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Watercraft by Kimberley: A preview of an exciting new range of Products.

After winning several awards in 2009 including the Telstra Medium Business Award & the AMP Innovation Award, Kimberley looked for a broader horizon.

 

We believe in getting more people into out-of-the-way places to enjoy themselves!
We do this with products you can trust, good on line technical advice and hands-ons specialist distributors with personal product knowledge. 

 

In order to get more people "out there" we have to accommodate a wider range of more compact 4WD’s as well as find an easier solution for “caravaners” and those with soft floor camper trailers who would like to take boats!

Australians who are taking small/medium 4WD’s everywhere also want to take all the toys like boats, bikes, kayaks and have fun in “out of the way” places. This generally involves driving long distances and/or staying in places with no permanent power.

Kimberley already has a design principle of “small when travelling, BIG when camping” so it was a natural step to develop a wider range of products for this emerging market. In fact the horizon was set to have a wide range of RV’s, roof top tents, and camping products that are clean, lean & green for “out of the way places”. By “lean” we mean “lightest weight”!

Kimberley extended the existing range of sustainable camping products that was already being used in the Kamper or Karavan range. With more than 100 years of collective design and engineering experience, the Team gave each new product the same attention to detail that the Kampers and Karavans are renowned for. The range includes 3 types of Solar technology, 3 types of Fuel Cell technology, 3 types of LED camping light technology, rechargeable LED torches, Bio-Diesel Portable Hot Water, eutectic portable refrigerators, and several other products.

Australians love boating and fishing so it was no surprise that one item customers ask about is a lighter & easier to use boat. We heard of several needs:

The customer who already has a reasonable size aluminium boat which is too big to take on the camper trailer and struggles to justify another purchase just for a special trip. Add a boat loader, a folding boat trailer, a 15hp outboard and it is a $10,000 investment plus 240kgs of all up weight!

The customer who had an off road caravan so could only take the boat on top of the 4WD with the outboard would have to be downsized to an 8-12hp in the front of the Karavan.

The customer who had a soft floor camper trailer and could not easily load a boat on top. They could only take the boat on top of the 4WD with the outboard would have to be downsized to an 8-12hp in the front of the soft floor camper trailer.

The customer who did not want to tow anything as they had no space at home for a trailer. They wanted a boat “small when travelling, BIG when camping!” – our signature!

These needs have created the new lightweight Kimberley Hypalon Alloy RIBs and Electric outboards.

The Kimberley Hypalon Alloy RIB allows hundreds of campers/ caravaners to carry a boat on top of their vehicle with less windage and therefore lower fuel costs plus ease of handling.

Being a lighter boat, a smaller and lighter outboard will do the job! They can even combine it with a folding Kimberley electric outboard! (trolling motor size)

The specification of these boats is quite detailed and nothing less than what you would expect to take safely and reliably to out of the way places. The alloy hull boats with inflatable Hypalon tubes come in 2 sizes: 3.2m and 3.5m long, same width, same tube sizes. The 3.2m is ideal for the top of a car, the 3.5m is perfect for the Kamper.

Specifications of Kimberley Hypalon Alloy Rib

Hull/Deck/Transom

• Aluminium Alloy Hull 5086 3mm thick. 5086 is an aluminium alloy, becoming stronger due to strain hardening, or cold mechanical working of the material. Since heat treatment doesn't strongly affect the strength, 5086 can be readily welded and retain most of its mechanical strength. The good results with welding and good corrosion properties in seawater make 5086 extremely popular for building boat and yacht hulls
• Additional Alloy folded floor making a second upper skin with non slip pads.
• 4 reinforced lifting eyes on inside of Hull. These are used for vehicle roof rack mounting frame.
• 25mm Self Bailer  bung located at the transom to ensure the vessel remains dry with open/close function
• Transom has re-enforced supporting Alloy RHS stringers so that transom cannot be crushed by motor clamp screws
• Engine mounting plate on rear of Transom
• Powder coated Hull PREPARED for powder coating

Inflatable Tubes

• French manufactured Orca 828. Base Fabric: Polyester High Tenacity 1100 dtex - 990 deniers
  Exterior coating : Hypalon
• Semi-recessed valves (selected Italian fittings)
• 3 Buoyancy Tubes with over-inflation valve on one tube
• Safety grab lines all sides adjacent to driver
• 2 swivel oarlocks and 2 oar rests
• Tough raised wide anti-chafing deflector strip all the way around outside with splash guard
• Tough raised wide anti-chafing deflector strip all the way along the Keel
• Anchor rope rolling front pulley
• 1 bow handle
• 2 side rear carrying handles
• 2 front pilot handles
• 2 stainless steel tow rings on underside in front
• 2  Quick Release Boats Seats in Aluminium
• Rear tube cone reinforcers with truncated cone ends increasing the internal capacity of the boat for the length (traditional pointed end cones would add 120mm to length)

Accessories Included

• 2 Aluminium oars
• 2 Bench Seats
• Boat Cover in waterproof Oxford material
• Foot pump
• Repair kit
• Kimberley Owner’s manual

Optional Accessories Available

• 12V electric pump with pressure regulator.
• Launching wheels
• Standard Bimini for an Inflatible (imported as seen in photo)
• Kimberley designed Fishing Bimini (one that lets 180 degree casting from front or rear seat in the forward or rear sectors)
• Kimberley designed Fishing rod holder and bait cutting board that mounts on top of side tubes adjacent to driver’s seat
• Seat Bench bag for storage

Kimberley Energy Packs

• 12V 35Ah AGM battery packs that clip in sets under front seat. This allows easier handling and sizing.
• 12V Andersen “plug n play” distribution system
• 75W soft Amorphous Solar panel that attaches to Bimini roof giving 5-6 Amps full power (see photo)
• Fridge locating blocks on front section floor

Optional Kimberley Vehicle Roof rack Mounting Frame

• Details to be release in May-June 2011

Kimberley Compact Folding Electric Outboard (55lbs Trolling Motor)

• Compact Design for easy storage
• 2:1 Steering Control - By rotating the handle 45º the trolling motor adjusts by 90º
• Extendable Shaft - Control the shaft electrically by using the up & down buttons on the handle
• Special Composite Shaft - More flexible and stronger than other shafts
• Adjustable Handle - Adjust to your desired angle by folding the handle up or down (Folding Angle 120º)
• Battery Reader - Displays accurate battery level
• Extendable Handle - Can be extended to 600mm, which will provide better control
• Backward Trolling - Reverse the motor to achieve backward trolling
• Proportional Speed Control - Gives precise of power and accurate speed plus longer battery life.
• 12V and recommended with 100Ah plus of AGM batteries

Indicative Comparisons: Please note, there are not the final pricing of any of the Kimberley Products but an indicative price for the items and the range to assist in making a broad decision. When Kimberley releases their final price list, it will be published on the website as Recommended retail price. This is due in May June 2011.

 

Kimberley Watercraft:	Current Mariner Offering with a typical 3.55 Aluminium Boat and 15 Hp Outboard on a Kimberley Kamper		New eco-mariner Package with a 3.5m Aluminium Hull Hypalon Boat and 15 Hp Outboard on a Kimberley Kamper		New eco-mariner Package with a 3.2m Aluminium Hull Hypalon Boat with Electric Outboard and AGM Batteries for Vehicle Roof Mount with Kimberley Kamper or Kimberley Karavan
2011 Models	Retail	Nominal weight in kg	Indicative Pricing	Nominal weight in kg	Indicative Pricing	Nominal weight in kg
Boat Loader Normal Frame	$1,450	35	MAY be needed	MAY be needed
Alternative NEW Roof Rack rear loading/ unloading kit			TBA		TBA
Folding Alloy Boat Trailer with TREG and Light Board	$2,250	35
Folding Boat Trailer Alloy Carrier	$790	20
Outboard Carrier inside front Gullwing or front storage box of Karavan X Series	$490	5	$490	5	$80	2
Fuel based on 1 20 Litre Jerry can		20		20
Aluminium Boat 3.55m	$2,000	78
15 Hp 2 Stroke Outboard	$2,800	33	$2800	33
55 Lb Electric Outboard (Not an equivalent to 15Hp, more like 1-2Hp)					$950	12
AGM Battery System to 140Ah					$500	44
Kimberley Hypalon Alloy RIB 3.5m			$3900	65
Kimberley Hypalon Alloy RIB 3.2m					$3700	58
NEW RIB Carry frame			$390	7	$390	7
NEW CLICK on travelling and loading wheels			$190	8	$190	8
Initial Promotion Special for a limited time (first 20 units) Kimberley Package Discount if Kimberley Items purchased at same time as a NEW Kamper or Karavan (Outboard motor not included nor need to be ordered through Kimberley)	-$300		-$800		-$1200
Total	$9,480	226	$6,970	138	$4,610	131
75W Amorphous Silicon Weatherproof 4kg Solar Panel designed by Kimberley					$1,590	4
Fishing rod Holder (grenade launchers) and Bait Board mounted to Boat					$129	2
Fridge 12V connector for 40 Litres Engel or equivalent					$29	-

Note: The package discount will apply to anyone who has purchased a Kimberley Karavan or Kamper after April 1^st 2011. Other special Factory offers don’t apply at the same time nor can be taken in conjunction with this offer.