Bailey Adamo 75-4DL Review

With three out of four motorhomes built on a Fiat chassis, it’s refreshing to view one on a Ford Transit. That’s not the only point of difference, says Peta Stavelli.

It was my first visit to RV Mega in Tauranga and it was hard not to be impressed. This place is BIG. In fact, size-wise, RV Mega is, to my knowledge, unrivalled within New Zealand as a destination shop for everything RV.

RV Mega’s owner, Richard Olsen, showed us around. Richard bought the business a few years ago and has since focused on improving the customer experience. He comes from a supermarket background and brings all of that retail knowledge to RV Mega, where he says all of the staff are focused on ensuring the needs of the customer are met. “We’re all here to help,” he says. Richard has invested heavily in developing better signage and access, a comfortable customer lounge, and a bright and spacious shop which offers more accessories. He’s also focused on the health and safety of both staff and visitors, so we donned high-visibility jackets to cross the (very large) workshop.

I was keen to see the Bailey Adamo 75-4DL motorhome, parked just outside. This promised to be a very different offering, not least because it is built on a Ford Transit chassis, as opposed to the more usual Fiat base, but also because of the highly unusual layout which is hinted at by the DL in the title.

Double up and double down

In this instance, DL stands for double lounge. And, yes, we are talking about a recreational vehicle here. If you haven’t been inside a double-lounge motorhome (I had, but was still pleasantly surprised) you’ll be amazed when you step inside the spacious interior to see only a large kitchen and two cosy lounges, one of which has a table. I’ll get to the table shortly, because this is one of the most innovative aspects of this motorhome. For now, simply imagine stepping inside the left-hand side habitation door of a very substantial motorhome and finding no beds.

Of course, both of the double beds are drop-downs, disguised as ceiling panels. And, for me, the rear lounge with wraparound sofa just looked so inviting, I could easily imagine myself cosied up in there reading, far from the madding crowd. With its privacy screen and push-button conversion in an instant to a beautiful boudoir, I felt that this was the major selling point. Until I was introduced to some other fantastic features, that is.

Push-button technology gets even techier

Speaking of push-button technology, I mentioned the table earlier. This is marvellous, and if I owned this RV, I fear I’d spend an inordinate amount of time playing with it. It sits on a telescopic column which not only allows it to pivot sideways, but also up and down, and down some more, should you prefer a coffee table to a bench preparation surface, or simply a more standard issue dinner table.

But wait, there’s more… The twinning theme continues beyond double dropdown beds to twin Aguti convertible travel seats. If you’re not familiar with the term Aguti, it simply means that the lounge seats convert from the cavity below the settee to two comfortable forward-facing seat-belted seats for travelling. This is very clever stuff indeed and I predict that we will soon see more of this space-saving RV technology in our homes and holiday homes. But before I get too carried away, let’s look at some nuts and bolts.

Why Ford Transit?

In the RV world, there are usually few options when it comes to the base vehicle. It’s generally Fiat, Fiat or Fiat. And that’s no bad thing. But the first thing I noticed about the Ford Transit cab from the outside was the overall look of strength. This is a solid, silvery beastie, beautifully integrated with its Transit chassis using timber-free Alu-Tech construction with no external fixing points, which lends greater structural stability. The upper body panels (Artic White) are cloaked in an impact-resistant GRP shell, and the floor is also strengthened with GRP underside protection and Grade111 insulation throughout. A 10-year water-ingress warranty is standard; with additional specific and transferable body warranties also included.

Inside, it may be an illusion, but the cab layout has an air of uncluttered spaciousness, and Richard reckons (I think he might be right) that this offers superior visibility. I think it’s the sense of height and the wide wrap-around windows. It’s sleek inside and out. Underneath the bonnet is a 2.0 litre 160bhp engine with automatic gearbox; and all the bells and whistles you’d expect from an up-to-the minute vehicle like this. I really liked the new feature Ford-Pass connect-app technology which looked so user-friendly with its touch button screen, I figured even I could use it. Richard says Bailey is keen to extend its share of the motorhome market and securing the Ford base is a real coup for the company – a definite point of difference likely to help them achieve that goal.

Habitation

With its two lounges, enormous telescopic table and Aguti seats, the Bailey Adamo 75-4DL offers great flexibility for occupation. It is bound to have broad appeal for couples, part-time parents, grandparents and full-time families, simply because it’s so flexible in the ways it can be used. It’s exceptionally innovative and contemporary in design, perfectly attuned to modern living. As but one small example, there are USB ports throughout the vehicle, so there will be no arguments about who gets the charger. Ditto power points.

There’s a clever slide-out TV, on a pivoting bracket which is extremely useful – offering numerous viewing options, but not intrusive. I loved the matt-black appliances. Thetford or Dometic, both excellent brands, of course. aq. And to me this is a very important aspect of any RV because we like to prepare our own food when we are on the road.

The bathroom is amidships. It is compact but it has a good layout and a pivot potty. It’s light and bright, with great functionality and careful design to maximise the space. The Truma 4E heating system combines water and room heating.

Self-Containment and storage

If you’re planning to spend time off-grid, you need to be sure your vehicle can handle the journey. The Adamo comes with a 90-watt base-level solar panel, which can be upgraded; 100 litres each of fresh and grey water as standard and a 1AGM habitation battery in a dedicated locker. Speaking of lockers…this vehicle features a full-height, full-vehicle width locker that is designed to maximise storage and ease of access for all of those extras which ensure the best holiday.

It’s the perfect compartment for larger toys like paddleboards, kitesurfers, skis, bikes and surfboards, and comes with attachment points – or lashing rings as the manufacture call them – to secure your precious things. There’s 230V and 12V power supply and also interior sliding door access to this very sensible garage. Brilliant! On an aesthetic note: the garage external door is the same height as the left-hand habitation door and this sort of thoughtful design really makes a difference to the outward appearance of what is overall a very attractive offering from Bailey.

In summary

Bailey has really moved with the times to bring its motorhomes in line with European and Australian vehicles, which have traditionally set standards for design. The Adamo 75-4 DL is – as the manufacturer claims – an “exciting new release”. It brings new design and technology together in one very stylish package. RV Mega has secured good supply of this model; and they’ve got some more Adamo models in the pipeline to introduce as they arrive. This is a good thing. I predict they will prove to be extremely popular.

Bailey Adamo 75-4DL Floor plan / Day

Bailey Adamo 75-4DL Floor plan / Night

For more information, visit https://rvmega.co.nz/