New Zealand
iMotorhome Issue 6: May 2017
Wilderness Time!
Da y test
Dethleffs Globebus
A few days in Bürstner’s cute and compact Ixeo Time IT586… GT
2 About iMotorhome
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Christopher O'Hare
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Richard Robertson E: richard@imotorhome.co.nz Editor Malcolm Street E: malcolm@imotorhome.co.nz
4 Street view
Kia ora! Haera mai. As I write this, Mr iM Publisher and I have not long returned from the inaugural iMotorhome Route 66 motorhome trip across the USA. To say the least it was a very interesting trip and not only gave us a snapshot view of American life from Illinois to California, it was also an opportunity to experience the North American RV lifestyle - everything from staying overnight in a Walmart superstore carpark to a great train ride up to the Grand Canyon – okay so it wasn't just a motorhome trip, but still great! Travelling along Route 66 with its myriad of closed/ rundown/still open/restored gas (aka petrol) stations, diners, motels and museums was a great testimony to the American captivation and dependence on the automobile. It was also a rather intriguing look at the American fascination with things ‘retro’. In some ways I found it a reminder of the New Zealand I knew back in the late 70s and early 80s. Coming from Australia it was like a little trip back in time.... Lest you think I jest at your expense I did enjoy it, especially seeing some of the British cars, long gone from Britain but still running around NZ. For me it was part of the charm of Kiwi Land that still has me visit frequently. Life in US RV parks was an interesting study. Much to several fellow traveller's amusement I became rather fascinated by some of the intricate arrangements for grey and black water drainage. RV parks often had drainage points for each site and RVs generally tended to have black tanks rather than toilet cassette tanks. RV accessory shops had entire sections for drainage pipe fittings and plastic fittings for ensuring a downhill run for the pipe! Because RVs could have a ‘full hook-up’ – electricity (110 V), fresh water, grey/black drainage hose and, in some cases, cable TV – amenities blocks tended to be very small and not used much. That might seem like a minor matter but to me what it did was affect the social interaction of the RV park. In both NZ and Australia,
amenities block are often places for saying hello and exchanging a few pleasantries with fellow travellers. Apart from one exception in Santa Fe there was certainly nothing like a camp kitchen – so often a great feature of many a Kiwi caravan park. Missing too, except again for Santa Fe, was the communal barbecue, often a great place for the end-of-day happy hour. Our little group attracted much attention at our daily happy hour, whether there was a barbecue or not. Clearly we were doing something a little unusual, yet quite normal for us, as we didn’t see any locals celebrating happy hour. Prior to our time away, Mr iM Publisher and I spent a brief time in Auckland, including a visit to the Covi Show. Immediately upon our return from the USA, the Sydney Show was happening. All of this gave us the interesting opportunity of comparing motorhomes/campervans from New Zealand, Australia, the USA and Europe (by default at the NZ show) in a very short space of time. There weren't too many surprises: Americans clearly like everything large – motorhomes, engines and RV parks. Space is much prized but whether that space is efficiently used is another matter. Both Australian and New Zealand manufacturers tend to build smaller rigs and the motive power is usually turbo-diesel, whereas in the US very large petrol engines are the norm. This might sound an odd comment but I reckon Aussie and Kiwi manufacturers can hold their heads up amongst the US motorhome builders. Certainly in the technology, building techniques and weight saving departments we are well in front. Then there's the European manufacturers who are quite obsessed with winning the ‘space’ and fuel economy race, with their very efficiently built motorhomes. Now there I suspect, the Americans could learn much. I know Route 66 is not a New Zealand destination but even so, do it sometime soon. It’s an eye opener!
Haere ra
Malcolm
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6 Contents
2
About Us
8
Behind the Wheels
4
Who we are, where and other legal stuff
Trump Card?
10
Street View Kia ora!
News What’s happening in the wider RV world and beyond
20
Touring Test: Bürstner Ixeo Time IT586
32
Day Test: Dethleffs Globebus GT
44
Euro Visions
48
Travel: Getting our Kicks!
60
TechTalk
70
What's On
Malcolm spends a few days in this compact Wilderness rental…
This baby German A-class is a grand tourer!
An interview with European RV manufacturing royalty…
A lighthearted look at our first international motorhome tour
Safety First
Things to do for the next three months!
64
MobileTech
76
Next Issue
Smart Apps, Smart Moves
What’s coming up in our June Issue!
