Apollo`s zippy Euro Tourer…

iMotorhome
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Issue 71: May 02 2015
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Adventure
Apollo’s zippy Euro Tourer…
Welcome Long Termer!
Our first long term test motorhome arrives…
CMCA Rally Report
Malcolm checks in from Murray Bridge!
Don’t Crack Up!
A DIY windscreen repair that really works…
Win!
$50 for the!
best letter
26 | Touring Test: Apollo Euro Tourer
Euro
Escape?
Malcolm Street ‘escapes’ to the CMCA Rally,
courtesy of Apollo Rentals…
Touring Test | 27
The long wheelbase Sprinter is identical size-wise to the VW Crafter-based Trakka Jabiru we tested last issue. Built for
the rental market Apollo’s Euro Tourer is rugged, reliable and a bit basic, as you’d expect.
O
ne of the easiest ways to find out what’s
going on in the motorhome world is
to get along to either the Anniversary
or National rallies of the Campervan and
Motorhome Club (CMCA). Once there it mostly
involves attending a few Happy Hours and
getting all the gossip and scandal – I mean
facts and developments.
As these rallies are held all over the country,
one of the challenges is getting there. In this
case it was Murray Bridge in South Australia
and I flew to Adelaide, where Apollo Rentals
was kind enough to lend me one of its Star RV
Euro Tourers for a few days. Thanks Apollo!
doesn't have to do a great deal of obvious
work. The standard van windows have been
retained and there's no awning, which leaves
the gas cylinder bin, hot water heater, cassette
toilet door and the utilities connections. Of
course a look at roof level reveals a few more
items, like an air conditioner, TV aerial and a
ventilation hatch at the rear. The 313 CDI model
comes with a 2.2-litre, 95 kW turbo diesel and
a very smooth 7-speed fully automatic gearbox.
On the Road
I
have to say this is a very easy vehicle to
drive. My little trip to Murray Bridge involved
everything from the streets of Adelaide to the
Princes Highway freeway. About the only place
The Vehicle
where easily achieving the speed limit was a
uro Tourers are a Mercedes Benz Sprinter problem was the long haul uphill in the Mount
conversion, in this case the 313 CDI
Barker area.
model. For the external conversion Apollo
E
28 | Touring Test
With only one small opening window
on each side and no fly screens or
awning, your camping lifestyle options
are limited. Most travellers probably
stay in caravan parks, so the rooftop aircon would get a work out –
especially considering all the windows.
Apart from that it provided
a very easy cruise. One of
the benefits of the all-round
windows is excellent vision.
Even so, the Euro Tourer
still came with a reversing
camera; the screen of which
was mounted to the right of
the driver. Getting my iPod
Bluetoothed to the Benz radio
was done after a bit of a fiddle
and after that it did not take
any time at all to get to the
rally site.
I wasn't able to do a proper
fuel economy check but my
circa 160 km trip cost me less
than $30 for diesel.
Living Inside
S
et up time is minimal
with something like the
Euro Tourer: In short,
park and open the sliding
door. Well there was getting
level, but that was quickly
sorted by the CMCA siting
guru, Paul Flynn, who loaned
me a couple of wooden
blocks (they being difficult
to carry when flying). There
wasn't even the power cable
to connect because I didn't
have a powered site!
Touring Test | 29
With the all round windows, sitting in the Euro Tourer
was a bit like being in a gold fish bowl.
With the all round windows,
sitting in the Euro Tourer was
a bit like being in a gold fish
bowl. I don't necessarily mind
that because I like space,
both real and perceived. A
downside I thought was the
lack of opening windows.
There were two, one midoffside and one in the sliding
door, but neither had insect
screens. Certainly not a
problem where I was with
overnight temperatures getting
down to 5º C and sunny but
very windy days. However, in
hot and tropical conditions a
very different matter! Sure the
side and rear doors can be left
open, but again with no insect
screens. If plugged into mains
power the air conditioner,
incidentally a new Dometic
Fresh Jet unit, can be used,
but if free camping then it's
open the doors or nothing (It
appears Apollo expects rental
customers to always stay in
caravan parks on powered
sites - Ed).
Still on windows, I'll mention
the curtains. I've seen a few
motorhomes where curtains
almost seemed to be an
afterthought, but these were
good – easy to use and
covering the entire window
area, including the drivers'
cab, without difficulty.
30 | Touring Test
The kitchen’s all-in-one 3-burner cooker and sink unit, plus rangehood and
microwave, combine with plenty of bench space to provide a large and capable
kitchen. There’s good storage space too.
