By Malcolm Street
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Sunliner Motorhomes manufactures a wide range of vehicles, from the Transit-based pop-top PRV to the upmarket Monaco. But its most popular is the mid-sized Euro range, which has a good selection of both B and C class motorhomes.
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One of those is the EuroKlein, an Iveco-powered B class unit, which CW borrowed on a visit to Australian Motor Homes, Newcastle, NSW. 
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This motorhome has an Italian-built cab chassis and is manufactured in Australia.
Iveco, primarily a truck manufacturer, doesn’t make much of a noise about its light commercial vehicles, but the Daily range is very versatile, with both a van and cab chassis available. 
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The vans are uncommon for camper conversions, though not a bad vehicle for the purpose. The cab chassis is seen more frequently, making a good base vehicle for motorhomes, as well as being an excellent tow vehicle for large fifth wheelers. 
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Like almost every other European truck manufacturer, Iveco has a new vehicle coming out, but our EuroKlein was built on the existing model, the 50C17. 
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We’re not sure where Iveco gets its model numbers from but we are sure about the good performance of its 3L turbodiesel. Putting out 122kW, the engine powered our EuroKlein along well.
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Unlike its Italian stablemate, the Fiat Ducato, the Daily is rear-wheel (tandem) drive. It is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automated manual. Our review vehicle came with the latter and changed willingly through the gears.
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Being a European vehicle, the Daily comes with most driver comforts, including airbags, power windows and power mirrors. General cab storage for maps and books isn’t as good as some other European vehicles we have driven. 
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Sunliner has added extra storage above as well as a rearview camera, the screen of which is positioned where the internal rearview mirror usually is. 
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Extra Sunliner touches include the moulded step for passenger and driver, as well as a downlight fitted into the overhang above both doors.
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From the outside, the B class EuroKlein has that typical Sunliner look: it’s streamlined (for a motorhome), with top and bottom fibreglass mouldings at the rear to negate the square appearance.
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Apart from the battery bin (on the nearside) and gas cylinder bin (rear) with two 9kg cylinders, there is one external storage area, at the rear offside. It is under the main bed and offers enough storage space for most camping items.
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Also found in there are the Truma water heater and rear stabiliser jack winding handle. Sunliner is one of a few motorhome manufacturers that offer the latter feature.
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An open feel
The entry door is one of the new Seitz items. It has dual locks and the windows are also Seitz: tinted hoppers with integrated flyscreen and blinds. For outside living, underneath the awning, in addition to the wall and grab handle light there are two external speakers for the sound system. 
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Sunliner’s stylish motorhome interiors have a certain look about them, mostly light-stain timbers, curved bench edges and plush looking upholstery (including the driver and passenger seats), and the EuroKlein is no exception.
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It also has another Sunliner feature: a large window area, which creates an open feel in the motorhome, even when the interior is relatively small. 
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Featuring a rear offset bed, the EuroKlein’s design includes a rear nearside bathroom, mid-offside kitchen and lounge/dinette behind the driver’s cab. All the windows have curtains, except the bathroom, and a Seitz hatch above the dinette ensures good ventilation in temperate weather, while the roof-mounted Dometic air-conditioner does its thing when it warms up.
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Having the dinette at the front of the motorhome lends itself to incorporating the driver’s cab area, although only the passenger seat swivels around. This means two people have plenty of room, but visitors could fit in without too much trouble. 
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There’s plenty of under-seat storage at the dinette, and we particularly liked the hinged ply timber, which means no fiddling around to lift the seat cushions. Above the seats are overhead lockers. 
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There’s also a shelf and two side lockers above the driver’s cab. Each cab seat has a halogen reading light, as do the dinette seats. 
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Having a dinette of a reasonable size, as well as a rear bed, cuts down the space available for other things and, as a result, the kitchen bench area is slightly compressed. However, it does have a combo Smev three-burner cooktop and sink, sans grill and drainer, with a Dometic 97L fridge. 
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Set up high in the overhead locker area above is a Sanyo microwave. 
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Kitchen storage space isn’t plentiful, although Sunliner has made the best use of space by having three large drawers and some small ones under the bench, and an overhead locker.
There isn’t any pantry area as such, but given there are two more drawers under the adjoining bed, perhaps a shelf or two in the large wardrobe opposite could be used for dry food storage purposes. 
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In the rear, the 6ft 6in × 4ft 7in (1.98m × 1.4m) bed sits in the offside corner. Raised off the floor to accommodate the storage area underneath, the bed isn’t too high for climbing into but, with the kitchen and bathroom on either side, room is slightly limited for the person on the inside.
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Overhead lockers sit along the side and rear walls, the latter with two halogen reading lights underneath. Large windows on two sides ensure reasonable ventilation.
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Another reason that access to the bed is a bit tight is the bathroom is relatively large (all motorhome designs involve a compromise).
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The bathroom has a separate shower cubicle, a swivelling Thetford cassette toilet and a good sized vanity cabinet setup, with a wash basin, cupboard space top and bottom, and a small shelf area. A Fiamma fan hatch supplies the ventilation and a space saving sliding door closes off the bathroom. 
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Between the entry door and the bathroom, a large wardrobe supplies hanging and shelf space. Alongside the wardrobe, above the door, is the electrical control panel for the 12V system, water tank gauge, and AM/FM radio/CD player. If the right switch is left on, there’s a downlight above for night use.
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The bottom line
The EuroKlein is a practical motorhome for two people. The Iveco, like many European vehicles, is an easy drive and, for its length, the motorhome has a reasonable living area.
The corner bed might be a bit confined for some people, but if a largish bathroom is desired then that’s the compromise, as with the generous dinette and the smallish kitchen. All up, the EuroKlein is a good touring motorhome.
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Australian Motor Homes, 31 Pacific Highway, Bennetts Green, NSW 2290, (02) 4948 0433, 
www.australianmotorhomes.com.au
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For other Sunliner dealers visit www.sunliner.com.au
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I liked
Driving the Iveco — although it is a light commercial vehicle, it has enough comforts to be an easy drive
Front lounge/dining area with large windows on both sides and the swivelling passenger seat
Relatively large bathroom
Under-bed storage area accessible from the outside
Generous lighting, with fittings in all the appropriate place
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Now I’m being picky
A powerpoint near the dinette — the only other one is behind the kitchen bench
Maybe a slightly lower microwave, though it’s tricky with the window where it is
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Sunliner EuroKlein

Base vehicle Iveco 50C17

Engine 3L turbodiesel

Gearbox Six-speed automated manual

Max power 122kW@3500rpm

Max torque 380Nm@2160rpm

Brakes Disc

Tare weight 3.52 tonnes (weighbridge)

GVM 4495kg

External width 7ft 9in (2.4m)

Internal height 6ft 8in (2m)

Cooktop Smev three-burner

Fridge Dometic RM 7401 97L

Microwave Sanyo

Gas 2 × 9kg

Lighting 12V fluorescent and halogen

Hot water Truma 14L

Fresh water 120L

Grey water 55L

Second stage comp. RVCS no 36655

Price $130,174.00 plus on-road costs 
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Sunliner EuroKlein

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