Winnebago A class Explorer

I am one of those who appreciate the noise of a big diesel motor in action, and my loan Winnebago A class Explorer’s 6.5 litre turbodiesel rumbles into life very nicely.

An assignment in the NSW coastal town of Coffs Harbour saw the need to spend a few days on the Pacific Highway to and from Sydney, and what better way to do it than in a style to which one could easily become accustomed.

Outside

The Explorer is built very much in the Winnebago style – a laminated wall of ply/aluminium frame with foam insulation and ply and fibreglass skin. The same goes for the roof except for the outer covering of one-piece rubber. All the windows, except the driver’s cab, are the Hehr hopper style, as is the door.

There’s loads of external storage to accommodate batteries, battery charger, two 9kg gas cylinders and onboard Onan generator.

Mounted on the roof are two solar panels, the Coleman Mack air-conditioner and the Winegard TV antenna.

Inside

The Explorer is available in three different model lengths – 25ft, 27ft and 31ft (actually they are all slightly longer) as well as a variety of layouts, and some have a slideout. Our test vehicle was the longest without a slideout and so was roomy. Divided into four areas, the lounge is at the front with swivelling driver and passenger seats. Behind is the kitchen and dinette area, then bedroom and a full bathroom at rear.

The Explorer has a high level of appointment and convenience with neat timber work and a pleasing finish. Most windows have day and night shades, there are slimline venetians in the kitchen and bathroom conventional curtains in the driver’s cab.

The Caprice stove, with oven and grill and the Panasonic Dimension 4 microwave plus convection oven were more than adequate, and long-distance travellers will make full use of the large two-door fridge/freezer. There’s minimal benchtop space but I appreciated a tea towel rail and fluorescent light above the stainless steel sink.

Kitchen storage is quite reasonable with four drawers, a slideout pantry and a small cupboard.

There’s plenty of space to lounge in the Explorer with the choice of two front swivelling seats, the day/night lounge or the dinette. The TV/entertainment unit with DVD/video player and CD rack is between the door and passenger seat.

The north-south queen size bed occupies most of the rear bedroom with minimal space along the offside, but is more spacious on the opposite side. That results in an asymmetric arrangement of the bedhead cupboards, with a small bedside cabinet on the offside and a handy wardrobe on the nearside. Visiting guests can bunk down on the day/night lounge in the front of the motorhome.

The bathroom is large, with separate glass screened shower, toilet and vanity sink. The flush toilet is separate and the shower/vanity area can be closed off in two directions. There is a mirror behind the vanity but the overhead locker means most people will have to stoop to use it. There is also a large hanging cupboard with drawers underneath.

The Explorer’s sophisticated electrical system includes the normal 240V system and 12V house batteries. Solar panels also supply power and there’s a 1500W inverter and a 5kVA Onan generator. Lighting is a mixture of overhead fluorescents, Fiamma incandescent fittings and halogen reading lights – all mounted in strategic places.

The diesel-fired Webasto heater, with ducted vents, warms up quickly.

On the road

The Explorer cruises along very nicely. It’s built on a US-designed motorhome Workhorse chassis with a front-mounted turbodiesel motor and its suspension absorbed ridges and bumps very well. The four-speed auto gear had no trouble with either slower, around-the-town speeds or faster highway cruising.

Although the Explorer was 32ft (9.87m) long, general handling was no problem. The power steering took a little getting used to and although the power disc brakes required a firm foot, they worked well.

In front of the driver are speedo, tacho, temperature and fuel plus both oil pressure and battery voltage. There’s a left-hand indicator and, unusually for a US vehicle base, auto gear change on the right. The engine cover is slightly offset to the right, ensuring the passenger has slightly more leg room. A compartment for items like CDs would be handy.

The flat and convex rear view mirrors gave good rear vision, eliminating blind spots.

Summing up

The Explorer is a very sophisticated and self-contained motorhome. Average fuel consumption was about 20.6 litres/100km (13.6mpg) and although my Explorer had a diesel motor, it is being temporarily phased out due to emission requirements and will not be available until next year. Current models will only be available with an 8.1 litre petrol motor.

For a couple who want to explore Australia in style and comfort, the Explorer has much to offer.

For more information about the Explorer contact Winnebago Motorhomes, (02) 4735 8116 or visit <a href="http://www.winnebago.com.au/"><span><u><font color="#800080">www.winnebago.com.au</font></u></span></a>.

We liked

Comfortable long-distance driving

Good storage space

Bathroom area

Lighting

Heater

We would have liked

Slightly longer kitchen bench

A larger kitchen pantry

Storage compartment in driver’s cab

More time travelling