New Horizons

Review and Images by Richard Robertson

Horizon’s Acacia 4X4 offers more than just off-road ability...

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because getting there is half the fun...

Unless you’re heading into the complete unknown, ticking

the 4WD option box (if available) for a campervan or motorhome is more about all-weather and all-road security than ultimate off-road ability. Hardcore adventure vehicles, like the EarthCruiser for example, are specialist machines designed to trek across continents and tackle anything in their path. Tall, relatively slow and often more basically equipped than many people would like, they are built for extremes – and look like it.

Enter the Horizon Acacia: A Mercedes Sprinter van

conversion available with the option of 4WD and that doesn’t sacrifice creature comforts or look like it should be lining up for the next Outback Monster Truck Challenge!

Sprinter Plus!

Mercedes Benz’ Sprinter is the gold-standard in

light commercial vehicles used for camper and motorhome conversions. Blessed with the German giant’s unrivalled

Light sand work holds no fear for the Sprinter 4WD.

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engineering input and manufacturing prowess, it’s also the most expensive base vehicle available. To illustrate this, Horizon Motorhomes tell me the Fiat Ducato outsells the Sprinter by about 3:1 and although the Fiat is good, I’m certain Horizon would sell many more if the price point was the same.

The test Acacia was a converted Mercedes 519 long-wheelbase (LWB) Sprinter van with dual rear wheels plus the optional 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine and selectable four-wheel drive. It’s a highly desirable package, but ticking all the boxes certainly pushes up the price. For example, the entry-level 2WD Acacia/Sprinter is $118,500 drive away, while the top-of-the-wazza 4WD version is out-the-door for $154,000. The Acacia motorhome conversion is identical, so it’s the engine, running gear and 4WD system that accounts for the difference.

Muddy roads are where the security of the Sprinter’s 4WD system comes into its own.

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The 4WD Sprinter sits higher, as expected, but doesn’t tower above you. Still, at about 7-metres long, 2-metres wide and 3-metres high it’s an imposing vehicle that certainly stands out in the crowd.

The 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel puts out 140 kW and 440 Nm, making it the most powerful engine available in this class of vehicle (entry level

is 120 kW/360 Nm). Drive is via a conventional five-speed automatic transmission plus an electrically-operated two-speed (Hi/Lo) transfer case that sends drive to the front wheels when selected. Normal drive is through the rear wheels.

It’s worth noting here that while dual rear wheels provide increased on-road stability they are less than ideal in

soft conditions. I’m told that dual rear wheels force mud/sand/snow up between them, increasing drive effort and making bogging easier. You’ll notice serious off-road vehicles, like expedition trucks and military vehicles, use large-diameter single wheels with fatter tyres.

The 4WD Sprinter rides on independent front suspension and a live axle with leaf

The 4WD Sprinter’s raised ride height is evident, especially in the wheel arches. Ground clearance is its ultimate limiting factor, however.

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springs at the rear. Ground clearance is around 270 mm and the extra height means you’ll probably need to use the electric entry step for easy motorhome access. The 4.325-metre wheel base limits the ramp-over angle (the height of a mound or obstacle you can drive over without beaching the vehicle), while the rear overhang similarly limits entry/exit angles for getting in or out of

Raised, independent front suspension is sophisticated and works well.

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things like creeks. Coupled with an almost 4.5-tonne gross weight, these factors combine to make the 4WD Sprinter ideal for open-country back-road touring rather than mountain tracks or places requiring repeated water crossings.

Smooth Torquer

Not previously having driven a 4WD Sprinter

I was impressed by its smooth ride and ‘normal’ handling. There was no hint of ride roughness as I had expected from the raised and up-rated suspension and no noticeable increase in body roll to

adversely affect handling.

All Sprinters are a pleasure to drive and the Horizon Acacia 4WD was no exception. Precise steering, confident cornering, strong brakes, excellent visibility (enhanced by the raised ride height) and the sheer grunt of the big V6 turbo-diesel are guaranteed to make you smile. Coupled with the smooth-shifting auto transmission and Mercedes’ plethora of passive and active safety features, including electronic stability control, traction control and dual airbags, motorhome driving doesn’t get any better than this: Especially when you’re

not lugging around a big bolted-on body.

Importantly for many people, the Acacia 4WD still only requires a standard car licence because of its 4490 kg gross vehicle mass (GVM). However, the added weight of the 4WD system and engine upgrade do increase its tare (empty) weight to 3440 kg, leaving a respectable 1050 kg for occupants, goods and chattels.

Body Works

I like van conversions because they retain the

shell of the host vehicle and add just a few extra holes,

Horizon’s Acacia conversion is neatly finished and attractive.

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for things like windows and roof hatches, which can ever become a future source of water leaks. Horizon Motorhomes’ buy what are known as ‘blind’ Sprinter vans (without windows) so they can position and cut their own windows in, although all Sprinters come with fixed glass in the rear doors. Horizon uses Dometic Seitz windows, which are double glazed acrylic units with in-built blinds and flyscreens. Providing good insulation, great natural light and loads of fresh air when open, the integrated blind/flyscreen system does require a more delicate touch to operate than many blokes would be accustomed to providing...

The big, sliding side door is also retained as the main entry/exit door to the motorhome area, although a proper motorhome-style door

Raised ride height makes the electric entry step a welcome and necessary inclusion!

External shower is a great idea in an off-road vehicle.

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is available in its place – as a $6900 option. As pricy as this might sound, if this is a long-term vehicle for you it’s well worth considering. Not only is it much easier and quieter to operate than a big sliding ‘whizz-bang’, it frees up valuable internal space and would probably be quite sort after when you do sell it on.

As expected, the Acacia comes with mains power and water connections, a filler for the 100-litre fresh water tank, an external hot/cold shower and external 12 and 240-volt power outlets. It also has 2 x 4 kg gas bottles, a 95-litre grey water tank and holds 19-litres of unmentionable-coloured water in the removable toilet cassette.

Acacia’s cab seats swivel easily but the dining table only works with the third seat.

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What’s the Plan?

There was a time when Horizon built solid but

unremarkable motorhomes that did the job, but without any pizzas. That time has passed. Interior style, fit and finish are now well above class standards while the level of attention to detail and design innovation – often in unseen areas – speaks of a product that is the result of a carefully

though-out and evolutionary design process.

Strictly for two, the Acacia features a front dinette with swivelling cab seats, mid-mounted kitchen and bathroom and an east-west double bed at the rear. Let me walk you through...

The cab seats swivel to form the primary after-hours relaxation area. From there

you can watch TV, read a book or just stretch out, but when it’s time to eat someone has to move to the single forward-facing seat on the other side of the small adjustable dining table, opposite the driver’s seat. There’s good viewing from the dinette, with a good-sized side window (matching one in the sliding side-door) as well as the windscreen, plus a roof hatch. There is also a double

The kitchen is well equipped, but the tapered bench limits valuable work space. Electrical controls are neatly grouped while the TV swivels for viewing from bed or dinette.

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power point and a 12-volt outlet on the wall beneath the table, for keeping your electrical devices charged and happy.

Thought for Food

The kerb-side mounted kitchen has limited bench

space, but into it Horizon fits a glass-lidded Dometic three-burner gas cooktop plus a matching glass-lidded single-bowl sink and drainer, with flick-mixer tap. The bench tapers forwards towards the entry door, which costs

work space but provides a more open and spacious feel. Because of the taper there is no room for a flip-up bench extension, but the double cupboard doors below the tapered worktop open wide and are easily accessed. There are also plenty of cutlery and pot drawers beneath the

cooktop and sink, although no overhead cupboards, and if ordered the optional gas oven and grill would reduce the drawer/cupboard count considerably.

A 136-litre Waeco 12-volt compressor fridge is mounted above a small cupboard,

Angled end-cupboard is easily accessed, while the recessed cooker’s glass lid can provide extra work space when you're not cooking.

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about a foot above floor level and across from the kitchen, between the bathroom and bedside wardrobe. Above it sits a Sharp carousel microwave and above that is a deep double-door cupboard.

Above the kitchen bench is the Acacia’s electronic nerve centre, with all electrical switches, battery indicators, tank gauges and hot water controls arranged neatly in a line at eye level. Interestingly, the swivel TV is right above the sink, so you can watch from bed or the dinette, but if you’re washing up it’s literally in your face!

