Innholdsfortegnelse for No 75 i RV Travel Lifestyle

Like you, the team at Kiwi Fuelcards love spending time with their friends and family, getting out and about, and exploring everything New Zealand has to offer. From the beaches and lakes, mountains and forests, to the big, fast-paced cities and the sleepy rural towns, they reckon we live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Unlike other fuelcard companies, they are 100% Kiwi owned and operated. Their friendly customer service team, based in small-town New Zealand, is always ready to help walk you through signing up for great fuel savings – or to simply have a chat about the weather, the latest rugby results, or whatever else is happening in your corner of New Zealand! With more than 30,000 delighted customers across the country, Kiwi Fuelcards…

Folllowing two very popular over-50s lifestyle villages in Pāpāmoa and Cambridge, Freedom Lifestyle Villages is excited to announce the new lifestyle community opening for public viewing at 80 Burwood Road, Matamata on Saturday 9th March. The 220-dwelling development Matamata Longlands is located on a beautiful site with prestigious local and tourism history. Residents at Matamata Longlands will benefit from all the rewards of the Freedom lifestyle model, including enjoyment of potential capital gains. This provides for the growing generation of baby boomers who want to enjoy life while knowing that their money is not being eroded over time. Modern, architecturally designed houses start at $249,000 for a one bedroom Terrace apartment. Matamata Longlands is the gateway to the Bay of Plenty and central north Island, close to SH 27, providing…

For 2019, more stock of Dethleffs’ popular twin single-bed layouts will be available, as demand has continued to increase year-on-year. The Dethleffs Exclusiv 650RET and the equally popular Nomad 560RET both feature wide twin single beds and spacious rear bathrooms. These layouts are growing in popularity worldwide as people begin to understand the many benefits provided by a twin single-bed layout. The twin-bed style provides greater width per person than half the width of a typical island/French bed, allows for personalised bedding preferences, and enables individual access without partner disturbance. All these benefits combine for an improved night’s sleep. In addition to this, access to overhead lockers and under-bed storage are greatly improved over traditional double-bed styles. The ever-popular rear bathroom layout is at its best when combined with a…

Climb aboard for a fascinating one hour rail journey. Be inspired by the story of one man’s lifetime passion to create a railway through a regenerating forest of kauri, rimu and ferns. Your driver will relay the story of Barry Brickell and how this amazing place came to be, as your tram winds its way through tunnels and over large viaducts. Spy hidden gems along the way, unique pottery sculptures and artworks. Suitable for all ages. An all-weather activity. Driving Creek Railway COROMANDEL • NEW ZEALAND 380 Driving Creek Rd, Coromandel Just 3km north of Coromandel Town Ph: (07) 866 8703 International Ph: +64 7 866 8703 Reservations: bookings@dcrail.nz www.dcrail.nz…

It’s going to be the biggest and most exciting New Zealand motorhoming and caravanning show the public has had the opportunity to attend. As always, the show will be packed with a huge range of everything motorhoming and caravanning. There will be a massive selection of motorhomes and caravans from all around world featuring products from New Zealand, Australia, China, Europe and North America. All the latest accessories and toys will be there to ensure that your time on the road is not only comfortable but fun. This year the Covi SuperShow will be packed full of giveaways, prize draws and no-reserve auctions. One of the phenomenal prizes will be the RV SuperCentre Gate Prize. This is the best motorhome and caravan prize in Australasia. We have teamed up with…

The TrailLite story is a classic tale of Kiwi innovation that dates back to the summer of 1954, when caravans were taking off. The ability to roll up and stay at some of the most picturesque locations in the country meant Kiwis were hitching caravans to the back of their cars and hitting the road in droves. Innovation’s been in the TrailLite family ever since – it was obvious to them that their skills as cabinetmakers translated perfectly into the foundation for creating top-notch caravan interiors. After the first one rolled off the production line, it wasn’t long before the company’s expertise became obvious to the public, and they were lining up to get one of their own! Now celebrating their 65th year in the motorhome and caravan industry, TrailLite…

MASTERTON MOTORPLEX – 51ST NZ NATIONALS When: March 23–24 Where: Masterton Motorplex, Manaia Rd, Masterton Full competition Drag Racing meet, all classes. Featuring the 51st NZ Nationals, plus the final round of the group 1 series! THE GREAT NZ MUSTER When: March 30 Where: Te Kuiti W: waitomo.govt.nz Te Kuiti’s main street is transformed with displays and specials to capture your attention. Sheep-themed signs decorate shop fronts, footpaths are lined with fantastic products, food stalls, arts and crafts displays, and rural exhibits add to the atmosphere; everywhere you look, there’s something happening. WAIKATO WINTER SHOW When: April 5–7 Where: Claudelands Event Centre, Hamilton W: waikatoshow.co.nz Save an entire day for family fun and learning at the Waikato Show. When you need a break, sit down for an amazing lunch and…

