Mercedes Sandpiper 770 C Class

• Easy walk through between driver and living compartments
• Practical layout
• Excellent exterior storage
• Engine gives plenty of power
• Manufactured to a high standard

After hiring a two-berth Fiat Ducato for a trip away, Diana and Martin Visser developed a liking for this type of lifestyle. The couple visited Coachcraft, in Henderson in Auckland, and put a deposit on a new Mercedes Sandpiper 770 C Class motorhome. Engine and appearance The new Sandpiper is manufactureed on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 518 long-wheel-based cab and chassis. It has an OM 646 Dela V6 common rail diesel injected engine, which drives to the dual wheeled rear axle through a tiptronic-styled automatic gearbox. It is a three-litre engine producing 184hp and the Euro 4 compliant engine has surprising power for on-highway motoring and for towing. It also has a very good fuel economy rating at around 14 litres per 100 kilometres. The driver compartment has all of the usual Mercedes features, including air conditioning, adjustable steering column, adjustable driver’s seat, twin air bags, large rear vision mirrors, and all of the necessary instruments you would expect to find in the average new car. One of the major features of the home is that the occupants can walk through to the living area from the driving compartment without having to leave the vehicle, irrespective of the outside weather. The Sandpiper is designated a four-berth unit with a double bed made up from the dining lounge seats, and a double bed in the Luton above the cab. That bed is accessible via a clip-on ladder, which is a removeable item. Construction and interior The home body is of complete insulated fibreglass construction with full lining and the furniture is manufactured in high quality Euro plywood finished both sides with high pressure laminate. All of the windows in the home are double insulated with full blinds and connecting fly screens, and all windows can be opened. There are two main manual double glazed roof vents and an automatic electric vent in the shower/toilet, which incorporates a fold-out hand basin. The shower is a separate cubicle and the toilet is the Dometic Vacuum VT2500. The rear lounge consists of seating for six people, which can be converted into either two single beds or one double bed. When in the dining mode, a removeable large table can be set up with a smaller table, which can be added to allow for the dining of six persons. A three-burner gas stove and a rotisserie oven give good cooking facilities, and an externally vented range hood removes cooking fumes. Food is stored in the 150-litre three-way fridge/freezer and the pull-out pantry. There are a number of additional lockers and cabinets for food and living item storage and a stainless steel sink with a folding tap supplies both hot and cold water. The benches on both cooking and serving/washing facilities have extensions that are fold-away and, when set up, almost double the bench space. A 190-litre freshwater tank supplies to both the pressurised cold water system and the 14-litre pressurised hot water system, which is heated by gas or 240-volt mains power. The grey water is contained by a 135-litre tank with all tanks and pressures being monitored by meters in a panel above the home main entrance. This panel also houses meters covering the battery power, solar panel input and the smart charger. There are three 4.5kg gas bottles housed in a steel outside locker, with two always in service and a stand-by when one runs out. The home is heated by an Eberspacher Air Tronic D2 diesel unit, which is vented both into and out of the home body and is also ducted into the bathroom area. The driving compartment has its own heating system. A four-metre wind-out awning gives large amounts of shade and the electric step improves the main door access. Exterior storage and access to this storage is excellent with a full cross-body rear boot having access from the rear and both sides and there are two side skirt lockers, one of which houses the two cassettes for the Dometic toilets. Read in-depth RV reviews inthe latest issue of Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations, on sale now. Specifications Model 518 MB Sprinter Horsepower 184 Engine Six-cylinder diesel, turbocharged common rail Gearbox Five-speed automatic Construction Moulded fibreglass home body Size Four-berth with four seatbelts Power 12-volt/240volt/gas Fridge 150-litre three-way fridge/freezer Freshwater 190L Grey water 137L Gas Three bottles