There were no surprises with the layout, which
follows the standard rental pattern in having
two sideways facing lounges in the rear that
can be used as either single beds or a large
double. Behind the driver's seat is the shower/
toilet cubicle, which leaves the bit in the middle
on both sides for a kitchen.
Generally speaking there's plenty of internal
storage space – there are no external bins –
with lots of overhead lockers, kitchen drawers,
cupboards and under-seat areas in the rear.
The latter looks a bit odd because although
there's a closed-off bin under the kerb-side
bed, the rest is just open space. It's something
that works quite well, though, because instead
of wrestling to lift seat cushions to access
under-bed lockers, it's just a matter of sliding
gear under the seats. This is very useful for
items like camp chairs and travel bags.
Two little tips here: If ever doing a fly/drive
motorhome holiday take soft-sided bags
as they are so much easier to squeeze in
somewhere. Also, when travelling make sure
that all the gear under the seats is firmly
wedged in. In the event of an accident you
don't want any loose missiles flying around!
Between the shower cubicle and the driver’s
side kitchen bench is a good sized wardrobe.
Excellent for not only hanging clothes, but also
storing one's camera bag – mine is larger than
most, which is why I mention it. Above the
wardrobe is a very good 12 V electrical panel
with switches for every circuit: something I
much appreciated given my very necessary
power conservation efforts. In addition there
was a battery voltmeter and water tank gauges.
Not being on a powered site and standing
still for several days did create an electrical
problem. The fridge, being a 12 V compressor
unit and there being no solar panels, I had
to be very careful with battery use. Two
things worked in my favour. One was that the
temperature was quite cool, so the fridge was
not working very hard. The second was that I
Touring Test | 31
One of the benefits of the allround windows is excellent vision.
Even so, the Euro Tourer still came
with a reversing camera.
32 | Touring Test
Top: I kept the beds as singles and used one as my workstation. Note
the curtains all round, which were easy to use, including the cab.
Bottom: The LED lights are either all on or off, and inconveniently, the
only switch is in a kitchen cupboard. Reading lights would a great idea,
at least.
was able to use the CMCA office for charging
my laptop, iPad and camera/flash batteries.
Although the Euro Tourer was well lit with low
energy LEDs, there was only the master switch
for turning them on, so it was all-on or all-off.
That also meant clambering into the van, and
into bed, in the dark unless I remembered the
torch (a triumph of design - Ed). I was able to
survive for four days in this mode and I noted
that the battery voltage was still above 12 V,
but I reckon I did not have much longer and
would have to have fired up the Sprinter’s
engine for a while.
Time to Eat
I
n many ways the Euro Tourer has quite a
simple and usable kitchen. Fitted in to the
kerb-side bench top is a combo three-burner
cooktop and stainless steel sink. Under the
bench is the 110 L Waeco fridge, whilst in the
overhead locker area is a small microwave. I
always think a grill would be a useful item with
a rental motorhome, but it generally appears
rental companies don’t. I tend to cook fairly
simply when travelling and in this case I did not
have the use of the microwave oven.
Touring Test | 33
Top: Under-bed storage is mostly open framed, which
might seem odd but is convenient for big bags, outdoor
chairs, etc. Bottom: There’s plenty of overhead cupboard
space on both sides. Note rear curtain, which although
basic, worked well.
Bench space was excellent, with the cabinet
opposite the kitchen bench offering a very
generous extra area, which not only stood
up to my catering needs but also a parking
space for laptop, phone and iPad. That also
happened to be where the 12 V socket for
the TV was and so was convenient for 12 V
charging.
Under both kitchen benches was a generous
amount of storage space, mostly cupboards
but also with two drawers. One drawer was
neatly compartmented to securely store the
plates, cups and glasses and the other was
for small items. Although there was plenty of
storage space, I did think that at least one of
the cupboards could have had a few shelves to
make it more user friendly.
Dinner time was easily handled by the Lagunmounted table. It could be swivelled around
any which-way and pushed to one side if not
needed. Additionally, if guests turned up there
was a freestanding table stored behind the
driver's seat
After hours
O
ne of the benefits of travelling by
yourself in a motorhome like this is that
unless you really want a large double
bed, one of the lounges can be made up as
a single bed and the other kept just for sitting
on. Apart from anything else, it means not
having to make the bed every day! It was a bit
of a trick folding the sheets up for the single
bed, but once achieved, it all stayed together.
