“Since having our Aquarius Motorhome over the last 8-9 months we have greatly enjoyed the luxury of this vehicle. We have done quite a few short trips away to get used to driving the motorhome and getting familiar with all its features and facilities. We were advised to do a few short trips before going away on long trips in the very near future. We had purchased our motorhome from Melbourne and drove it back to Perth WA over seven days and I was amazed how well it handles on the road. It was like driving a big car, so smooth and effortless.

The great thing when driving it across the Nullarbor was stopping at the free campsites, lowering the levelling jacks, turning on the generator, pulling the slide-outs out and cracking a beer. It all took 5-10 minutes at the most. I said to my wife – I could easily get used to this way of living. We had done tenting, camper trailing, caravanning but this was the ultimate in camping out.

My wife and I love the space within the motorhome, especially once the slide-outs are extended – as you don`t get that feeling of living in a cupboard. There is plenty of storage inside and out. This was always an issue when previously going away. When my wife is working in the kitchen she feels it is quite spacious and loves the fact of the home comforts of the oven, hot plates, microwave and a good size fridge. She calls this `modern camping’. Now, we also have our BBQ in one of the storage compartments.

When we are travelling along the road and we see a wonderful scenic spot we will pull up for a short stop, turn on the generator and use our electric kettle (have 2 kettles – one electric and one for the gas stove) to heat the water to make a cuppa and then turn off the generator and then enjoy the peace and serenity.

What I like about the motorhome is the economy of running on petrol/LPG. My neighbour has a Nissan Patrol Diesel and 21 foot caravan and has stated that he uses more fuel than myself (diesel price is $1.45 per litre and I mainly run on LPG at $0.69 per litre) and I have a larger motor than him (he has a V6 as compared to my V10). He is quite amazed with this. The one thing that I have found is that there appears to be little difference with the economy when running on LPG or petrol.

We purchased a covered car trailer to tow behind us and the economy has come to match my neighbour but still cheaper to run, since it is mainly on LPG. The other great thing that I found is that I have 2 fuel sources and this allows us to travel greater distances (well over 1,000kms from one fill up at the service station) and this was especially valuable when crossing the Nullarbor (filled up at Eucla and refuelled very comfortably at Coolgardie, where the fuel price was cheap, but I could have continued onto Southern Cross). I think this is fantastic.

The servicing side of the motorhome, initially was a problem, but being an American Ford vehicle it was suggested to use trucking service agents that cater for Ford trucks (engine, transmission, brakes, etc.) and this hasn`t been an issue. The people at Aquarius Motorhomes have been extremely helpful and supportive with different enquiries that I have made in relation to maintenance and the after care service for our motorhome.

Overall, my wife and I are extremely happy with what we have. Our luxury motorhome has given us a lot of pleasure and delight in doing camping the easy way. I hope others will find the same pleasure as what we have.”

- John and Vicki from WA

“I have a fleet of 100 trucks and transport equipment so I know a bit about diesel versus petrol. The Aquarius motorhome with the V10 petrol/gas combination gives the perfect mix of power, economy and, very importantly, a very quiet ride without the diesel rattle noise.

The economy is far greater in this format as the smaller diesel engines available in an equivalent size motorhome have to work much harder to carry the weight and thus uses more fuel. The fuel range between the gas/petrol combinations is also greater than the diesel units on the market.

Another advantage is you don’t have a black smoke billowing machine running down the road covering everyone and don’t have the soot to clean of the rear of the unit that collects there.

The V10 Gas/Petrol combination has another huge advantage that a lot of people would not even consider and that is the power to be able to overtake with confidence when required.

Being from WA and in the truck industry I know how frustrating it must be for RV drivers and caravans to come up behind a road train and or semi as they are limited to 90km/h and have to sit there getting covered in rocks and road debris from them because you don’t have the power to overtake in a swift and safe manner.

This is not a problem with the Aquarius as when you squeeze the accelerator the V10 comes to life and shows amazing acceleration to move around slower moving vehicles with ease.

Having had diesel units before, overtaking is almost impossible as when you gear down to overtake the ratios are all wrong. Generally what happens is you just over-rev the engine and it takes a long time to actually build speed.