Straight after the Christmas issue of RV went to print we drove to Auckland and headed to Starfish Interiors in Avondale. We had been there weeks earlier and had the vehicle measured up for new curtains and picked out our fabrics – roman blinds for me all day long in an RV. I love them in RnR especially, because we used a blackout fabric that looks a lovely 2 light oyster colour, but at night seals off any exterior lighting brilliantly – I like to sleep in the dark in the motorhome. It was time for them to be installed and I was really excited – there’s no bigger transformation you can make to the interior of the motorhome than changing the squabs, seats and curtains. We had originally wanted…

Just a word to the wise: when considering a visit to MOTAT (and you should) don’t attempt to go there on a weekend when everyone else in Auckland has the same idea. MOTAT is set on 40 acres of land at the popular Western Springs Park – a destination in itself. It’s adjacent to Auckland Zoo and a sports ground, so competition for parking on the weekends is particularly stiff. Luckily there are two options for parking at MOTAT, but it’s best to know where you are going first, and you can do that by downloading a map of the site from the MOTAT website. If, like we were, you’re relying on creaky memory and the proffered directions of an eager eight-year-old, you can expect to get a little lost…

Chassis Specification: Renault Master Platform Cab Engine Specification: 2.3L four-cylinder common rail diesel Engine Output: 110kW, 360Nm torque Length: 7.05m excluding bike rack Width: 2.22m excluding side mirrors Height: 2.98m Interior height: 2.1m GVM: 3500kg, tare 3065kg Capacity: four-berth House batteries: 2 x 100Ah deep-cycle batteries with 140W solar panel Beds: Main bed 1400mm x 2000mm, Front bed 1200mm x 2000mm Heating: Truma Combi unit – LPG Hot water volume: 12L – Fresh and Grey 110L Oven: Duplex MK3 oven and grill combination Fridge/freezer: 141L auto 3-way fridge-freezer with separate chiller drawer TV/DVD: 24˝ Majestic TV/DVD combo Aerial/Satellite dish: Majestic UFO Aerial Reversing camera and bike rack…

Dreaming of doing that iconic Aussie road trip and haven’t quite got there yet? We’d love to help you make it a reality in 2019! A motorhome really is the best way to see Australia! With motorhome travel there is complete freedom and the options are endless. Experience life at an outback cattle station, cook damper under a million desert stars, or explore the unspoilt wonders of Tasmania with its world-renowned national parks. Maybe you’d prefer to step off the beach at Ningaloo in Western Australia and snorkel the extraordinary coral gardens teeming with fish or visit an Aboriginal community in the remote Kimberley. Not sure where to start? That’s where we come in! The difference lies in our unique combination of ‘small company’ service and ‘big company’ capability. We…

Elddis caravans and motorhomes are a household name in the United Kingdom and are fast becoming one of the most recognised and trusted brands here in New Zealand. The RV Leisure Centre in Nelson is the sole factory-approved New Zealand agent for Elddis and has built a very strong bond between the two companies. “The fact that Elddis have chosen the RV Leisure Centre as their New Zealand representative offers customers the full benefits of their range with the knowledge that every Elddis caravan and motorhome sold by us is 100% backed with the Elddis warranty scheme which is worth its weight in gold,” says Barry Avery from RV Leisure Centre. “It should be known that if you purchase an Elddis from a parallel importer, you have no factory-backed warranties…

With a whirlwind of change and activity over the last couple of months – so many magazine deadlines prior to Christmas – I was just too busy to write our column in the last issue. Sorry about that. My last column in Issue 73 had us heading north to Auckland in Rosie, our older 1998 Ford Transit four-berth motorhome, with plans for a bit of upgrade and renovation work to her power systems and interior décor. We had already spent around $10k on the exterior work and fix-ups so were happy she was water-tight with re-sealed joins and windows, rust proofed, serviced and ready to go anywhere. However, the interior and the outdated electrical systems and batteries needed an upgrade, and we definitely wanted solar power, bigger batteries and an…

The DeLuxe Group in Blenheim have distribution rights for this classy French-built motorhome. We have featured the brand before in issue 70 of this magazine where we learnt that the French manufacturer Pilote produce these luxurious motor-liners with a high level of craftsmanship – there are many features to drool over and ‘ooh la las’ seem to glide off the tongue when you see one of these motorhomes in real time. This new 7.8CL model has literally just landed in the country – not enough time for us to get photographs set up, but a quick look through and a chat with Laura Smith at DeLuxe gave me enough details to spotlight the vehicle in this show issue. Construction: Polyester side walls, moisture-resistant wall battens and 35mm insulation – to…

