legends series

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life and sTyle

The Trakkaway 770 uses some nifTy innovaTion To fiT everyThing you could need inside an easily-accessible moTorhome.
WORDS PAUL HAYES PICS ELLEN DEWAR

iN bRiEf
Fiat Ducato base vehicle Combo bathroom Island bed

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Left: kitchen ticks all boxes, with a flipup extension to increase the otherwise limited bench space.

READY to RiDE
Getting behind the wheel of a new motorhome can cause a bit of apprehension for some drivers. On first drive, I found the Trakka, with its length of 7.65m (25ft 1in), to be comfortably larger than the Winnebago Eyre I had driven the previous day. Our original intention was to test a Trakka without a Luton bed, but our intended rig was unavailable at the last minute. This was the only motorhome on test with such a setup so, in the interest of fairness, we chose to treat the bed as a front storage space rather than an extra bed. As soon as I took to the road, any apprehension dissipated. The Fiat Ducato-based Trakkaway is surprisingly easy to drive, with the 3L turbodiesel engine providing plenty of power and the six-speed auto manual gearbox generally making the right decisions. It should be noted that while this 770s 2011 Fiat Multijet 160 provides 115.5kW and 400Nm of torque, the upcoming 180 model Trakka is adopting in 2012 will provide, among other things, an extra 15kW of power. The drivers cab is a pleasant place. The comfortable seats provide plenty of support, and armrests on either side can be raised or lowered as the driver or passenger sees fit. The dash is equipped with easyto-read dials, as well as a centremounted GPS/DVD player, which is also a reversing camera display great for such a large vehicle. The cab is also home to a couple of drink holders, which may not sound all that impressive, but I noticed their absence in the other motorhomes. There are sliding blinds to cover the windscreen and side-windows, but while these fold away very well, the material is a little flimsy and you wonder how long they will last. Driver and passenger airbags are also standard. As is the case with most vehicles in the Trakka range, the Ducato is mated

This is a typical Trakka build lightweight but strong malcolm street

pending a few days cruising around NSWs Hunter Valley region for a motorhome shootout is not the most difficult assignment weve ever been handed at CW. Taking in the beautiful scenery and sipping a few of the local drops certainly beats a week in the office. But even with such an appealing project, riding in anything less than comfort can take its toll. Thats why I was so happy to spend much of my time in the Trakka Trakkaway 770. Whether youre cruising the highways and van parks or heading for some free camping, this luxury motorhome has everything you could ask for.

MEASURiNg UP
WE LIKED
Spacious bedroom Bathroom innovation Comfortable cabin

WE WOULD HAVE LIKED

More kitchen bench space Larger dinette table

to an Al-Ko chassis, giving the 770 a GVM of 4490kg, so RVers only require their standard drivers licence. The construction is also worth noting. The Trakkaway is built with single-piece fibreglass, a method that makes it water-resistant and increases the structural strength. The wall and roof panels are filled with a closed-cell foam designed for long-term moisture resistance, high mechanical strength, and excellent insulation. One thing to take notice of is the front bulbar, which adds around 1520cm to the front of the motorhome. Its worth taking it into consideration when in traffic. There were a couple of close calls when setting up for photos! There is a generous rear boot, which offers plenty of space even though it houses a small barbecue. Accessible from both sides as well as the rear, this space allows ample room for camp chairs and other paraphernalia, as well as clothing or footwear. The offside rear is home to a dedicated bin for the rigs three 4kg

gas cylinders, while the rear features Trakkas patented Rainwater Retrieval System, which uses clever mouldings to capture rainwater and store it in one of the tanks. The exterior is also home to a large electric awning, lights and speakers, and a powerpoint.

ARoUND tHE iNSiDE

A few nights in the Trakka gave me a good feel for the rig and I liked it. Starting at the rear, the bedroom is a highlight. The large north-south bed, measuring 2.05x1.49m (6ft 8in x 4ft 10in), was comfortably large enough for my 6ft 1in frame. Large double-glazed acrylic windows and an overhead Dometic hatch make for a light and airy space, and there is plenty of room on each side. Storage is also good, with deep drawers and hanging wardrobes on either side, and a couple of lockers overhead. The bedside tables are generous in size, but their position under the wardrobes does make them a little awkward to access. Each has a

Top: dinette table swivels for improved accessibility and space. Above: Plenty of kitchen storage including slide-out pantry.

