Motorhomes

Company spokesman Max Mayo says Australia's biggest motorhome company expects to record its second successive record financial year after topping 600 sales last year. "Our main customers are retirees or those heading to retirement and with seven million baby boomers or one third of the population, we have ahuge wave of our market heading towards us over the next few years," he says. The 47-year-old family owned company has built a second factory on its Emu Plains site and is now producing one motorhome every three hours with a staff of 250. "We've doubled capacity and still have the capacity to manufacture more than that," Mayo says. "We're only doing one shift at the moment." Winnebago has just updated its Birdsville range which had been unchanged since 2007. Prices start at $119,990, rising between $500-$1000, which Mayo says is less than 1 per cent of the total price. "We try to keep our prices competitive, but we're under a lot of pressure from other products made in China, Taiwan or Korea," he says. "With the advent of the new Fiat chassis we felt we could make enough changes in the spec, the construction method, larger fresh water tanks, extra storage - almost double - and general ambience. "We do listen to customers and take a lot of feedback from our dealers and the Winnebago RV club members. The changes made are largely as a result of their comments." The 2012 Birdsville range offers six living plans accommodating two to eight people using permanent and temporary bedding. It is based on the new Fiat Ducato X251 chassis with 13 per cent better fuel consumption, 25 per cent more power to 132kW and 6 per cent less emissions. Outside, the Birdsville has a streamlined shape to aid aero and fuel economy. In testing by the NRMA, the Birdsville range recorded fuel consumption of 11.34 litres per 100km which is little more than a large family car and less than the 20.52L/100km recorded by a car towing a caravan in the same test. On the safety side, each motorhome comes with four lap/sash seatbelts with the two passengers seated at the dinette with their heads protected by high-back seat cushions. Two child restraint anchorage points are also provided.The motorhome features double-glazed windows, light timber furniture and a mix of energy saving LED lights and bright reading lights operating off the motorhome battery. The kitchen comes with a gas cooktop, deep sink and "intelligent" refrigerator that can run on battery, 240 volt or LPG gas bottle and can select the appropriate energy source itself. There is also an LED TV with built-in DVD player, electric start gas/240 volt hot water system and flushing toilet that does not get splashed by the shower. Winnebago motorhomes come with a two-year one-million-kilometre warranty and five-year structural guarantee.

The line-up of 13 differing floor plans now includes an Esperance Premium. It offers the space and comfort of an A-Class motorhome yet in a convenient size.At eight metres long, the Esperance Premium provides the practicality of a mid-sized motorhome but with an extremely spacious feel to it. The motorhome body and cab are specially manufactured rather than just incorporated into the standard chassis cab.A-class motorhomes offer the advantage of a wider more spacious, easily accessible cabin which is the same size as the rest of the motorhome unlike the traditional motorhomes built on a cab chassis where the cab is somewhat narrower.You can sit back and relax in the leather driver and passenger armchairs which swivel to form part of the living area. The huge one piece windscreen provides exceptional views of the passing scenery.All instrumentation is conveniently located thanks to the large wrap around dash. Controls such as the handy cruise control function allow you to set your speed and enjoy the journey.You can cruise along the highways and unsealed roads comfortably and economically as the Esperance Premium is powered by an Iveco 50C18, 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine coupled with 6-speed automated manual transmission, the dual rear wheels driving the Esperance along with ease.A host of safety equipment is offered as standard including ABS which prevents the wheels from locking in an emergency braking situation, EBD which distributes the braking force evenly over the front and rear wheels and stability control which compensates for driver error by adjusting the action of the engine and the brakes.Inside the motorhome, the feeling of space is accentuated by the electric slide out which, at the push of a button slides the living room wall out creating a huge amount of internal living space.The kitchen is a gourmet's delight with full oven, grill and cooktop, exhaust fan and sink with hot and cold water. The refrigerator offers a large freezer and automatically controls the use of power, switching itself to 240 volt, battery or gas as required thus your food and drinks will remain cold.The rear bedroom area has a large walk around bed that comfortably sleeps two, if you would like to bring along a couple more guests, just pull down the bed above the driver and passenger seat or convert the roomy dinette.A bathroom is located at the rear with separate shower and toilet facilities and as the toilet is not part of the shower recess, it remains dry. The porcelain bowl toilet flushes to a large sealed wheel-along cassette.Apart from the luxurious necessities, Esperance Premium offers a host of standard items such as remote controlled roof air conditioning for heating and cooling, a separate ducted diesel furnace system, a large LCD television with inbuilt DVD player inbuilt, a 7-inch colour screen GPS system incorporating a reversing camera and DVD player.Esperance Premium expands the local Winnebago model range, joining other campervan and motorhome models such as Escape, Diversion, Birdsville and Birdsville Elite, Esperance, Menindee, Longreach and Classic and the other two new models, Eyre and Ceduna.