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8 Behind the Wheels
Trump Card? The time since last issue has been a whirlwind. During it we ran our first international motorhome tour, along the iconic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Following a late cancellation, five motorhomes made up our ‘convoy’ and Mrs iMotorhome and I lead it as we first drove the Mother Road in 2013. To the uninitiated, motorhoming in America can be daunting (rather like its politics). Huge motorhomes abound and efficiency in terms of space utilisation, design innovation and fuel usage seem largely uncared for. For example, most of our group drove the smallest models from Winnebago’s Minnie Winnie range: the 22R. Measuring 23’ 10’ (7.26 m) these 4-berth C-class motorhomes ride on Ford E350 cab-chassis with 6.8 L V10 petrol engines and a tare weight around 5.5 tonnes! We averaged 26 L/100 km (9 miles per US gallon) and although fuel was around US$2.25 per gallon across most of the country, the bill added up. For all its size and bulk the tiny kitchen had absolutely no bench space, but with a retail price of US$71,098 – and nobody pays retail – it provided plenty of bang for the buck. Especially considering it had central heating, ducted aircon, a remote-start Onan generator, electric awning, flatscreen TV and more. Amazingly, remote central locking and electric mirrors were absent, but that’s a Ford thing. Go figure. Another thing hard to get my head around is that US motorhome rental companies don’t open on weekends (well, maybe Saturday morning if you’re lucky, but not for returns). Imagine! Even in NZ I can pick-up or drop-off a rental any day of the week. It’s even more puzzling when you consider
you can usually pick up a rental car at any hour of the day or night, and that many Walmarts, supermarkets and other big retailers are open 24/7. Go figure indeed! However, progress is infiltrating the US motorhome industry and it’s coming in the shape of MercedesBenz Sprinters, Dodge Rams (rebadged Fiat Ducatos) and Ford Transits. On our trip four years ago, compact Eurobased motorhomes were out there, but rare. This time around the numbers seemed to have exploded, as American’s discover the driving pleasure and economy of European-based C-class motorhomes. Interestingly, straight van conversions (they call them B-class) are also booming, so Hymer’s recent buy-out of Canadianbased Roadtrek should come as no surprise. What’s most interesting in all this is that on average, Euro-based vehicles are much dearer than Ford-based motorhomes despite also being smaller. Of course, monster diesel pushers towing huge SUVs are everywhere and there’s no danger America will abandon its love affair with big, powerful and entirely wasteful RVs any time soon. But there is a glimmer of hope. Either way, the US recreational market is booming and sales in 2017 are 11% up on 2016, which itself was a record year. Is Trump making America great again or are people scared to travel overseas? It’s hard to tell, but whatever the reason it sure makes the US a fascinating market to watch and visit. And that could be its trump card…
Richard
Choose your own adventure.
Whether it’s off the beaten track or across to the next town, the TrailLite fleet features a range of motorhomes and caravans designed to cater for every taste of adventure and every budget. We’ve thought of everything. Auckland 77 Paerata Road, Pukekohe
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10 News
Latest News NEWS WANTED If you, your company or organisation have topical news to share with the wider motorhome community then let iMotorhome New Zealand know. Reader letters relating to news, articles in this issue or other topics are also encouraged. Send all correspondence and images to editor@imotorhome.co.nz and we’ll do our best to include it.
NZMCA WATCHING FREEDOM CAMPING REGS The NZMCA says that with a number of councils around the country currently reviewing their Freedom Camping by-laws, it is keeping a close-eye on proceedings. “We are committed to ensuring that freedom camping by-laws are permissive, as set out in the legislation, so we won’t be sitting back where councils take a restrictive approach,” said NZMCA CEO Bruce Lochore. “At present we are keeping a close eye on three councils in particular; Taupo (which has a draft by-law that on the face of it, is very disappointing); Marlborough (whose by-law has been finalised and which we think falls short of the requirements); and we are watching Christchurch, who were due to review their by-law in April.” “Christchurch, is an interesting situation. They had a relatively small freedom camping problem, so the council put a by-law in place with a ‘designated sites’ approach that created a larger problem. Last year they reacted to that problem by becoming quite prohibitive in their approachwe didn’t object at the time because we knew it was going to be reviewed now. But we are adamant we’re not going to sit back while a prohibitive approach is continued. In all these cases we are still prepared to work with the councils, to understand where they are coming from, but we will be expecting a far more permissive regime out of it than we’re seeing at present,” Bruce concluded.
