KEA RIVER M721 EXTERIOR

Given the current prices, buying a motorhome or caravan is, for most people, the second-most expensive purchase they are ever likely to make. For many who desire the Recreational Vehicle (RV) lifestyle, it’s a bridge too far and the pre-loved/second-hand market is the next best option. A good one for many.

Of course, that’s not without its difficulties. Just as any prospective car purchase should always be checked out mechanically, a motorhome should also have a mechanical check, as well as the ‘house’ components. Before that, of course, the motorhome’s functionality, layout and driveability must be acceptable to the potential buyer.

Renting Before Buying: A Smart Move

One of my prime recommendations for novices is to try before you buy, even if the layout being considered isn’t readily available. One effective way to do this is to rent out a motorhome of a similar size from one of the rental operators around Australia. 

Why Consider an Ex-Rental Motorhome?

That makes purchasing an affordable ex-rental motorhome a good option for a prospective motorhome buyer with little experience in purchasing and owning one.

In my line of work, I often use rental motorhomes. However, on a recent work trip to south-east Queensland, the Apollo dealership in Brisbane made a former rental motorhome – a KEA River M721 – available. When travelling for work, I prefer a motorhome with a bit of space that includes a table for working and a bed that doesn’t have to be made up every night.

The River M721, an ex-Tourism Holdings Limited (THL) Maui motorhome, fitted the criteria very nicely. Like many larger rental motorhomes, it’s a six-berth unit with an external length of 7.21 metres (23ft 8in). A 2018 model, it had just under 195,000 kilometres on the odometer. I thought it was a little old for a not-long off the fleet rental, but then the COVID lockdowns affected many things (including rental motorhome use).

TV ABOVE THE DOOR BEST SEEN FROM THE CAFÉ DINETTE

First Impressions and Refurbishment

When I picked up the motorhome, I was expecting something that looked like it had been around the block a few times. But clearly the KEA team had spent some time on a refurbishment, inside and out. Some KEA motorhomes get a new set of decals but mine came in plain white with a lower waistline coloured grey. Inside, a general refurbishment had obviously included new blinds and a new hob.

For some years now, THL has used Mercedes-Benz Sprinters as its base vehicle; this is a typical example. An LWB 513CDI model, it has a chassis with a GVM of 5,000kg (de-rated to 4,495kg) and a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine rated at 130hp (95kW). For anyone wondering which particular Mercedes powers their motorhome, there’s usually a nameplate on the chassis under the rear of the vehicle.

Like much of the THL/Apollo fleet, the River M721 has a fibreglass composite body structure with a large window area. All windows are tinted glass and slide opening, except for the fixed rear window. The storage bins at the rear will hold the standard camping items like water hoses and camping chairs; but nothing larger. In rental motorhome style, the gas compartment has a single 9.0kg cylinder – a good capacity but I’d much prefer to have two smaller 4.0kg cylinders.

The River comes with a Cvana awning for the al fresco lifestyle. This is an excellent choice for rental operators but equally good for those who like a robust, no-nonsense awning. Unlike most awnings, Cvana does not have European or North American origins; it is made in New Zealand.

On the Road: Driving the KEA River M721

A test drive is essential for any motorhome purchase, but particularly for a used motorhome. It indicates how the motorhome handles and is also an opportunity to check out any rattles, squeaks and other odd noises. Given the kilometres travelled, I was expecting more noise than there was. Most of it was just road noise – something to be expected.

With nearly 200,000 kilometres on the clock, the turbo diesel and seven-speed auto gearbox didn’t hesitate … although I suspect the 95kW engine may be a little less sprightly when the motorhome is fully loaded.

It’s not often that anything in the driver’s cab gets an upgrade, but the Grundig GX3800 touchscreen receiver was a welcome addition. Many of us are used to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and (apart from anything else) these things make navigation much easier.

Above the cab, the Luton bed is fixed in place; so there isn’t the luxury of lifting it up out of the way for easy access.

Interior Comforts: Living in the KEA River M721

Inside the River, the décor is instantly identifiable to anyone familiar with the THL product. Apart from anything else, it is designed for longevity and hard service. The general makeover is good, with very few signs of hard use in this case. The window blinds were new but did have a slightly cheap feel.

Six-berth rental motorhomes tend to have a standard layout, which is undoubtedly true here. There’s a club lounge across the rear, a café dinette behind the driver’s seat and a kitchen bench that fills most of the nearside wall. Taking up the space between the dinette and rear lounge is a combo shower and toilet cubicle with the ubiquitous Thetford cassette toilet and flexible hose shower.

