Horizon’s flagship Grevillea has a groovy bedroom trick sure to please…

Groovy Grevillea!

by Richard Robertson.

iMotorhome mag

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because getting there is half the fun...

The Grevillea is the only model in Horizon’s range we haven't reviewed, and given it’s the flagship model, in size a least,

I’m as surprised as you are. In case you don’t know Horizon Motorhomes specialises in van conversions – it’s all they do – and they do it very well. The brand is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ballina Campervan and Motorhome Centre, which is also the only place you can buy a new Horizon motorhome. This factory-direct business model helps keep prices down and ensures a strong bond between buyers, CEO Clayton Kearney and his tight-knit team. From what I can see they have a loyal and enthusiastic following.

Horizons’ lineup spans various models of Fiat’s Ducato and Mercedes Benz’s Sprinter van ranges, from the 5.99 m Ducato-based Melaleuca to the 7.36 m Sprinter-based

Grevillea. Well priced and well equipped, all Horizon models reflect the company’s 20 years of manufacturing experience and a strong commitment to quality and design refinement.

The Grevillea in this review features a floorplan with a permanent double bed with an electrically operated tilt mechanism that raises it to one side for easy under-bed storage access. But more on that later. It also had a number of options that added to the look and feel (and price!), comprising metallic paint, leather upholstery and an external gas bayonet.

Groundwork

Built on a Sprinter 316CDI extra-long wheelbase (EXL) van, the Grevillea is a fair chunk of a motorhome size-wise

and competes with Trakka’s Jabiru in the marketplace, despite being 260 mm longer.

Like all models in Horizon’s range the Grevillea uses Seitz-brand double glazed acrylic windows that push out from a hinge along the top (called single hoppers). The exception in the Grevillea’s case is this window, aft of the sliding door. It’s a new style sliding unit from Seitz that means you can open the door and window at the same time.

2 | Day Test: Horizon Motorhomes’ Grevillea

Spec’s-wise a standard Grevillea has a 3380 kg tare weight, including water and fuel, and a 3880 kg gross vehicle mass (GVM). That leaves a generous payload of 500 kg for people, goods and chattels. Those are good figures for such a large vehicle, especially compared to our own Project Polly, which is only 6.5 m long but has a tare of 3180 kg with fuel and water, leaving a payload of just 370 kg. The Grevillea’s engine is a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 120 kW and 360 Nm, and it drives the rear wheels through a 7-speed fully automatic transmission. Water capacities were 100 L fresh and 95 L grey, while fuel capacity on the test vehicle was 75 L, although 100 L is now the norm. LPG comprised 2 x 4 kg cylinders.

Roadwork

It was strange jumping into a Sprinter after months in our longterm Fiat Ducato-based Horizon Casuarina. The Sprinter is narrower

and you sit more deeply in it, like a car, with the sensation accentuated by a car-like near-vertical steering wheel. The seats are supportive and the visibility and driving position good, with the height-and-reach adjustable steering wheel a welcome change from Fiat’s height-only adjustable wheel. However, the Sprinter’s dash is rather grey and bland compared to the Fiat’s more flamboyant Italianesque offering, and its ventilation controls require some familiarisation.

Right: The pair of 4.5 kg gas cylinders leaves just enough space to squeeze in a grey water hose, but otherwise there’s no

external storage. Below: At 7.36 m the Grevillea is a big van, but the Sprinter’s easy

driving nature and tight steering lock make it feel quite nimble on the road. Note rear

overhang, which you need to watch on steep driveway entrances and exits.

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On the road there’s noticeably more body roll in the Sprinter, although in this case it’s possibly accentuated by the Grevillea’s extra length. It’s something you quickly adapt to, however, and there’s no disputing the superiority of the Sprinter’s ride quality and overall feeling of quality.

The 2.2-litre engine is smooth, proven and fuel efficient, but I did find the 7-speed auto hunted a bit at lower speeds; trying to find the right gear for the moment when negotiating things like roundabouts. Of course shifts are seamlessly smooth – as you’d except from a Mercedes’ gearbox – making this a very drivable and enjoyable motorhome.

