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RV & Motorhome Lifestyle - RoadCraft M2 two-berth Fiat Ducato. review

When we picked up our Roadcraft motorhome it felt like Christmas had arrived early. We had settled on a two-berth Fiat Ducato for a two week road trip; 6.4 metres of camping class. After owning a 1972 Kombi van for 10 years (without all the trappings!) and as we are both super-keen on the camping lifestyle, we were ready to put our hotel-on-wheels to the test. Our first stop was at the Mount Maunganui campground, situated at the base of the Mount. Our site backed on to a stunning view of the beach, and the RoadCraft’s back doors opened all the way out to reveal uninterrupted views.

Excursions were fairly limited for the first three days of our holiday. Wind, combined with end of year fatigue, provided us with the perfect excuse to fully test the interior of the craft. We filled up the water tanks and plugged into the campsite, and really couldn’t find any excuse to leave. When friends visited with their three children in tow, they delighted in opening every cupboard and drawer! And we all easily squeezed around the lounge (which converted into a super comfortable large double bed at night). Forget campervan, we decided that the RoadCraft should be called a glam-per- van! Catering-wise, we ate like we would at home, cooking curries and all manner of stir-fries on the four burner gas cooker. Barbeques, and bacon and eggs were cooked on the non-stick BBQ stowed in the boot.

The fridge did a fine job of keeping our drinks and meat well chilled, and by the time we left the Mount we felt well rested and ready for a family get- together in Taupo. My family are keen camping and RV lifestyle enthusiasts, so the RoadCraft was a real hit! My parent’s van was booted out of its spot, and we were plugged in just a few metres away from the house for the next couple of days.

Then it was on to Motutere, a lakeside spot about 30 minutes south of Taupo that holds many lovely family memories. We spent lots of time camping there as kids, and plan to do so ourselves for years to come. We booked a non- powered site, right on the lakefront, and we were keen to see if the RoadCraft could live up to its exciting promise of being able to go off-road – unplugged – and maintain power for three or four days at a time.

I was nervous for the first 24 hours, especially as the weather had packed in, and hubby brought out the DVDs. The freezer was full of frozen meat, and the fridge stocked with vegies, drinks and treats. I kept my eye peeled on the control panel which keeps you clued up on the vehicle’s water and power consumption, but we barely made a dent in the RoadCraft’s reserves. As a separate battery controls the engine, there was never a danger of not being able to start up when it was time to go. With the flick of a switch there was hot water for a shower or to do the dishes in less than 20 minutes. At the end of every day we really did feel snug – and smug – with a hot chocolate in hand and a DVD playing. (The only thing suffering was my book reading!). The battery life well exceeded our expectations, we were there unassisted for three and a half days. We had used the DVD player and listened to music daily, yet the fridge was still cold the morning we drove away. By this time we knew the RoadCraft pretty well; everything had its place which meant there was no room for any clutter! I loved it!

After a good time at Lake Taupo we headed north. Our family had hired a holiday home in a vineyard just north of Tutukaka and had persuaded the owners to let us park up for a few days. And that’s literally what we did: drive in, park up, and open the fridge.

One of the beauties of the RoadCraft was being able to go for day trips, and we spent many a lazy day parked up next to the beach. We put the awning up for some shade, and my 10 month old nephew slept inside without his Mum worrying about getting him home for a nap. After two weeks on the road we headed back to Auckland, loathe to give the RoadCraft back! It had well served its purpose well, and with style! Unlike our previous 1972 Kombi, the RoadCraft drove like a car, and it was wonderful to not have the constant anxiety you get in a slow camper when you are holding up traffic! Even with its longer length, it was never a burden to park. The only hitch was remembering to push in all the cupboard and drawer buttons before taking off!

I write this from our favourite Hahei camping spot. Now that we’ve sold the Kombi, we now own a three-bedroom tent. Camping life is bliss. However, last night I was most inconvenienced when I had to leave the tent to brush my teeth. Bring back the RoadCraft!.

Trail-liTe purchases Roadcraft

As of March, Trail-lite now owns the RoadCraft brand. As RoadCraft has a loyal and passionate following it will be run as its own brand within the Trail-lite group. “We’ll retain the same focus on design and quality that is central to the RoadCraft brand. Other than a location change, the only other difference is the team behind it. The same master craftsmen who build our market leading Trail-lite motorhomes, will now continue to innovate and improve on the RoadCraft products,” says Trail- lite’s Shaun Newman. RoadCraft was previously owned by John Managh and his sister Mary, who set up RoadCraft to supply vehicles to their campervan rental business, Wilderness Motorhomes. They will continue to operate this business only.

Tech Spec:

Manufacturer: trail-lite
Model: M2 two-berth fiat Ducato

• Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
• Engine: 2.3 litre turbo diesel (optional 3.0 litre)
• Gearbox: 6 speed manual (optional automatic)
• Max power: 88kw @ 3600rpm or 330nm @ 2000rpm
• Brakes: ABS with EDB and dual circuit with loading sensor
• Tare weight: 2980kg
• GVM: 4040kg
• External length: 6363mm
• External width: 2024mm
• Internal height: 1900mm
• Hob: 4 burner Spinflow gas cooker and grill
• Fridge: 110L Waeco
• Gas: 2 x 4.5 kg bottles
• Toilet: Dometic toilet
• Hot water: Eberspächer 2.2kw diesel heater
• Fresh water: 135 litres
• Grey water: 135 litres
• Price: $139,995 including GST

Manufacturer/Dealer:

Trail-lite
77 Paerata Road, Pukekohe
Phone: 0800 872 455
email: shaun@traillite.co.nz
Web: www.traillite.co.nz