Philip Lord•23 Oct 2017

REVIEW

Trakka Torino

Trakka’s most compact motorhome is big on surprises

Trakka has this year updated the Torino, with improvements inside and out to give the NSW company’s most compact motorhome a bigger tick for convenience and looks.

There are three new upholstery choices (‘Urban Grey’, ‘Forest’ or ‘Coast’), an electric, remote-controlled awning and industrial, raw concrete-look formwork cabinetry – introduced to Torino after its success in the Trakkadu campervan.

The grey water tank’s dump valve is now electrically operated and while it has the same power output, the 2.3-litre turbo-diesel engine has replaced the 3.0-litre engine.

Small engine big on torque

The Fiat Ducato’s 2.3-litre turbo-diesel packs a lot of torque for a small-displacement engine. It can’t hide its commercial origins, with noise and vibration higher than you’d get in a passenger vehicle when you allow revs to climb much beyond 3000rpm. However, it’s a quiet and flexible engine on the move.

The six-speed automated manual is slow to change gears, and so works best when driven in the manual mode.

Like many van conversions, you open the large sliding door on the nearside or walk through from the cab to get into the Torino’s living area.

To helps things, the Torino has a large, electrically operated step at the sliding door and a great feature with the step is that if you forget to retract it, it will do so automatically when you turn on the ignition.

Simple to set up

This would have to be one of the simplest RVs to set up for camp. There are only about four basic steps to cover off: turn the front seats around, fit a table here or at the bed/lounge area at the back (and you have the choice of two different-sized table tops), power out the awning and switch on the electrics at the simple control unit above the kitchen.

As an option, you can also open the rear doors to get a breeze running through the camper. However, there’s a 12v fan mounted on a rear pillar and screened, meshed opening hopper windows if you want to keep the breeze flowing but the insects out.

You can’t expect to have a large window area with a camper layout that includes a bathroom. But even so, the Torino allows in a fair bit of natural light; the front area relying on a roof hatch and the sliding door window to let in the light.

The rear of the conversion is bathed in light thanks to the large windows in the Fiat’s rear barn doors.

Neat layout

The layout in this two-berth campervan is quite simple; along the nearside going back from the sliding entrance door is the kitchen, then the rear dining/seating/sleeping area.

On the offside, there’s a fridge, bathroom, storage cupboard and then the rear bed area.

The kitchen is a good size for a relatively small layout. On the bench top you’ve got a hinged glass top for both cooktop and sink, which makes for a fair size food-prep space with them closed. There’s a nook for small items on the end wall of the kitchen next to the cooker.

Plenty of kitchen storage

There’s quite a lot of storage in the kitchen area, including six soft-close drawers below the kitchen bench and a locker above. The forward end of the bench also has a three-tiered shelf, concealed behind a concertina sliding door.

Across the aisle from the kitchen on the offside is the bathroom. The toilet is recessed under the sink and slides out electrically at the press of a button.

The shower rose is height-adjustable and the bathroom also features an extractor fan and ventilation hatch. The sink is very small but the towels on the two towel rails won’t get wet as there’s a shower curtain that tracks around past the rail, keeping it dry.

Powered up

The Torino has a 240v and 12v electrical system as is the convention for campervan conversions.

The interior is illuminated by 12v LED lights, which also have a dimming function. Two AGM deep-cycle batteries store charge, while an automatic battery charger feeds them from external 240v power (solar is optional).

A clever LCD readout, electronic control system mounted above the kitchen monitors battery condition, provides water tank levels, indoor and outdoor temperature, clock and circuits and is mounted above the kitchen area.

There are many storage nooks in the Torino, plus a couple large storage spaces. The under-bed area is a useful, squared-off compartment while there are lockers above the sleeping quarters.

A hanging wardrobe space is found on the offside adjacent to the sleeping quarters, while various other storage spots are dotted around the interior. There’s also an over-cab shelf area.

Finger touch awning

The outside living area is sheltered by a remote-operated awning and lit by two LED strip lights.

A small table hinges up into position on the back of the kitchen bench and a removable table (stored in the boot area) clips onto a rail on the sliding door.

It’s a simple yet effective outdoor living area for when at camp - or even a roadside rest stop.

Verdict

The added features and new colours in the 2017 Trakka Torino add more texture to what is already a well-conceived layout.

The Torino’s pluses are its space efficient yet not cramped bathroom, multi-use rear area and power-operated awning.

However, it could do with some insect screening for the rear doors and Fiat’s automated manual is simply too slow.

We liked:

>> Clever bathroom layout

>> Versatile rear space

>> Remote controlled awning

Not so much:

>> No insect screening when rear doors opened

>> Automated manual too slow

>> Pricey for a campervan

TRAKKA TORINO

Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato XLWB

GVM:4005kg

Licence: Car

Occupants: Two seatbelts, two berth

Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel

Power/torque: 130kW/400Nm

Transmission: Six speed single-clutch automated manual

Wheels: 16in steel

Brakes: Discs, ABS and ESP

Travel length: 6365mm

External body width: 2050mm

Travel height: 2680mm

Rear bed size: 2050mm x 1850mm

Cooktop: Two-burner gas stove with rangehood

Fridge: Waeco 136L 12/240v

Microwave: Sharp Carousel

Lighting: 12V LED

Battery: 2 x 100A/h

Solar: Optional

Air-conditioner: Optional

Fresh water: 120L (grey water:19L)

Gas: 1 x 4kg

Price: $124,000

Supplied by: Trakka, Mt. Kuring-gai, NSW

Trakka Torino

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