Speaking of electrics, lighting is LED inside and out and like all Horizon’s the Acacia has a single 200-amp AGM house battery, charged by

Cavernous under-bed storage can be accessed from inside, or via the back doors.

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an Australian-made Redarc system. The advantage of this is that most car alternators aren’t designed to fully charge house batteries and aren’t really designed for extra batteries at all. The Redarc system takes care of this, however, and is also designed to get the most from solar panels, too, even if they’re fitted later.

After Hours

Compact but practical, the bathroom, which has

a full-length mirror door that does much to prevent the Acacia feeling tunnel-like, is a combined shower and toilet unit that is standard fare for this class of vehicle. It has a corner hand basin with flick-mixer tap, a separate tap for the hand shower, a

wall-mounted mirror (but no medicine cabinet) and a fan/hatch overhead. The toilet is a swivel-head Dometic toilet with SOG fan extraction system to remove toilet cassette smells. Hot water comes from a fast-reheating 14-litre Truma gas system.

Across the rear of the Acacia, the east-west double bed

Rear double bed has plenty of windows for light and fresh air, but is too short for tall people.

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(1800 mm x 1420 mm) is good for shorter people but not quite long enough for taller folk by the time you factor in pillows and foot room. That’s one of the drawbacks of the Sprinter, which at 1993 mm is relatively narrow when compared to Fiat’s Duacto’s 2050 mm, for example.

Length aside, the bed is well positioned and has opening windows at both ends plus a roof hatch for added ventilation. There are LED

reading lights in the corners and good overhead cupboard space, plus a large under-bed storage area that can be accessed both from inside and outside the vehicle.

In Conclusion

Combining the engineering benefits and ownership

pleasure of Mercedes Benz with the contemporary, high quality standards of Horizon’s latest motorhome conversions, the Acacia 4WD is a formidable vehicle.

Not an ultimate off-roader but more an all-road-and-bush-track machine, the Acacia 4WD can take you to places no ordinary motorhome could go. Which is fitting, because it is no ordinary motorhome.

So if you’re ready for adventure but don’t want to rough it, put this vehicle on your shopping list. It’s just the machine to open up whole new horizons...

Compact but functional, the Acacia’s bathroom has a full length mirror finish door that adds a sense of spaciousness and looks good, too.

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Dirt road driving is what the Acacia 4WD is best suited to and it rides and handles beautifully, despite its uprated suspension and raised ride-height.

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• Sprinterqualitywith4WDability

• Supremelydriveable• Comfortandconvenience• Qualityconversion• Thoughtfuldesign

• Lacksultimate4WDability• Bedshortfortallerbuyers• Expensive

Manufacturer Horizon Motor Homes

Model Acacia

Base Vehicle Mercedes Benz Sprinter 519 LWB

Engine 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel

Power 140 kW @ 3600 rpm

Torque 440 Nm @ 1500 rpm

Gearbox 5 speed full automatic

Fuel Capacity 75-litres

Brakes Disc ABS

Tare Weight 3440 kg

Gross Vehicle Mass 4490 kg

Towing Capacity 2000 kg

Licence Car

Passengers 2

External Length 6945 mm (22 ft 9 in)

External Width 1993 mm (6 ft 7 in)

External Height 2860 mm (9 ft 4 in)

Internal Height 1910 mm (6 ft 3 in)

Rear bed size 1.80 m x 1.42 m (5 ft 11 in x 4 ft 8 in)

Cooktop Dometic 3 burner

Fridge Waeco 12V 136-litres

Microwave Sharp Carousel

Gas 2 x 4.0 kg

Lighting 12V LED

Batteries 200 amp hour AGM

Solar panels Optional

Air conditioner Optional

Hot water heater Truma 14 litre

Toilet Dometic SOG cassette

Shower Flexible hose, variable height

Heater Optional

Fresh water tank 100-litres

Grey water tank 95-litres

Price $154,000 on the road in NSW

Pros

Cons

Specifications

Contact

299 River StBallina. NSW. 2478.Ph: 02 6681 1555E: info@ballinacampers.com.auW: www.ballinacampers.com.au

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Horizon Motorhomes Ballina Campervan & Motorhome Centre

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