There are no fixed beds, but the club lounge and café dinette fold down into beds measuring 2.1m x 1.45m (6ft 11in x 4ft 9in) and 1.85m x 1.2m (6ft x 4ft), respectively. Above the cab, the Luton bed is well sized at 2.1m x 1.5m (6ft 11in x 4ft 11in) and has a decent head height. Because I wanted somewhere to eat and somewhere to work, I made up the Luton bed and used the rear lounge as an office – using the table opposite the kitchen for meals.

Because the Isotherm 130 litre compressor fridge is an under-bench model, the kitchen bench does have a better-than-average amount of benchtop space. Like the fridge, the Nero microwave oven was original; but the Mobicool four-burner cooktop and grill were new. A few notable features in the drawer and cupboard space were the drawer with cut-outs for all the plates and cups; plus a slide-out with two garbage bins. A great feature because many RVs don’t have any garbage facilities.

In addition to the kitchen bench, the rest of the internal storage consists mostly of overhead lockers and overhead shelves across the rear and above the habitation door. A wardrobe of sorts is located behind the passenger seat, but it’s relatively narrow and could be more useful with a few shelves.

Off-Grid or Caravan Park: Flexibility in Use

Like many ex-rental motorhomes, the River M721 is better suited to caravan park stays, but it’s also okay for a night or two off-grid. There is one 85-litre freshwater tank and a similar-sized grey water tank. The 100Ah AGM house battery is charged by either a mains charger or an 80W solar panel. When on mains power, there are power points under the dinette and at the end of the kitchen bench; but a power board or two would help.

 Final Thoughts: Is the KEA River M721 Right for You?

At the time of writing, reduced prices were being advertised, so it might pay to hunt around. There are disadvantages to purchasing an ex-rental motorhome. Still, they are built to meet the rigours of rental service and THL/KEA certainly has plenty of experience in that area. A motorhome like the River M721 is a good option for anyone on a budget. Excellent for a family motorhome with a choice of beds and seating. It doesn’t have a feature like a fixed island bed. However, for a couple, it has a flexible layout that can be used in several ways … as I discovered on my travels.

 VEHICLE

MANUFACTURER ACTION MOTORHOMES NZ

MODEL KEA RIVER M721

BASE VEHICLE MERCEDES BENZ 513 CDI

TARE WEIGHT 3,560KG

GVM 4,495KG

LICENCE CAR 

PASSENGERS SIX

MECHANICAL 

ENGINE 2.2-LITRE TURBO DIESEL

POWER 95KW @ 3,800RPM

TORQUE 05NM @ 1,200-2,4500RPM

GEARBOX SEVEN-SPEED AUTOMATIC

BRAKES ABS DISC

DIMENSIONS

EXTERNAL LENGTH 7.21M (23FT 8IN)

EXTERNAL WIDTH 2.34M (7FT 7IN)

EXTERNAL HEIGHT 3.4M (11FT 2IN)

INTERNAL HEIGHT 2.14M (7FT)

BED SIZE (REAR) 2.1M X 1.45M (6FT 11IN X 4FT 9IN)

BED SIZE (DINETTE) 1.85M X 1.2M (6FT X 4FT)

BED SIZE (LUTON) .1M X 1.5M (6FT 11IN X 4FT 11IN)

EQUIPMENT

COOKTOP MOBICOOL FOUR-BURNER AND GRIL

FRIDGE ISOTHERM 130 LITRE 12V COMPRESSOR

MICROWAVE OVEN NERO

LIGHTING 12V LED

BATTERIES 1 X 100AH AGM

SOLAR PANELS 1 X 80W

AIR CONDITIONER AIR COMMAND SPARROW ROOF MOUNT

TOILET THETFORD CASSETTE

SHOWER MOULDED CUBICLE

HOT WATER HEATER SURBURBAN 23 LITRE LPG/240V

HEATER NO

WATER TANK 1 X 85 LITRE

GREY TANK 1 X 85 LITRE

GAS CYLINDERS 1 X 9.0KG

PRICE $124,990.00

Supplied by: 

Apollo RV Sales

698 Nudgee Road

Northgate QLD 4013

Ph: 07 3265 9260

Web: apollosales.com.au

Category: Reviews
Written: Sun 01 Sept 2024
Printed: September, 2024
Published By: