Fiat Ducato is the Best Basis for a Motorhome – for the Third Year Running!

04/04/09

The Fiat Ducato has taken the coveted ‘Which Motorcaravan’ Base Vehicle winner’s accolade for the third year running, providing further confirmation of Fiat’s dedication to providing vehicles that are ideal for the six New Zealand motorhome companies that base their vehicles on the acclaimed Fiat Ducato.

The Fiat Ducato base vehicle was designed specifically for the motorhome market and this year’s award presented by the UK’s leading motorhome magazine recognises the added benefits offered by Fiat’s six-speed automated manual MTA gearbox that provides the economy and performance of a manual gearbox and the ease of use of an automatic gearbox.

“The best of the lot is the 115.5 kW Fiat Ducato 3.0 litre MultiJet allied to the MTA gearbox,” says leading Which Motorcaravan judge Michael Le Caplain. “MTA is the best yet of these automated transmissions, selecting exactly the right gear at exactly the right time and making the most of the 3.0 litre Turbo Diesel engine’s prodigious torque.”

Long the motorhome market leader in Europe, the Fiat Ducato has transferred this success to New Zealand for the same reasons. These start with an enviable record for durability and reliability. Added to this is a design that makes it easy for motorhome builders to maximize their designs. For a start there is a choice of a large volume van or a range of chassis platforms. The van offers not just a large interior; it is also wider than its narrow rivals, which restricts their design choices. The floor is low and it has large doors.

Caption: Trakka Trakkaway 830 is one of the latest motorhomes to be based on the Fiat Ducato base vehicle, in this case with Alko chassis with twin rear axles, enabling Trakka to offer separate lounge, dining and sleeping areas, along with an island bed and separate shower and bathroom areas.

The chassis versions come in a range of lengths and heights with different axles and construction materials to suit a range of designs. Further boosting flexibility is the fact that the entire drivetrain is contained to the front of the vehicle with even the fuel tank ahead of the load area. This means equipment that has to be inside other conversions can be placed under the floor, freeing up living space, and that floor is lower, improving ease of access.

Fiat Ducato based motorhomes are available in New Zealand from Jayco, A’van, Winnebago, Sunliner, Horizon and Trakka.

Fiat’s own commitment to the motorhome business is illustrated by the fact that as part of the development of the new MTA gearbox Fiat built a fleet of motorhome ‘mule’ test vehicles that duplicated all the operating conditions of a motorhome. This was so that the gearbox’s software could be designed to meet the needs of a motorhome. This includes running near full load most of the time, having more weight higher up in the vehicle than a normal commercial vehicle and the demands of a slippery camp site on traction control.