Fancy a. imotorhome BIG HOLIDAY? Win! Win! Sunliner s big Holiday G510 could be just the ticket

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1 imotorhome BIG HOLIDAY? magazine Fancy a because getting there is half the fun... Sunliner s big Holiday G510 could be just the ticket Win! MYSTERY PRIZE! Win! $50 Caltex Fuel Card! You ve Got Mail! But what do you do with it while you re travelling? Kea Dreamtime A sound second-hand buy? Adelaide Show What s new and happening

2 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 2 Unmistakably Sunliner: The Holiday G510 s rear mouldings and roof rails are a Sunliner trademark. At 7.9 m (nearly 26 ft) it s about as large as you can easily manoeuvre into places of interest, but because of its heavy-duty Iveco cab-chassis it does require a light rigid (LR) driver s licence. Sometimes it's a bit hard to get a handle on everything available in the Sunliner motorhome range. The bottom line is, however, there s something available for everyone from the budget PRV campervan to a luxury Monte Carlo. Fitting in amongst all this is the Holiday range, which whilst not being the most expensive, is certainly well up the ranks. Our review motorhome, the Holiday G510, is one of the largest and most expensive Sunliners available. It came with two slide-outs one on either side and was fitted out to Sunliner's spec three level, the highest available. The Vehicle Sunliner builds its motorhomes on a range of cab-chassis, but our test Holiday was built on an Iveco Daily 50C17. It came with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel delivering 130 kw of

3 3 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 Whichever way you look at it the Holiday G510 is a fair chunk of a motorhome. It provides spacious living and plenty of load and towing capacity. power and 400 Nm of torque, driving through a 6-speed Agile gearbox Iveco speak for an automated manual transmission (AMT). A driver s air bag is standard on the Daily, but Sunliner has taken the option of a passenger air bag too. In some ways the Iveco Daily is a bit like its Italian stablemate, the Fiat Ducato, which isn t surprising given they come out of the same factory. The major differences being that whilst the Ducato is front wheel drive, the Daily is rear wheel drive and the Daily is available with heavier load capacities. In both cases they have a fair chunk of the motorhome market in Europe, which makes them fairly motorhome friendly from both a manufacturer s and user s point of view. In converting the motorhome Sunliner added a fully welded sub-chassis, called Torquo in Sunliner speak, to the main Iveco chassis rails. This was done according to Sunliner to improve both the vehicle handling and general weight distribution.

4 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 4 Sunliner use one piece walls and a roof that uses bonded Duplo foam core structure. Small external lockers are handy and the front one should be able to store (but not run) a small Honda generator. For the body, Sunliner use one piece walls and a roof that uses a bonded Duplo foam core structure designed to give both insulation and strength, whilst keeping the weight in check. Those familiar with Sunliner motorhomes will immediately recognise the characteristic fibreglass mouldings at the rear, as well as the driver s cab side steps. Like many a motorhome manufacturer, Sunliner use Seitz hopper windows to full advantage, whilst staying with the convenience of the well used Camec triple lock security door. External body fittings consist of the electrically powered awning and external wall light above the door, whilst the roof features a few items like a wind-up TV antenna and an Air Command Ibis air conditioner. Apart from the Thetford toilet cassette cubicle, battery bin and the gas cylinder bin under the offside slide-out, there are four other bins of various sizes. Only the forward nearside one is probably large enough to store a generator (but not run it s not vented), but given the

5 5 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 Bottom-hinged bin doors are unusual, while straps prevent them hitting the lower body moulding when open. Bedroom slide-out (below) impinges slightly on outdoor living space. high lip getting it in and out would be a bit awkward on the back. On The Road Siven the Holiday G510 s tare weight of 4040 kg it might have been possible to squeeze it onto a 4490 kg chassis, but Sunliner has wisely decided to use a 5200 kg chassis. That does mean an LR truck licence is required, but I reckon that's a small price to pay for the worry free load capacity. On the road the 3.0-litre 125 kw turbo-diesel pushed the Holiday along well enough and in many ways it s no different from its contemporaries. The AMT gearbox is reasonably smooth on most changes, but has the usual sometimes-slow kick downs and hesitations at lower speeds. Like its contemporaries it s a light commercial vehicle, but it s more car-like than truck-

6 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 6 On the road the 3.0-litre 125 kw turbo-diesel pushed the Holiday along well enough and the AMT gearbox is reasonably smooth on most changes.

7 7 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 The Iveco s cab is honest, if a bit basic, while the radio looks like the one in Fiat Ducatos from several models back. Cab seats swivel, but the centre handbrake position makes the driver s unit a tricky one to turn. like to drive as long as the usual precautions are taken for a slightly wider and longer vehicle. A reversing camera is standard on this model, as-is the Iveco radio/cd player, but something a little more upmarket would be nice, given this is a luxurious and upmarket motorhome. For extra passenger carrying the forward-facing dinette seat is fitted with two belts and is relatively handy to the cab for easy conversations. Living Inside What two slide-outs do is a add a considerable amount of interior space no surprises there. Even with the slide-outs closed the front kitchen/dinette area of the Holiday can be used without too much trouble, but down the back access to the full-width rear bathroom is denied by the eastwest bed. Of course with both slide-outs open there's just about enough room for a small dance floor.