Dream of packing it in and getting away from it all one day? That's exactly what we did  at least for a couple of weeks  on a rambling trip north to the dusty opal fields of Lightning Ridge in outback NSW.Our weapon of choice was not a 4WD, but a 7 metre, 4.5 tonne 6-berth RV or motorhome  just me and the missus.This wandering lifestyle is the fastest growing segment of the Australian tourism market, injecting $60 million a week into the economies of rural towns, with some 390,000 RVs registered nationally of which 100,000 or more can be found on the road at any one time.About 1500 RVs are sold each year in Australia and most of them are built by Winnebago (no relation to the US company of the same name) which has a 40 per cent share of the market.Started in 1965, the family owned, Sydney-based company employs 200 people and sells around 600 campers and motorhomes each year, priced from $100,000 right through to $615,000. Our test vehicle the Ceduna Highline (they're all named after Australian towns) is one of Winnebago's new models.SPECIAL LICENSEYou do not require a special licence to drive the majority of motor homes. It's determined by weight rather than the length. At 7.1 metres and 3.2 metres high the Ceduna is sizeable but because it weighs in at 4490kg a standard C Class car licence is all that is required. Stepping up from here you need a heavy truck, light rigid licence which is good up to 8 tonnes.UNDERNEATHThis one rides on the back of a Volkswagen Crafter. Winnebago uses a variety of manufacturers, but this is the first VW based motorhome it has produced in a long time. It has a 2.5-litre five cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 100kW of power and 300Nm of torque.The engine is paired with a six-speed robotised manual gearbox that functions like an automatic. You can leave it in Auto or change gears manually  but there's no clutch pedal. It must be in neutral before it will start and reverse is separated from the forward gears, we assume as a safety precaution.FUEL ECONOMYIt has a 75-litre fuel tank. Fuel economy is a claimed 14.0 litres/100km. They reckon the sweet spot is around 90km/h where the engine is turning over at about 2500 revs. Anything above this and the economy is likely to blow out by 30 per cent.It's slow going but we were in no hurry to get there. We averaged between 13.5 and 18.2 litres/100km over a distance of 2270km. Our overall average was 16.0 litres/100km. The price of diesel varied on our trip varied from $149.9 to 156.9 cents a litre, even in the wheat belt up north.DRIVINGIt's big and should be treated with caution. Take it slow and you won't get into trouble. There's plenty of vision with large exterior mirrors and line of sight through the rear window of the van.The exterior mirrors also have a convex section at the bottom that gives a wider field of view when reversing. It's slow off the mark but once you hit cruising speed it's all plain sailing  set the cruise control and crank up the music.Traffic gives you a wide berth so there's plenty of time for making decisions. Don't try driving into any underground carparks because you won't fit. The driver's seat is not located over the wheels unlike a forward control van but you have to allow for the length. Don't forget to pack a GPS navigation device  it will save arguments.PARK OR PARKYou have the choice of staying in caravan parks or simply pulling up in a reserve or by the side of the road. Caravan parks are inexpensive at around $25 a night and mean you can hook up to their power and water and use their amenities (the shower in the van is a tight squeeze).They also have "dump points'' to get rid of the nasty stuff that has been accumulating in the toilet. But the van is fully equipped for a night in the trees, with its own lights, water supply and gas to run the fridge and hot water. An awning unfurls from the side of the van but can be tricky to put up until you've done it a couple of times. After that it's time to get out the deck chairs and crack a cold one and admire the scenery.WHAT YOU GETComes with all the mod cons, including a  self-contained shower and toilet. The main queen-sized bed is motorised and drops from the ceiling at the touch of a button. It has another double bed over the cabin and the rear seats under the queen double as two singles, with seatbelts for six occupants.There's a 150-litre fridge, gas/electric stove and microwave oven plus a digital, flat screen TV with built in DVD player. It needs to be tuned to the local stations every time you stop. Reception is crystal clear, with a wind up antenna.  Did I mention the airconditioner (unfortunately it only works when you're connected to the power).YUCKY STUFFYou need to drain the waste tank every couple of days and refill the water tank which holds 100 litres. Same goes for the toilet which has a sealed removable canister that is accessed via a door in the side. It has wheels and an extendable handle, just like a trolley bag. The idea is to wheel it over to the designated dump point, unscrew the cap and tip the yucky stuff down the hole.Then it has to be rinsed, refilled with half a litre of fresh water and a sachet of chemicals added before it is replaced. It's not too messy and a small price to pay for the convenience.HOW MUCHDeep breath. The vehicle itself is worth about $52,000. Our test Ceduna is priced from $142,00 (more in some states). It comes with a five year structural warranty on the body, plus a two year/1 million kilometre warranty on any Winnebago components. The VW donor vehicle is covered by a 3-year factory warranty.There's a big second hand market for motor homes and the good news is that if you look after it you can sell it again in 12 months for a similar amount to what you paid.VERDICTOne of the main drawbacks of a camper or motorhome is the fact that you've always got it with you. You can't park it and head off to see the local sights after you arrive. One way around this is to tow a small car or 4WD because the Ceduna can tow up to a 2 tonne load. Then again you could simply buy a 4WD and tow a caravan instead.One thing a motorhome is, however, is convenient. You can stop, walk through to the back, cook a meal, have a shower, watch a bit of TV and hit the sack  all without having to leave the safety or comfort of the van.The Ceduna is not perfect but it has much to offer. The bed is comfortable and there's plenty of room to cook or simply sit and relax. Getting into and out of the main bed can be awkward, especially trying to find the recessed foot hold in the dark.We quickly bought a step ladder for the purpose which was much easier to navigate. There's also nowhere to sit if one partner happens to be an early riser because the bed when its in use covers the seating area.The position of the reading lights also need some adjustment and it would be handy if they could be operated independently of the main switch. Both the airconditioner and water pump are also very noisy when operated.All in all however life on the road is fun and has plenty to offer the adventure seeker, whether its a short trip or you fancy the nomadic lifestyle.

Winnebago has announced it is about to start full production of a replacement for the successful Leisure Seeker, superseded in 2008 by the more upmarket Esperance.It will cost $134,990, plus on-road costs, which is $5000 less than the Leisure Seeker.It fits into Winnebago's range between the bottom-end Birdsville models on Fiat platforms and the mid-range Esperance models on Iveco, says spokesman Max Mayo."Ceduna is seen as a motorhomer's motorhome - tough, rugged, traditional, rear-wheel drive, dual rear wheels, plenty of space, and high on comfort," he says."In terms of looks, it is no frills but has all the attributes of Winnebago motorhomes including the metal sheathed underbody ideal of those dirt road adventures."Leisure Seeker was a similar type of motorhome which we build for almost two decades so there are plenty of people out there who have fond memories or in fact continue to adore their Leisure Seeker and Ceduna is there for them to upgrade."Esperance took over from Leisure Seeker and at that time we introduced some style in terms of aerodynamic shape and interior curves."Esperance is a bigger vehicle - about a metre longer than Leisure Seeker and offers a complete choice, especially beds as today, island beds are all the rage."Ceduna has the traditional motorhome look with a raked roof and is built on the Volkswagen Crafter 2.5 litre TDI turbo diesel chassis.It has a three-year, 200,000km warranty on the chassis, a two-year one million kilometre warranty on the home and a five-year structural guarantee.The external storage includes a full-width pass-through bin which can be used for storing longer items such as fishing rods. Inside, the Ceduna has a U-shaped lounge at the rear with over-large glass louvre windows for ventilation.Ceduna has seatbelts and beds for six people including a push-button electric roll-down double bed stored against the ceiling, two single beds which double as part of the lounge and a double bed over the cab.The bathroom has a hot shower, flushing toilet and hand basin. The hot water system is gas or 240v electric and heats 23 litres of water at a time.It comes with cabin and roof air conditioning, flat-screen TV with DVD player, a roll-out awning, electric entry step, and a kitchen with oven, grill and hotplates including an electric hot plate. Mayo says Winnebago sales are setting records."Whilst times are tough given the local and global uncertainly and sluggish housing market, Winnebago did however finish the last financial year with record retail sales; the best since the company was established back in 1965," he says.

Winnebago marketing manager Max Mayo says while most campervans are designed to cater for two people, these ones will be patterned after the space and comfort of the larger motorhome styles."Our new campervans take comfort and versatility to a new plateau and both models will cater for four people in style," he says.The Escape is a 6.4m campervan on a Fiat Ducato three-litre turbo diesel, while the Diversion is built on a 7.3m, long-wheelbase Mercedes Benz Sprinter van. There are no prices yet for the Diversion, but the drive-away price of the Escape is $105,929.They feature an electric roll-down bed which drops from the ceiling and can sleep two adults. There are other beds for two more people.Both will be displayed for the first time at the Queensland Caravan Camping Touring and Holiday Show from June 9 to 15 at the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane.While most campervans do not include bathroom and toilet facilities or have a small shower recess, the Escape and Diversion have an expanding bathroom system with a flushing toilet.There is also a large "garage" area in the rear of the campervans made by storing the electric double bed against the ceiling and folding up the two single beds against the wall. The space created can hold a motorbike or two, a quad bike, bicycles, surfboards fishing rods and more.During the week, the Escape can double as mum's car or as a tradies truck with optional checker plating installed for the tool box. On the weekend, it can be used as a self-contained campervan. Winnebago claims the Escape has the biggest bathroom of any campervan and features a fold away external table.The Diversion is highlighted by leather armchairs, well-equipped kitchen, a sofa bed which converts electronically into a large comfortable bed and large awning. It also features roof and cabin air-conditioning, an LCD 12 volt TV with DVD player inbuilt , awning, microwave, two gas bottles and the largest campervan bathroom on the market.Both campervans have kitchen drawers that can be accessed from outside.

Some manufacturers were reporting waiting lists of up to six months as grey nomads are “SKIing” all over Australia.For those who don't know, “SKI” stands for Spending the Kids' Inheritance, and retirees are doing it in style with big campervans, motorhomes and camper trailers.The Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia reckons there is a sales boom in recreational vehicles not seen since the 1970s.RVMAA president Tony Bellamy said there were 400,000 registered caravans in Australia and more with motorhomes.Last year the RVMAA calculated 18,200 towable units were built in Australia. This compares with the record of 38,000 in the '70s and a low of 5000 in the mid-'90s.“The best estimates are that close to 3000 camper trailers were manufactured last year and most of the rest were either caravans or pop-top caravans,” Bellamy said.Several hundred tent trailers were also built, but the RVMAA does not have any estimate.The RVMAA estimates about 1500 motorised models — campervans and motorhomes — were built in 2006.And most of these are not cheap vehicles. While you can start in the early $30,000s, prices can also reach $400,000.Most are in the $100,000-$200,000 price category, according to Hymer Australia's marketing manager Richard Towson.Hymer, one of several builders of motorhomes in Australia, claims motorhomes are the fastest-growing segment of Australia's recreation vehicles, particularly in Queensland where sales grew 40 per cent last year.“Many grey nomads are cashed-up and looking for a quality prestige vehicle,” Towson said.Bellamy predicts that, despite petrol prices, 2007 will be an even stronger year with manufacturers' order books quickly filling up.“There are more and more retirees out there,” he said.“Baby boomers are coming into retirement and whereas they used to want to travel around the world, now they are wanting to do Australia first because of events overseas.”There was such a demand for caravans, campers and motorhomes that some manufacturers were reporting waiting lists of up to six months.Bellamy also predicts record crowds for the Brisbane Caravan and Camping Show at the RNA from June 6-12.Redlands couple on the roadLong-term caravanners Malcolm and Pauline Grose, of Redlands, are real stop-outs.And they are typical of the current crop of grey nomads.They have been caravanning for 42 years, but stepped it up a bit after Malcolm, 65, retired as a building inspector seven years ago and after Pauline, 64, retired last year from Myer.They went straight out and updated to a Jayco Sterling 18-foot caravan for $53,000 and have hardly been home since.“We haven't been on the big lap around Australia yet, but that will be next year,” Pauline says confidently.“We go away every month for at least a week with the Southern Cross Caravan Club or on our own.”Even as you read this, the Groses will be somewhere out in western Queensland stirring up the bulldust and meeting new friends.“You see so many people and everyone talks to you and you make so many friends out on the road,” Pauline said.Malcolm couldn't begin to calculate how many kilometres they have covered in their 42 years of caravanning.“I don't even know what we've done in the past year, but we're about to cover another 3000km in the next few weeks,” he said.And what of spending the kids' inheritance?“We've worked hard all our lives, so why shouldn't we enjoy it?” Pauline says.“You can work all your life and save your money, but you can't take it with you so you may as well enjoy it,” Malcolm adds.

Financial pressures are forcing families and young couples to look for cheaper ways to take holidays, according to Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association president Tony Bellamy. And that's making them think local.The ongoing boom has encouraged Australia's largest maker of recreational vehicles, Jayco, to announce last week it is investing $35 million in a new factory and boosting staff by 150."High petrol prices make caravanning more attractive and more appealing, in a strange way," Bellamy says."Petrol prices affect the entire family budget, so people look at the most economical way to go on holidays, and it's still caravanning."The reality is the world oil price has an effect on virtually all forms of travel, whether it's by aeroplane or anything else."It hasn't affected sales because petrol or diesel is one of the lowest parts of the travel budget when it comes to caravanning."We've just had the Adelaide, Perth and Sydney caravan shows, and all had increased sales. The fuel price has not affected attendances."Bellamy says other factors, including one of the major causes of world oil prices — international insecurity caused by war and terrorism — also work in favour of the local touring industry."With recent overseas events, people are wanting to travel in Australia because it's seen as safer," he says."There's also a kind of a return to family values that we're seeing now. Families are holidaying together more.Bellamy says the industry hasn't quite returned to its glory days of the mid-1970s when more than 35,000 recreational vehicles, including caravans, campertrailers and motorhomes, were sold each year.But it's been a dramatic rise from the industry low in the 1990s, when fewer than 5000 were sold annually.Since then there's been an average 13 per cent annual growth each year, up to last year's 17,600 sales.Bellamy estimates the number will be close to 17,000 again this year as the rise begins to level off."Caravan parks are still popular, but there's a move to offroad caravans, many with solar panels and satellite TV."The motorhome market is growing as well, even though they range in price from $70,000-$700,000."Traditional retirees are buying large caravans, but we're getting a lot of younger people, say 45 to 50, who are buying expensive motorhomes."A lot have higher incomes and are able to spend more."

