Michael Browning•7 Nov 2013

REVIEW

Avida Sapphire

Motorhome specialist Avida's recent move back into caravans brings refreshing new thinking to the Aussie market

When the motorhome market dipped post-GFC in Australia, NSW's Avida decided to diversify into top-end caravans to boost its sales.

The resulting Sapphire range was not the first for the 100 per cent Australian-owned and operated company, which has been building all types of RV products since 1965.

Those with long memories may recall their Freeway caravans of the late 1970s and ‘80s, but if you can’t then it doesn’t matter. The new Avida Sapphire range bears no resemblance at all to its conventional predecessors.

In fact it’s not an overstatement to say that the Avida caravans are showing the Australian caravan industry the way forward after decades of ‘Groundhog Days’, where traditional, old school construction methods first employed in the 1950s and ‘60s have simply been repeated by the industry’s many small players.

Basically, the Sapphire is an Australian-designed ‘monocoque’ fibreglass caravan, sitting Land-Rover Discovery-like on a purpose-built, but conventional Preston galvanised steel chassis, fitted with the customer’s choice of leaf or coil spring independent suspension.

This body is immensely strong, as is graphically demonstrated in this video on the Avida website, where one Sapphire is shown carrying the entire weight of another complete Sapphire on its roof.

MOTORHOME WITHOUT A MOTOR

Unlike most Australian-made caravans, which are built ‘ground-up’ from the chassis, the strength of the Sapphire is built into its full fibreglass sandwich panel body.

Using technology and experience from building Winnebago motorhomes for Australian conditions, the foundation of the Sapphire body is a 49mm thick sandwich panel floor, with laminated aluminium underbody protection, to which 33mm thick insulated walls (the same thickness as those of Australian-built Winnebago motorhomes) are attached, topped by a 45mm one-piece composite roof.

Avida says the Sapphire is the strongest and most durable caravan currently being built for Australian conditions and we can’t see too many challenging that claim.

As well as being exceptionally strong, the sandwich construction and particularly the extra-thick floor and its heat-reflective metal underbody paneling, also makes the Sapphire very thermally efficient.

This has allowed Avida to fit very large Dometic double-glazed windows all round (less efficient vans usually come with smaller, cheaper windows), making the interior of the Sapphire a comfortable, yet light and welcoming place from which to take in your surroundings.

From outside, it all looks very clean, uncluttered and stylish. Our review van was the 21ft 6in (6.555m) tandem axle CV6624L, whose walls were finished in Frosty Silver (grey), but you can also have your Avida with Champagne or white walls. All models feature a white roof.

The test van was also equipped with the Sapphire’s optional ‘Multi-Terrain’ pack, which includes a larger-diameter 150mm x 50mm Duragal chassis main and A-frame, Al-Ko off-road corner steadies, a larger 200mm jockey wheel, uprated off-road electric brakes and magnets, extra checker-plate stone protection, 16-inch off-road wheels and tyres and a DO-35 off-road coupling.

The $4000 Multi-Terrain option took the test Sapphire’s RRP (in NSW) to $74,490, however customers can also specify Vehicle Components’ Cruisemaster XT independent suspension for a further $4000.

WEIGHT PENALTY

A natural penalty of this extra strength is weight. While the entry-level single-axle 17ft 8in CV5412 Avida weighs in at an excellent tare weight of 1772kg on its Tourer leaf-spring suspension, our 21ft 6in CV6624L tops the scales at 2084kg in Tourer spec, rising to 2180kg with the Multi-Terrain pack and would weigh in at 2230kg with the optional Cruisemaster XL independent suspension.

Still, those figures are 400kg and more below what you would expect similarly- sized Australian caravans with conventional architecture to weigh.

Avida CEO Ben Binns makes no apologies for the Sapphire’s premium pricing, which ranges in ‘Tourer’ base spec from $58,990 to $79,990, making the point that it’s a premium caravan range using the best-available components.

“We have chosen the best available products for the Sapphire wherever possible,” he said. “For example, our awning has the most durable fabric, our windows are the latest available and so on.

“We are also offering one of the best warranties in the caravan industry, with a five-year structural guarantee and a two-year or one million kilometre warranty on Avida manufactured components.”

Sitting on its leaf spring rocker-roller suspension it certainly had a purposeful stance, with the chassis rails fully visible underneath the short-skirted body.

However to complement the modern, high quality look I would have liked to have seen the A-frame more integrated visually into the chassis’ main members, rather than simply butt-welded underneath, but this is just a cosmetic point, not structural.

