Avida Fremantle as reviewed by Malcolm Street
Mid to large-sized motorhomes are a bit on the rare side in the Australian motorhome scene, which makes the Fremantle a welcome addition to the Avida stable.
Being Australia’s largest motorhome manufacturer does give Avida the advantage of having a good range of motorhomes in all shapes and sizes. At the heavy end of the range though, that is anything over 8.0m (26ft), there’s a choice of just two motorhomes. The Isuzu NQR based Longreach which has been in the Avida stable for some years or the more recent Fremantle, a new model which has recently been introduced to the market.
BASE VEHICLE
Underpinning the Fremantle is an Iveco Daily 70C-21. My review motorhome was a Euro V variant, but all future Fremantles will be built on Euro VI models. The eagle-eyed might spot one of the differences – the older model Iveco’s had a floor handbrake on the left-hand side of the driver’s seat which was forever a problem with the swivelling seat but the newer E6 variants have the handbrake switch on the dashboard.
Powering the Fremantle is a 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine delivering a maximum power of 155kW and a healthily good torque of 470Nm through Iveco’s smooth and silky eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The previously optional twin-turbo engine is now an electronically controlled variable geometry turbo (eVGT), With a body length of 9.7m (31ft 10in), the Fremantle isn’t a particularly small motorhome but it’s not a difficult drive at all, once the length is kept in mind when overtaking or manouvering around.
Having a GVM of 7200kg and a Tare Mass of 1846kg gives a decent payload of 1840kg but it also means that a Light Rigid truck licence is required, not that it’s particularly difficult to obtain. Safety and comfort are always considerations in any vehicle these days and certainly, European-built trucks have come a long way over the past decade, especially when they come fitted with rear air bag suspension. I won’t trouble you with all the multi-alphabet safety features but items like
all-round ABS disc brakes, SRS airbags, adaptive cruise control and air suspension seats are all standard items.
Avida products are made to last and that is why with every new Avida we provide a very important attribute we simply call “peace of mind” with our market leading 3 year factory backed warranty, 5 year structural guarantee, 2 year emergency roadside assistance, coupled with our comprehensive nationwide accredited service network we are with you all the way.
DISCOVER Avida: Avida is a family owned business that commenced manufacturing in Australia in 1965, with the formation of Freeway Camper Company. From 1978 to 2013 Avida manufactured motorhomes, campervans and caravans under the name of Winnebago Industries, where we were famous for Winnebago motorhomes like Leisure Seeker, Birdsville and Esperance. Today Avida still remains in the hands of the original family, where we employ and support hundreds of Australians at our huge 10 acre site in Western Sydney NSW. Not only do we continue the tradition of the Avida Birdsville and Esperance, we have also expanded our range of motorhomes and caravans.