12 NEWS12
BÜRSTNER’S DESIGN AWARD
The unique floorplan of the Bürstner's Lyseo T744 has been recognised with one of the most important awards in the motorhome industry. The European Innovation Awards are chosen by a professional panel of 12 international motorhome and caravan magazine editors, and have named Bürstner’s Lyseo T744 first in the Floor Plan category, a main award heading of the 2017 event. Featuring good living and lounging space, Bürstner's Lyseo T744 has a drop-down bed over the living area in the rear. It tucks neatly away into the ceiling when not being used, thus creating a lounge area underneath. A second drop-down bed at the front provides further sleeping comfort that’s invisible during the day. Utilising the rear as the lounge is a departure from traditional Bürstner motorhome design and much more like a New Zealand motorhome. “We’re always excited when Bürstner is recognised as the world’s best,” said SmartRV Managing Director John Managh. “We know how hard the design teams are always working and it’s just one of many factors that sets Bürstner apart”. The award-winning Lyseo T744 is now available to view at SmartRV’s Auckland showroom and will be at SmartRV’s Christchurch branch from June
Life in Motion
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Enjoy the ride in distinctive style and unparalleled comfort that can only be experienced in a European crafted motorhome. Journey through the best years of your life in a motorhome of your dreams from our extensive fleet of luxury vehicles. Call us today and put yourself in the picture. View our full range at smartrv.co.nz or visit us in Auckland or Christchurch.
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Nothing is too much trouble for the team at SmartRV. Their service is great and they always do the best they can. Their company and their friendly and professional staff stand out a mile. The SmartRV team are awesome! Anne Peppercorn, Whangarei
Exclusively distributed in New Zealand by
11 Pavilion Drive, Airport Oaks, Auckland | 3 Export Ave, Harewood, Christchurch | 0800 005 312 | imotorhome@smartrv.co.nz | smartrv.co.nz For opening hours see smartrv.co.nz
14 News DHL NEW ZEALAND LIONS SERIES 2017 Attending the first match of the 2017 Lions Series at Whangarei? Well here's some really good news for motorhome owners. The NZMCA has been working in conjunction with the Whangarei District Council to ensure that certified self-contained motorhome and caravan parking will be available at three sites within the town area. Dates are Fri 2nd June (from 5:00 pm) to Sun 4th June (to 10:00 pm). Bookings are essential. Following on from that, sites will subsequently be available for the Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin matches. For more information and updates, click HERE.
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16 NEWS 16
KIWI DESIGNER AT BÜRSTNER A young project coordinator from SmartRV has recently embraced a rare opportunity to share Kiwi visions of motorhome design with Bürstner’s product development team in Germany. Josh Smith, a qualified industrial designer, spent four month on an internship with Bürstner’s design and technical teams in Kehl, Germany. Josh has been with SmartRV since 2013 and previously designed a 4x4 off-road camper for Wilderness called the Safari 4x4. He describes the internship in Europe as a fantastic, hands-on learning experience. SmartRV Managing Director John Managh said the highly rewarding internship demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to every aspect of customer satisfaction. “Josh was able to discuss unique New Zealand conditions and requirements while forging a close relationship with Bürstner’s product developers. That’s a win-win for our customers and future motorhome design decisions, as well as for Josh,” he adds. As part of his time with Bürstner, Josh Smith was also granted a unique opportunity to work on a special Bürstner project, a Lyseo concept car for the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon. He spent weeks developing ideas for the vehicle exterior, creating a fresh, sporty yet elegant design from matte bronze and copper vinyl, seeing the process through from concept to completion.
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1
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2
1
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Carado T449 – Automatic 232
232
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699
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Prices include GST and on roads costs. Prices and specifications are current as at May 2017 but are subject to change.
The SmartRV team’s commitment to providing us with what can only be described as an exemplary level of customer and after-sales service is fantastic and is a credit to the team and the company. Paul Goonan & Murray Patton
Exclusively distributed in New Zealand by
11 Pavilion Drive, Airport Oaks, Auckland | 3 Export Ave, Harewood, Christchurch | 0800 005 312 | imotorhome@smartrv.co.nz | smartrv.co.nz For opening hours see smartrv.co.nz
18 NEWS 18
AVIDA’S NEW TRIPLE SLIDE-OUT At the recent Sydney Supershow, Avida unveiled its new Fremantle motorhome. Designed with spacious motorhome living in mind, the Fremantle is fitted with triple slide-outs. It's based on an Iveco Daily 70C17 cab-chassis fitted with a twin-turbo 150 kW/470 Nm version of the standard 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. Slideouts on either side result in a very spacious kitchen and front living area. In the back, a rear wall slide-out offers the alternatives of both a spacious bedroom or a second living area – something almost unique in the Australian and New Zealand markets.
