Malcolm Street•6 Aug 2013

REVIEW

Avida Esperance

Fresh-look Esperance slide-out based on new Iveco Daily has plenty to entice mid-sized motorhome buyers

Avida RV, Australia’s largest motorhome manufacturer, makes a wide range of models: everything from the Ducato van-based Escape to the luxury A class Classic rolls out the door of the company’s Emu Plains, NSW factory.

Sorry? You’ve never heard of Avida? Well, the name is the result of a federal court ruling in 2012 requiring the Australian Winnebago – as distinct from the American company of the same name, which has nothing to do with the Aussie firm – rebrand itself.

Despite the name change, the motorhomes won’t be much different in the short term, apart from the usual upgrades and refinements, as well as the prospect of new models, including a new range of caravans, to come.

Continuing in the middle of the Avida range is the Iveco Daily-based Esperance motorhome, which has a considerable number of layouts available – most with slide-outs and at least one wheelchair-friendly rig.

NUMBER CRUNCHING

With the name change, Avida took the opportunity to update the Esperance range. That was all good and well, but we couldn’t get our hands on one to test – they were all on the Australian RV show circuit!

Then we heard a rumour that one was to be briefly in captivity at the new Avida Gold Coast dealership of Hinterland Motorhomes. To be precise, it was a C7994SL model – ‘C’ being a C class rig with Luton peak, the 79 referring to a length of 7.9m, the SL meaning a slide out, and the 94 designating this model.

The Esperance is based on the 50C17 Iveco Daily, which comes with a 3.0-litre 125kW/400Nm turbo-diesel engine. It’s actually an updated model but in keeping with most light commercial vehicle manufacturers, there are only a few obvious clues.

One is the six-speed Agile (Iveco speak for automated manual) gearbox which, compared to previous models, is more precise, especially in the lower ranges.

Another difference, oddly enough, is with the radio/CD player – light commercial vehicles often get only a basic unit but things here are looking up.

On the road, the Daily-based Esperance rolled along readily enough without any dramas, although I suspect the driver’s seat needed some adjustment. Being a swivel seat it has to be locked into the forward position for driving, which it certainly was (I checked carefully), but I still had the slight impression that it wasn’t.

Like most Avida motorhomes, the Esperance employs a fully welded metal frame for the walls, floor and roof. That frame has a foam sheet filler, which Avida reckons will act as insulation as well as reduce road noise.

For the walls, it’s all laminated together with backing panels and an outer fibreglass skin. Slightly differently, the floor panel has a ply timber sheet above and metal sheeting below to provide underfloor protection.

Additionally, the Luton peak/cab surrounds and rear wall are fully moulded fibreglass, but, in keeping with Avida’s normal method, EPDM rubber (a synthetic known for its heat, weather and ozone resistance and more) is used as the outer covering of the roof.

And let’s not forget the slide-out, built into the offside wall, behind the driver’s cab. It’s in the same position on all Esperance models, which means the body engineering is similar across the range.

GLASSY LOOK

For windows and the door, Avida has stuck with the usual Hehr items, the windows being of the glass multi louvre variety, except for those in the bathroom and Luton, which are sliders.

Although to this writer they look a bit dated, a distinct advantage of the Hehr windows is the fact they’re made of glass, which scratches less easily than acrylic and don’t stick out as far when open as do full-size hopper windows.

There are a variety of external bins, none particularly large but in my experience smaller bins tend to keep stored items more secure. There’s the usual battery compartment by the entry door – the batteries are bolted in, rather than on a slide-out tray – and directly opposite you’ll find the gas bin with two 4kg cylinders. This, along with the adjoining bin, is slightly awkward to access when the slide-out is open.

Directly behind the slide-out, a bin has a slide-out tray for easy access to a generator. Not for storage but entertainment, the narrow compartment by the door contains a flatscreen TV, speakers and powerpoint, as well as acting as a picnic table.

RETRO LOOK INTERIOR

Setting up the Esperance takes minimal time. Once level, it’s a matter of opening the slide-out and swivelling the driver’s cab seats.

However, one of the slightly annoying features of an Iveco cab is that the pedestal-mounted hand brake restricts the driver’s seat from being fully swivelled.

With the entry door right behind the cab, the internal layout is quite simple. Directly opposite the door, the slide-out contains the L-shaped dinette and the 150 litre fridge with microwave above.

The rest of the kitchen bench flows along the mid nearside, leaving room for a split bathroom in front of the bedroom in the rear.

Up front is a Luton bed that can be lifted up out of the way if not required, making getting to and from the cab seats so much easier.

The cabinetry is an interesting mix of curved European and square American. The Avida’s new colour scheme has a slight retro look about it, in my opinion, and in this case carries the interesting name of ‘Musk Granita’. In fact, all the new colour schemes seem to have beverage-themed names!

In keeping with Avida’s fine pedigree, the 240V and 12V electrics are well set-up. The two 12V batteries are rated at 100Ah each, charged by either the mains unit or the vehicle charger. Solar panels are an option – something to consider if planning remote camping.

LED lights are used throughout, some neatly concealed, but there are also fluorescent and halogen fittings. For keeping cool, a Truma Aventa remote-controlled air-conditioner is fitted in the ceiling.

INEVITABLE COMPROMISES

The L-shaped lounge looks inviting but I found it a tad awkward for two people, especially given the position of the table leg. However, the table has a Zwaardvis multi-position fitting, which makes things more comfortable.

Across the way, the kitchen bench is quite small – there’s just enough room for a full cooktop/grill/oven and a stainless steel sink with drainer. But there’s no shortage of drawers, with four large ones provided, along with two overhead lockers.

The front panel of the cabinetry beneath the kitchen bench sports various control switches: Webasto space heater, Truma hot water heater, and slide-out.

Bathrooms which are split across either side of the layout, usually have a toilet cubicle on one side and a shower cubicle on the other, but this bucks the trend by positioning both a separate shower cubicle and Dometic cassette toilet on one side, and an open washing-up area on the other.

It might sound a bit awkward but, in my opinion, it’s an arrangement that works well. The vanity unit is nicely laid out, with cupboards above and below and wall mirror in between.

In the rear of the Esperance, the east-west bed, with its head against the offside wall, measures 1.9m x 1.4m (6ft 3in x 4ft 7in), allowing for a reasonable amount of walk-around space.

Louvre windows offer plenty of cross-flow ventilation, while a small cabinet on one side and cubby hole on the other act as bedside shelves.

There are two overhead lockers and a narrow wardrobe between the bed, and the aforementioned washing-up area includes hanging space.

Also, the slatted timber bed base can be lifted, not by hand but by the push of a button, to provide access to the under-bed storage area. An external bin door at the offside rear does the same.

The Esperance is one of those motorhomes where the best TV mounting position is somewhat difficult to pick. This one was set on the bathroom wall facing the bed, which meant bedtime TV viewing was quite practical.

It did swing out so as to be seen from the front of the motorhome, but getting two seats with comfortable viewing angles would be interesting. I’d consider a second mounting point up front.

VERDICT

With its Esperance range, Avida has provided a standard layout that comes in either a B or C class motorhome with layout alternatives (mostly to do with the bedroom) available. That’s not a bad strategy as it means all the basic engineering stays the same.

There’s also a non-slide-out layout available, although you lose some valuable interior space.

With its length of almost 8m (26ft), the Esperance offers plenty for people in the market for a new, mid-sized motorhome. In the weight department, the 50C17 Daily has a GVM of 4495kg, which given the Tare of 3914kg, translates to a loaded capacity of well over 500kg.

However, if anything greater is needed, the chassis can be upgraded to a GVM of 5200kg, putting the vehicle into Light Rigid truck licence territory.

AVIDA ESPERANCE C7994SL

External length: 7.94m (26ft)

External width: 2.5m (8ft 2in)

Internal height: 2.0m (6ft 7in)

Travel height: 3.18m (10ft 5in)

Tare: 3914kg

GVM: 4495kg

Base vehicle: Iveco Daily 50C17

Engine: 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel

Gearbox: Six-speed AMT

Power/torque: 125kW at 3000-3500rpm/400Nm at 1250-3000rpm

Brakes: ABS disc

Fresh water: 100 litres

Grey water: 100 litres

Batteries: 2 x 100Ah

Solar: Optional – not fitted

Air-conditioner: Truma Aventa

Gas: 2 x 4kg

Cooking: Dometic four- burner with grill and oven

Fridge: Dometic RM 2335 150 litre three-way

Microwave: LG 900W

Toilet: Dometic cassette

Shower: Separate cubicle

Lighting: 12V LED

Hot water: Truma 14 litre gas/electric

Options fitted: None

Price as shown: $170,700 (drive-away, Qld)

Supplied by: Hinterland Motorhomes, Burleigh Heads, Qld

More info: Avida RV

Avida Esperance

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