Mini Review: Coachmen Concord

The US-built Coachmen Concord, imported by RvOz in Batemans Bay, NSW, is a 31ft (9.5m) B class motorhome built on a Ford E450 cab chassis.

In the US, the Ford E series is the maid of all works and a very common vehicle for powering motorhomes. In Australia, the E Series is rare: even the better-known F series is not so common. Most B and C class motorhomes in Australia are built on cab chassis that are readily available, and they're mostly from Europe or Japan, with turbodiesel engines.

Somewhat differently, the Coachmen Concord's Ford E450 has a 6.8L petrol engine. A dual-fuel LPG conversion is available.

As a US-built vehicle, a right-hand drive conversion has been done, and done well. The only problem and one that is difficult to resolve is that the engine cover is offset slightly to the right, thus giving the passenger more leg room than the driver.

On the road, the 227kW engine, with its massive 568Nm of torque, powers the Concord well enough. A five-speed automatic gearbox is standard, though it's on the right side of the steering wheel, not the left.

Rear vision is good, with two large, split external mirrors. For reversing, a rear-vision camera monitor is fitted to the driver's sun visor, but I'd rather have the monitor on the dashboard somewhere.

The Concord does have that slightly floaty feel to its handling that we have come to associate with US motorhomes, but it's not as bad as some we have come across.

Some care has to be taken when manoeuvring because of the long rear overhang.

One of the other small US differences is that with a motorhome of this length, we (and the Europeans) might be thinking A class, but this is a B class motorhome. It does come with three slide-outs, adding greatly to the interior space, though the entry door is on the mid-offside. The passenger door, we presume, is the legally required nearside door.

The layout consists of a front lounge/dining area, a mid-section kitchen, and a bathroom in front of the rear bedroom. Slide-outs open on both sides of the front area and on the nearside in the bedroom. The internal decor and cabinetry has a typical US look and there is plenty of interior space.

Up front, the offside slide-out has a four-person dinette fitted into it. In the opposite slide-out are a three-person day/night lounge together with the oven part of the kitchen.

Above the driver's cab is what might be termed the entertainment area. Centre stage is a 24in flatscreen TV. Glass-door cupboards on either side house the DVD player, AM/FM radio and DVD/CD storage.

The cooktop, grill and oven are fitted into the slide-out, and around the corner is a small kitchen bench containing two sinks. There are two drawers, two overhead cupboards and lockers above the cooktop. Slightly offset from the kitchen area, the two-door Dometic fridge sits beside the entry door.

The bathroom is split on either side of the Concord, with the shower cubicle on the offside and then the toilet cubicle with Thetford loo on the nearside. A wash basin is set in a vanity, which has a decent number of drawers, cupboards and wall mirrors.

In the rear, the queen-size innerspring mattress bed sits with the bedhead in the nearside slide-out. One of the more noticeable features is the large picture window in the rear wall of the bedroom. It gives a fine view of the surrounding area but can't be opened.

We understand that the Concord has been fully wired for 240V and there did indeed appear to be powerpoints in all the expected places.

Interestingly, the grey water tank, at 197L, is larger than the fresh water tank, at 160L.

If a spacious interior is desired and the door on the 'wrong' side isn't an issue, then the motorhome is going to be of interest.

RvOz
19 Kylie Crs
Batemans Bay, NSW 2536
(02) 4472 5200
www.rvoz.com.au