Avida Eyre

Avida has been in the motorhome business for 50 years, first as Freeway then Winnebago Australia before changing its name to Avida RV a couple of years ago.

While very much an Australian company it’s fair to say that Avida has cherry-picked the best from European motorhome design for local consumption with the Eyre.

The most noteworthy ‘Euro’ features are the island bed at the rear of the motorhome that sits on a raised platform — with a large storage wardrobe below — and the cavernous rear tunnel boot.

All up, more than 200 changes have been made for the 2015 model Eyre. Some of the key ones include the step profile being changed around rear bed, allowing for edge rubber; the entry step has been modified; there’s new LED lighting at steps and overheads; and the TV has moved near the entry door.

Look closely and you’ll also see an extra bracket in the  bedroom area for easy change-over; the water filler hose in a new position; the grab rail at the entry door has been modified; the hot water system’s gas cut off valve has been put outside of hot water system for emergency access and the fridge cabinet has been configured for a 190-litre fridge.

While the Ducato cab-chassis pictured here has just been superseded by a new 2015 model with a fresh front design and very minor interior changes, mechanically they are identical.

This 180 version of the Ducato has the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that develops 130kW at 3500rpm and 400Nm at 1400rpm and is linked to an automated six-speed manual.

The Ducato’s front-wheel drive layout makes it a far more space-efficient and flexible base for a motorhome conversion than the rear-wheel drive alternatives. And with its 4490GVM, there’s no need for a truck licence to drive the Eyre.

The Ducato’s engine is not the smoothest or quietest on the market but it delivers a steady stream of torque unfettered by excessive turbo-lag.
The automated manual transmission has a robotic clutch that does all the legwork for you and does a great job out on the open road. Around town it can sometimes be smoother to select the manual mode and change gears yourself. 

The Eyre can carry four occupants, two up front and two sitting at the dinette.

It has a large opening skylight over the cab, another at the rear and the hopper-style windows are also large and come with mesh screens and block out blinds.

These features plus the light-coloured decor make the Eyre’s interior feel airy and light. In this case, the (optional) leather seats were an off-white colour and a light timber finish used on the cabinets makes a nice contrast with the dark wood flooring.

At first glance there appears nothing extraordinary about the layout - there’s the offside front dinette, followed by the kitchen (with the fridge opposite on the nearside) then the offside separate shower and bathroom - and finally the bedroom.

The small kitchen provides a three-burner stove, a mixer-tap basin with dish drain area, and under-bench drawers and cupboard.

Opposite the kitchen is the fridge and microwave on the opposite side of the centre walkway. There’s also a neat contrasting splash back adjacent to the stove and a rangehood above the cooker.

The kitchen is well-illuminated with a small hopper window, two rangehood downlights, LED strip lighting and a large LED light in the bulkhead above.

There isn’t much bench space in the Eyre, with just a narrow surface on the divider between dinette and kitchen and a small shelf below, although the sink and cooker each have hinged glass lids to free up space for food preparation when they’re not in use.

Three drawers, a cupboard and a slide-out pantry are found under the kitchen bench, and the fridge-freezer opposite the kitchen has 150 litres of storage within, with the 190-litre fridge optional.

The island bed sits high up at the back with steps on each side of the bed. While this might sound like an odd way of doing things - and if you’re unsteady on your feet, you may not like having to use the steps to get in and out of bed - it does allow the Eyre to not only provide a commanding view outside from the bed but also an ingenious wardrobe space.

And the bed base does lift on gas struts to reveal a wardrobe space that’s quite unique.
Because the bed sits on a raised platform, the wardrobe is a relatively tall space that’s almost a walk-in proposition with the bed base lifted.

Aside from ample shelving and drawers, there’s a stack of floor space and also a neat rail attached to the underside of the bed base to hang clothes. This wardrobe space can also be accessed with the bed on the lowered position via a hinged side-opening door.

More storage can be found in upright cupboards on each side of the bed and also on a bench above the bedhead.

The steps up the sides of the bed have LED strip lights incorporated into them, which is great for when you need to get up in the night. There are also downlights at each side of the bed and a LED strip light across.

The Eyre has a separate shower and toilet, each with curved access doors. Neither feels cramped and are well ventilated and feature ample lighting.

The shower recess sit partially over the right wheel, so the shower floor is not entirely flat.

The Eyre has its power monitored at the doorway via a LED panel, and its 12v needs are met by a 100Ah battery. The Dometic reverse-cycle air conditioner is fitted on the centre ceiling area.

Moving outside, the large rear tunnel boot has an access hatch on each side plus one at the rear. Although this is a great space for large items, there isn’t much in other external storage, except for a small external storage locker on the offside front.

VERDICT

With its 2015 upgrades the Eyre adds refinement to an excellent concept. The raised rear bed with ample storage underneath and large tunnel boot gives the Eyre a point of difference that is also extremely practical, although fussy buyers might lament the limited kitchen bench space and external storage options.

WE LIKED:
>> Bedroom storage at rear
>> Large ceiling hatches
>> Separate shower and toilet

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Lack of kitchen bench space
>> Steps around bed a potential trip hazard
>> Lack of external storage options

AVIDA EYRE

Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
Engine 3.0-litre turbo-diesel
Power/torque: 130kW/400Nm
Gearbox: Six-speed automated manual
Brakes: ABD discs with ESP
GVM: 4490kg
Licence: Car
Passengers: Four
External body length: 7597mm (24ft 11in)
External body width: 2423mm (7ft 11in)
Travel height: 2785mm (9ft 1in)
Interior height: 2000mm (6ft 6in)
Tare weight: 3423kg
Rear bed size:  1.9 x 1.3m (6ft 2in x 4ft 3in)
Cooktop: Dometic three-burner
Fridge: Dometic AES 150-litre
Microwave: Panasonic stainless steel convection
Lighting: LED
Batteries: 2 x 100A/h
Solar panels: 2 x 80w
Air-conditioner: Dometic roof-mounted
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Hot water: heater Truma
Fresh water: 124 litres
Grey water: 124 litres
Gas: 2 x 4kg
Options fitted: Leather seating
Price (drive-away NSW): $137,990 ($147,590 as tested)
Supplied by: Avida RV, Emu Plains NSW