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Top to bottom: bedroom is an open, airy space; highly functional underbed storage includes twin drawers, accessible from either side, and rear external access area; handy polemounted mirror in offside corner.

double powerpoint. As is the case throughout the rest of the rig, the lockers and wardrobes are covered with Trakkas signature rolling doors, which perform their function well and look cool, too. Under-bed storage is solid, with two large drawers (one on each side) taking up the front half. The space behind the drawers allows access to the rear boot very handy when in inclement weather. A space heater is tucked under the drawers. Each foot-of-bed corner is home to three drawers, with a mirror in the offside corner and a polemounted flatscreen TV in the nearside. And to add a little more privacy, the bedroom also features a sliding concertina-style door, but like the front window covers, the material seems a little flimsy and the magnetised catch sometimes failed to engage. In the middle, the nearside combo bathroom seems a little small on immediate inspection the other motorhomes on test came with either a split bathroom or full-width rear ensuite. However, some real innovation

comforts are on par with the other rigs, but the polish and core engineering of the Trakka are outstanding Philip lord

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tRAkkA tRAkkAWAY 770

Max Taylor Malcolm Street Paul Hayes Philip Lord

CRITERIA
1. Value for Money 2. Driveability 3. Setting up on site 4. Suitability for intended touring 5. Layout liveability 6. Quality of finish 7. Build quality 8. Creature comforts 9. Innovation 10. The X-Factor ovERALL

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ROBE SEAT SEAT FRIDGE

QUEEN BED SEAT

SHOWER
ENTRY

VANITY

SEAT

ROBE

tRAkkA tRAkkAWAY 770

Base vehicle fiat ducato Engine 3l turbodiesel Gearbox six-speed automated manual Max power 115.5kw@3500rpm Max torque 400nm@1700rpm Brakes abs disc Tare 3790kg GVM 4490kg External length 7.65m (25ft 1in) External width (including awning) 2.39m (7ft 10in) Internal height 2.2m (7ft 2in) Travel height 3.1m (10ft 2in) Cooktop spinflo three-burner/oven Fridge dometic 175l Microwave sharp Gas 3x4kg Lighting 12v, halogen Toilet Thetford cassette Shower flexible hose vari-height Hot water Truma 14l Fresh water 165l Grey water 135l Second stage compliance yes Price $179,500

SUPPLIED BY

Trakka, 9 beaumont road, mt kuringgai, nsw 2080, (02) 9472 9000, www.trakka.com.au

Above and right: remote-controlled electric Thetford toilet retreats under vanity when not in use, creating shower space in combo bathroom.

has been added here in the form of Trakkas Switch Mode Bathroom a remote-controlled electric Thetford toilet that slides under the vanity when not in use, meaning you still have plenty of room when having a shower. This really is a great item because while it may seem small, having a combo bathroom can allow more room throughout the rest of the layout. And it must be remembered that two of the other motorhomes had slideouts, making a larger bathroom more feasible. Opposite the bathroom, the kitchen is a slightly larger affair, but also (necessarily) smaller than the motorhomes with slide-outs. That said, all boxes are ticked, with a threeburner Spinflo cooktop and oven, stainless steel sink with drainer, hot and cold taps and a drinking water spout, and even a sunken Dometic wine cooler. All of these features

have covers, but bench space quickly becomes limited if any or all are in use. Space is helped by a flip-up extension at the forward end of the bench, but one of the dinette seats needs to be moved for it to be flipped. There are lockers overhead, one home to the electrics and hot water panel, as well as drawers and a slideout wire pantry below. A pole-mounted TV sits to the left of the bench and can be watched from the dinette or by the person lucky enough to be making dinner. Like any good motorhome design, the Trakkaway cabs swivel seats have been integrated, along with two fixed sideways-facing seats, into the dinette layout. The pole-mounted table is a little on the small side, but it also swivels, making for a versatile space.

we all noticed that whoever was to spend the night in the Trakka was also likely to recieve envious looks from the other judges. As cosy as all the other vehicles were, the comforts offered by the Trakka without having to use a slideout were envied by all. There are certainly some negatives relatively small dinette, limited bench space in the kitchen, and a couple of other niggles but these are very much outweighed by the comforts of the bedroom and the pleasure of driving this motorhome.

tHE bottoM LiNE

During our week in the Hunter Valley,

Top to bottom: dont forget to account for the 770s bullbar when in traffic!; rear external storage bin; three 4kg gas cylinders in rear offside boot.

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