The chassis engine and driveline on these units is purpose built for an A-Class motorhome  and therefore is geared appropriately and built for its intended purpose whereas the diesel units are built for either a people carrier or a light truck and are very noisy and extremely dirty to work on. Even simple things like checking the oil in a diesel becomes a grotty job, not to mention the smell of diesel when refueling and having to pull up in the dirty truck bays where the ground is covered in spilt diesel from the trucks.”

- Darren, WA.

Lets start with: what does “A Class” mean?

I’m glad you asked, there are 3 classes of motorhomes: A, B, and C. With B and C you get in on the side doors like a car and you can go between the driver and passenger seats to step up to the living space.  C means a cab usually for sleeping above the driver’s space. B means no cab above.  With “A Class”, our driving space is on the same level as our living space so the drivers and passengers’ chairs revolve and are part of the lounge area.  It means more useful and functional space.

Speaking of space, how big is the Aquarius Motorhome?

The Aquarius is:  34 feet long, or 10.2 metres long and 2.4 metres wide.

And of course everything about the Aquarius complies with the regulations for safe handling. We have the Ford V10 engine right hand drive and 240 wiring all factory-installed.  Note that Aquarius is not a conversion of any bus or import. As a matter of fact, we hold the patent for the world model for right hand drive motorhomes and the patented design was created right here in Batemans bay.  We worked for 3 years to design the most economical motorhome possible and it is now in Japan and China as well as here.

You mentioned “economical”. How does that apply to a motor home? We usually think of motorhomes as being petrol sucking!

It was an evolution. We have been at this for 8 years, first importing and converting Coachmen motorhomes until 2005 when the Coachmen factory stopped making the size that would fit Australian roads.  So we had them to make a special Mirada 310 just for us that again, is factory made right hand drive and wired for 240v in the factory.  Those 20 Mirada 310s are not conversions of 110 wiring – we fit them with appliances right here in Batemans Bay and support them with parts that are easily acquired here.

Here is the economical part – we use petrol and gas as our fuel source!  No need to pay higher diesel prices, and we have the torque to climb big hills and not hold up traffic, and to pass those long road trains out there across the long barren stretches of the Australian outback.

As of March this year we brought out the Aquarius that you see at the show.  The interior is modern, luxurious and European design with clean lines and every space beautifully functional.  We use plantation grown Bamboo for the furniture so it is lightweight, strong and renewable.  We use LED lighting and have solar power so you can free camp for a week or more depending on how you use your energy and how sunny it is where you are!

I am sure everyone wants to know, how much fuel do you use?

With a 5-speed automatic travelling around 2500 rpm, you can expect better fuel economy on LPG than most large 4 wheel drive vehicles on petrol or diesel.  That has been our experience and I asked the last 2 owners leaving Batemans Bay for Brisbane and Perth respectively, if they would keep track of their fuel consumption so we would have their actual road experience to go on – neither one of them kept track.  They started to but then it just wasn’t a big deal to fuel up so they didn’t write it down!  From that, I have to say their experience speaks to economy!  No worries!

Now the big question – what does all this luxury, economy and freedom cost?

People who have been searching for a couple of years or more for a luxury RV come in and after they have heard all about Aquarius, I have them guess the price.  Most who know about “A-Class” motorhomes, suggest $500,000 to $600,000. They are pleasantly surprised when I tell them $389,000 on road with all they see – solar, 2 AC, right down to the double suspension and airbags!

Come over to the Batemans Bay Caravan, Camping and Holiday Show.  Sign up for you private tour of Aquarius and enjoy all that is going on here.

Or arrange a test drive today by calling us on 1300 769 330 or (02) 4472 5200. It’s the best way to experience the power and luxury of an Aquarius Motorhome.

Value for Money ‘A-class’ Motorhomes

There are an estimated 350,000 recreational vehicles touring around Australia right now. Another 17,000 caravans will be sold in the next 12 months, 80% of them to over 50s. Grey Nomads are big business, Alan and Alison Imrie have all their needs covered. They cater for all sorts of Grey Nomads from their Batemans Bay base through their caravan dealership, but they also have the luxury end of the market cornered.

Alan and Alison head up Aquarius Motorhomes, formerly Coachmen Motorhomes Australia, with a reputation for providing good quality, value for money ‘A-class’ motorhomes. “Most of our customers are couples who want to have the freedom to pull up wherever they like,” Alan says. “From 55-70 is our basic demographic. Some of them even sell their houses and we send on their mail.”