The other standout is the Sprinter’s tight turning circle – another Mercedes’ trademark – which made light work of the Grevillea’s extra length. You just need to watch the extra rear overhang on steep driveways, especially when reversing, and when negotiating dips in the road, etc.

You sit more deeply in (the Sprinter), like a car, with the sensation accentuated by a car-like near-vertical

steering wheel.

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Bodywork

Van conversions have many advantages over coachbuilt motorhomes, including superior structural strength and durability,

with fewer water leakage points and no body seams requiring annual inspections/resealing, to name a few. But they also have disadvantages, like reduced width leading to less living room and little, if any, external storage. The Grevillea is no different to other van conversions in these respects and apart from a tiny bit of room in with the gas cylinders (you can squeeze a waste water hose in if careful) relies on maximising interior space for essentials like chairs and an outdoor table.

There are five openable windows; three on the kerb side and two on the driver’s side. All are double glazed single-hopper Seitz/Dometic units with built-in privacy and insect

Below: The Horizon logo in the optional leather upholstery is a nice touch, while the dinette window affords great viewing whether travelling or camping. Bottom: Mercedes’ Sprinter is narrower but taller than the Fiat Ducato. Factory fixed rear windows will soon be replaced by the same openable windows as the rest of the vehicle, which will also eliminate the need for curtains.

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There’s no disputing the superiority of the Sprinter’s ride quality and overall feeling of quality.

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screens, except for the middle one on the kerb side. It’s a sliding version that allows you to open the big side door without damage. The rear door windows are fixed glass from the Mercedes’ factory (although that’s changing soon) and there are two main roof hatches; a thermostated fan hatch above the kitchen/dinette and a clear one over the bed.

Also standard is a 4.5 m Fiamma wind-out awning, twin LED awning lights, external 12

Above: The automotive-style single dinette seat is seatbelt equipped and very comfortable for travel or relaxation. The table has slide adjustment and can quickly be removed to open up the lounge area. Right: Cab access is easy thanks to a wide-opening door. Note the cab curtain and rail, which should soon be replaced by integrated cab blinds.

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Top to bottom: The table has a clever lower leaf that rotates out once you release a small black knob underneath. It makes the already generous table entirely suitable for three diners, yet stows without being noticeable. Nice…

and 240-volts power outlets, an external shower, electric entry step and a mains water connection. The sliding side door is a biggie but operates easily. If you can afford it the $1500 electric door option is money well spent as it eliminates the dreaded ‘whizz-bang’ people hate of vans, especially in caravan parks.

Inside

Featuring a combination front lounge/dinette that utilises swivelling cab seats; a centre kitchen and bathroom,

and a bedroom at the rear, the Grevillea’s layout is thoroughly conventional. LED lighting is used throughout and a Redarc 40 amp charger looks after the 200 AH deep-cycle AGM house battery. Aside from the expected 240 V outlets for when you’re connected to mains power there is a good selection of 12 V cigarette lighter-style sockets and 5V USB charging outlets with dual slots, in strategic places.

Internal headroom is good even for someone 183 cm tall, like me, while cab access is easy as there’s no over-cab shelf built into the headliner. This is good and bad as extra storage is always welcome, but for anyone with bending difficulties, moving between the cab and living area is easy.

Living Room

The front lounge/dinette works well and the swivelling cab seats marry nicely with the single seatbelt-equipped

passenger seat and removable/extendable dining table. Horizon has embraced the European concept of a multi-leaf table, where the lower leaf is concealed in normal use but easily swivelled out when required.

The automotive-style dinette seat is a beauty: comfortable and relaxing for travel and/or socialising. It’s base is boxed in and provides storage, accessed via a door by

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your feet. There’s also a deep drawer at floor level between the seat and bathroom wall, with a open storage space above. Between the seat and window is a cup holder and lift-up door that accesses more storage space, plus serves as an armrest when closed. Clever! On the wall beneath the table is a double 240 V power point, a 12 V socket and a dual-outlet 5 V USB charging point. Also clever – and handy.

The dinette window provides a good view and plenty of light and fresh air, while two overhead cupboards maximise forward storage space. Both cab seats have reading lights, but strangely, the single seat doesn’t. Hmm…

Cooking Room

The kitchen, which sits on the kerb side just aft of the entry door, is long and filled with drawers and cupboards. Chamfered

at either end, for ease of vehicle entry and bedroom access, it does sacrifice a little benchtop space in the process. A three-burner gas cooktop sits closest to the entry door,

while the sink (with drainer) sits closer to the bedroom. Both are recessed into the benchtop and have glass lids, which provides valuable extra work space. Another Horizon signature is a filtered drinking water tap next to the sink, while a recessed rubbish bin/wine cooler closer to the door is another welcome inclusion.

In total there are seven kitchen drawers, arranged in two stacks beneath the cooker and sink. There are also two shelved end-cupboards. Across the aisle is more storage in the form of double cupboards beneath the elevated 136 L 12/240 V Waeco fridge, and above the microwave that sits over the fridge. If you run out of storage in this kitchen you’re doing something wrong.

A Horizon design signature is the absence of overhead cupboards in the kitchen. This not only helps avoid the tunnel feeling so easily created in a van conversion, the wall space becomes home to the TV, electrical switches, battery monitor, tank gauges and hot water switch.

The double bed has an electrically operated arm that lifts and tilts it, allowing access to under-bed storage from inside and even greater carrying capacity for bulky items from outside.

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Despite angled corners the main kitchen unit provides prodigious storage space. Note the tap for filtered drinking water at the far end and the rubbish container/wine bottle holder (take your pick!) by the cooker.

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Bathing Room

The Grevillea’s bathroom is between the single dinette seat and the fridge/microwave unit, directly opposite the

kitchen work area. Horizon’s bathroom philosophy is to provide all the necessary items in as compact a space a realistically possible. That’s because you don’t spend much time in there and a bathroom can easily take up a lot of floor space in a van conversion.

Equipment includes a height-adjustable chrome hand shower; corner hand basin with not-so-watertight cupboard below; wall mirror; light with white/blue/night functions;

fan hatch, and a Dometic swivel SOG cassette toilet. Externally, the use of a mirror-front door brightens the interior and adds an extra sense of space.

Sleeping Room

I was prepared to dismiss the bed arrangement as a bit of a gimmick, however it’s anything but. Central to it is a feeling of

spaciousness enhanced by the absence of overhead cupboards down the entire kerb-side wall of the motorhome. This is necessary as the bed is fixed and runs north-south, but isn’t full width. Bed access is via the aisle, which curves to the right, aft of the kitchen, and takes

Left: Not easy to photograph, the bathroom has quality inclusions like this domestic-style height-adjustable hand shower and an LED light with three modes: bright/night/night-light. Right: The basin has its own tap, plus storage space below. Unfortunately the cabinet isn’t particularly waterproof (even when the doors are closed!).

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you down the side before terminating in a half-height wardrobe with a deep bedside shelf on top. The self is ideal for charging phones and iPads overnight, but oddly has a 240 V outlet and a 12 V socket, but no USB charing outlets. There are two over-bed cupboards on the driver’s side plus a wide cupboard right across rear.

The bed’s innerspring mattress measures 2.04 m x 1.40 m (6’ 8” x 4’ 7”) and even though it has a cut-off corner the length helps compensate. It’s big enough to take two Duvalays side-by-side, with just a little drop off on the corner, and with windows on both sides plus a roof hatch there’s plenty or light and ventilation. Fairly lightweight curtains cover the back windows and I should mention the cab has conventional curtains as well, rather than cab blinds.

