Climb ABOARD Chase the sun in the spacious, Aussie-built van conversion. In brief... 6.94m (22ft 9in) Mercedes Sprinter 313 CDI van conversion Carries four people, sleeps two Sideways rear lounge Two dining areas 94 caravanworld.com.au The caravan you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 95
I m perpetually amused by some of the names given to caravans and motorhomes. Some are quite logical, some follow a theme, some seem to be flights of fancy and some just don t make any sense at all! Winnebago has a long-established tradition of naming its RVs after well-known Australian locations and it continues that theme with the Winnebago Bondi. The Bondi has a nice Aussie beach culture ring to it, bringing to mind the freedom of endless summers by the surf. However, the name could have different connotations for some Sydneysiders. Anyone from Sydney or those familiar with the coastal eastern suburbs around Bondi will know that there is an ongoing problem for local residents, caused by backpackers travelling in campervans who stay overnight (or longer) parked in the local streets and car parks. This Bondi is, however, a cut above those budget campervans! conditioner and the Thule awning. The windows in the rear don t open and, depending on how you use the Bondi, this could be an issue on warm days and nights if you were camping remotely (with no air-conditioner) especially if you prefer the security of keeping the doors locked at night. Climbing inside the Bondi reveals a pretty familiar layout for a van conversions, as there is only a limited number of practical arrangements. There are two sideways-facing lounges in the rear which can be made up into a north-south bed. The offside bathroom and nearside kitchen bench take up the middle of the van, leaving the swivelling cab seats which integrate nicely with the rear passenger seats to form a dinette in the front. This front seating arrangement is quite advantageous, as it means the rear bed can be left made up, and it makes full use of the area. The front cab and dinette seats can all be used WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET Despite its 6.94m (22ft 9in) length, the Winnebago Bondi is still a very easy vehicle to manoeuvre around CLEVER CONVERT The Australian-built is a large van conversion based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI and, at 6.94m (22ft 9in) long, there is plenty of room to move inside. Apollo/Talvor has become the Australian representative of the US-based Winnebago and the Bondi is easily identifiable as a Winnebago with its bright red decals. Additional clues that this is anything but a standard van are the gas cylinder bin and toilet cassette door on the offside, Truma hot water system on the nearside, a roof-mounted air- Clockwise from main: The Bondi 4S is a spacious van conversion; a comfortable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cab; the gas cylinder is stored in an offside bin. Measuring up Pros Front seating and dining layout Rear bed can be left made up Good internal storage Rearview camera Central electrical controls Cons Small kitchen with limited cupboard space No bed reading lights Fixed windows in bedroom are not good on warm nights Lower-powered Sprinter engine No 12V/5V USB charger points 96 caravanworld.com.au The caravan you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 97
Winnebago Bondi 4S Weights and measures External length 6.94m (22ft 9in) External width 1.93m (6ft 4in) Internal height 1.92m (6ft 4in) Travel height 3m (9ft 10in) Tare 3200kg GVM 3550kg Engine Base vehicle Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI Engine 2.2L turbodiesel Gearbox Six-speed auto Max power 95kW at 3800rpm Max torque 305Nm at 1200-2400rpm External Brakes ABS disc Water 1x86L (fresh); 1x60L (grey) Batteries 1x100Ah Solar Optional Air-conditioner Dometic roof-mounted Gas 1x4.5kg Clockwise from top left: The Bondi 4S can carry four passengers, making it a versatile vehicle; a three-burner cooktop and sink fit into the nearside kitchen bench; under-seat storage drawer and an angled cupboard make the most of the space; an 80L compressor fridge fits under the bench; the flatscreen TV mounting position means it is only visible from the front cab seats. for transporting passengers (four in total), as well as providing a place to lounge and dine when camping. The 4S in the Bondi s name refers to its ability to carry four passengers, making it a more practical vehicle for getting around town. But while it can carry four people, the Bondi only sleeps two. Curtains are fitted all-round, including right around the driver s cab. While functional, the cabinetry does have a pretty angular look about it, which I feel betrays the otherwise upmarket feel of the Bondi and points to its rental origins. A flatscreen TV is fitted to the wall behind the rear seat which means it can only be seen from the front seats. In the overhead locker above the TV you will find just about all the electrical switches and controls, including the radio/ DVD player. Accessing under-seat storage can sometimes be difficult but the Bondi s dinette seat has both a drawer and an angled cupboard behind the seat, making the most of the space. PRACTICAL COMFORT Any kitchen in a motorhome of this size will be a mixture of compromise and practicality. By the entry door, the bench profile is angled back to facilitate easy access and that also creates extra cupboard and benchtop space. TABLE A