AVIDA Esperance best selling Motorhome in Australia

pnichols wrote:

The points I listed are merely some concerns and issues that I noticed from studying the photos. Here's how my list above stacks up with respect to our simple old fashioned generic American unit (2005 24 foot Itasca on an E450 chassis), that, IMHO provides more value than many recent rigs from other places:

- We have about the same ground clearance as the typical stock pickup truck. This means that our coach exit doorsill, sewer drain, and generator exhaust pipe are up high, too. The exit doorsill height is mitigated by an automatic step that tucks way up high when retracted.

- We have distributed heating and cooling with full digital controls.

- All of the volume under both of our two dinnette seats is available for storage.

- We have a roof ladder that has stood up under heavy use al long time for roof inspections and waxings.

- Our ceiling height is around 6' 8" everywhere, including the shower stall.

- Our generator is where it belongs in a Class C .... between the axles to help keep weight distribution optimum and to keep fumes, noise, and vibration away from the two queen beds.

- We have double galley sinks.

- Both of our side roof edges along their entire length are rolled down over the side panels 3-4 inches to eliminate any seam leaks there for the life of the motorhome.

- Flooring in an RV boils down to a matter of fluff versus practical preference. We would not want natural or engineered hardwood floors in an RV for a variety of reasons, but if one wants hardwood flooring in their RV it should be of the engineered kind for better stability in a mobile environment.

- I could not see the shower/toilet/sink layout in the photo. Our shower is separate from the toilet and the shower and toilet are separate from the rear sink.

- Our FW capacity is 45 gallons, our BW capacity is 39 gallons, our GW capacity is 29 gallons, our propane capacity is 18 gallons, and our fuel capacity is 55 gallons. The BW and GW tanks can combined by valves, if desired, for a total capacity of 68 gallons.

- The rear queen bed, shower, toilet, and sink can be curtained off to make a private area separate from the rest of the motorhome. The cabover queen bed can be curtained off for privacy, too. The motorhome came stock with this setup ... we did not have to make it that way.

We have over one ton of extra carrying capacity so we can load up the RV with impunity due to it being a small Class C, yet on an E450 chassis.

None of my comments above are meant to be snarky ... just meant to maybe help some folks better know where to look for comparative value in a U.S. sourced, or other, Class C. :)

A few points to your "list" of things that make your US unit better:
1. While a typical 24' class C may have adequate ground clearance,that is not always the case and once you start going longer, that clearance typically decreases. That Australian unit looks to have slightly better clearance than my US 27' unit, and I'm sure there are plenty of others that are the same, so it seems to me to be a moot point.
2. Again with the ducted heating/cooling; that unit has it as well. While it is certainly nice that yours has it, ducted AC is actually the exception on a small class C.
3. While both of your dinette seats are available for storage, that means that your furnace, water tank, converter are located elsewhere, taking up storage space in those locations. It, again, is a moot point. Wherever equipment IS, there is no storage, wherever equipment ISN'T, there is storage. My furnace is located under one of my dinette seats; no storage there. BUT that means that I have storage somewhere else, likely where YOUR furnace is located.
4. Again, I agree that a ladder is needed. BUT, many US models lack them as well. On the Avida, it IS an option, along with a roof rack.
5. My ceiling height varies, from 6'6" in the rear half, to 6'10" in the front half. But I see nothing in the pics to suggest that the AVIDA is lacking in that, so... Edit: the specs for the unit show 6'6" interior height.
6. Your generator is where it belongs ONLY IF the RV has a rear bed. This one doesn't. My generator is at the very back of the RV, which is exactly where IT belongs, since I have no beds in the back, but rather a full width rear bath (like this unit). So perhaps this generator is exactly where it belongs, for this particular floorplan.
7. I, too, have double galley sinks, as do most US RVs. A very minor issue with this unit. Different markets have different priorities.
8. Again, it "appears" to have the rolled over roof. The specs are unclear, although it does reference the roof as being domed for water runoff.
9. Flooring is, as you say, a preference, so I'm not sure why you keep bringing it up. Linoleum (cheap, IMO), engineered flooring, carpet...whatever floats your boat as long as it is lightweight and can withstand the intended use.
10. I can partly see the rear bathroom in the rear facing picture, which shows the separate sink, toilet, and shower (out of view) in one bathroom. This is exactly like my own layout, and we love it. Some people prefer a split bathroom, with the shower on one side of the RV, and the toilet & sink on the other. Some prefer the shower and toilet in one room, and the rear sink separate. Different strokes, although personally I dislike separating any of the "bathroom" facilities into separate areas. For me, a bathroom is one room, with all the associated facilities (sink, toilet, shower).
11. Your tank capacities are very good for a class C, although that is likely because of the smaller unit (24') on the heavier E450 chassis. The bigger the unit, the smaller the tanks typically become (on class Cs), due to overloading concerns. I do agree that the tank capacities on this Autralian unit are not sufficient for the US market (but then again, it's not targeted at the US market, is it?).
12. The rear of this unit can also be curtained off (an available option according to the OP), and a cabover curtain, if not standard, could be easily added.
13. Yes, the small C on the heavy E450 chassis is great for your carrying capacity; it's not, however, typical here in the US. 24' class Cs are more likely to be on the E350 chassis instead.

The OP, I believe, was simply showing us in the US a different perspective on RVs, not trying to put US units down. And importing an RV from Australia is not likely to be practicable anyway, so the comparative value is not really the point either. I, for one, like to see what other countries are doing. I'm tired of having low quality cookie cutter RVs shoved down our throats; nearly every brand, model, size available shares the same materials, colors, cabinetry, options, and low initial quality. Why? Because we think that's the way it has to be done, and so we don't demand better. These posts give an inkling that maybe, just maybe, there are other ways to look at RVs. That's a good thing.