AROUND-OZ MOTORHOMES

Safari Kakadu Motorhome Review - continued . . .

The Kakadu has nick knacks all over the place as standard. We particularly liked these folding drink holders on either side of the settees. They are very easy to "trick up" for resale as all cupboard doors have a painted timber surround. All other surfaces are extremely durable fibreglass and once you paint the surrounds it really looks new. Notice the clever locks on the previous page? All locks have a large hole (1 1/2"). You put your finger in and push on the brass catch. A bit like opening the bonnet on your car. The holes all have a nice surround. This is an interesting concept. Swagman and Winnebago have standardised on the Camec push button locks and they work really well. However they are plated plastic and high use doors start to lose the finish. The Kakadu on the other hand can NEVER suffer from this problem. Food for thought don't you think?

The wardrobe is right at the rear and again is different to the "norm"! The rails are dual and run at 90 degrees! This seems to work OK. There are some draws built into this same area.

Fantastic rack for slippers and thongs right near the back door

We loved the shoe rack built into the inside of the wardrobe door. Now that guy in the green shirt beavering away in the wardrobe is Geoff Adcock the brilliant CMCA electrician. One of the fantastic benefits of belonging to the CMCA is the way members share their knowledge and help each other. Wonderful stuff!

The electrical set up would have to be the best we have ever come across. The generator panel at right, has a fuel gauge, an hour meter, remote start and of course very clearly marked rotary selector switches. Note the fuses and circuit isolators on the photo at left above - even has a built in stereo! The neatness of the wiring gives you goose bumps! We have NEVER come across anything like it in any motorhome! One can only wonder why this company went out of production. Perhaps there was too much attention to detail? We spotted this unit at a Brisbane Sunshine Wanderers rally at Atkinsons Dam in Queensland in 2002. Yes it did have one fault. The present charger was only delivering 12.8 volts, so the batteries were not charging fully when kept out of the sunshine. This of course was the technology of the day when motorhomes just had trickle chargers.

The neatest wiring we have ever come across!

As it was early Sunday morning we didn't photograph the bed area! It has a cab over with built in steps. The huge table runs down the centre with a 6 foot settee either side. Extremely well padded and still showing no signs of wear. These of course can be used as two single beds yet you can still gain access to the cabover. The inside is very airy as two huge sliding windows run right down each side. It is a brilliant layout and one not copied in any other make we have come across. Expect to pay $40,000.00 for the standard model and around $60,000.00 for good examples of the deluxe model reviewed. They usually come on a Mitsubishi Canter. The mileage on this one was 65,000 yet still going strong. The generator is built in and was whisper quiet. Overall we absolutely recommended the Kakadu as a great entry vehicle into motorhoming.