21st CENTURY STYLING

From a practical viewpoint on the Sapphire CV6624, there’s a large front boot ahead of a full-width tunnel boot, while the large drop-down table beneath the near-side lounge window also reveals the van’s (second) outside flat screen TV, a pair of speakers for it and the standard sound system and both 12v and 240v power outlets.

The ‘X’-shaped rear door with its separate locking flyscreen is an interesting styling exercise from the company’s motorhomes, but it appears very strong as well as being practical.

Moving around the other side of the van and there are separate fillers for the Sapphire’s twin 82 litre water tanks, while an outdoor shower sits behind another panel.

Inside, the 21st Century caravan experience continues. I’ve never been a fan of timber paneling and the 1980s loungeroom furnishings inside many Australian-built caravans, which makes them look like the sort of houses I escaped from many years ago. They just don’t sit comfortably in the new Millennium.

It seems Avida feels the same way and the interior of the Sapphire range borrows heavily from European design and the latest Avida motorhomes.

It certainly created mixed reactions with strangers and experienced caravanners alike who we showed through the van, with most passing favourable comment.

Again, the look is chic and minimalistic, with beige walls and contrasting taupe-coloured and CNC-cut cupboards, with those above the sleeping area and on either side of the kitchen and L-shared dinette fitted with curved, solid timber doors.

However with 13 different interior colours and three Ultra-leather upholstery options – on top of a range of fabrics – there’s plenty of room for personalisation.

MULTIPLE LAYOUTS

The Sapphire we tested was equipped with a twin single front bed layout, but seven of the 13 Sapphire models are fitted with island queen-size beds, most with optional front windows above them. All have twin, full-length robes.

The L-shaped lounge on our review van contributed to the spacious feel of the interior, with ample seating for four, but the more popular café-style seating is also available on all models.

The kitchen offers a great view through its large picture window, but bench space unfortunately is very small for a 21ft 6in caravan.

A compensation is the CV6624’s four slide-out pantries – two to the left of the four-burner cooktop with grill and oven below and the other two to the right of the van’s Dometic 150-litre three-way fridge-freezer with automatic energy selection, which is topped by an LG stainless steel microwave oven.

There’s also good drawer space, including plenty of room for larger objects, such as pots and pans, while all the cabinetry and drawer and cupboard hardware is of high quality.

What the kitchen lacks, the rear ensuite more than makes up for though.

It starts with a clever foot-lock for the inward hinged door and once inside there’s a separate swiveling toilet, adjacent to the standard top-loading washing machine, which in turn is to the left of the stainless steel wash basin.

Rather than a door, the large fibreglass moulded shower module has a side-sliding roller blind door, which is certainly a space saver.

So there we have what should be a caravan to inspire the market. The jury will be out for some months as to whether enough will be brave enough to leave their ‘skin and tin’ caravans, with their 1980s furnishings behind them to give the Avida the success it deserves.

VERDICT

The Avida caravan is like a breath of fresh air blowing through the cobwebs of the Australian caravan manufacturing industry.

The only impediments to the Sapphire becoming a major player in the Australian caravan market is its price, which from $58,990 to $79,990 is in the premium range for all models.

WE LIKED:

>> Interior design and décor

>> Strength and suitability for Australian touring conditions

>> Daring to be different!

NOT SO MUCH:

>> Minimal kitchen bench space

>> Cloth upholstery material on test van looked cheap

>> Chassis cosmetics need attention

AVIDA SAPPHIRE CV6624L

Overall length: 8.41m

External body length: 6.555m

External body width (incl awn): 2.47m

Travel height: 3.085m

Internal height: 2.015m

Tare: 2182kg

ATM: 2900kg

Ball weight: 144kg

Frame: Fibreglass sandwich monocoque

Cladding: Fibreglass sandwich wall and roof

Chassis: Duragal steel 150mm x 50mm

Suspension: Al-Ko Multi-Terrain leaf springs

Brakes: 12in Al-Ko off-road electric

Electronic Stability Control: Optional

Wheels/tyres: 16in alloy/245/75R16 off-road

Fresh water: 2 x 82L

Battery: 1 x 100Ah deep cycle

Solar: Pre-wired, optional 2 x 80W roof panels

Air-conditioner: Truma Aventa

Gas: 2 x 9kg

Cooking: Three-burner gas, plus electric hot plate & grill

Fridge: Dometic 150 litre fridge/freezer

Microwave: LG

Toilet: Thetford swivel cassette?

Shower: Separate fibreglass cubicle inside plus external shower

Lighting: 12V LED

Hot water: 19 litre gas/electric

Options fitted: Multi Terrain pack

Price (on road, NSW): $74,490

Supplied by: Avida Melbourne, Campbellfield, Vic

More info: Avida RV

Avida Sapphire

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