The latest range addition from the Whakatane-headquartered team, led by Paul Farrell, is a different take on the sort of bespoke vehicle they usually build – yet it still retains many of the hallmarks and all of the robust, quality engineering that tends to go into their models.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
The new Coastal Motorhomes model is built on an Iveco chassis, rather than the usual Mercedes-Benz hardware. As has been much-mentioned, the Iveco Daily chassis was winner of the coveted International Van of the Year 2015 award, so it comes with plenty of pedigree and more than enough power for a motorhome of this size.
That size? It’s a more compact but no-less-usable 7.3 metres in length, meaning the motorhome is easier to handle when passing through towns, positioning on the campsite and even when parked in the driveway or undercover awaiting its next adventure.
“When you’re in a larger vehicle heading into an urban centre to explore, you can often end up having to park somewhere with a large carpark, such as a big box retailer or supermarket, which might not always be convenient to the must-see aspects of your destination,” says Paul.
“For older clients, the smaller footprint of this model means parking closer to the centre of town, or in more confined spots near the local i-Site for example, is that much easier.”
EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
“While we’re known as a bespoke builder, for this model we decided we would pack as big a standard feature set into the plan as possible,” continues Paul.
“This has a benefit to the customer as they can see what they’re getting from the outsetwith limited upgrades necessary. But we can fully customise to suit what our clients want, and there is always something out there that can be added.”
Paul also explains that much more of the motorhome can be constructed on-site at the company’s Whakatane base, as the ’van shell arriving as a complete unit means his team are only concerning themselves with the internals, rather than constructing exterior walls.
Enter the living space and a bathroom sits to the right; a galley kitchen to the left, with a 180-litre under-bench fridge freezer and Thetford Triplex three-burner grill and oven. A roll-out pantry, cubby storage and plentiful bench space completes the picture. The sliding van door has been replaced with a conventional motorhome arrangement for added convenience without the effort.
In the bathroom, Coastal Motorhomes has added a custom-made shower base augmented with a swivel toilet seat and corner basin. There’s a three-quarter height wardrobe abutting the shower cabinet. Two single beds can be accessed either internally or through the rear door; the two singles can be used in-situ or arranged together to form a comfortable double.
Meanwhile in the dining area the driver’s seat also swivels around to enable across-the-table conversation at mealtimes.
PRICED TO SUIT
Coastal Motorhomes’ tradition of bespoke projects for a vast array of different customers means putting a price tag on individual builds is a tough ask before they’re completed. And while the new 7.3-metre motorhome on these pages is as much an off-the-rack design as possible, there are still aspects that the Coastal team are happy to revisit in order to meet specific client requests.
The test example you see on these pages retailed at $179,000, although Paul says similarly specified models could be up to $12,000 less than that, depending on the final build list. He recommends having a chat with the Coastal Motorhomes team to figure out what must-have items and wish list options will fit individual budgets.
The verdict
This rather more compact model is something of a departure for Coastal Motorhomes, but one that features the same attention to detail their customers have come to expect.
While the big news within the local industry over the last few years has been the downward trend in the average age of motorhome owners, Paul Farrell and his team recognise the fact that lifelong motorhomers continue to seek out new adventures in new places with old friends well into their retirement years.
Having a model suited to their wants and needs has now become a much more visible component of Coastal Motorhomes’ range offering. And for that, this manufacturer must be applauded.
Pros
- Decent specification within a smaller footprint
- Carefully thought-out interior for the audience
- Powerful and reliable Iveco underpinnings
Cons
- None to speak of
