A-Class action at Qld show

One of very few A-Class (coach-based) motorhomes available for sale in Australia will make its show debut at next months’ Queensland Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow, which runs from June 3-9 at the Brisbane Showgrounds.  

A solitary US-built and Australian right-hand drive converted Tiffin Allegro Breeze will be displayed in Brisbane by Gold Coast-based MJR Autocentre, which is the official Australian distributor for Alabama-based Tiffin Motorhomes.

Only one Tiffin model is currently available Down Under: the 33ft in (10.1m) long Allegro Breeze, which comes with a choice of exterior styling and paint options as well as interior décor.

Requiring a medium rigid truck licence, the monster motorhome features a rear-mounted 179kw/840Nm V8 turbo-diesel engine, six-speed Allison auto transmission and air suspension.

A relatively spacious interior layout includes two, opposing slide-outs for the kitchen and sofa bed as well the U-shaped dinette, and separate shower and toilet and queen-sized bedroom towards the rear.

The six-berth motorhome has all the comforts and amenities you’d expect in an RV retailing for $389,000 including 600W roof-mounted solar panels, in-board 5kVa diesel generator, and 4000W sine invertor to help run the two reverse cycle air-conditioners and sophisticated on-board entertainment system.

As well as sizable lockers for general storage the Allegro Breeze can carry up to 265 litres of fuel, 265 litres of fresh water, 190 litres of grey water and 115 litres of black water in separate holding tanks.

A GVM of 10,660kg allows a payload of around 2000kg while towing capacity is 3500kg.

While admitting the market remains small for premium A-Class motorhomes, Tiffin Motorhomes Australia sales manager Alex Rees-Hyde said there were an increasing number of buyers seeking the luxury and space that only a coach-based motorhome can provide.

“There’s not really too much else in an A-Class, diesel, rear-engined motorhome that you can buy brand new these days (in Australia),” he said. “It’s understandable that a lot of the other (local motorhome) manufacturers can’t build that type of product in Australia and be competitively priced.”

A Tiffin motorhome on display at the recent Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia rally in Murray Bridge, South Australia was sold to a Melbourne buyer upgrading from an Avida Longreach, which Rees-Hyde said is the nearest Australian rival to the Tiffin despite being based on a front-engined Isuzu truck chassis.

Tiffin Motorhomes produces around 12 motorhomes a day (or approximately 3000 a year) at its Alabama factory. But while one of the larger motorhomes available Down Under, its entry-level Allegro Breeze has the distinction of being the smallest ‘diesel pusher’ motorhome in the US.

“(Tiffin) sell more A-Class motorhomes in America than Winnebago, but they only do A-Class motorhomes (unlike Winnebago),” he said.

However, if you want one you might want to act quickly, as a new, facelifted 2016 model due to arrive in Australia early next year will coincide with a significant price rise due to the recent weakening of the Australian dollar.