Avida Motorhome Celebrates 60 Years with the Explorer LX 4X4

Avida's new specialist Explorer LX 4X4 motorhome comes as the manufacturer celebrates 60 years of building motorhomes.

The new Explorer LX 4X4 differs slightly from most of Avida's motorhome range. This is mostly because it's an all-wheel drive vehicle, but also because most Avida motorhomes are cab chassis based (coachbuilt), whereas the Explorer is a large van conversion.

Using the well-established Mercedes Benz Sprinter 419CDI AWD van, the Explorer has been built for folk who like to be a little more adventuresome in their travels. 

Off-Road Motorhome Australia: A Test in Glen Davis

For my brief sojourn with the Explorer, I decided it was time to visit a destination that's been on my bucket list for quite a while – Glen Davis. It's an old shale oil mining town on the western side of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales – about three hours west of Sydney. Somewhat overshadowed by the well-known but currently inaccessible Newnes (also a former shale oil mining town), Glen Davis is quite a pleasant place to visit and spend a nice day or three in the peaceful Coorongooba Campground. Free, except for a $6 booking fee, it has a few basic facilities and is ideal for something like the self-contained Explorer. 

On the Road: Avida Motorhome 4x4 Performance

Travelling in the Benz-powered Explorer is quite a pleasure. The elevated driving position gives a good view, and the vehicle easily handles most driving conditions – particularly along winding bush tracks. Something I did notice when on the highway was the distinctive hum from the all-terrain tyres. One little problem was the distinctive fibreglass pod fitted into the rear offside window position. Designed to extend the bed length inside, it's a great idea, but it creates a blind spot in the external mirror. If a mirror extension is available, I'd consider getting it fitted. The Sprinter has a GVM of 4,100kg and a Tare Mass of 3,338kg – so the payload of 762kg is very good for a vehicle of this size.

Exterior Upgrades on the All-Terrain Campervan

From the outside, the Explorer LX is quite a distinctive vehicle. Its blue-grey colour and decal scheme catch the eye. In addition to the standard items like the rear ladder, brush bars/step, spare wheel mount, external scene lights and a roof plated with solar panels, this vehicle has added a number of options – all off-road related. 

The Warn winch, driving lights on the front bumper bar, and the roof-mounted 50-inch LED driving light bar all add a purposeful air; as do the snorkel, alloy wheels and all-terrain tyres. Of course, if the travelling style is more in slippery conditions than on rough roads, most of that gear won't be needed; but the Explorer LX will still be a capable AWD vehicle. I've booked it up for a Snowy Mountains trip in winter this year. 

The Explorer LX comes standard with an insect screen on the sliding door, but the rear door flyscreen is an option. Given that the rear left-hand door and rear nearside wall do not have windows, I'd opt for that!

Alfresco Living with a Self-Contained Motorhome Setup

The Explorer is well geared for the outdoor lifestyle. In addition to the Fiamma F45 awning, there's a hinged table built into the rear of the kitchen cabinet that's handy for drinks and the induction hob, which can be plugged into a nearby power point. The drawer at the base of the kitchen cabinet for the induction hob storage was a clever idea. 

External bin storage in any van is always a problem. However, Avida has set the east-west bed across the rear at a higher level than usual. That results in small compartments on either side that can be used for hoses, power leads and all the other essentials of camping life. In addition, the double bed is designed in three sections – so the mid-section can be lifted to fit a couple of bikes. On top of that, both the rear doors have pouches built in to store smaller items neatly. Built into the left-hand side cabinet is an impressive little power installation. There's a mains power point, two USB hubs, an Anderson plug outlet and two Anderson plugs/sockets for portable solar panels.

Avida Motorhome Interior: Compact Luxury and Storage

In addition to the rear bed, the rest of the internal layout consists of a nearside kitchen, mid-offside bathroom and a front lounge/dining area. Both the cab seats swivel around, meshing well with the table and seat behind. The rear seat's brown leather upholstery looks great but is a little odd against the black of the cab seats. The table can be moved back and forth, and a table extension can be swivelled around if needed. The two seatbelts fitted to the rear seat are optional but mean the van can be used as transport around town. 

It's interesting how big a kitchen bench looks when it doesn't have a gas hob. That's slightly deceptive, of course; but even with the induction hob in place, there's still a bit of bench top. That's also partly due to the under-bench 90-litre 12V compressor fridge – but even for a van this size, it's not a bad setup (particularly with the three good-sized drawers and a hinged bench extension at the forward end). There's a TV mounted on the wall above the kitchen bench. It can be seen from either the bed or the front seats when swivelled the right way, as required. 

Combination shower and toilet bathrooms tend to be compact and a bit stark. However, this one has a few features – like the little vanity cabinet, well-sized mirror and larger-than-usual window – that make all the difference. 

Because of the fibreglass pod, the bed length is longer than usual, measuring 1.91m x 1.37m (6ft 3in x 4ft 6in). Its height makes clambering in more difficult, but a small slide-out step is well placed. Above the bedhead, the shelf has a pair of reading lights with USB-C charger points. On the opposite side, there's a more conventional pair of overhead lockers. The bed area is undoubtedly very snug, but the lack of windows in the rear door and wall made it too confined for me. 

Under the bed, on either side of the walkway, there are matching cupboards. On the nearside, the Victron integrated electrics are to be found – a 3,000VA inverter/charger and a pair of 30A MPPT solar charger controllers. One disadvantage of this location is that it's a bit awkward to access under the bed because of the hinged doors on either side of the cabinet. On the opposite side, the Truma Combi water and space heater keep the bed warm at night. 

Energy and Water: Ideal for Off-Grid Motorhome Travel

A pair of 200Ah Lithium LiFePO4 batteries power the 12V system. They are located where the gas cylinders might normally be, in an external bin at the rear nearside of the motorhome. For charging the batteries there's 400W of solar panel capacity, as well as the aforementioned facility for plugging in external panels. The water capacity isn't bad for a small motorhome like this, with 125 litres of fresh water and 45 litres of drinking water.

Final Verdict: 4x4 Motorhome for Couples

I'd have stayed a bit longer at Glen Davis. But unfortunately, Avida wanted their motorhome back. The Explorer LX is a well-designed motorhome for its rough road purpose. It's more of an adventure machine than a long-term tourer. There's not really any external storage, and the internal cupboard and overhead locker areas are finite. That said, there is space for sports items like bicycles, fishing rods, paddle boards or snow skis. For off-grid travel, the Explorer is well-equipped electrically; and the water capacity isn't too bad. It's well set up for the adventuresome couple. 

As part of the manufacturer's 60-year celebration, Avida is offering a limited-time special warranty – 60 months on structural, factory, chassis, roadside assist and capped price servicing. 

www.avidarv.com.au

SPECIFICATIONS

VEHICLE

MANUFACTURER AVIDA

MODEL EXPLORER LX 4X4

BASE VEHICLE MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER AWD MWB 419 CDI

TARE WEIGHT 3,338KG

GVM 4,100KG

PAYLOAD 762KG

LICENCE CAR

PASSENGERS 4

SLEEPS 2

MECHANICAL

ENGINE 2.0 LITRE

POWER 140 KW @ 3,800 RPM

TORQUE 450 NM @ 1,400-2,400 RPM

GEAR BOX 9-SPEED FULL AUTO

BRAKES ABS DISC

DIMENSIONS

EXTERNAL LENGTH 6.33M (20FT 9IN)

EXTERNAL WIDTH (INCL AWNING) 2.15M (7FT)

EXTERNAL HEIGHT 2.97M (9FT 9IN)

INTERNAL HEIGHT 1.93M (6FT 4IN)

BED SIZE 1.91M X 1.37M (6FT 3IN X 4FT 6IN)

EQUIPMENT

COOK TOP MIDEA 200W INDUCTION HOB

FRIDGE VITRIFRIGO C85I 90 LITRE COMPRESSOR

MICROWAVE OVEN NCE

LIGHTING 12V LED (READING LIGHTS WITH USB-C)

BATTERIES 400AMP LITHIUM BATTERIES, OPTION UP

TO 600AMP LITHIUM BATTERIES

SOLAR PANELS 400W STANDARD, WITH OPTION

UP TO 800W MPPT SOLAR

AIR CONDITIONER WEBASTO

TOILET THETFORD CASSETTE

SHOWER COMBINATION WITH TOILET

HOT WATER HEATER TRUMA COMBI DIESEL

HEATER TRUMA COMBI DIESEL

WATER TANK 125 LITRE

DRINKING WATER 45 LITRE

GREY TANK 95 LITRE

GAS CYLINDERS NO

COST

PRICE (NO OPTIONS) $234,990 DRIVE AWAY (VIC)

PRICE AS REVIEWED $256,990 DRIVE AWAY (VIC)

OPTIONS FITTED

ALLOY WHEELS AND A/T TYRES (X5)

BUMPER BAR – FRONT ADVENTURE WITH WARN WINCH

DRIVING LIGHTS (X2)

REAR DOOR FLYSCREEN

REAR SEAT BELTS (X2)

SNORKEL (ENGINE AIR INTAKE)

Category: Reviews
Written: Sun 01 June 2025
Printed: June, 2025
Published By: