The Linwood G6 oozes a contemporary, luxurious feel that's piqued the interest of RV travellers near and far.
Over the last couple of years, several caravan manufacturers have tried their hand at motorhome building. One of the latest is Golf, with the first of the brand’s Linwood RV motorhomes rolling off the factory floor recently. Golf is part of the Avan empire, and when Sydney RV dealership principal Josh Edwards mentioned he had a G6 model on the premises, I was all ears.
The Linwood RV range comes out of the same factory as Avan Motorhomes, so there’s plenty of experience behind the Linwood build. What differs is the base vehicle. Whilst the Fiat Ducato underpins the Avan range, Golf uses the Iveco Daily for its motive power. There are seven Linwood RV models, five are 7.79m long (with a GVM of 4,495kg) and the other two, the G6 and G7, are 8.35m\ long (with a GVM of 7,200kg). The extra weight does mean a Light Rigid (LR) truck licence is required, but it also means you get a motorhome with more features and fewer concerns about payload capacity. Two of the layouts (G4 and G7) have side slide-outs, while the G2 has a rear slide-out.
Most of the Linwood RV fleet comes with the 132kW/430Nm turbo diesel engine, but the G6 and G7, at the premium end of the range, get the more powerful 155kW/470Nm unit. All models have the super-slick eight-speed torque-converter automatic from Iveco, which makes driving the motorhome a breeze.
OFF-GRID SET UP
For anyone contemplating off-grid travel, the G6 is quite well-equipped for power. The Lithium battery capacity is 200Ah and the solar panel is rated at 600W. A Projecta battery management system controls the electrics, including a 60A DC-to-DC charger and a 45A solar charger. The control panel is conveniently located next to the entry door. The fresh water and grey water tanks both have a 100-litre capacity, which is a little light for water supply on extended remote stays. Fitted into an offside bin, the two 9kg gas cylinders provide long-lasting fuel for the gas hob and the Swift 28-litre water heater.
THE BODY
For the Linwood RV range, the body build is similar to Golf caravans. “The body is formed using fully insulated sandwich panel side walls with a ply-reinforced aluminium outer-skin,” says Edwards. “It’s built for extended durability and increased dent resistance.”
Overall, the motorhome has quite a stylish look, with an eye-catching decal scheme. Not having a Luton peak bed creates a marginally more streamlined roof. From the rear, the G6 does have a slightly nose-down look, but that is likely to change with a full load and water on board. At the rear, the spare wheel is mounted under the chassis. This is not always the easiest to access, but in this case the chassis height makes it less awkward.
A notable feature of the G6 is the abundance of external storage at a relatively user-friendly height, particularly the compartment across the rear, which is accessible from three sides. There's even an onboard washing machine, conveniently located between the cab passenger door and the habitation door.
REAR AREA
The G6 layout features a space-saving split bathroom in front of the rear bedroom. There are sliding doors on both sides for privacy. The nearside shower cubicle is moulded and includes a couple of shelves and a footrest. The way the cubicle door is mounted requires some flexibility when accessing the shower.
Opposite, behind the Thetford cassette toilet, there’s a shelf with a wash basin. Its position requires dexterity to use. In the space above the loo are two overhead lockers. A ceiling fan above the loo and a larger-than-usual window provide good ventilation.
In the rear, the island bed measures 1.9m x 1.53m and has a commanding position with windows on all three sides. Despite its length, the bed has plenty of walk-around space. The cupboards on both sides offer plenty of shelf space. The rear area is quite spacious, as you would expect from a motorhome of this size.
INTERIOR LIVING
An obvious benefit of an 8.4m body length (27ft 7in) is the very generous interior space. There's plenty of room for the rear island bed, split bathroom, kitchen and front lounge area. Not surprisingly, the interior has a slightly Avan look. It's done quite well, and the muted colours make for a bright interior, awash in both natural light and light from a mix of downlights and semi-concealed strip lighting. Large roof hatches at the front and rear enhance the natural light and ventilation.
There’s ample overhead locker space, particularly in the front area. Down the back, there’s more cupboard space, including bedside wardrobes. There are plenty of mains power points, but fewer USB charging points; the only two are in the bedroom reading lights.
Up front, the two sideways-facing lounges will seat two in comfort and four at a squeeze. The cab seats don’t swivel and there’s a step down to the cab. Between the lounges, the Nuova Mapa mounted table is decent quality and can be easily positioned as needed. Under the seats on both sides are a power point (beware of trailing cables) and a speaker for the sound system.
Adjacent to the front dinette is the offside kitchen bench. It’s characteristic of European designs: quite compact with minimal benchtop space. For cooking, there’s a Dometic three-burner hob on top and a Camec microwave oven between the cupboards and drawers. A round stainless steel sink sits neatly in the corner. Facing the kitchen bench is a Thetford 221-litre compressor fridge. Above the fridge there’s space for the TV, with the mounting bracket and all the necessary connections provided.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Linwood is a significant step for Golf, bringing a new range of Iveco Daily-based motorhomes to the Australian market. This is a good point to note for those who prefer rear-wheel drive over the front-wheel drive Fiat Ducatos. There’s plenty of interior space in the G6 layout, but it’s worth noting that the G2, with a rear bed slide-out, has a very similar layout. And it’s shorter (7.79m or 25ft 7in) and lighter, so it doesn't require an LR truck licence. Sales are slow in the RV market currently, however the Golf motorhome range is going to create some interest.
SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE
MANUFACTURER GOLF CARAVANS
MODEL LINWOOD G6
BASE VEHICLE IVECO 72-210
GVM 7200KG
LICENCE LIGHT RIGID
PASSENGERS 2
MECHANICAL
ENGINE 3.0 LITRE TURBO DIESEL
POWER 155KW @ 3500RPM
TORQUE 470NM @ 1500RPM
GEARBOX 8-SPEED TORQUE CONVERTER
AUTOMATIC
BRAKES ABS DISC
DIMENSIONS
EXTERNAL LENGTH 8.4M
EXTERNAL WIDTH (INCL AWNING) 2.4M
EXTERNAL HEIGHT 3.3M
INTERNAL HEIGHT 2.1M
BED SIZE 1.9M X 1.53M
EQUIPMENT
COOKTOP DOMETIC GAS 3-BURNER
FRIDGE THETFORD 221L 12V COMPRESSOR
MICROWAVE OVEN CAMEC
LIGHTING 12V LED
BATTERIES 200AH LITHIUM
SOLAR PANELS 600W
AIR CONDITIONER HOUGHTON BELAIRE
3400E REVERSE CYCLE
TOILET THETFORD CASSETTE
SHOWER SEPARATE CUBICLE
HOT WATER HEATER SWIFT 28L GAS/ELECTRIC
DIESEL HEATER NO
WATER TANK 100L FRESH, 100L GREY
GAS CYLINDERS 2 X 9KG
PRICE
$249,990