The Australian Market Favours a Quality Finish

Alan’s journey into the luxury motorhomes business began when he travelled around America about eight years ago and noticed there were people touring in recreational vehicles (RVs) that were not available back at home. He saw the opportunity and worked to gain a dealership with Coachmen Motorhomes, buying a production run of 20 vehicles.

He soon found the Australian market favoured a quality finish rather than an American-styled product and he invested considerable effort to improve the vehicles once they arrived here, refitting the interior with quality materials and furniture to meet higher expectations.

Alan says Australian motorhome owners are far more discerning than the average owner in the US and Aussies are keen on being self-sufficient and like to be able to pull up wherever they want, rather than within the reach of an extension cord. So Alan oversaw the fit-out that included stand-alone power systems supplemented by solar panels and conversions to low carbon footprint LPG.

After a few years of developing a presence within the market place and getting to know the ‘grey nomads’, the motorhome company Alan had been aligned with split its American-based business and he decided to leave the Coachmen dealership. Coachmen RV had sold the motorhome production side of the business and Alan sounded out the new special vehicle section to help him develop a custom-designed model, the Aquarius, to offer a premium product for Australia. (The Coachmen split has been compared to the Toyota/Lexus business division and, essentially, Alan remained connected to the Lexus luxury equivalent.)

“We originally outsourced the right hand drive conversions once the motorhomes arrived in Australia, but now they are manufactured especially for us, and come in right hand drive, after our engineers travelled to the US to explain how this is done,” he says.

But what is an ‘A-class’ Motorhome?

The result of the purpose-built process is the most economical A-class motorhome in the world, according to Alan. But what does ‘A-class’ mean? There are three classes of these vehicles: ‘A-class’ means purpose-built vehicles where the driver’s position is on the same level as the living areas. With the ‘A-class’ the driver and front passenger chairs revolve to become part of the lounge area. ‘B-class’ means an adapted from a conventional van while ‘C-class’ is distinguished by a bed/cabin area that is fitted over the existing van or light truck cab.

Free Camping with all Modern Features

The Aquarius Motorhome  not only gives the end user the freedom to free camp for up to three weeks, utilising features like solar power and the large water tank capacity, but also has all the modern features (De Longhi Appliances) with the largest kitchen bench space in an Australian Motorhome to date. The design distances itself from the existing American-style motorhomes with curved bamboo cabinetry, a large open-plan kitchen, neutral toning with leather dining/lounge chairs. As Channel 7s Great Outdoors presenter Di Smith, says, “I’ve lived in apartments smaller than this – you have to see it to believe it.”

Alan says when he first sees Grey Nomad couples, he knows the “blokes all think they are going to buy the motorhome” but as soon as the women see all the space, the De Longhi appliances and convection microwave oven they take over the buying power. Luckily there is still plenty on offer for the boys. “It is more economical to run than a large four-wheel-drive on diesel or petrol,” Alan says. “It has been designed to allow couples to ‘free camp’ for up to three weeks because you’ve got the LPG and you’ve got the solar with three 132 Watt panels.”

“We design each luxury motorhome specific to the customer’s needs and wants.”

“The product hit the market place early in 2011, with its release at the Melbourne Trade Show in March, with a wonderful response. We continue to work alongside our customer base for their input, as the end user, to develop this product further, and design each Motorhome specific to the customer’s needs and wants,” Alan says. “We invested a significant amount of effort to ensure the highest quality motorhomes that could make any interstate trip extremely enjoyable, safe and comfortable.”

And Aquarius is not done yet, Alan and Alison are gearing up for the launch of a new model, not bad for a small company with about 10 employees, based in Batemans Bay, New South Wales.

Aquarius Motorhomes are taking their luxury motorhomes around the country so you can see just how incredible these vehicles are first hand. Catch us at a Camping Show near you:

April: Sydney

Caravan Camping RV & Holiday Super Show

21st-29th April 2012

Rosehill Racecourse

June: Brisbane

Brisbane Caravan Camping & Touring Show

6th-12th June 2012

RNA Showgrounds

November: Batemans Bay

November 2012