The Grevillea’s bedroom really scores thanks to an electrically tiltable bed that provides easy access to storage space below. Just press a button on the bathroom wall and an arm raises the bed and tilts it towards the driver’s side. Once raised – and you can stop at any point – two compartments are revealed: a

smaller but still deep one up front that could easily compensate for the bedroom’s missing overhead cupboards, and a larger rear boot. The front compartment houses the house battery and charger, while the 14 L Truma gas hot water system occupies a cupboard in the driver’s-side rear corner of the rear boot. In the opposite corner of the rear boot the bedside wardrobe encroaches, but there’s still considerable storage space where a set of golf clubs or a folding bike or two could easily be carried. You could also drive with the bed raised if you needed to transport something bulky, adding to this motorhome’s versatility. There’s another switch for the bed motor on the back of the wardrobe unit, so you can operate the tilt mechanism from outside the vehicle.

Thinking Room

The Grevillea surprised with its sense of spaciousness: an attribute not normally associated with van conversions. The

Sprinter’s extra length is key, along with the unusual bed arrangement. You can have single beds and traditional overhead cupboards by choosing the other floor plan, but it wouldn’t feel as roomy.

The double bed passed our two-Duvalay test, meaning it really is wide enough for two people to sleep in. LED reading lights are a nice touch, but the curtains could be a bit more generous to block light in the corners (a bit of velcro would work wonders).

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Above: During the day the bedroom is bright and airy and the fixed bed can, of course, be left made up. Left: Bed access is via the aisle, which curves to the right aft of the kitchen. Note the deep bedside table, which has charging outlets above, and a half-height wardrobe below.

Horizon Motorhomes’ conversions are amongst the best and while there might be more stylishly innovative interior designs out there, none are any better built. If you’re in the market for a spacious motorhome with a quality conversion that’ll provide years of happy touring be sure to check out the Grevillea. Its unique bedroom is not only practical it’s fun – and dare I say, groovy?

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SpecificationsManufacturer Horizon Motorhomes

Model Grevillea

Class Van Conversion

Berths 2

Base Vehicle Mercedes Benz Sprinter 316CDI

Engine 2.0 L 4-cylinder turbo-diesel

Power 120 kW @ 3500 rpm

Torque 360 Nm @ 1500 rpm

Gearbox 7-speed automatic

Brakes ABS Disc

Tare Weight 3380 kg

Gross Vehicle Mass 3880 kg

Towing capacity 2000 kg

Licence Car

Approved Seating 3

External Length 7.36 m (24’ 2”)

External Width 1.99 m (6’ 6”)

External Height 2.75 m (9’ 2”)

Internal Height 1.90 m (6’ 3”)

Rear Bed Size 2.04 m x 1.40 m (6’ 8” x 4’ 7”)

Luton Bed Size N/A

Dinette Bed Size N/A

Cooktop Dometic 3 burner

Fridge Waeco 136 L 12/240 V

Microwave Panasonic

Lighting 12 V LED

Batteries 1 x 200 AH

Solar Panels Optional

Air Conditioner Optional

Space Heater Optional

Hot Water Truma 14 L – LPG-only

Toilet Dometic 19 L cassette with SOG

Shower Flex-hose, variable height

Gas Cylinders 2 x 4.5 kg

Water Tank 100 L (extra 105 L optional)

Grey Water Tank 95 L

Price from $132,500 (on road in NSW)

Price as tested $137,000 (on road in NSW)

• Spacious• Conversion quality• Comfortable, practical dinette• Large under-bed storage• Generous kitchen• Mercedes quality• Economical• Good payload• Optional electric side door

• No dinette seat reading light• No bedside USB charging

outlet• Rear overhang

Pros

Cons

ContactBallina Campervan and Motorhome Centre

Click for Google Maps

299 River StreetBallina NSW 2478 T: (02) 6681 1555E: info@horizonmotorhomes.com.auW: horizonmotorhomes.com.au

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The Grevillea surprised with its sense of spaciousness: an attribute not normally associated with van conversions.

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