8 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 8 On the subject of slide-outs, the rear control switch is oddly located. All the other essential controls are either above the entry door or on a panel on the fridge cabinet, halfway down the door. The rear slide-out control, however is set at ceiling height on the same cabinet panel, which is a bit of a stretch for some I'd have thought. Have to say that the rather bland looking interior beige colour scheme was, well, a bit bland for my tastes and I've certainly seen something more colourful from the Sunliner team. Lighting, though, is very much in keeping with Sunliner: There are reading lights, downlights, touch lights and concealed strip lights fitted everywhere and the main control panel is, as usual, well laid out. Lounging Around Up front both cab seats swivel, although being an Iveco with its less-then-great handbrake location, turning the driver's seat is a bit of a wrestle. Additionally, the slideout panel does block the swivelled driver's seat. The dinette is covered in matching upholstery to the front seats, occupies all of the offside slide-out and seats four, which would be a bit squashy. There's plenty of natural light from the large window, as well as night light from the considerable assortment of LED fittings. Above the passenger seat is the mounting point for the flat screen TV. Given the relative positions Pale interior adds a sense of spaciousness but might not be to everyone s taste. The slide-out dinette seats four at a pinch, which seems odd in a vehicle with plenty of room to entertain.

9 9 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 of the bracket and fittings it's a bit of a fiddle to fit, while seats with a good viewing position are a bit limited. In a way, the kitchen bench opposite might be a better option for the TV, with a stand, when not being used, of course! Time To Eat For the size of motorhome the kitchen bench area is surprisingly small. In fact the benchtop contains just a three burner cooktop, with oven/grill underneath, and a stainless steel sink alongside. That leaves space underneath for four drawers of various sizes and two overhead lockers, one of which is already partly utilised. On the opposite side of the entry door, the two-door 184-litre three-way fridge, with microwave oven above, takes up most of the cabinet area. One of the upsides in this kitchen/dinette area is that the slide-out gives a fair chunk of interior space, but one of the downsides is that any storage space (for food and dining items) is much more limited. Not really a cook s kitchen: The lack of bench space is at odds with the full oven and otherwise high standard equipment list.

10 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G East-west bed blocks bathroom access when the slide-out s in, but when extended there s plenty of walk-around space. There s generous under-bed storage, too. After Hours An undoubted advantage of an east-west bed in a slide-out is it not only allows a decent bed length (1.9 m / 6ft 4in), it also provides a generous storage area, which in this vehicle includes both low and fullheight built in wardrobes. The low cabinets directly opposite the bed are also were a stand fitted flat screen TV can be positioned. Having a slightly narrower bed (1.37 m / 4 ft 6 in) also allows for two bedside wardrobes, although it's a little disappointing that two

11 11 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 Full-width rear bathroom even includes a washing machine and has plenty of storage space. mattress-level compartments weren't cut out at the base of the wardrobes because there's no room for bedside shelves. Keeping Clean One of the features of the bathroom, with its nearside shower cubicle and offside vanity cabinet area, is that the mid-positioned Thetford cassette toilet looks like it sticks out slightly, which it doesn't. What its position does is allow for a good sized vanity cabinet, which includes a top-loading washing machine hiding under the cabinetry in the rear-corner, not to mention all round overhead lockers. Ventilation is courtesy of a fan hatch above the shower and the rear window. Both the bathroom and bedroom areas can be closed off by concertina curtains. The bathroom and bedroom can be closed off by concertina curtains.

12 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G What I Think If you desire a motorhome with an accent on space, particularly in the bedroom and bathroom, the Holiday G510 motorhome might well be for you. Certainly both the kitchen and dinette areas are relatively small, but there's no doubt having two slide-outs adds a considerable amount of living area to an already spacious interior. All that in a motorhome that is fully fitted out ready to hit the road! The Iveco s driving position is commanding, while the white trimmed seats add a touch of style.

13 13 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G510 Specifications Manufacturer Sunliner Motorhomes Model Holiday G510 Base Vehicle Iveco 50C17 Engine 3.0-litre Power rpm Torque rpm Gearbox 6-speed AMT Brakes ABS Disc Tare Weight 4040 kg Gross Vehicle Mass 5200 kg Towing Capacity 3500 kg Licence Light Rigid Approved Seating 4 External Length 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in) External Width 2.47 m (8 ft) External Height 3.40 m (11 ft 2 in) Internal Height 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) Rear Bed Size 1.90 m x 1.37 m (6 ft 4 in x 4 ft 6 in) Cooktop Thetford 3 burner, grill/oven Fridge Dometic RMD litre Microwave LG Lighting 12 V LED Batteries 2 x 100 AH Gas 2 x 9.0 kg Heater Webasto diesel Solar Panels 1 x 135 W Air Conditioner Air Command Ibis Hot Water Heater Suburban 23-litre Toilet Thetford cassette Shower Separate cubicle Fresh Water Tank 120-litres Grey Water Tank 55-litres Price on road NSW $186,990 Pros Spacious living area Good sized bathroom and bedroom LED lighting Electrical control panel Compartments above driver's cab Easy driving Iveco Decent radio with ipod slot and connection in living area Cons Oddly located rear slide-out switch Difficult bathroom access with slide-out closed Standard Iveco cab radio Limited kitchen bench space No bedside compartments Contact Sydney RV Group Lemko Place Penrith NSW Ph: E: info@sydneyrvgroup.com.au W: sydneyrvgroup.com.au Click for Google Maps For more imotorhome Road Tests click here Copyright 2014 imotorhome.com.au All rights reserved.

14 Day Test: Sunliner Holiday G If you desire a motorhome with an accent on space, particularly in the bedroom and bathroom, the Holiday G510 motorhome might well be for you.