Try as we might — and we did try — we couldn't shake the deceptively comfortable home-away-from-home camper trailer we'd hitched to our wagon, a 100 Series Toyota LandCruiser.The heavy-duty offroad camper-trailer is the ultimate camp follower, as tough as the full-blooded four-wheel-drives it's designed to follow — maybe tougher, if our test at the Melbourne 4x4 Training and Proving Ground at Werribee is anything to go by.John Spence, of Geelong Prestige Jayco, looks a little nervous as he descends into the Valley of Mechanical Death, his spotless Jayco Flamingo Outback in tow.Pop-up camper trailers are the lightweight convertibles of the caravan world. Only slightly bigger than a trailer, they become full-sized caravans when set up. Creature comforts are impressive: fridge, four-burner stove, sink, microwave oven, fold-up mini-wardrobe, sleeping room for seven.There is an Outback version of all Jayco camper trailers — whether Doves, Hawks, Eagles or Swans. They have extra protection underneath, heavy-duty suspension, electric brakes and a 250mm higher ride.The kit adds 90kg, bringing the Flamingo up to a still trim 1120kg.Proving ground chief instructor Rob Emmins is impressed."There's strength where you need it and decent shock absorbers, which is important," he says.Emmins is happy with the ride height, too: "You need clearance but you can't have them too high or they get unstable. This one is pretty good."The Werribee River is the first obstacle. We nervously take the 'Cruiser through the water and scramble up the bank. The Flamingo follows faithfully. We then do a quick lap (the camper trailer doesn't help in a tight turning circle), then splash through again.Emmins chuckles. "You did it the hardest way possible, really."A good start, but now it's test two: the formidible Suspension Twister. Spence looks anxious.The Twister, or articulation test, is a series of deep ruts — first left, then right — designed to belt the heck out of the shock absorbers. Metal bangs earth as we enter. But it's the 4WD bottoming out, not the Flamingo. Spence owns the LandCruiser. He doesn't look happy.Further in there's another bang, this time on the other side of the 'Cruiser as it lurches right. The Flamingo is on an awkward angle, but otherwise handles the whole test with ease.After crunching our way through, we think about doing it again.Spence says he's happy to, but the look on his face says otherwise. We proceed to test three instead — a scramble up a steep slope, complete with wet, greasy logs.We get halfway, but hit our limit. Wheels spin, the diesel engine grumbles, but we go nowhere.Is the extra weight the problem?Emmins says it would be a tough task even without towing. "It's simply too slippery."We give up and go back down.Overall, Emmins is happy to give the Flamingo a tick, and so are we. Anywhere we're likely to want to go, the Flamingo will happily wing its way too.The Jayco Flamingo Outback, from $22,500, will be at the Melbourne Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow.

European motorhome market leader and the second largest caravan manufacturer, Hymer and Europe's sixth largest caravan and motorhome maker, Adria, have released a range of models at the Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow at Rosehill. It marks their launch on the Australian market.Australian distributor of Hymer and Adria, Terrence Burchett says: "The Australian leisure van market is growing at a rate of more than 18 per cent a year; five times that of the automotive industry," Industry figures show that Australians and international visitors will make more than 600,000 caravan and motorhome trips in Australia this year. And with the industry worth more than $2.1 billion annually, it's no wonder that these European companies want a piece of the action.German manufacturer Hymer has introduced to Australia two motorhomes, the S-Class and B-Star-Line and three models of caravans in the Nova range. Hymer is closely aligned with Mercedes-Benz.Its top of the range motorhome, the S-Class, is built on a Mercedes-Benz chassis and is powered by a 2.7-litre, five-cylinder Mercedes turbo diesel engine, producing 116kW.Hymer and Adria spokesman Richard Towson says: "Hymer is Mercedes-Benz' biggest customer, and they use each others facilities. They have a very close relationship."Hymer's products range from a $45,000 caravan, to the top of the range motorhome, the S-Class, valued at about $325,000.Slovenian company Adria has introduced two models of caravans to Australia, the Adora and Adiva range. It will release its Vision motorhome later this year. Adria caravans range in cost from $39,950 to $59,950.Towson says a major feature of these new European caravans is their light weight and easy towing ability. He says they are the lightest mid-size and large caravans on the Australian market."They are equivalent to Australian brands and you can tow them in a normal family sedan," he says.Adria's largest caravan in Australia, the Adiva 642UP, weighs 1350kg. He says similar sized caravans can weigh up to two tonnes.The company is aiming at people who are joining the caravanning world rather than going on boat or hotel holidays.The caravan industry expects to deliver up to 25,000 vehicles in Australia this year, with 70 per cent caravans, 20 per cent motorhomes and the remaining 10 per cent, "pop tops".