Maui Spirit 4 Rental

WHAT WE LIKED

• Comfortable and easily deployed accommodation
• Functional and roomy living space
• Ergonomic driving position

NOT SO MUCH

• Lack of chassis ground clearance
• Automatic gearbox hindered engine power
• Radio lacked an MP3 jack plug

The strong Aussie dollar allowed our holiday budget to stretch to the relative luxury of the Maui Spirit 4 for our 17 day motorhome trip around New Zealand's south island over the January holiday period.

As the four-berth, 2009 Mercedes Sprinter conversion was valued at NZ$129,000 (AUS$98,083), we wisely opted for extra collision insurance while filling out the paperwork at Maui’s base in Christchurch. Costing a hefty 553 Aussie dollars (in addition to the $286 daily hire rate) it would minimise any excess payments in case of accidents. 

Our main reason for opting for this larger vehicle (compared with say a Toyota Hiace high top, popular with groups of backpackers) was the spacious living area and ease of setup.

However all this comfort comes at a cost in terms of size, with the substantial 6.5m long and 3.4m high body presenting an imposing figure to your average car driver. But this bulk offers hidden depths – such as voluminous cupboards and under seat storage – which simply swallow up suitcases full of holiday gear.

With our two children safely strapped into the rear safety belts we set off on the busy dual carriageway into Christchurch. The driving position felt right immediately – aided by an adjustable steering column and supportive bucket-style seats – as the 2.2-litre diesel effortlessly used the five-speed automatic transmission to run through the gears.

Pulling in at a supermarket to stock up the 80-litre fridge with freezer box allowed us about a week’s worth of chilled food. The three kitchen top lockers above coped well with the dried foods, with wine bottles slotting into a neat slide out double shelf that we named the cocktail cabinet.

Heading out of town through a series of roundabouts showed the Mercedes’ suspension to be soft but the power steering and ABS brakes gave enough feel to prevent any dramas.

Out on the highway the van smoothly reached a cruising speed of 100km/h with little engine or wind noise in the airy cab. With confidence quickly gaining, I went for my first overtaking manoeuvre but a rude shock awaited.

Pulling out and asking the four-cylinder turbocharged diesel for a bit more oomph, little happened, and with the automatic gearbox deciding for me, there was no dropping down a gear, so back into the slow lane we scurried.

GALLEY AND GADGETS

With the day’s drive ending we pulled in for the night. After plugging in mains power and opening the side hatch near the driver’s door to switch on the 9kg gas bottle, dinner was prepared.

The four-burner gas stove coped well with cooking our spaghetti bolognaise. The Spirit 4 came with two copper bottomed cooking pots and a large fry pan, with crockery for four. Heating some extra sauce was easily achieved in the small microwave as we chopped salad on the spacious work surface beneath.

Doing the washing up was also no drama in the single sink with its hot/cold mixer tap. Earlier in the day we’d checked the settings to ensure we’d get some hot water from our 85-litre tank.

Setting up for dining was also easy; a rectangular table slots into a floor hole. The only downside was lack of space to move away from it when in situ, but it could be rotated in its floor hole.

The surrounding cushioned area proved comfortable for lounging as well as eating and sat four easily.

With the evening’s ablutions underway the small toilet/shower cubicle came into its own. Well, at least after it was emptied of surf boards, skateboards and wetsuits – yes, it’s a very useful storage area for an adventure-packed family holiday!

A small chemically treated cassette collects toilet waste while shower water can run into a holding tank or straight out to an external bucket. The hatch for the toilet waste cassette is located outside above the rear wheel.

Powered heating/cooling was only available via the front cabin’s air-con unit (with the engine running), but two overhead hatches and slide-open side windows with insect netting provided options for ventilation.

A wind out Fiamma awning was also fitted and deployed easily.

BASE CAMP

With a movie night planned we deployed the double bed. This proved simple once learned – pull out one of the hard backed  lounge cushions for part of the base, then slide out the rear lounge back to fill in the remainder. The result was a comfortable queen sized bed.

The small flatscreen TV/DVD was switched on and the four of us nestled comfortably to enjoy the thrills of James Bond’s antics in Casino Royale. Well situated LED spotlights ensured we enjoyed the movie and afterwards, reading in bed without light disturbing the kids sleeping up front.

The kids’ above cab double bed came with a fold-up lip, a safe option for young ‘uns, and adequate headroom which meant our tall 15-year-old son could sit up for bedtime reading.

Privacy was the only downside – a curtain dividing up the living area would be an add-on if I owned the vehicle.

Electrics throughout the Spirit 4 worked well, including the useful house battery meter. For entertainment in the cab an MP3 jack would be nice though, as radio reception in New Zealand is limited thanks to those imposing mountains.

THE VERDICT

As we discovered over 3100km of South Island touring, the four berth Spirit 4 is ideal for a family with enough floor space and storage for comfortable, extended trips.

Sure, the engine lacked acceleration but then again it was fairly economical (14L/100km) and had plenty of torque as well as top speed.

Despite good mirrors, reversing was an uneasy experience due to the sheer size of the vehicle. Ground clearance is also a limitation with the bodywork a tad too low for peace of mind on those bumpy bush camps.

FREE TO ROAM 

One bonus for campervanners exploring the South Island is the country’s liberal attitude to freedom camping, with special dispensation for vans that are 'self-contained' with onboard toilet and fresh water tanks, as our rented Maui Spirit 4 was. 

New Zealand's Self-contained Certification Scheme allows local and regional councils to accommodate campervans and motorhomes at reserves and other areas where there are limited or no external facilities, or where other non-certified vans can’t. Choice bro!

MAUI SPIRIT 4

Base vehicle: 2009 Mercedes Sprinter
Price (when new): NZ$129,000 (AUS$98,083)
Conversion: Ci Munro New Zealand
Engine: 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel
Power/torque: 80kW/270Nm
Gearbox: five-speed automatic
Fuel consumption (average): 14l/100km
Fuel capacity: 85-litre tank
Tare weight: 3140KG
GVM: 3880KG
External length: 6.5m
External width: 2.2m
External height: 3.4m
Internal height: 2.0m
Air-conditioning: driver’s cab only
Cooking: four-burner gas cooktop, rangehood, microwave
Fridge: 80-litre three-way fridge/freezer
Gas: 1 x 9kg
Lighting: 12V
Hot water: pressurised system
Fresh water: 85-litre
Grey water: 85-litre
Website: maui.co.nz

For more on driving a motorhome across the South Island, click here.