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20 Touring Test: Bürstner Ixeo Time IT586
Wilderness Time!
A few days in Bürstner’s cute and compact Ixeo Time IT586… by Malcolm Street
Touring Test 21
O
n my trip to Auckland for the Covi Show, Wilderness – the rental arm of SmartRV – loaned me a Freestyle 2 motorhome. Although it might sound confusing, Wilderness has its own naming system for its rental models. This means it can keep the same names even if the vehicle make/ model assigned to that designation changes. Currently, the Freestyle 2 is a diminutive
Bürstner Ixeo Time IT586, and it not only supplied me with around town transport but also my accommodation. Despite the compact dimensions – 5.9m (19' 4”) – it's not the smallest in the Wilderness fleet, but looking from outside one does have thoughts about how cramped the interior might be. So, how did it shape up? Read on…
22 Touring Test
Motive Power
F
irst up, the Ixeo Time IT586, like all Bürstner motorhomes, rides on a Fiat Ducato cab-chassis. In this case a Multijet 130; that being a 2.3 litre turbo-diesel delivering 96 kW and 320 Nm. On the road the motorhome is certainly easy to handle and when parking up, a breeze to manoeuvre. I'd be happy with Fiat's six speed manual gearbox with this little beauty, but since most people prefer an auto of some sort a six speed automated manual transmission (AMT) is what you get.
The compact dimensions of the ‘little’ Bürstner make it easy to get in and out of places bigger motorhomes can’t, or can, but with difficulty. Short enough for a single car space, just throw on a couple of bikes and you have an excellent city and country explorer.
Touring Test 23
Body Beautiful
F
rom the outside the Bürstner Ixeo Time IT586 is a quite a streamlined looking motorhome, despite the roof bulge behind the cab. It's built using the standard Bürstner system with walls of aluminium/XPS hard foam/ wood veneer composite and the roof of a fibreglass composite. For the floor, fibreglass is used on both sides of the XPS along with a sheet of PVC for the upper surface; the latter being done to reduce road noise. Windows are awning style and of the double glazed and tinted acrylic variety. This includes, strangely, the one behind the door, which on other Bürstner models I have seen is a more convenient (read less likely to be broken) slider. The entry door is 700 mm wide and has what Bürstner calls a coupé entrance, but is really just a moulded-in step.
Not including the gas cylinder locker at the driver’s-side rear, there is but one external storage compartment. However, it mostly contains the spare wheel, so there isn't room for much else.
Wilderness is the rental arm of SmartRV and has its own vehicle naming system. That’s why this Bürstner Ixeo Time IT586 is also a Freestyle 2.
24 Touring Test
Interior Surprise
W
hen I collected the motorhome the Wilderness team member assisting me was very enthusiastic about it, mostly because he was a solo traveller. But it wasn't hard to see why it would suit a couple too. What the layout consists of is a relatively large lounge/dining area up front, an L-shaped kitchen in the rear driver’s-side corner and a bathroom in the opposite corner. There isn't a fixed bed; instead, a drop-down bed fits neatly into the roof bulge above the lounge area. That doesn't change the interior height much and even with a slightly raised platform up front it's still a generous 1.85 m (6’ 1”). General storage isn't too bad and there's a good sized wardrobe between the bathroom and lounge seat, with plenty of hanging space. Shelves are fitted to some of the overhead lockers while in the kitchen there's a rack for cups, glasses and plates.
The lounge takes up most of the front and has plenty of seating, especially with the cab seats swivelled, plus a generous dining table. The roof bed doesn’t intrude and headroom is good, at 1.85 m (6’ 1”).
Touring Test 25
Sleeping
T
he drop-down bed measures 1.9 m x 1.45 (6' 3" x 4' 9") and has a neat little mechanism that allows easy lowering by hand. It drops down far enough to give adequate headroom and allow relatively easy bed making, but does require the clip-on ladder for access. Two ceiling-fitted reading lights mean the bed head is against the kerbside wall. I suspect the bed mechanicals needed a slight adjustment because it became more difficult to lift into position as my travels progressed. Either that or I was getting tireder (quite possible!). This motorhome has 2 + 2 sleeping, meaning the lounge seats can be used by children for sleeping. However, that would make the interior a bit cramped during the day‌ The roof bed, which is also the main bed, is manually operated and still leaves enough room underneath so you can convert the dinette to a second bed. It’s called a 2+2 arrangement, with the dinette bed best suited to children.