This new Aussie-designed RV aims to set a new standard for accommodating the long-term traveller.
At some stage of our lives, most of us dream of getting away in our very own escape vehicle. While some actually fulfill their dream, few would contemplate building their own “dream machine” or go to the extreme of taking it into commercial production.
But that’s exactly what Garry Lee has done, creating a high-tech high-spec 5th wheeler called the Adventura.
It’s a revolutionary design because most 5th wheelers have a bed upfront above the tow point, requiring you to climb up and down stairs to get to bed or to and from the bathroom. Not a lot of fun as you get older
Garry has devised and patented a unique drop down floor. The result is a flat floor throughout. The Pacific RV Adventura feels more like a two-room apartment, complete with seven foot high ceilings.
The bed is in the back room and the head of it is in a slide out compartment. The shower and toilet are close by and there is plenty of room to walk around. There is even a full-size mirrored wardrobe.
The front room is a spacious combined kitchen living area, including two full size lazy boy recliner chairs and a dinette in another slide out compartment.
It has almost every luxury and convenience you’d need for long-term travel, combined with as much storage space as a bus. That’s because there is a massive chassis 400mm high compartment along the entire length with access doors all round.
The chassis superstructure is needed to support the Adventura’s other big “surprise feature”.
At the touch of a button, four remote control legs or struts drop down from each corner, lifting the four tonne RV including the wheels completely off the ground. They lock into place to provide a solid foundation with no rocking. Using the remotes, you can then level out the structure on a sloping site.
The Adventura is full of clever design innovations. The story of how it came to be devised is all the more remarkable when you consider Garry Lee left school at age 17, started out as a tradie and has no formal engineering or design qualifications to his name.
Just over four years ago he bought out Pacific RV which had been successfully importing 5th wheelers from the USA.
Like many who’ve tried out 5th wheelers, he became convinced of their merits over caravans and their potential in the Australian market, however he also became dismayed at the quality of the US product.
“Americans build things to enjoy for a few years then they get rid of it. Australians actually appreciate quality and when they buy something they want it to last”
So drew up his own plans and headed off to China, meeting with a number of firms eager to get into RV manufacturing. Eventually he found one near Shanghai that was willing to work with him in perfecting his dream RV. The units are imported partially complete, with fittings, electrical appliances and other finishing works completed at the Pacific RV complex in Lismore NSW.’
With a drive away price of $140,000, Garry Lee knows the Adventura will appeal to a “niche within a niche” in the market. But as more Australians becoming aware of the advantages of 5th wheelers, he believes the market is there.
“Once buyers take a closer look and you explain it all they are usually convinced. Sometimes they baulk at the size of it, but once they go for a drive and actually try towing it they are pleasantly surprised. It’s so much easier than towing a big caravan.”
For anyone looking for a spacious luxury RV for long-term travel, the Adventura is certainly worth a look. It’s hard to go past the many of the advantages of a 5th wheeler, especially one designed for Australian conditions.
You’d need a high-powered twin axle flat top dual cab to tow the Adventura, but the upside is you can do it on a normal driver’s licence and you have a comfortable vehicle to drive around in once you’ve un hitched and set up camp.
While it looks pricey, if you’re looking to sell your home and take to the road long term, the sort of outlay needed to acquire the Adventura is more than reasonable. From a technical point of view it really is hard to go past all the great design innovations.
The only downside is it doesn’t feel quite a luxurious on the inside as some other RVs. Still is a great space you could add your own interior design choices to in the same way you would to a home.
This is an RV of the future built to last – so much so you could even bank on leaving it to the grandkids when you go.
Link: Read more in Issue 12 of Time to Roam Magazine
Visit pacificrv.com.au for more information.