stainless steel sink and a three-burner Dometic cooktop are fitted into the bench, leaving the area underneath for the 80L Waeco 12V compressor fridge. There s a small adjoining cupboard but it s mostly taken up by plumbing and the water filter. There isn t a grill but a microwave is fitted into the overhead lockers. Powerpoints are always a bit difficult to locate in this type of kitchen but the under-locker socket works well enough and can also be used by someone sitting in the rear seat. Opposite the kitchen is a large door, behind which is the bathroom and also a narrow wardrobe complete with hanging rack. A couple of lower shelves wouldn t go amiss here. The bathroom has all the usual fittings a variable SHOWER TOILET TABLE CONVERTS TO MAIN BED Internal Cooking Dometic three-burner Fridge Waeco 80L 12V compressor Microwave Panasonic Toilet Thetford cassette Shower Variable height, flexible hose Lighting 12V LED Hot water Truma 14L Options fitted None Price as shown $106,633 (on-road, Qld) Enquiries To enquire about this van, visit www.caravanworld.com.au/spec or phone (07) 3073 8472 On CaravanWorld.com.au More pictures Specs to compare 98 caravanworld.com.au The caravan you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 99
Right: The rear lounge has a removable swivel-mounted table mounted to the kitchen bench. Below right: Once converted into a bed, the rear lounge can be left made up as the front dinette also offers comfortable seating. Mercedes-Benz naming system Ever wondered about the way Mercedes-Benz names its Sprinter range? Well, wonder no more! CDI refers to common-rail direct injection, as used on diesel engines. As for the numbers, the first is a reference to the GVM of the vehicle; 3 being 3550kg, 4 being 4490kg and 5 being 5000kg. The next two numbers refer to the maximum power output 13 is 129hp (95kW), 16 is 163hp (120kW) and 19 is 190hp (140kW). So this 313 CDI Benz has a 3550kg GVM and 129hp it almost makes sense when you know the secret! 100 caravanworld.com.au height, flexible hose shower and a Thetford cassette toilet although there is no vent fan, which would be useful. But it s big enough in there to turn around without banging your elbows too badly. The two sideways-facing lounges in the rear have a Lagun swivel-mounted table between them which is mounted to the end of the kitchen bench. A slight problem with this arrangement is that it s awkward getting to and from the kitchen when two people are using the table. Of course, the table can be pushed out of the way if it s not being used and it can be removed entirely, which is necessary to make up the bed. The bed is easy to set up and requires fitting the bed base in position and moving the seat back cushions. You can even ask for the optional electric drive for the bed base. If fitted, it s located under the offside seat. Making up the bed with sheets and blankets takes a little longer than normal but the overall advantage of this particular layout is that the rear bed can be left made up, as there is additional seating in the front of the van, saving you the trouble of having to remake it each day. One thing that is missing, though, are reading lights above the bed. General storage in the rear is quite good. There are overhead lockers along both sides and the usual under-seat compartments. The lower compartments are arranged differently on each side, the offside with side-opening doors and the nearside with less easy to get at top hatches. Much of the nearside compartment is taken by the hot water heater, wheel arch, battery and battery charger. On the road, the Sprinter gets along in typical Mercedes fashion, which means it s quite a nice ride. The six-speed auto gearbox works well in conjunction with the 95kW turbodiesel. However, while I m sure the 95kW engine will cope once the motorhome is fully loaded, the larger 120kW (316 CDI) would have more power in reserve for situations like overtaking or driving up steep hills. 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
Right: The Thetford cassette tucks into the offside bathroom cubicle. Far right: It s not huge, but there s enough room to turn around in the bathroom without knocking your elbows. Despite its 6.94m (22ft 9in) length, the Bondi is still a very easy vehicle to manoeuvre around a plus with any van conversion, especially in town and city locations. THE BOTTOM LINE The Bondi 4S has a very workable layout, although I felt it betrayed its rental origins somewhat inside. It s also a very practical layout the highlights are being able to carry passengers around, and being able to leave the rear bed made up. Not only does this style of motorhome perfectly suit a travelling couple, it s also very handy for solo travellers, or anyone who likes the simple security of having all facilities onboard for nighttime use. The certainly has plenty to offer. CVW-HH-5025625-CS-544-XCC CARAVAN CITY SALES 42 Bruxner Highway South Lismore NSW 2480 (02) 6621 6670 KEITH GILL CARAVANS 1 Ebert Street Griffith NSW 2680 (02) 6964 1111 CARLON CARAVANS 105-107 Princes Highway Unanderra NSW 2526 (02) 4272 6000 HERVEY BAY CARAVANS 41 Main Street Pialba QLD 4655 (07) 4128 1777 SPRINGVALE CARAVANS 723-731 Springvale Road Keysborough VIC 3173 (03) 9798 3858 IPSWICH LIFESTYLE CENTRE 20 Brisbane Road Bundanba QLD 4304 (07) 3282 0411 GATEWAY CARAVANS 112 Bellarine Highway Newcomb VIC 3219 (03) 5248 7006 CARAVANS www.olympiccaravans.com.au Design by CDMedia_OLYMPIC_CW544