Laika Kosmo 509 Review

Paul Owen reviews a motorhome that took its name from the bravest of animals, that shows as much dedication to excellence as its namesake.

If you’re even older than me, you might remember the astro-canine, Laika, the first living, breathing inhabitant of Planet Earth to enter space on November 7, 1957. Unfortunately, the heat shield on her Russian space capsule failed after she reached orbit, and Laika died one of the bravest deaths of her species soon after she had confirmed that the body of a live animal could survive the intense G-forces of a space launch.

Laika’s contribution to science would later be immortalised in postage stamps and memorial statues and in 1964, an Italian furniture company that had just begun to build caravans light enough to be towed by a diminutive Fiat 500 chose Laika’s name for their brand. Hence the ‘flying dog’ emblem you see attached to the far larger Kosmo model reviewed here. From small things, big things grow.

Laika is still a relatively small company, despite being absorbed into the Erwin Hymer Group in 2000 and moving into a larger new factory six years later, enabling expanded export ambitions to be entertained. It makes around 7000 motorhomes and campervans a year in the Tuscan village of San Casciano, the interior joinery given the same level of craftsmanship that used to be applied to furniture at the old factory. To quote from the company’s website: “A motorhome is a moving home. This makes the composition and assembly of the furniture all the more important. It has to withstand vibrations and driving movements and yet still have a high degree of flexibility in the event of temperature fluctuations or shocks.

“To meet the demands for stability and flexibility in equal measure, Laika has developed a special furniture assembly system that ensures carefree travel. Laika motorhomes are manufactured with the same care with which a carpenter builds their furniture and with the same passion for detail.”

Unlike some, the above commentary isn’t just some prissy window-dressing aimed at brand-building. The Kosmo might be Laika’s most affordable motorhome at $186,000 but there’s nothing entry-level about it. There’s a solidity to the build that suggests that it’s more A-class than me-too, mid-market also-ran. I’ve driven many single-floored Fiat Ducato/Al-Ko chassis-based motorhomes designed and priced to give the best value for your money. In terms of driving refinement and a lack of noises, squeaks, and rattles, the Kosmo is the quietest performer of them all.

From Tuscany to Tauranga

RV Mega’s Richard Olsen probably felt the same attraction to Laika when looking to add a new motorhome franchise to his Tauranga business as the Erwin Hymer Group did 22 years ago when EHG added the Italian brand to its portfolio.
“Laika motorhomes are like fine Italian cars and motorcycles – there is an emotional appeal that’s often missing from their competitors,” says Richard. “That puts the cream on top of your adventure when you’ve gone out somewhere wild and return to such a stylish and comfortable motorhome. “I took them on [this year] because it’s a good quality product made with Italian style and craftmanship – it adds to our brand mix of Bailey, Adria, and Pilotte.”

RV Mega lives up to its name, with a high-profile 5000sq metre corner site located on the busy link road between Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. Two-fifths of that space is a retail store selling mobile living essentials, leaving room for a large workshop and plenty of stock parking space for the four new motorhome and caravan brands and many used RVs that Mega sells.

Richard has launched Laika in New Zealand with seven models across two product tiers – Kosmo and Ecovip. Starting points for both are $186,000 for the basic Kosmo 509, and $219,000 for the Ecovip L401DS with its plusher trim, 500mm longer cabin, and well-insulated double-floor construction to further reduce noise levels. “The Kosmo offers better quality than most brands at this price – probably comparable to Benimar, while the Ecovip is more Bürstner and Dethleffs level,” says Richard.

Customers can use a configurator when ordering to up the ante from those starting points. Should you want the rich glow of the cherrywood interior furniture of the top Kosmo Emblema, it’s just the push of a button away. Ditto, leather seat coverings like only the Italians can do. However, the NZ spec of both tiers is reasonably comprehensive, with a powered drop-down front double bed, a dining setting that seats six, separate shower and toilet, alloy wheels, 200w solar panel and 200Ah lithium leisure battery, reversing camera, 110L fresh and 90L grey water tanks, gas/electric Truma 6E heating and hot water, a humongous garage capable of swallowing at least four bikes, awning, and a multimedia entertainment system with full Apple IOS/Android connectivity included as standard equipment.

To help kick off sales, Kiwi buyers get to choose one of three free upgrade packs – one providing a coffee machine and a 2000w inverter, another offering a fully set up TV, and my personal favourite – an extra 200w solar panel and a second 200Ah lithium battery. As Richard says, “With 400 watts of solar and 400 amp-hours of battery storage, there should be no problems recharging the e-bikes when camped off-grid.”

The Good Life

The wide entry door sets the stage for a good first impression when you enter the Kosmo. At 650mm wide, it’s around 150mm wider than most motorhome entry portals, something to be appreciated when bringing in the washing or the shopping. Upon opening the classy door catch, you’re greeted with a recessed internal step – to me a much better way to climb inside a motorhome than either a powered slide-out step, or a pull-out manual foothold.

On the right side of the door you’ll find a handy locker where you can swap muddy outdoor footwear for the indoor slippers, while on the other there is a vertical array of light switches and TV aerial plug (if you go for the free TV package, the left-side entry wall is where the ‘giggle-box’ will be mounted).

Turning right, there’s a lounge consisting of a pair of two-seat couches facing each other across the floor, and the two front seats swivel 180 degrees in their camping mode. All are served by a large table with a 50/50 split in the middle so that it can be folded in half to make access to the Fiat seats easier. When travelling, the two couches can be converted to two forward-facing single seats with attendant seat belts, but it’s a process that takes about a quarter of an hour and requires the retrieval of a couple of bulky seat backs from the garage. Although the Kosmo can comfortably sleep four with a push of the button to activate the drop-down bed, seating four safely for travel is a bit more challenging, although the conversion process probably becomes easier with practice.

Above the front seats, the Kosmo has a large opening window, complete with screen and blind, which lets plenty of light into the front lounge when the drop-down bed is up, and natural light into the front bedroom if desired when it’s down. This particular Kosmo came furnished with white leatherette seat upholstery, which added to the airy ambience of the cabin. If you want something a bit more practical, check your options with the configurator.

The spacious lockers above the lounge move with the drop-down bed so it’s best not to store heavy items up there to prevent stressing the electric winch when it hauls the bed back up. Best too, to manage the side fabrics that concertina with the bed movements so they fold in nicely when the bed is back up, to keep that lounge looking tidy. This allows you to appreciate the beautiful design of the overhead lighting console mounted to the bottom of the drop-down bed without what looks like a bit of unmade bed sticking out the side.

Pizza or Pasta?

You get the option of either with the kitchen of the Kosmo as there’s a three-hob burner on top of the bench and a Thetford oven/grille below it. They are flanked by a set of soft-close drawers and a pull-out pantry; if you want further storage there’s an overhead locker above the cooker, and another pull-out drawer located under the fridge on the opposite side of the kitchen.

The storage areas are where the attention to detail is most noticed in a Laika. Where most motorhome manufacturers secure hinges with four screws, Laika uses eight. Drawers roll with little effort on their runners inside the Laika, and the latches that secure them are robust and sturdy yet easy to use.

Emblematic Kosmo

Although there are no ‘Emblema’ graphics on this Kosmo, the model that most matches its floorplan on the Laika site is the Kosmo Emblema 509 LE, which besides the 200cm x 140cm drop-down bed up front has two single beds of varying length at the rear. The right side bed measures 205cm x 80cm, while the left side one is the same width but is 5cm longer. Where did that missing length of the right-side bed go? To the shower cubicle, where it allows extra elbow space while washing up, not a bad thing to give priority to given that the remaining length of the affected bed is still quite generous.

On the other side of van to the artistically designed shower is a slightly ordinary washroom and toilet, although it has got a decent selection of towel rails and a door that can be latched to two frames located 90° apart, to either enclose the washroom or separate the rear bedroom and the washing/convenience facilities from the rest of the van. If rear bedroom privacy is desired, and there are guests up front who require bathroom access, there’s also a pull-across curtain to screen the rear beds from the bathroom areas.

Tuscan sunset

German management, combined with Italian design flair, often result in exciting, well-made products like Lamborghini supercars and Ducati motorcycles (both owned by Volkswagen). To that list, you can add the Laika motorhomes that are now available to Kiwi buyers via RV Mega. These offer value, sturdy build quality, and design details that will continue to keep you engaged with these motorhomes for many years to come.

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