Kea Campers 4/5 berth rental

WHAT WE LIKED:

• Easy to drive
• Versatile, light-filled layout
• Everything included in the rental fee
• Minimal set-up time
• Family-friendly

NOT SO MUCH:

• Can’t go too far off the beaten track
• Size can be a hassle around town
• Setting up double bed can be a pain late at night

Self-contained motorhomes are an increasingly popular RV choice, and it’s not hard to understand why.

Fitted with many of the comforts and conveniences of home and with very little set-up time, it’s not surprising cashed-up grey nomads are flocking to them in their thousands.

They’re also a popular rental choice, and not just for visiting Europeans. For couples, friends or families on a budget, combining accommodation and transport in one convenient package can prove cost-effective, especially if you travel off-peak and free camp occasionally.

To see what all the fuss is about, we borrowed one of Kea Camper’s biggest rental motorhomes. The 4/5 berth Deluxe is the second-biggest in Kea’s nation-wide rental range, based on Kea’s Dreamtime model which is available new for $134,500.

For that, you get a real home-away-from-home experience with various power options, long list of mod cons and versatile sleeping and living arrangements for up to five.

Picking up from Kea’s Tullamarine depot close to Melbourne Airport, we took the well-worn route past Geelong and onto the Great Ocean Road for our family of four, three-night get-away.

EASY RIDER

Measuring 6.8m long by 2.2m wide and 3.1m high, the Kea 4/5 berth based on the Euro-sourced Ford Transit cab chassis is a big beast.

The Transit’s 2.4-litre turbo-diesel makes light work of the 3450kg dry weight, however, pulling strongly from low revs and cruising quietly at 100km/h on the freeway at 1500rpm in sixth gear.

The driver’s seat is comfortable on long hauls and provides good all-round vision; the manual ’box shifts easily and the brakes work well. With the added stability of tandem rear wheels it could even be pushed along at a fair clip through the GOR’s winding bitumen.

Parking is simpler than it looks too, aided by large split rearview mirrors, a rear-mounted reversing camera, and a fairly tight turning circle.

Visually, the big Kea has a clean, modern appearance although its angular lines serve more to maximise its functionality rather than enhance its looks.

Storage options externally include a baggage locker near the passenger-side door, another locker carrying two, 4.5kg gas bottles, and a flow-through rear locker which in our case carried four camp chairs.

SETTING UP

Pulling up at the caravan park, there’s little to do apart from turn on the gas, hook up the 240V power for the microwave, TV and air-conditioner, and wind down the Fiamma awning if required.

With a flat floor, entry to the ‘living' area is via the front bucket seats (these are fixed rather than swivel) or through the split, security door which has a lockable flyscreen for those balmy nights.

Sleeping arrangements include a 2.1m x 1.8m double bed in the Luton peak above the cabin, which was quickly snapped up by our two young girls for its ‘treehouse’ appeal.

Access is via a removable step-ladder and the bed can be left made up except for a small front section that’s retracted when driving.

At night, a curtain is pulled across for privacy and a safety net can be attached to prevent young ones falling out. This area also includes two, sliding windows with flyscreens, two LED reading lights, and a decent-sized cubby hole for storage.

The other sleeping options are at the rear of the motorhome which also doubles as a lounge/dinette. In daytime mode it provides seating for three around the detachable table as well another three seats on the bench seat.

Three seatbelts are provided for rear passengers, although one is a lap sash.

Come bedtime, the folding dining table detaches and becomes part of the bed base as does a pull-out slat section. Ten, thick foam cushions are then arranged like a giant jigsaw puzzle to form a 2.0m x 2.1m bed wide enough to sleep three adults in reasonable comfort. Other alternatives are one or two single beds.

The dinette-to-double bed conversion takes about 10 minutes but it’s best not to leave it too late at night after a few wines as some gymnastic ability and manual dexterity is required.

BELLS AND WHISTLES

The kitchen is located in the nearside middle and caters well to the cook with a 133litre three-way Vitrifrigo fridge/freezer, Smev four-burner gas cooktop and grill, and Baraldi rangehood.

The sink and benchtop are of a marble-look, moulded unitary design that provides ample room for food preparation and drying dishes.

The sink has a 12V hot/cold mixer tap as well as another tap that provides filtered drinking water.

Storage areas include a cupboard and three drawers with full complement of utensils, pans, plates, glasses, etc supplied as part of the rental. There’s also a toaster, kettle and vacuum cleaner.

Everything has its place, including the wine glasses neatly contained in ply cut-outs in an overhead locker, to prevent breakage.

Speaking of storage, there’s quite a few options inside to go with the external lockers. We counted 10 overhead lockers, numerous drawers and cupboards, not to mention storage areas under the rear dinette/lounge seats, one of which held a lockable safe.

More benchspace above a small wardrobe is located opposite the kitchen, as is a microwave positioned conveniently around shoulder height. The 12V electronic board is here too, including gauges for the 150-litre clean water and 150-litre waste water tanks.

A 20-inch LCD TV is swivel mounted for viewing in the lounge/dinette area. It’s fed signals from a digital receiver mounted on the roof, which sits alongside solar panels and a Dometic roof-mounted air-conditioner.

Large tinted windows at the rear and sides of the van, and a centrally-mounted skylight, allow plenty of natural light to filter through the light-toned interior.

The sliding windows have flyscreens and drop-down curtains and allow a decent flow-through breeze when opened.

Lighting is taken care of with a combination of 12V fluoro and LED-lights scattered throughout for reading and general night duties. There’s no lack of 12 and 240V points throughout the vehicle, either.

A Truma, gas heated boiler services the kitchen and shower, which is an all-in-one module located near the front of the vehicle, and includes a Thetford toilet cassette with electric flush, fold down basin with mirror vanity, and retractable rack for hanging towels, etc, when not being used.

BOTTOM LINE

The Kea 4/5 Berth Deluxe proved a pleasant travel companion during our short trip down the Great Ocean Road, lacking in few creature comforts or amenities.

Although we didn’t venture far from powered campsites, it’s nice to know it could have coped easily with a few days of free camping, with a big water tank and gas, battery and solar power back-up if required.

That said, venturing off the blacktop and away from the crowds would quickly put the big Kea out of its comfort zone, with a harsh, rattly ride on anything other than smooth bitumen. Its size can also make it a handful around town and when parking.

Rental costs per day start at around $200, depending on time of year, location and insurance excess, so it could pay to travel in low season or take advantage of special deals if budget is a concern.

But for family getaways or longer touring holidays, renting an up-spec motorhome can add up and in the Kea’s case, is hard to fault in layout and design and the fact that just about everything you require is included.

Those grey nomads doing the Big One in luxury motorhomes could be onto something...

KEA CAMPERS 4/5 BERTH DELUXE RENTAL

Base vehicle: Ford Transit
Engine: 2.4-litre turbodiesel
Gearbox: six-speed manual
Power/torque: 103kW @ 3500rpm/375Nm @ 2000rpm
Fuel consumption: 14.2l/100km
Tare weight: 3450kg
GVM: 4495kg
External length: 6.8m
External width: 2.2m
External height: 3.1m
Internal height: 2.0m
Cooktop: Smev four-burner gas cooktop and grill, rangehood
Fridge: 133litre three-way Vitrifrigo fridge/freezer
Microwave: Sharp
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg
Lighting: 12V
Hot water: 25litre Truma gas
Fresh water: 150litre
Grey water: 150litre
Website: keacampers.com.au