It’s been a long hot summer this year so far, and our friends Marie and Neil are over from north Queensland again for a few months, travelling in their fifth-wheeler. Marie has contributed an occasional story to the magazine over the years detailing their travels here. They love their fifth-wheeler – it ticked all the boxes for them when they were hunting for an RV to travel around New Zealand every summer. They planned to live in it for months at a time so they did a lot of research and looked to get the type of RV that would suit them. The fact that they could have a separate bedroom, large bathroom, a dining nook and settee as well as good kitchen space, was part of the decision. The…

Just before we went to print, the latest in the UK Bailey caravans arrived in Auckland, and we took the opportunity to check out the latest layouts and first of the extra-wide 2450mm bodies. This model – the four-berth Grande Bologna – has a fixed island bed, rear bathroom, spacious lounge with the new G-shaped seating area and a sliding table along the nearside that can be complemented by a free-standing table as required. In 2012 Mike Driver from Bailey New Zealand imported the first Bailey Unicorn caravans into the New Zealand market as the official distributor for Bailey UK, and Kiwis took to the lightweight caravans – with separate bathrooms and bedrooms, and quality features throughout – like the proverbial ducks to water. Sales have grown steadily, and in…

New-model caravans and fifth-wheelers are appearing weekly. While some are destined for new clients that have been waiting on their order, others are arriving in time for the upcoming Covi Motorhome Show in order to entice and delight those looking to purchase a new model RV. Zion Motorhomes in Pokeno south of Auckland have an incredible amount of stock coming into the country every year now, with the McRent rental motorhome business located there as well as at UCC in Christchurch; Jonas Ng at Zion is the authorised distributor in New Zealand for some of the best quality German-built RV brands on the world market – Dethleffs motorhomes and caravans, Frankia, Niesmann+Bischoff and MORELO motorhomes. In mid-February the latest model integrated luxury Niesmann+Bischoff Arto motorhome arrived, so the Rock and…

WHERE DID THAT NINE MONTHS GO! We can’t quite believe it but we’ve been on the road for over nine months already. Sometimes it feels like we’ve been doing this for years, and then in another instant it feels like it was only yesterday that we were stuck at my parents, waiting for the repairs to the Moog to be completed so we could hit the road. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and has more than exceeded our expectations of how we imagined this lifestyle to be. We’ve travelled thousands of kilometres, been to all four corners of the North Island, met heaps and heaps of really lovely people and attempted to earn a living along the way. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though and there’ve been…

In the 1960s, Hamilton Gardens was a bleak city rubbish dump covered in blackberries with seagulls circling above. Remnants of the Gardens’ earlier history as a pre-European pā, British military post, Victorian rifle-range and dog-dosing station lay scattered across the site. Today, the internationally award-winning gardens tells the Story of Gardens by recreating historically important garden styles from the farthest reaches of the world. Take a journey of discovery along paths delivering mysterious surprises; step from a peaceful Sung Dynasty Chinese Scholar’s garden into an Italian Renaissance Garden before being enthralled by the grandeur of the Indian Char Bagh (four quartered) Garden. Be one of the first to see the new Mansfield Garden. An Edwardian garden based on the short story The Garden Party by acclaimed New Zealand writer Katherine…

After 10 months in their new premises at 36G MacDonald Street, Mount Maunganui, the team at Country RV are well settled in. The indoor showroom houses eight RVs comfortably with another 30 or so outside. The 13-bay workshop is full and the new Service Centre reception is well underway. But it’s not all about staying in the beautiful Bay of Plenty! Country RV are hitting the road in late February–early march and will be attending the Northland Field Days in Dargaville (stand 185) from February 28 to March 2 and then on to the Covi Supershow (stand AO6) from March 15 to 17. The Northland Field Days is all about Leisureline and Southern Star caravans, whereas the Covi Supershow will feature product from Mobilvetta, Caravelair, AutoHaus, Leisureline and Southern Star.…

The capacity of a Deep Cycle battery is its ability to deliver power over a given time – run time. Unfortunately, this is not a 1 to 1 linear calculation because the slower it is discharged, the more amp-hours you will have available and vice versa. To compare apples with apples, by convention, the general rule is to classify the capacity by discharging the battery over 20 hours. Having said that, in some instances you may need to select a different run time for a specific application and select a different time frame. These time frames could be from 15 minutes to 120 hours but in general, 20 hours is used. Perhaps this makes it easy to relate to a 24 hour day. So our battery changes capacity depending on…