This area is all carpeted. The bed runs crossways yet even with the slide out in the closed position you can easily get around to make up the bed. We liked the complete absence of "scrolly" adornments found on so many American A Classes.

Classy yet practical bedside tables finish it off. The photo above right shows the concealed door into the toilet - a beautiful piece of work. This is also where the iron and fold out ironing board live behind the full height mirrors. All in all an extremely functional bedroom with tons of charm and fantastic cross ventilation.

We liked Alan's innovative dual extractor, no chance of getting cooking smells in this rig. The spice rack is another hand made "innovation" – no wonder he has won CMCA awards in the past. A Sharp R290HS/W finishes off the cooking section. The under sink drawers look stunning with their arched fronts.

Below left is the curved glass storage area - very practical and very accessible. We loved the contemporary magazine rack near the fridge. Good to see a manufacturer not placing the microwave on top of the fridge where it's just so hard to reach.

Ironing
We will possibly get shot for mentioning this dreaded subject, however here we go! The photo below shows Robyn about to lower the built in Robin Hood folding ironing board. This was located in one corner of the bedroom and yes it looked like it was just possible to see the TV during the dreaded chore!

Great move locating the fridge adjacent to the lounge and also near the drinks cupboard. Interestingly the fridge actually moves out on the slide out. The photo above right shows the view as you come up the steps - in a word impressive!

Bathroom and Toilet
Having ducted heat from a diesel Webasto diesel heater directed into the bathroom is an superb touch. You truly need this in Tassie in winter to dry the daily washing of "smalls"! A great idea is a fold out drying rack in one corner of the shower. Dispensers fitted to the shower wall reduce clutter and the need to pack loose items away. We particularly liked the hand made stainless steel shower plinth kept nice and low for easy access in latter years - very swish and it matched beautifully with the stainless steel window pelmets - surely a world’s first. It is so easy to spot work done by experienced motorhomers. In this case both toilet and shower had high windows and everything is totally functional. It is absolutely amazing the number of commercial units that simply rely on overhead Jensen vents. The choice of timeless white lamipanel with a simple brown/beige/black frieze will never date and gives a clean airy feel to both "little" rooms. It was’t obviously what was behind the waist high bench in the shower - very cleverly Alan plonked the hot water service in there. Another smart idea as it stops wasting water, as the "hot" only has to travel under a metre to get to the shower rose. We give the bathroom toilet 11/10 - it's that good!

Unless shown you would never find the Sealand toilet as it "hides" behind a beautifully made curved swinging wall finished in Velour. Now this wall "doubles" as the best linen press you could ever hope to own - sort of open air too. In typical Alan/Robyn fashion, the colour co-ordinated towels are prevented from falling out by a hand made stainless steel rail racks, as found on expensive yachts! This idea really is brilliant as it utilises every inch of wall space that would otherwise be wasted. You won't even have to move from the loo seat as with the door shut, if you run out of paper, the replacement rolls are just on the bottom of the door!

Entry
An area that has been given a lot of attention! The steps, as one would expect, are electric with an ignition interlock so they can't be left out once moving. There was a nice little shoe cupboard to the right of the steps with very easy access. The yellow abrasive anti slip has since been removed and the anti slip black rubber now matches the other treads.

Note the intelligent use of hand rails. You certainly do need to be looking towards having less mobility in one's latter years so it makes good sense to include every mobility aid right from the design stage of your RV. Alan's strategy here certainly worked well and didn't look too bad either.

Towing
A-frames are fast becoming the norm these days since more uniform legislation has been adopted across all States. We liked Alan's system as it folded up extremely neatly when not in use as shown in the photo below. Go back to page one to see the rig ready for "flight"!

Summing Up
How do you do justice to what must be one of, if not the, best motorhome custom built in Australia? Well – suffice to say, this is an outstanding example of fine craftsmanship and an excellent demonstration of the quality of design that can be produced in Australia - dare we say as good as anything coming out of the USA. The extensive planning that has gone into this unit is not always apparent to the naked eye. The front was designed to utilise an off the shelf windscreen, for instance. Practicality underpins all the multitude of stylish features. From the female perspective, the colour scheme throughout is best described as simply elegant and won’t date. It’s not macho nor florally – just classic tones of cream and beige to compliment the timbers with aubergine and a highlight of jade – even down to the towels and bedspread. The gourmet style kitchen gives you total flexibility for entertaining and with the lounge area nearby, you won’t be left out of the conversation.

Sure it might have taken three years complete this venture, but the planning and execution have ensured a true masterpiece which other manufacturers will have a lot of difficulty in duplicating.

We Liked
Smooth operation of slide outs
Spunkiest bull bar we have ever come across
Top quality paint job
Solar hidden inside roof side rails - great idea
Very modern tail lights
Fastidious attention to detail
Use of one common fuel
Electric windscreen blinds
The best electric awning in the business
Clever window design in door area
Computer/office area for "co-pilot"
Extra hand rail on floor for dickey hips!
Neat storage for all remotes
Extremely neat and clearly labeled electrics
Extensive back up systems in case of catastrophic failure
Beautifully organised outside kitchen
Well laid out hydraulics
Best door catch we have ever seen - wind proof and automatic
Clever curved concealed toilet door/cabinet
Beautiful hand made marine style linen retainers
Curved cabinet work with clever metal edges
The thought that Robyn has put into the decor overall

We Would Have Liked
Better /neater BBQ bin hold open method
Less finicky windshield on hot plate
Hot water to outside sink for washing up after a BBQ
A better in transit glass shower door lock (suggest one automatically interlocked with ignition)

Fact Box
Chassis - Man Model 11-220 HOCL-SR-E3
Length - 10.4 metres
Slide Outs - Two
Horsepower - 220 (162 KW)
Gearbox - ZF 5 speed auto
Water - 685 litres
Fuel - 300-litre diesel
Black/Grey - 275 litres
Generator - Kubota Lowboy GL 6500S diesel
Windows - Hehr
Solar - 3 X 165 watt 24 volt Sharp
Inverter - Mastervolt Dakar 24/3000
Converter - 24 X 12 Mastervolt 8770
Charge Splitter - Mastervolt 1602
Awning - Carefree 16 foot 12 volt
Heater - Webasto diesel 24 volt
Rear Camera - Mitsubishi Colour
Bench tops - Granite
TV Antenna - Saturn Electric raise and lower (dual polarisation)
Satellite - Smart Sat Auto Tune self seeking Oyster
Shell and chassis – Denning Manufacturing Pty Ltd, Acacia Ridge - 07 3274 5583
Paint work - Geoff Goebel Signs, Capalaba - 07 3390 2312
Electrics – Sue Alderton
Cabinet work – Phil Smith

UPDATE 13/1/06
All motorhomes regardless of cost are a continuing "work in progress". Alan didn't like the look of the "yellow" on the step treads so he redesigned the steps and it turned out fantastically well. The photo below right shows the Mark 1 Crimsafe security door. Alan intends modifying the main door to make it match the outside decor when open.