Being a rental motorhome, all the necessary
sheets and doonas were supplied and I was
fully appreciative of the second doona that was
thrown in just before I left the Apollo depot!
34 | Touring Test
Top: The secondary kitchen bench area is home
to the TV and microwave, and a small, nonscreened opening window. Bottom: The wet
bathroom is adequate if basic, lacking a basin,
towel rack and toilet roll holder.
Back to lighting, there were no reading lights
and neither was there a switch within easy
reach for the main lights. I have to say, as
someone who likes to read themselves to sleep
at night I did find that annoying. I also had my
Kindle book, which not only meant I could read
in the dark, it lit my way from the master switch
back to the bed!
Keeping Clean
N
o surprises in the bathroom – very
compact to say the least, with just a
cassette toilet and flexible hose shower.
There was room to turn around but not too
much, and the bathroom did come with a
(switchable) LED light, but no ventilation fan.
What I think
R
ental motorhomes are built differently to
those for the private market. Although
sharing many of the essentials, they
are finished in a more basic style. This was
the case with the Euro Tourer, which although
it had most of my essential desires for this
working trip, also had some design ‘lapses’.
One of the features I like about van conversions
is they are excellent for single people or
couples who travel light. They have just enough
space for the "essentials" we have all come to
expect, and on the road are very manoeuvrable
and fuel efficient. An added bonus for the
single traveller is that there is no need to go
outside at night, while locking all the doors is
just one push of the remote button.
Touring Test | 35
Specifications
Pros
Manufacturer
Apollo
Model
Euro Tourer
Base Vehicle
Mercedes Benz Sprinter CDI 313
Engine
2.2 litre turbo diesel
Power
95 kW @ 3800 rpm
Torque
305 Nm @1200-2400 rpm
Gearbox
7-speed auto
Brakes
ABS Disc
Tare Weight
3200 kg
Gross Vehicle Mass
3550 kg
Towing capacity
2000 kg
Licence
Car
Approved Seating
2
External Length
7.01 m (23 ft)
External Width
2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
External Height
3.20 m (10 ft 6 in) Internal Height
1.90 m (6 ft 4 in)
Bed Size
1.90 m x 1.70 m (6 ft 3 in x 5 ft 7 in)
Cooktop
Smev 3-burner
Fridge
Waeco 110 L
Microwave
LG
Lighting
12 V LED
Batteries
1 x 100 AH
Solar Panels
No
Air Conditioner
Dometic Fresh Jet
Space Heater
No
Hot Water
Truma 14 L
Toilet
Thetford cassette
Shower
Vari-height flex hose
Gas Cylinders
1 x 4.0 kg
Water Tank
86 L
Grey Water Tank
60 L
Price on Road
POA
• Great for fly/drive trip
• Excellent for singles or
couples who travel light
• Generous kitchen area
• Easy to access under-seat
storage
• Lagun swivel table
• Room to move in a relatively
small interior
• Driving the Benz
• All-round vision when driving
• Good fuel economy
Cons
• Only one light switch
• Minimal opening windows
with no screens
• No solar panels
• Kitchen drawer/cupboard
space usage
• No lining on rear doors
• No bathroom vent fan
• Limited load capacity
Contact
Apollo Motorhome Holidays
698 Nudgee Road
Northgate QLD 4013
T: 1800 777 779
E: [email protected]
W: www.apollocamper.com
Click for
Google Maps
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36 | Touring Test
Fly-Drive Motorhome Travel
I've learned a few things over the years when doing fly/drive trips,
so here are a few tips:
1. Take soft travel bags for easy storage in the motorhome
2. We all have plenty of devices that require chargers. Try and ensure all have a common USB
style connection at the charger end. That way multiple leads but only one charger needs to be
carried. Well two actually, having both 240 V mains and 12 V chargers is very handy.
3.Items like washing up liquid are a pain. Frequently not sold in small quantities, consider taking a
smaller quantity in a quality container from home
4. Ditto an item like toilet rolls. Ever tried to buy just one? Frequently that is all you need for a
short holiday. Likewise, carry a few plastic sandwich bags – they are great for sealing loose
items in the fridge
5. When returning the motorhome, check all drawers and cupboards and don't do what I did and
leave a few precious items behind. Fortunately the Apollo team in Adelaide was on the ball and
posted them all back to me!
Touring Test | 37
A bonus for single travellers is
that there is no need to go outside at
night, while locking all the doors is
just one push of the remote button.