Talvor Motorhomes Euro Tourer

Travellers bug

Qld-based Talvor Motorhomes builds a range of motorhomes and campervans - everything from a budget hippie camper to C class motorhomes. The company is not short of manufacturing expertise either, because in addition to its Talvor models, it also supplies the fleet for rental company, Apollo. So they have plenty of on-road experience, one might say.

Part of the Talvor line-up includes its Euro Tourer motorcampers. Our review model is a VW Crafter-based unit. Like its European contemporaries, the VW Crafter 35 is an excellent base vehicle for a motorcamper conversion. At 7.1m (23ft), the Crafter is ideally sized for a couple who want something a little larger than a campervan conversion but maybe not quite as big as a coachbuilt B or C class motorhome.

One of the advantages of a motorcamper conversion for a manufacturer is that most of the work goes on inside the van. On the Euro Tourer, a bit of cutting out has to happen on the offside for the hot water heater, gas cylinder locker and Thetford cassette door. The awning is an option, but in my opinion it's essential. In sunny weather it gives shade and in wet weather it keeps the rain out of an opened sliding door. There isn't an external light, something campers often find useful.

Large enough to be comfortable inside, the VW-powered Euro Tourer is a very easy drive and will fit into larger car parking spaces without too much trouble. On the road, the 2.5L 100kW turbodiesel powers the Euro Tourer along without too much trouble and for automatic gearbox lovers, the six-speed Shiftmatic moves through the gears with only the occasional hesitation.

Talvor hasn't done much to the driver's cab - it's all standard VW, with items such as power mirrors, power windows, power steering, remote central locking and air-conditioning. One of the slight irritations with commercial vehicles is that only the driver's seat has an airbag as standard.

EASY AS YOU PLEASE
Our Euro Tourer came with quite a straightforward layout. Two sideways facing lounges in the rear can be used as single beds or made up into a double. Forward of that, the kitchen bench fits along the nearside, with a smaller bench and cupboard opposite. Directly behind the driver's seat is the bathroom. There is an alternative layout available which has a fixed double bed in the rear.

Although making the bed(s) up every night isn't everyone's first choice, it does give a bit of flexibility of use. The two sideways facing lounges can be used at dinner time or for sitting back and resting your feet. Talvor has fitted a Lagun marine-style table, which can be swivelled around or lifted out of the way when not needed. When the double bed is made up, only one set of the hard-backed rear seat cushions is needed to fill the gap.

Storage under the seat is also relatively easy to get at, although in this case part of the offside seat area is occupied by the hot water heater. Overhead lockers on both sides supply additional storage - the doors are sideways hinged, so it is good to stand in the right place when opening them.

Under-locker halogen downlights give illumination on both sides and a big Seitz roof hatch supplies ventilation when the rear doors are closed. Not all windows open, so that's a good asset.

For a motorcamper this size, the kitchen is surprisingly large. The nearside bench is fitted with a three-burner cooktop, a stainless steel sink and a Waeco 80L fridge. There's no drainer integrated into the sink but a plastic clip-on item works just fine. Hinged glass lids for both the cooktop and sink keep splashes and grease off the windows. Under-bench storage includes a small slide-out pantry and a cupboard, complete with a garbage bin. Two overhead lockers give more storage space and a rangehood is fitted above the cooktop.

On the other side of the aisle is the rest of the kitchen bench. The two cupboards contain drawers and fretted out storage shelves for cups and plates. It does take up a bit of space but prevents items rattling around and makes it quick work when putting things away.

In the overhead locker space are the all-essential microwave and the outlet for the split system Heron air-conditioner. A flatscreen TV is mounted on the cupboard wall beside the kitchen bench and can be seen easily from the rear seats (especially if you're sitting with your feet up).

Alongside the kitchen bench is a small wardrobe. It has some hanging space and a panel at the top with all the electrical switches, controls and gauges - 240V and 12V centrally located - always a good idea in any motorhome or campervan.

Not surprisingly, the moulded fibreglass bathroom is quite a compact little area. Fitted in are a Thetford cassette toilet and a variable-height shower rose. Not quite enough room to swing a cat, but certainly enough to have a shower in.

THE BOTTOM LINE
An often unconsidered advantage of RVs the size of the Euro Tourer is that they are excellent for single people. Access to and from the driver's cab is no problem and once parked and plugged in, there is no need to go outside at night.

Modern day technology such as central locking is also an asset. Of course, as mentioned earlier, the Euro Tourer is also excellent for a couple and comes with all the necessary items for enjoyable touring.

I LIKED

I WOULD HAVE LIKED

Talvor Motorhomes
Corner Nudgee and Fraser roads
Northgate, Qld 4013,
(07) 3265 9220.
For more information, visit www.talvor.com