Cut-price Coachmen built for families

Victorian showgoers got their first look at the new American-built Coachmen Mirada A-Class motorhome at last week's Melbourne Leisurefest at Sandown Racecourse.

Described by local importer Coachmen RV as an "A-Class motorhome at C-Class pricing", the luxury Mirada 34A is priced from under $300,000 and is the only Class A motorhome on the Australian market that can seat as well as sleep eight.

Built on a Ford motorhome chassis with minor changes made for Australia, the high-spec motorhome is available in three layouts, with the option of double bunks, or an office suite or extra wardrobes in one of the two slide-outs.

The sofa and dinette convert to extra bedding, and there’s a walk-around queen size bed in the rear.

Craig Dean from Coachmen RV says the 10.59m long Mirada is "fitted out with all the best you can buy as far as appliances are concerned", including a large capacity fridge, full size oven with grill, 32inch LCD TV with DVD player, ducted propane gas furnace heater, and twin, reverse-cycle air conditioning systems. 

Interior fittings are also top notch, including solid timber cabinets with bronze hardware, Corian kitchen benchtops, leather seating and carpet throughout except for linoleum in the wet areas.

Another highlight is the bathroom with its porcelain toilet with foot flush, and large shower area with two-piece glass door.

A Ford 6.8-litre, V10 dual fuel engine makes light work of the 7.27 tonne (Tare) motorhome, and with a payload of 2.7 tonnes and 3.5 tonne towing capacity, you can take along everything you need including your daily driver or a boat.

Dean said running costs can be as low as $23/100km, and range should be good with a 300 litre petrol tank and 175 litre LPG tank.

"We’re just pushing an affordable RV for this size... we're building a family RV," he said.

Dean, who also runs a company that imports and converts high-performance Ford Mustangs, took over as the official distributor of Coachmen motorhomes Down Under in late-2010 after the previous distributor decided to market its own American-built motorhome for left and right-hand markets.

Dean's been involved with the importing and compliance side of Coachmen motorhomes since 1996, though, with the first two sold in Australia to motorsport legend Jim Richards.

The Mirada 34A also features fluorescent lighting, double glazed windows, a full basement with 'pass-thru' storage, patio awning, automatic electric levelling jacks, rear and side view cameras, outside entertainment system, auxiliary battery and generator.

Options include solar power, bbq, satellite TV, and a 3500kg tow pack.

Pricing starts at $298,000 (plus on-road costs) for white, unpainted versions, with the tan/black full paint version (pictured), costing an additional $12,000.

Visit the Coachmen RV website for more.