Transcript
Tested
Winnebago Burleigh
In brief... Iveco Daily 50C170 turbodiesel External length of 7.9m (25ft 11in) Rear club lounge/bed Layout designed for families, sleeps six
All ABOARD
With the new six-sleeper Winnebago Burleigh, you can take your friends and family along for the ride. 106
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S WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET Clockwise from main: The Iveco Daily makes a nice base vehicle for the Burleigh; with the down-rated chassis you don’t need a LR licence, but you can only carry four passengers; the front cab is comfortable but the fixed bed above makes it a little awkward when climbing into the back.
Measuring up Pros Spacious interior Flexible bed arrangement Reasonable amount of interior storage space LED lighting General kitchen setup Family-friendly layout
Cons Bed above cab is in fixed position Awning doesn’t cover entry door TV mounting position No under-dinette seat storage Heavy rear table
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ince the Talvor/Apollo group obtained the rights to use the Winnebago name in Australia, the manufacturer has been steadily building its range of Winnebagobranded caravans and motorhomes. Although the initial plan was for a significant amount of US input into the RV manufacture, a relatively poor US/Australian exchange rate has seen much of the production happen here in Australia. One of the latest motorhomes to appear out of Winnebago’s Northgate, Qld, premises is the Burleigh. It’s layout is a little different to the conventional but, otherwise, boasts a considerable number of standard features. For the Burleigh, Winnebago has opted to use an Iveco Daily 50C170 cab chassis. Translating the numbers, that means it comes with a 5200kg (down-rated to 4495kg in this instance) cab chassis with a 170hp (125kW) single-stage turbodiesel 3L engine. Like many motorhome manufacturers, Winnebago is starting to use the Iveco Daily in
greater numbers. It’s seen as a nice compromise between the front-wheel-drive Fiat Ducato and the more expensive Mercedes-Benz. Certainly, the 125kW turbodiesel handled the Burleigh without difficulty and the eight-speed gearbox is always a winner. If you want a bit more grunt, then the up-rated 205hp (150kW) twin-stage turbo engine is also available. On the road, there were no particular problems with the Burleigh although, being one of the first models out of the factory, there were a few more creaks and groans than usual. With a Tare weight of 3900kg, the Burleigh has a load capacity of nearly 600kg, but if that isn’t enough, the 5200kg chassis can be ordered, although you will then require a light rigid licence to drive it. The Burleigh can come fitted with either four or six seat belts, but the latter is only available with the 5200kg-rated chassis. Fibreglass is one of the major components of the body construction, which is comprised of single-piece composite walls and a roof with a gel-coated exterior. Both the rear wall and Luton peak are fully-moulded fibreglass. Composite panel is also used for the floor, but with a plywood top. Given the body design, there are no lower external bins, but the under-seat storage at the rear is accessible externally either side via different-sized bin doors. The reason for this is that the nearside bin area is much larger but awkwardly split by a structural component. Also along the nearside are the essential compartments for the gas cylinder bin and Thetford cassette toilet. The under-awning activities are handled by a gas bayonet fitting, 240V/12V/5V sockets, a TV antenna connection and external speakers, which are connected to the Fusion radio unit inside the motorhome. Because of the shape of the motorhome body and the related fixing point issues, the awning does not cover the entry door which, apart from anything else, makes having a full-undercover annexe area a bit difficult.
MAX HEADROOM There are two slightly different layouts available for the Burleigh – one with a club lounge in the rear and the other with a fixed east-west bed. Both reflect Apollo’s rental origins and I thought the club lounge layout of our review motorhome had a distinctly New Zealand feel about it. Dometic double-glazed windows are fitted allround and include the usual integrated insect screen and blind. However, these were fitted a little differently to usual with the insect screen lifting up and the blind lowering down. With this setup, the blinds can be lowered as sun screens, but I prefer them the other way so that the
“Anyone who really likes a rear club lounge with its all-round views is going to be really happy with this Burleigh”
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Winnebago Burleigh
Winnebago Burleigh Weights and measures External length 7.9m (25ft 11in) External width 2.45m (8ft) Internal height 2.04m (6ft 8in) Travel height 3.15m (10ft 4in) Tare 3900kg GVM 4495kg
Engine Base vehicle Iveco Daily 50C170 Engine 3L single turbodiesel Gearbox Eight-speed auto Max power 125kW @ 2900-3500rpm Max torque 430Nm @ 1500-2600rpm
External Brakes Disc ABS, ESP, HBA and Hill Hold Water 150L (fresh); 100L (grey) Batteries 1x100Ah Solar No (Optional 150W) Air-conditioner Truma Aventa Gas 2x9kg
Internal Cooking Thetford Triplex three-burner, grill and oven Fridge Dometic RMD 8115 190L Microwave Camec Toilet Dometic cassette Shower Separate cubicle Lighting 12V LED Hot water Truma 14L
blinds can be closed most of the way while still leaving space at the top for ventilation. Immediately in front of the club lounge is a split bathroom with the toilet cubicle on the nearside and the shower cubicle opposite. That leaves enough space for a nearside kitchen bench and a cafe dinette on the opposite side behind the driver’s seat. Swivelling cab seats are not fitted with this particular layout and, although they are always a nice addition, they are not essential with this club lounge layout. Although our review model was only rated to carry four people on the road (without the up-
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SEAT
TABLE
SEAT
SEAT
and out of and there’s the ever-present risk of banging one’s head on the way through. I know this, because I’m an expert at it! The dinette is a conventional four-seater setup which includes, in this case, two forward-facing seat belts. However, the floor under the dinette seats is totally open meaning there’s no underseat storage. Although the overhead lockers are quite large, the lack of under-seat storage could be an issue when it comes to packing if you have four people onboard. Reading lights and a standard LED strip light
ROBE
rated chassis), the Burleigh can sleep six. So, in addition to the rear club lounge which folds down to make a double bed, the cafe dinette also converts to a bed and there is a fixed bed above the driver’s cab which has a surprising amount of headroom. I’ve mentioned this before and the friendly people at Winnebago know I’m going to mention it again. For some reason, the design team seems reluctant to make a lift-up, hinged Luton bed. The Luton bed in the Burleigh is fixed, meaning the cab seats are awkward to get in
FRIDGE
SHOWER
OVER CAB DOUBLE BED
Options fitted None
Price as shown $134,990 (on-road, Qld)
Enquiries
To enquire about this caravan, please visit www.caravanworld.com.au/spec or phone (07) 3073 8472 On CaravanWorld.com.au More pictures Specs to compare
DINETTE
TABLE
SEAT TOILET
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ROBE
Clockwise from top left: The forwardfacing dinette seats are fitted with seat belts; plenty of working space in the kitchen; there’s a surprising amount of drawers and cupboards; rear club lounge with windows all-round.
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Above: The rear club lounge transforms into a double bed. Below: The dinette also converts into a bed with bolsters to extend the width.
are fitted underneath the lockers above the dinette. Setting up this area as a bed is quite simple, if a little fiddly. The table folds down and there are seat extensions and cushion infills to get the bed width to 1.23m (4ft).
TEAM TOURING In the catering department, the kitchen has a surprising amount of drawer and overhead locker space, in addition to a three-burner cooktop, oven and grill, and a stainless steel sink. Some of the overhead lockers are fitted with an extra shelf but the end one, located by
the entry door, is conveniently devoted to the electrical controls and comes with its own light. The rest of the kitchen fittings – the Dometic 190L fridge and Camec microwave – are fitted between the dinette and shower cubicle opposite. If you’re travelling with four people, the split bathroom setup is quite a practical one. In addition to the Thetford cassette, the toilet cubicle also comes with a small vanity cabinet with wash basin and two-door cupboard below, along with a mirrored shaving cabinet above. A point of note here is the ventilation – in addition to the usual fan vent hatch, there is also a reasonably-sized window. There are no surprises in the shower cubicle, with its conventional variable-height, flexible-hose shower rose. As noted, the rear club lounge is a typical NZ style with seats and windows all-round. It’s quite comfortable and includes overhead lockers as well as both an upper and lower cupboard at the
Ratings 1. Value for money 2. Driveability 3. Setting up 4. Suitability for intended touring 5. Layout 6. Quality of finish 7. Build quality 8. Creature comforts 9. Innovation 10. X-Factor
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end of the seat, up against the shower cubicle wall. The upper cupboard has a mounting point for the flatscreen TV, but it’s in a fixed position so the viewing angle is restricted. The shelf under the TV mounting is handy for drinks and is also a good spot to store phones and tablets while being charged. Making up the bed isn’t too difficult – it’s just a matter of fitting the bed base in the middle and infilling with side cushions. However, the bed base/table is stored on the Luton bed when not being used and it’s not particularly light.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Above: The split bathroom arrangement is good for four passengers. Right: The small vanity has a mirrored cabinet above and cupboards below.
Traveller who prefer a fixed island bed probably won’t be looking at this layout. However, I quite liked the spaciousness and flexibility this layout offers in terms of beds and, for two people, there’s plenty of choice if they prefer to spread out. Anyone who really likes a rear club lounge with its all-round views is going to be really happy with this Burleigh. And I suspect that if Winnebago can get the weight down a bit, then this layout certainly lends itself to an elevating bed in the rear, thus offering several bed options on the same basic layout.
