Kea Transit rental 2006 Review

By Malcolm Street

It’s a fact that buying a new or pre-loved motorhome can be expensive. It’s also a fact that even if the purchase price could be afforded, because of other life commitments (like work), then a motorhome might spend much of its time just parked and not going anywhere.

So what do you do if you really like the motorhome lifestyle but really cannot afford a motorhome? There are a couple of options, one of which is to rent a motorhome of choice from Kea Campers, one of the multiple hire companies currently in Australia.

That’s actually an advantage that the campervan and motorhome world has over caravans – there are far more campervan/motorhome hire companies around. Even if you find the hire cost a little bit expensive, there are often ‘off season’ rates, especially in countries like New Zealand. And, if you are prepared to be flexible in your destination and dates, there are ‘vehicle repositioning’ deals, where you act as a ‘ferry driver’ but get to use the motorhome while you travel.

After a few years of service, Kea Campers usually sell off its motorhomes and it has a ‘try before you buy’ scheme (if you haven’t hired already) through which you can try out your prospective purchase.

Rental on the road

MHG recently attended the Campervan and Motorhome Club (CMCA) National Rally at Maryborough, Qld. Kea Campers was kind enough to lend us one of its four-berth motorhomes for our rally attendance (you can’t get in without one). In order to make the best use of our time, we opted to fly to Brisbane and pick up a motorhome for the drive north to Maryborough.

Kea’s four-berth motorhome is based on a Ford Transit cab chassis. Powered by Ford’s familiar 2.4L turbodiesel and driving through a five-speed gearbox, it went along very nicely. On a 600km trip of highway driving, mostly at the speed limit, fuel consumption was an average 14.4L/100km (20mpg).

Although it is a commercial vehicle, the Transit is quite easy to drive and I particularly like the relatively comfortable seats and the excellent split rearview mirrors. With its Kiwi origins, the Kea motorhome does have a large rear window that is low enough to be able to use the internal rearview mirror. Tandem rear wheels mean that sideways rock n’ roll is kept to a minimum.

As a flat floor motorhome, access to and from the cab to the rear of the motorhome is no particular problem and, if needed, the Luton bed can be lifted up to make things easier.

Around the outside, the Kea has a very traditional motorhome shape – a somewhat boxy look about it, with a slightly raked Luton peak with Hehr windows and doors.

Along the nearside, there’s a gas locker for a 9kg cylinder and an external locker door that gives access to the areas underneath the rear seat – very handy. Underneath that is a smaller compartment that holds the house batteries.

Similarly, along the offside behind the driver’s door there’s a small compartment that is just the right size for both fresh water and drainage hoses. Being a hire vehicle, there is no awning but there is an external light above the door.

Practical and pleasing

Inside the Kea, there’s the time-honoured Luton peak bed, bathroom behind the driver’s seat, kitchen mostly along the nearside and what I call a ‘New Zealand’ rear – dinette/second bed across the rear with large windows all round.

Now, I like big windows but the Kea items have very small opening apertures – good in NZ where it’s generally cooler but not so good when parked in the Australian sun and crossflow ventilation is minimal.

The split system air-conditioner could normally be used but unfortunately not at CMCA rallies where there are power use restrictions for all!

Being a hire motorhome, the decor is practical, rather than exotic and that is to be expected. All the windows had curtains and upholstered pelmets, there was no shortage of lighting (mostly fluorescent) or roof hatches and there was some strategically placed towel rails – something you don’t always see in private motorhomes.

Fitted into the Kea’s kitchen bench are a three-burner Smev cooktop plus grill alongside a stainless steel sink. Both have smoked glass lids, which is very handy because benchtop working space is minimal. Storage consists of two cupboards, four drawers and two overhead lockers.

Being a hire motorhome, it came with a very comprehensive selection of cooking and eating utensils, including a plunger coffee maker – very important. It was also interesting to note that Kea has built a wooden rack for the plates and cups into one locker.

On the opposite side of the motorhome is the all important fridge – a 90L Vitrifigo unit – with a Samsung microwave oven above. MHG notes with interest that Kea has the microwave oven at an acceptable height – a failing in many RV layouts.

The all-important electrical control panel sits above the microwave – a useful location as it is easily accessible. Hire motorhomes don’t usually have a TV but if you were a post-hire buyer, then the shelf above the fridge and microwave oven is where it would go – there’s both a 240V and 12V socket. In MHG’s case it was useful for the electric kettle and plugging in the laptop and other assorted battery chargers that we carry around.

Four people can sit at the dinette table but it’s certainly more comfortable with just two. The table swivels around easily, so it’s not too difficult to get in and out.

Under the foam cushions are hinged ply timber hatches that give access to the storage area underneath the seats, although the rear and nearside seats are accessible from the outside as well. Overhead lockers all round give a good amount of storage.

Between the fridge and the bathroom is a large cabinet that contains a hanging wardrobe, two drawers and the split system air-conditioner – the compressor part is ‘hidden’ in the bottom of the wardrobe.

In the bathroom, with its translucent door, are a flexible hose shower, Thetford cassette toilet and fold-down wash basin with mirrored cabinet above. The fold-down basin is always a nice idea in a smaller bathroom because it does not take up much room but is still practical to use. Mounted outside the bathroom is a large wall mirror.

Above the driver’s cab, the double bed is reasonably easy to get in and out of. Even the lightweight aluminium ladder has reasonably comfortable steps for bare feet. A fluorescent reading light is fitted above the offside end of the bed.

The bottom line

Everything worked as it should in our Kea Camper and about the only item I didn’t like was the lack of opening windows in the rear. The only thing I really missed, given I was parked for quite a few days, was an awning but then few hire motorhomes have them.

Although the Kea is a hire motorhome, it is quite well designed and put together. On board is everything needed for an enjoyable motorhome holiday including, we should point out, a small vacuum cleaner – not something you find in all hire motorhomes. It’s little things like this that make all the difference.

Contact Kea Campers, 1800 252 201, web: www.keacampers.com.

We liked:

General layout of the four-berth.

Good external storage – a combination of plastic boxes and Flat-Out reels worked well.

Generous internal lighting: not something you see in every motorhome.

Walk through from driver’s cab.

Easy driving motorhome. 

We would have liked:

Larger opening windows in the rear.

A security screen door instead of the Hehr setup.