Australians shopping for a family-friendly tourer keep landing on the same three words: New Age Manta Ray. It’s one of the best-known nameplates in the New Age Caravans lineup, built for couples and families who want a proper ensuite van without stepping up to a dedicated remote-touring brand.
This guide pulls the whole Manta Ray range into one place: variants, current pricing, running costs and what the repayments look like once you finance one. Pricing is drawn from New Age’s published starting prices and current dealer listings, and moves depending on the dealer, build slot, state and options fitted – so treat this as a starting point for your own quotes, not a final number.
Manta Ray variants at a glance
New Age doesn’t sell “the Manta Ray” as a single van – it’s a nameplate that runs across three capability tiers, built on the same DNA but specced differently depending on where you travel. Broadly, you’ll see three groupings in dealer stock:
| Variant | Capability | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Manta Ray | On road | Couples and families touring sealed roads and caravan parks |
| Manta Ray S.O. | Semi off road | Gravel roads, graded tracks and free camps off the bitumen |
| Manta Ray Expedition | Full off road | Remote touring, corrugations and extended time off-grid |
Within each variant there are multiple floorplans and lengths – the 2026 line-up includes the Manta Ray 15, 16 and the updated 18ER, alongside larger family layouts. Configurations vary across single bed and bunk arrangements, café dinette versus club lounge seating, and different water, solar and battery capacity. Confirm the exact floorplans currently in build with your dealer, as New Age refreshes the range each model year.
If you’re weighing up off-road capability generally, our best off-road caravans guide covers what matters most – chassis, suspension and water capacity over badge. And if you’re deciding between a full van and something lighter, our explainer on what a hybrid caravan actually is is a useful starting point.
How much does a Manta Ray cost?
New Age publishes starting prices for each variant. As a guide across the range:
- Manta Ray (on road): from $74,490, the entry point to the nameplate.
- Manta Ray S.O. (semi off road): from $77,426, adding the running gear for gravel and graded tracks.
- Manta Ray Expedition (full off road): from $90,990, the tougher end of the range that “Manta Ray Expedition” searchers are usually after.
These are starting prices for base models. A well-optioned Expedition can push past $100,000 drive-away once you add suspension, power and appliance upgrades.
Options that move the price meaningfully include:
- Off-road suspension upgrades and increased tyre clearance
- Extra solar wattage and lithium battery upgrades
- Second air conditioner or upgraded climate control
- Bunk configurations for kids vs. single-bed layouts for couples
- Upgraded appliance packages (larger fridge, four-burner cooktop, washing machine)
Used Manta Ray pricing
Used Manta Rays typically list from around $50,000 to $70,000 depending on age, condition and variant. Current listings show 2019 ensuite models in the $51,000–$60,000 band and recent dealer-used stock around $69,000. A well-kept three to four year old van can be a genuinely good buy – but always get an independent inspection and check the service history, especially on off-road-specced units that may have seen harder use. If you’re buying used, finance for a used caravan is assessed a little differently to new – our guide on second-hand caravan finance covers what changes.
Running and ownership costs
A Manta Ray isn’t just a purchase price – budget for ongoing costs too, or the “cheap” van becomes expensive fast. Here’s what typically hits your budget each year. These are general industry ranges rather than New Age figures, so treat them as a planning guide:
- Insurance: roughly $600–$1,200 a year depending on van value, storage and claims history.
- Registration: varies by state, generally $400–$900 annually for a caravan this size.
- Servicing: budget $300–$600 per service, generally annual or every 10,000km towed.
- Depreciation: caravans typically lose 15–20% in the first year, then settle into steadier declines; off-road Expedition models tend to hold value slightly better due to demand.
- Storage: off-site caravan storage runs $50–$150 a month in most capital cities if you can’t keep it at home.
Family tourers like the Manta Ray also cop more wear on tyres, brakes and suspension if you’re regularly on unsealed roads, so factor that in if you’ve gone for the Expedition spec.
Financing a Manta Ray
Most buyers finance a Manta Ray rather than paying cash, and the weekly repayment is usually a more useful number than the sticker price. (New to this? Our guide on understanding your caravan loan walks through the basics, and if you’re weighing up the decision, here’s the case for financing your caravan sooner.) Here’s an indicative repayment table based on a secured caravan loan, 7-year term, 9.49% p.a. indicative interest rate (10.20% p.a. comparison rate) and a 10% deposit, structured as principal and interest.
| Variant | Price from | Deposit (10%) | Loan amount | Approx. weekly repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manta Ray | $74,490 | $7,449 | $67,041 | ~$253/week |
| Manta Ray S.O. | $77,426 | $7,743 | $69,683 | ~$263/week |
| Manta Ray Expedition | $90,990 | $9,099 | $81,891 | ~$309/week |
These figures are indicative only, based on the stated rate, term and deposit assumptions, and exclude establishment and ongoing fees. Your actual rate, comparison rate and repayments will depend on the lender, your credit profile, the loan term you choose and the specific van and options financed. Comparison rate warning: comparison rates are true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. This is not a loan offer or quote. Always get a personalised quote before deciding.
What to think through before you sign
- Deposit size matters more than most buyers expect. Moving from a 10% to a 20% deposit on the Expedition takes the weekly repayment from about $309 to about $274 – a saving of roughly $34 a week.
- Loan term trades weekly affordability against total interest paid. On the entry Manta Ray, a 5-year term costs about $1,408 a month against about $1,095 over 7 years – but you pay roughly $17,400 in total interest instead of about $24,970.
- Balloon payments** can lower weekly repayments further but leave a lump sum owing at the end – worth understanding before you agree to one.
Because family budgets are usually juggling a mortgage, school costs and everyday living, it pays to compare more than one lender before settling on a rate. Our guide to caravan finance rates shows what to look for, and if your credit history isn’t perfect, caravan finance with bad credit is still possible. There’s also a reason more Australians are choosing brokers over banks for exactly this kind of comparison.
And if you’re a little further along in life, don’t assume the road has passed you by – caravan finance over 50 is more accessible than most people expect.
Manta Ray vs. similar family vans
On price, the Manta Ray sits in the middle of the popular family-tourer pack. As a rough guide:
- New Age Manta Ray: from $74,490 (on road) to $90,990+ (Expedition)
- Jayco: a broader ladder, from the entry-level Starcraft up to the Silverline – a 2026 Silverline 21.65 lists around $127,715 drive-away
- Lotus: a clear premium step up, with the lightweight Off Grid listing around $158,777 and the Trooper range well above that
If you’re cross-shopping against Jayco specifically, our Jayco caravans cost guide covers those numbers in more detail, and our Lotus caravans price guide shows the premium step up. The short version: the Manta Ray prices competitively against Jayco’s equivalent ensuite models, with the Expedition spec pitched at buyers who’d otherwise look at dedicated off-road brands – at a meaningful discount to them.
