LMC Motorhomes

WHAT WE LIKED

• Different layout, features and colour scheme
• Good-sized kitchen with microwave at eye level
• Side storage compartments above the driver’s cab

NOT SO MUCH

• Older cab chassis
• Lack of fixed bed(s)
• Little space around swivelled cab seats

A key difference between the caravan and motorhome industries is location. Most readers would know that Melbourne (and its surrounding suburbs) is Australia’s van capital.

Motorhome manufacturers, on the other hand, are found in all kinds of places around the country. Tucked away in the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah, LMC Motorhomes is a good example of such an out-of-the-way manufacturer.

It’s not a large manufacturer but LMC does have lots of experience with a wide range of RV conversions, and this experience is borne out in the company’s first motorhome built under its own name.

COOL LOOK

Built on a refurbished Mercedes Benz 413CDI cab chassis, the LMC motorhome body is an all-new construction, with a 50 x 50mm galvanised steel floor and 100 x 50mm and 50 x 50mm body frame.

Coolroom panel and aluminium composite Dibond are used for the roof and walls. The result is a square-ish looking motorhome with the usual features, including Seitz hopper windows, Camec security door and Fiamma F45 awning.

External storage space is generous, with two bins along the front nearside and a rear tunnel boot that goes all the way through. The tunnel boot’s storage space is slightly reduced because it sits at an angle to accommodate the rear departure.

Part of the front nearside bin is occupied by two 100Ah AGM batteries, while bins along the offside accommodate the Atwood hot water heater, gas cylinder storage and air-conditioner compressor unit. 

A fold-down barbecue is housed in a bin behind the entry door, and the motorhome’s separate mains power inlets for the general power circuits and air-conditioner are something you don’t see too often these days.

STEP INSIDE

Entering the LMC’s rear door reveals a very unique interior. The most immediate and noticeable feature is the almost exclusively white décor, lacking the usual timber look. It’s a refreshing change.

The layout itself is very spacious. A day/night lounge forms the bed, and the bar-style table and seating is something I have never seen before in an RV.

Large windows all-round improve the space perceptions, as does a central roof hatch, which has more than one function: it can be used to easily clean the 80W solar panel – which should be done quite frequently.

Aside from aesthetic reasons, the timber look is not used because the LMC’s cupboards are made from aluminium composite and the drawers are all one-piece folded Colourbond with aluminium composite bases and fronts. One handy feature here is a push-button electrical locking system that secures all drawers when driving.

Unlike many motorhomes with roof-mounted air-conditioners, the LMC has an Astle split system, with the outlet behind the driver’s cab.

FLOATING BED

As with many distinctive layouts, this one is bound to create excitement in some quarters – and disappointed frowns in others. The reason for each reaction will be the non-fixed bed, but whatever your thoughts on its practicality, this setup is an interesting change from the norm.

The leather upholstered day/night lounge is fitted to the rear wall and has a bedhead with side wardrobes and overhead lockers. The bedside shelves also double as day-use side tables and small storage compartments – the piano-hinged lid opens for easy use.

Another unique layout feature is a very trendy-looking table with bar stool-style chairs, set along the nearside wall. Under the table is a compartment for tea towel racks and a sub-woofer. The same space houses a slide-out pantry.

A row of overhead lockers and a flatscreen TV – viewable from the rear lounge/bed – also sit above the table.

Considering the rest of the rig, the kitchen bench is surprisingly conventional, with a combo three-burner cooktop and stainless steel sink fitted into the benchtop. A separate Smev grill/oven sits underneath the cooktop.

Having no sink drainer allows for a considerable benchtop space and 10 (yes, 10) drawers underneath.

A microwave and 150-litre Dometic fridge are fitted into the corner behind the driver’s seat. The microwave is at an accessible height and sits at a 45 degree angle, so it’s not difficult to reach.

The locker above the microwave contains a 12V switch panel, solar panel regulator, hot water switch, water tank gauge and the drawer locking button. The 240V circuit breakers are just outside the locker.

Filling the space opposite the kitchen is the bathroom cubicle, which is fitted with a bench-style Thetford cassette toilet, fixed-height shower hose and a towel rail.

UP FRONT
As you’d expect, both seats in the driver’s cab swivel around. Incidentally, the seats here are not the originals, but engineer’s certificates prove the work has been done to the RTA’s satisfaction.

The same goes for the rear lounge seat belts, where two lap sashes and one sash belt have been fitted.

I’m usually an advocate of swivelling cab seats, but in this application their use is somewhat restricted by the bathroom cubicle and fridge locations.

There are few modifications in the driver’s cab other than the seats, with the exception of a reversing camera screen and a rather sophisticated, even futuristic-looking, Teac touch control sound system.

On the road, the only surprise is the manual five-speed gearbox – not usually a feature on later Sprinter models. Otherwise, driving the Benz presents few, if any, problems, even with a slightly older cab chassis.

VERDICT

As is often the case with different or unique RV designs, I suspect having the day/night lounge as the main bed will be a problem for some people – many prefer to keep things simple. But I particularly liked the fresh approach taken with the general layout and interior design.

Using aluminium for the external and internal structures helps keep the overall weight down and retains a good amount of storage, especially on the exterior.

Going with a smaller manufacturer like LMC can also have its own design advantages because it leaves plenty of room for custom add-ons. And even though the motorhome cab chassis was included here, the customer always has the option of supplying their own.

A couple looking for a modern and spacious motorhome that’s a bit different from the rest should get along very well with LMC.

LMC MOTORHOMES

Base vehicle: Mercedes Benz Sprinter 413CDI
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel
Gearbox: five-speed manual
Power/torque: 95kW at 3800rpm/ 300Nm at 1600-2400rpm
Tare: 3780kg
GVM: 4490kg
External length: 7.1m (23ft 3in)
External width: 2.4m (7ft 10in)
Internal height: 2.05m (6ft 9in)
Travel height: 2.9m (9ft 6in)
Cooktop: Dometic three-burner, Smev grill/oven
Fridge: Dometic 150-litre three-way
Microwave: Astle
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg
Lighting: 12V
Toilet: Thetford bench cassette
Shower: Fixed-height
Hot water: Atwood 23-litre
Fresh water: 120-litre
Grey water: 80-litre
Price: $100,000 (drive-away, Qld)
Supplied by: LMC Motorhomes, 467 Tomewin Road, Murwillumbah, Qld 2484, 0412 028 765.