History

Cub Campers is 43 years old in 2011 – an extra special achievement for an Australian family business. Cub is a 100-percent locally-owned company that survived several recessions and manufacturing downturns, and seen countless competitors come and go. Cub is now the second largest camper trailer manufacturer in Australia with orders banked up for several months.

Cub’s success is largely due to the passion of three men: JK Fagan, his son Roger and grandson Shane. Three generations of enthusiastic, creative and hard working manufacturers. JK, a retired pharmacist, bought the business in 1968. Soon after, his 25-year-old son Roger joined him. From their modest premises in Lakemba in Sydney’s South West, they designed and manufactured Cub’s first ever camper trailer. The first Cub Camper trailer was simply a box trailer with a canopy, window and mattress.

The no-nonsense approach, with its focus on practical, hard-wearing designs, worked. By 1972 a new larger factory needed to be built to cater for rising demand. The product became more sophisticated over the years and in 1975, Cub’s trademark Drifter 6-berth was released. Over the next 20 years thousands of Drifters were built and most are still in use today.

The Drifter paved the way for the ever-popular Supamatic, Kamparoo, Spacematic and Spacevan camper trailers. The modern day Cub Camper is easier to tow, easier to put up and includes creature comforts such as hot water, portaloos, showers and BBQs. For many years Cub was also a major manufacturer of the respected Cub horse trailer. However, in the nineties, Roger decided to focus exclusively on camper trailers. In 1986 Cub started to export to the USA. Thousands of units have now been sold and sales are still going strong.

In 2004, Roger’s son Shane joined the business. At just 28 years of age, Shane had forged a successful career as a green keeper, but his eye for detail and his passion for the family business led him back to Cub.

Now, in 2011, camping is more popular than ever. And as “glamping” (glamorous camping) brings even more people to the great outdoors, the product will continue to evolve to cater to people’s needs.

Roger, now 69 and semi-retired, is proud of what he’s achieved. “It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. I am so proud of the product and I am so proud of my family. JK would be so proud.”

Roger’s father JK, passed away in 1987 at the age of 82. His involvement with the business continued until just months before his death.

Shane, now 35, plans to carry on the family tradition. “It can be challenging working with your father,” he says. “Dad has made this company so great and he’s a real genius with his innovation and forward thinking. But I think I can contribute even more.”

The biggest highlight in Cub’s evolution according to Roger was the invention of the unique ezy-wind system. “Now, people in their 70s and 80s can still enjoy camping because the Cub camper trailer are so easy to erect,” he says. In fact baby boomers are our best customers. In the age of foreign-owned businesses, cheap imports from Asia and manufacturing decline, the Cub story is a great one. It shows the ‘Aussie battler’ tradition is alive and well for at least another generation.

Roger is most proud of Cub’s latest achievement – the new factory and showroom at North Rocks, making the future growth of Cub a reality.