Choosing a Motorhome

This article is being written without the knowledge, consent, and supervision, of my better half. Ladies, be warned. This article contains chauvinistic references and may shock!

At the Canberra rally my wife Evon said to me: “Lets go and have a look at the new motorhomes. We are happy with what we’ve got and don’t want to buy one, but let’s just look.” Fateful words, and perhaps a warning bell should have sounded - it didn’t and we looked...

Very soon there were noises about being restricted in our slide on, needing more ‘social space’, especially with our chapter commitments, and I was told about all the benefits that would flow from more leisurely travelling in a larger unit. Here, let me digress. When we purchased our four wheel drive one tonner and had our slide on specifically made for us, we had envisaged using it several times a year for trips, mainly to cook and eat in and go to bed and probably freecamp a fair bit. Later we had added TV and microwave when we realised we would often stay at Caravan Parks or powered sites. Over the four years we had added little knick knacks so we were at the point that ‘she who must be obeyed’ was finally happy with the fitout. Now was I being asked to throw this all away (as well as a substantial amount of cash) and start again from scratch?

You bet I was! Like the water dripping on the stone, sooner or later it will be worn away. Though thick, I am not as dense as stone, so it was sooner rather than later. However in view of what was being asked of me, I had some leverage, and was able to negotiate to take the dog, (named ‘dog’), along. (As I write furniture and carpet covers are being sewn up.)

So we started looking at motorhomes, from some grotty ex-rentals with double beds so short and narrow as to be suitable for honeymooning midgets, (not for one who is both long, wide, and married for 34 years), to good looking Hertz ex-rentals, but all of these had more miles on their clocks than I have. We looked at private second hand, and then new ones. Some of the designs are not inspired, and some manufacturers are still making their beds for honeymooning midgets - and their showers for midgets also. No one yet seems to have mastered the art of making motorhomes larger on the inside and smaller on the outside. (Where is Dr Who and his Tardis when you need him?)

Some of these motorhomes of course are so large that I would feel uncomfortable trying to drive them and others so expensive that you wonder if they come with a free block of land to park them on. As a reflection on my age, all of them are too expensive, (more than I paid for my house), but that is the way of the world.

Finally we decided upon a Winnebago Leisure Seeker 2054 on a T4600 Mazda as a unit that provided space, comfort, and even some luxury. Though only 201/2 feet long it is both wide and high. Then we learned of the 5% price increase at years’ end and this put a little urgency into proceedings. The dealer who would give us the best (but still meager) trade in price fortunately had the model with the right colour upholstery (green), and this decided it. (The woman’s perspective there!) I have driven longer vehicles in Europe (on many narrow roads) and drove an enormously huge, lumbering, and cumbersome 24 footer around Alaska, so I suppose I can manage this mobile bedroom/lounge/kitchen/bathroom.

A valuable tip when looking at units is to take a tape measure and pen and paper with you. Look and measure everything from bed width and length and height above to outer dimensions. Stand in the shower and try it out for size. See if things are conveniently situated - check your cooking requirements (2,3, or 4 burner stove), what type and size of fridge, is it convenient to wash up, is there a handbasin, hotwater, solar, etc. (Make a checklist.) Try to get up and lay on the bed, and do the other things you might do every day to see if it is comfortable and convenient. Check the finish underneath the vehicle. Look at the accessories it has and what you might need to add (like we did) for your own personal needs. Measure, measure, measure.

I return to my story. I next considered storage, because I wanted the shed I had built for the camper to suffice. (This requirement had excluded some of the taller units with seemingly double storey house airconditioners.) From all stated dimensions the new vehicle should fit easily. I measured the three metre wide shed door. Yes it was 2.97metres - that figures - shortchanged again! Surely the 3.18m available height would be enough because the brochure said approximately 3.05m? Back to the dealer for a final measure. The roof was 3metres exactly but the vent above the fridge outside was the highest fixture at 3.12metres so they actually gave me more height when I didn’t want it. They had also thoughtfully relocated the radio aerial to the top of the roof to catch passing trees, service station awnings, and, of course, my shed roller door. That needs to be re-re-located and a few minor fix ups. (I marvel that in the 21st century Winnebago is still not capable of engineering a flat bathroom door.) I looked at access to the back from the cab and the cute way the erect gearstick suddenly becomes flaccid (something I can relate to) and lays over to one side to allow the driver to clamber over to the rear. Then I looked at top access to the motor, which seems okay if you bend the flexible dipstick over to remove it. I then had another thought and spent a few sleepless hours thinking about the possible location and how to access all the various fluid reservoirs. I needn’t have worried. I later learned that they are cunningly hidden in unlikely places all over the cab. Finally I measured the overall width to be 2.67 metres to the outside of the mirrors. With an old fashioned 6 inches each side at the doorway, there will be no reversing into the shed for me! I will need to drive in straight - and then, more hopefully, reverse out straight again!

On the road, I often get the unsolicited driving tip from my co-pilot ‘pick a lane, any lane’. I have fears I might now need more than one lane. We will see. To be continued (perhaps)...

Living with Winnie

The big day finally came for collection of our new Winnebago at North Coast Motorhomes. (From pre-delivery to the present, they have been great people to deal with.) In the usual course of pre-delivery inspection we discovered a carton of beer and an enormous bouquet of flowers in the motorhome, - gifts, we were informed. What a wonderful gesture, though I don't understand the use of the flowers. As a friend of mine once observed - "Anything you can't eat, drink, or go to bed with, is not likely to be of much use."

After I handed over my personal cheque - (this was a first… the fellow actually trusted me!), we drove off in our 2054 Winnebago just as a massive rainstorm was starting. I was immediately amazed at the responsiveness of the 4.6 litre Mazda, how devoid of squeaks and rattles the motorhome was, and how well it handled even in the wet. In all, over the few months that I have had it, I have also been impressed on various occasions by little things in the build like the solid and adjustable catches on the cargo bins.

When I got it home I noticed that its serial number was 4600 and it is on a Mazda T 4600. For you numerologists, does this mean anything? Am I cursed or something?

Reversing out of our shed was the next test, with a little change of direction required for the clothes hoist. In the past this hoist had suffered terribly from delivery trucks and I did not want to add to its suffering, or my own, so something had to be done. Had I been able to competently reverse a trailer, a similar article to this could well now be appearing in a Caravan magazine. I can't and so you have to put up with me in the CMCA. Reversing out of the shed in the past had been accompanied by Evon darting back and forth from side to side, in and out of sight of my rear vision mirror, waving her arms around, often screeching something about me having to put my window down so I could hear her directions. With the new motorhome 250mm wider and 900mm longer reversing became very serious indeed and so we bought a little $99 Uniden hand held UHF from Dick Smith. Now my 'seeing eye dog' can guide me and communicate with me through the UHF in the vehicle without the need to wind the window down or the danger of having her impressed into the back of the unit. Also the clothes hoist is safe…for the present.

Then came the first Brisbane Sunshine Wanderers' weekend. In the previous rig, we had an awning which I put up twice… in four years…(yep on the basis of its cost, it was $500 each time). It was rather involved to erect so I won't mention the brand, however many long term chapter members had never seen it erected and others had only heard rumours that it had been erected which they were inclined to discount. Evon was determined that the new awning not suffer the same fate and got several owners of similar vehicles to encourage/cajole me. The moment arrived and a small crowd gathered, and many saw the sight they believed they never would, the awning was up, but can I keep it up?

With a little more mileage under the belt, I calculated that I was getting just over 7 km per litre if I stayed around 80-85kmh where the vehicle was very happy to cruise. This was remarkable because I was only getting 8.3km/litre in the previous vehicle but from a 2.5 litre motor which was obviously working a lot harder. As I mentioned, the 4.6litre Mazda is very responsive. Low gear is quite low and unlike the previous vehicle there is a fair difference between 4th and 5th which is great. Driving is very pleasant but I am not yet totally comfortable with the width of the vehicle on the road. That will come.

Of course 'She who must be obeyed' is delighted with our 'social space'. She says it has exceeded her expectations. For myself, having used a 'slide on' for over four years, I was amazed at the huge amount of space in the cupboards, drawers, overhead compartments and the storage bins, as well as the room to move around inside. Little things, like the self draining 5 cu.ft. fridge which swallows 3 litre milk containers without the need to decant into smaller bottles, are a joy.

I have also noticed four changes to the photographs of the same model as shown in the brochure. Apart from the lack of the bedspread and 12volt bathroom vents, which are apparently not now included, three of these four changes are improvements, and the fourth, the height of the TV shelf, can be regarded as neutral though it was a tight fit for our combined TV/VCR.

With the 2054 body I am able to use the rear vision mirror to see out the back. However this rear window is too high to see the road behind, so from Super Cheap Auto for $12.99 I purchased a stick on plastic fresnel type wide angle lens 20x25cm in dimensions. This gives a wider view, to each side and below and is great to check a following vehicle which is out of sight of the side mirrors.

Our other immediate useful purchase was a cheap quartz wall clock, attached by a stick on hook. We added a levelling bubble in the cab, though I have a pretty good idea and a compass in a position unaffected by the motor etc., because I don't have such a good idea on direction. (Besides men traditionally never ask directions.)

I noticed that the floor covering in the cab is a rather lightweight vinyl and I was unable to find readily available commercial mats. So from a rubber supply company (in my case Clark Rubber) I purchased just over half a metre of rubber backed pool (or outdoor) carpet which comes in 180cm width in a number of types and colours. This was quite ample with very little wastage and cost under $20.00. Now for the fitting. I went through a total of four templates made out of newspaper before I was satisfied that I had the shape right as well as the size and shape of the cutouts with a few slits for the difficult curves. The result is great.

We were worried about security of the cab, (having once had our rented motorhome broken into in Spain), and especially at night when bush camping- note - NOT the chapter weekends! Therefore with some light chain, hooks etc. I constructed a device stretching between the two doors of the cab which though easy for us to attach and disengage, rendered them unopenable. The motorhome door at the back, with its deadlatch, should be fairly secure.

Needless to say, there is a fair bit of other re-arranging, which is still in progress, and a few minor warranty issues. However we have finally named the beast. The name for our previous rig took nearly four years to settle so we are going to continue with a very similar name rather than run the risk that by the time we agree on a new name, we won't be needing one any longer. Keep an eye out for 'Plain Snailing'.

I had written my first article "Choosing a Motorhome: a man's perspective' secretly, several months ago, and was even starting to feel less guilty. However, finally the day of my unmasking arrived. Someone had a 'hot off the press' February 'Wanderer' at the chapter weekend so I decided to take the initiative. At happy hour I casually left it with Evon, but not before telling a few people about it. All went well until she got to that section, then something like 'the bugger' spluttered out, when she started reading the offending article. She took it in good grace and had a laugh about the subterfuge. Still I wonder… and I feel it prudent that my career as a writer (at least in this style) should now end… (Further to this last remark, I advise that the preceding text has been proof-read, negotiated, and finally passed by my in-house censor…)

Peter Anderson Q10543