The Australian motorhome scene has evolved in recent times, with several well-known caravan manufacturers now producing motorhomes. One brand joining the bandwagon is boutique manufacturer Willow RV. Ian Jow, one of the partners at the company, has long harboured a desire to make a range of motorhomes – and the Kauri 25 series marks Willow RV's entry into the drivable market. Jow has had extensive experience in building motorhomes, initially in the British market and later in Australia for several companies. The Kauri 2502 is one of the first off the line, and carries plenty of promise for the future.

UNDER THE HOOD

Willow RV has stayed with the tried and tested vehicle base: an Iveco Daily cab chassis equipped with a 3.0-litre 132kW/430Nm turbo diesel engine, an eight-speed automatic torque converter gearbox, and tandem rear wheels. With a GVM of 4,495kg, the motorhome can be driven on a car licence. The Daily has all the expected safety features – adaptive cruise control, electric adjustable mirrors, airbags, crosswind assist, and an electronic parking brake.

For travelling in outback Australia, the Kauri is well-equipped in the power department. A 400W solar panel is used to charge a 200Ah Lithium LiFePO4 battery. The 110-litre freshwater tank is a little more limiting, and the standard Thetford cassette tank, as usual, will require regular emptying.

STRUCTURE

From all sides, the Kauri 2502 boasts a stylish appearance, enhanced by its flush-tinted windows and striking decal. For the body, Willow RV uses a composite wall and roof structure with a polyurethane frame. It's a fully insulated, high-quality composite construction that works well in various Australian climates. 

A notable feature is the double floor, featuring honeycomb panels below and composite panels on top. In between are the essential water tanks and cabling. To aid maintenance, particularly for the water tanks, there are hatches in the floor – which is a great feature. A side benefit of this arrangement is that it provides excellent insulation from the ground – particularly useful in cooler climates.

The motorhome has a full-width rear slide-out for the bed. Built into the bodywork is an offside gas cylinder bin and a nearside bin for a front-loader washing machine. The only general external storage is a bin at the rear offside, but it's not particularly large and not suitable for items like camp chairs, water hoses and power leads. There are the usual nearside fittings – electric awning (with motion sensor lighting), picnic table, external power socket and entertainment unit. The latter has a TV bracket and 12V and antenna connections.

A TOUCH OF CLASS

Anyone familiar with the interior of a Willow RV caravan will recognise the contemporary design style in the Kauri – it looks very classy. All the furniture panels are designed to interlock with each other and, additionally, the furniture slots into the walls for cohesion and strength.

The layout and muted colours are an immediate invitation to relax in the front lounge area, put your feet up and inspect the interior. Elegant touches include the timber trim around the overhead lockers and the magazine pouches on the panels behind the cab. The interior illumination, a combination of downlights and semi-concealed strip lighting, is well-executed.

The interior is very spacious, significantly aided by the rear slide-out which holds the island bed. A split bathroom separates the living area from the bedroom, leaving the front area for the kitchen and lounge. The motorhome does have a Luton peak, but it's not a second bed; instead, it's open, giving easy access to and from the cab, as well as all-around cabinet space.

Both the driver and passenger seats are swivel-fitted, but due to differing heights and partitions on both sides they are slightly obstructed from the sideways facing lounges on both sides. The parallel lounges are comfortable for two people, and the Nuova Mapa mounted table is easily shifted from side to side or rotated, as required. Overhead lockers are installed on both sides, and there's a power point and a speaker fitted to both seat bases.

INSIDE

Split bathrooms are a little uncommon in motorhomes, but there's nothing impractical about the arrangement. The shower cubicle is located on the near side, and the toilet and vanity are opposite. Situated behind the cassette toilet, the wash basin is a little awkward to use. It's a fairly open arrangement, but a sliding door on the living area side and a concertina curtain on the other provide privacy.

When the rear slide-out is closed, the bed butts up against the bathroom. However, when it's fully open, it's easy to walk down either side of the bed. Windows on all three sides and a large roof hatch allow for a generous amount of natural light. There's a surprising amount of storage in the bedroom area. The cabinetry around the bedhead includes a cupboard, magazine pouch, reading light and bedside shelf. At the base of the bed, there are shelf-fitted cupboards on both sides.

The Kauri 2502 kitchen bench isn't oversized and is quite simply fitted out with a round stainless steel sink and a three-burner cooktop – both with smoked glass lids. Under the benchtop is a Camec microwave oven. Two soft-close drawers, a cupboard and a couple of compartments are fitted into the kitchen bench. There are three overhead lockers above the kitchen bench, but one contains the Projecta touch panel, the main circuit breakers, the hot water switching and the radio unit.

Opposite the kitchen bench, the Thetford 152-litre fridge features a 12V compressor unit with a lower freezer drawer and an upper fridge compartment. Above the fridge, the space is designed for a TV on the wall-mounted swivel bracket.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Willow RV's Kauri 2502 entry into the world of motorhomes appears to be a promising one, with more to follow. There are several layout alternatives – a rear club lounge, an east-west slideout, a drop-down bed, and single beds. Something for everyone. The motorhome is well built, features a spacious interior, and offers luxurious motorhome travel with all the necessary amenities.

SPECIFICATIONS

VEHICLE

MANUFACTURER WILLOW RV

MODEL KAURI 2502

BASE VEHICLE IVECO DAILY 50-180

TARE WEIGHT 3,800KG

GVM 4,495KG

LICENCE CAR

PASSENGERS 2

MECHANICAL

ENGINE 3.0 LITRE TURBO DIESEL

POWER 132KW @ 3,500RPM

TORQUE 430NM @ 1,500RPM

GEAR BOX 8-SPEED TORQUE CONVERTER AUTOMATIC

BRAKES ABS DISC

DIMENSIONS

EXTERNAL LENGTH 7.785M (25FT 6IN)

EXTERNAL WIDTH (INCL AWNING) 2.415M (7FT 11IN)

EXTERNAL HEIGHT 3.23M (10FT 7IN)

INTERNAL HEIGHT 2.1M (6FT 11IN)

EQUIPMENT

COOKTOP DOMETIC 3-BURNER

FRIDGE THETFORD T2175C 175-LITRE COMPRESSOR

MICROWAVE OVEN CAMEC

LIGHTING 12V LED

BATTERIES 1 X 100AH

SOLAR PANELS 2 X 200W

AIR CONDITIONER HOUGHTON BELAIRE 3400E

TOILET THETFORD CASSETTE

SHOWER SEPARATE CUBICLE

HOT WATER HEATER SWIFT GAS/ELEC 28 LITRE

HEATER NO

WATER TANK 110 LITRES

GREY TANK 110 LITRES

GAS CYLINDERS 2 X 4.5KG

PRICE: $205,000

MOTORHOMES COME WITH A THREE-YEAR STRUCTURAL WARRANTY ON THE WILLOW-MANUFACTURED ITEMS. THERE ARE ALSO THE RESPECTIVE WARRANTIES ON THE SUPPLIED COMPONENTS, TYPICALLY 12 OR 24 MONTHS. ADDITIONALLY, THE IVECO DAILY CAB CHASSIS IS DELIVERED WITH A THREEYEAR/ 250,000-KILOMETRE WARRANTY.

Supplied by:

ARV Caravans

Princes Highway, Eden NSW 2551

Ph: 02 6581 6500

aussierv.com.au

Category: Features
Written: Wed 01 Oct 2025
Printed: October, 2025
Published By: