A'van Ovation M3 Alcove

The arrival of A'van motorhomes and campervans caused something of a sensation in the RV world. Not only were some innovative design ideas incorporated into the layouts, but a sharp pencil was used in the costing.

A couple of years down the track, with the new motorhome-friendly Fiat Ducato on the scene, there's a whole new range of A'van Ovation motorhomes that have a variety of C and B class layouts with fixed rear and Luton peak beds, including one with a rear bed that can be electrically raised to allow more storage space underneath.

Not to be forgotten is the Ducato van-based Applause, which is ideal for one or two people who prefer a small, comfortable RV. We'll be looking at an Applause motorhome in a future issue of CW.

For this review, we borrowed an Ovation M3 Alcove from newly appointed A'van dealer Betta Caravans, based at Hurstville in southern Sydney, NSW. Betta Caravans owner David Davies was quite excited about his venture into the motorhome world.

"I'm learning a few interesting things about this side of the industry," he says.

SMOOTH RIDE
Our Ovation was a C class motorhome with beds in both the rear corner and the Luton peak. Powered by Fiat Ducato, as are all the A'van motorhomes, it is 22ft 10in (6.96m) long and weighs in with a Tare of 2970kg.

For users and manufacturers alike, the Fiat Ducato was something of a revelation in the motorhome world. From the manufacturer's point of view, a special variation of the Ducato has now been developed for motorhomes. They come with a lowered chassis, factory-fitted swivelling seats and the cab roof and back already cut out, making it so much easier for the motorhome builder, and A'van has enthusiastically adopted them.

Motorhomers get the benefit of an updated Ducato, the old model of which was itself not a bad base vehicle. But in the case of the new 160 Multijet, a more powerful 3L 115kW engine is available.

There have been various points of view on the aesthetics of the new Ducato, but we think they aren't too bad. When a motorhome body such as the Ovation is added on the back, it makes them look even better. To keep a reasonable body height, A'van has designed a streamlined, raised Luton peak that's made from moulded fibreglass.

Double-glazed hopper windows are used, including very unusually shaped ones for the Luton windows, along with a newdual-locked entry door. It doesn't have a security flyscreen door - instead a sideways roll-away screen is fitted.

In addition to the necessary storage bins for the gas cylinders and Thetford cassette, there are a couple of storage bins on the nearside, under the seat and bed. Naturally, there is an awning - a Fiamma F45.

A look at the Ovation floorplans reveal a variety of layouts - some with fixed beds either fore and aft or side to side. There are also a couple with only Luton beds and considerably more living space. All have bathrooms of various sizes. While talking to A'van's Mitch Damyon, he mentioned a couple of the special design features.

"Because the Ducato chassis is so low, A'van was able to fit a second frame above the Ducato chassis, so that items like the water tanks and batteries can sit between the frames," he says.

All the motorhome components are protected by a 9mm-thick polypropylene sheet and the motorhome floor itself is made of timber laminate.

"We reckon it's a neat design idea," he says.

SIT BACK, RELAX
Our M3 layout came with a nearside corner rear bed and bathroom in the opposite corner, front dinette/lounge area and mid-station kitchen. Decor is very much the Euro-look, with A'van's stylish curved-timber cabinetwork and general use of space.

All the motorhome windows have blinds and screens, but curtains are desirable, with the pull-down screens being an option.

In addition to the windows, there is a Seitz hatch above the kitchen and a roof-mounted Dometic air-conditioner for air cooling and circulation. Up front, A'van has made full use of the Ducato swivelling seats and, to give more headroom, the Luton bed lifts up as well. With the dinette table directly behind the driver's seat, a two-person seat behind that and the lounge opposite, it is possible to seat five people.

The table has an extension piece that can be inserted.

Both of the rear forward-facing seats have lap/sash seatbelts fitted. Underneath the table there is a small hatch that gives access to the house batteries and charger. A flatscreen TV (not fitted on ours) can be mounted on a bracket in the corner behind the driver's seat.

To get as much as they have into this motorhome, A'van has built an L-shaped kitchen, which sits back-to-back with the dinette. It is small, but it is one of the realities of motorhome design - unless you have unlimited space and money - that there are going to be compromises.

On the benchtop is a washing-up bowl, separate sink drainer in the corner and a Smev two-burner cooktop. Fitted under the sink, but facing the entry door, is a Smev grill/oven and on the opposite side next to the door is a Dometic 175L fridge, with a microwave located above.

Slightly incongruously, a DVD/VHS player is fitted between the fridge and microwave, which means the latter is very high for shorter people.

Given the compact nature of the kitchen, there isn't a great deal of storage space - one drawer, one cupboard, two overhead lockers and a floor locker below the oven. Alongside the kitchen there is a large cupboard, but that is mostly wardrobe space.

Another feature that Mitch Damyon was keen to point out to CW, was that all A'van bathrooms have a separate shower cubicle, which is moulded fibreglass and fitted into the rear corner.

Next to the shower is the Thetford cassette toilet and in the front corner is the vanity unit with a stainless-steel wash basin, cupboard underneath with roller shutter door and mirrored door cabinets above the translucent window.

We did like the window, but a slight disadvantage is that the mirrors are fairly high - having them at a downward angle would solve that problem.

We'll give the bathroom, compact though it might be, a big tick for being generally spacious and user friendly.

The rear-corner bed is 6ft 6in (2m) long and has a chamfered width varying from 4ft 2in (1.25m) to 3ft 3in (1m). It sits on a timber-slatted base and has an interesting feature: the bedhead end can be raised to make a back rest.

There aren't any bedside shelves as such, but three narrow recessed shelves are fitted into the external bathroom wall and there are the usual overhead lockers around the walls. Above the driver's cab the Luton bed, also on a slatted base, measures 6ft 6in × 4ft 8in (2.2m × 1.4m) and has a reasonable ceiling height of 2ft 2in (0.66m).

We liked the moulded ceiling, the differently shaped hopper windows and the tops of the overhead lockers that formed a sort of bedside cabinet. There are bedside reading lights at either end, but two at one end would be better for the night-time reader who doesn't wish to disturb his or her partner.

Lighting is 12V and halogen, downlight or reading. Powerpoints are scarce; a single outlet for the kitchen bench, one under the dinette, and one outside.

THE BOTTOM LINE
It's not hard to figure out why the A'van range of motorhomes has generated so much interest. Outside, the motorhomes have a streamlined look about them and inside the Euro decor creates a good ambience. By offering a range of motorhomes within a reasonable price range and length, there's going to be something for everyone.

Our review motorhome, with its four berths and reasonable seating, could be used by a travelling family, but will be equally comfortable for an older couple who have the grandchildren along.

Using the Fiat Ducato as a base vehicle, A'van offers a motorhome that is not only easy and powerful enough to drive, but offers good fuel economy as well.

NOW I'M BEING PICKY

Betta Caravans
867 King Georges Road
South Hurstville, NSW
(02) 9546 6500

For your nearest A'van motorhome dealer visit www.avan.com.au