at least four judges to BAV who each score the product, and we average their scores and include comments from their broad range of experience and expertise. This is then included in the final reviews that go to print in Caravan World with the award winners.
Caravan World
The second being that every caravan needs to be seen by our team, usually in the form of a review, before being allowed to attend the event.
Our brand, and broader business, is built on a number of core values (one of which is transparency) and our content is defined by its quality, credibility as well as its authority.
We've set the bar high every year for the past six years and look forward to acknowledging some of this year's best manufacturers later in the year.
If you would like to learn more about the judges, the process, the winners and the finalists from previous BAVs, head online to the Caravan World site (caravan.hemax.com) for more details.
Caravan World
THE JUDGES' SCORESHEET
The basis of every review and the guiding assessment principles our panel of judges use to score the final entrants at BAV comprise the following 10 criteria (scored out of 10):
1. VALUE FOR MONEY
3 or less stars: the judge felt like your money should be spent elsewhere
3.5 to 5.5 stars: price-competitive but perhaps not great value
6 to 8.5 stars: good value for money, and better than its competitors
8.5 to 10 stars: exceptionally priced; few competing with it for value
2. TOWABILITY
3 or less stars: felt unsafe or was extremely difficult to tow
3.5 to 5.5 stars: vices in testing that need attention
6 to 8.5 stars: towed well without issue
8.5 to 10 stars: not only towed well but that it exceeded expectations to become a new benchmark in towability
3. LIVEABILITY
3 or less stars: you wouldn't want to, or could not live in the van
3.5 to 5.5 stars: room for improvement is needed but the van is liveable
6 to 8.5 stars: not only liveable but somewhere you would enjoy being
8.5 to 10 stars: you would not only feel at home within but also somewhere you’d rather be
4. SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING
3 or less stars: not fit for its intended purpose
3.5 to 5.5 stars: does most of what it sets out to achieve but needs refinement
6 to 8.5 stars: capable for its intended purpose
8.5 to 10 stars: more capable than the manufacturer suggests or that the reviewer expected
5. LAYOUT
3 or less stars: critical layout issues; that it is barely, if at all, useable
3.5 to 5.5 stars: layout works but has flaws
6 to 8.5 stars: comfortable and practical layout
8.5 to 10 stars: layout is unique, works well and exceeds expectation
6. QUALITY OF FINISH
3 or less stars: major flaws seen throughout the tested product
3.5 to 5.5 stars: carrying some minor, rectifiable cosmetic flaws
6 to 8.5 stars: acceptable but basic finish
8.5 to 10 stars: flawless finish of an impeccable standard
7. BUILD QUALITY
3 or less stars: major build quality issues needing immediate attention
3.5 to 5.5 stars: average quality, needing some refinement
6 to 8.5 stars: well made and up to expectation
8.5 to 10 stars: faultless and innovative build
8. CREATURE COMFORTS
3 or less stars: missing vital components and is uncomfortable
3.5 to 5.5 stars: as comfortable as expected but misses some key components
6 to 8.5 stars: both comfortable and well-appointed
8.5 to 10 stars: a level of opulence not seen in its class before
9. INNOVATION
3 or less stars: replica of a bad design
3.5 to 5.5 stars: run-of-the-mill design that has been seen and done before
6 to 8.5 stars: evolutionary change to a known design or style but done well
8.5 to 10 stars: reserved for new designs that challenge competitors and customers’ expectations of what a van can be
10. X-FACTOR
3 or less stars: suggests the van is boring in all aspects
3.5 to 5.5 stars: has appeal but no more than most vans in its class
6 to 8.5 stars: different, interesting and appealing
8.5 to 10 stars: suggests the van is ground breaking, that it excites and will draw a crowd
The judges
Caravan World
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NB: The judge must quantify or validate their scores with a comment. This could be how the van compares to a similar model on price in ‘Value For Money’ or the level of luxury inside for ‘Creature Comforts’. Although this is covered in full reviews, these snapshots are here to give you the justification behind the judges’ scores.
