Motorhome review: Kea Discovery

Rv envy — we’ve probably all felt it at some stage. You can pick it a mile off when a new RV pulls into a caravan park. The glance that turns into a craned neck and long, wistful stare, a wander past to get a closer look, and with any luck the casual chat will lead to “would you like to look inside?”

Let’s face it — most new owners are just as keen to show off their new toys as we are to check them out.

In my line of work, I’m lucky to be able to test drive and review them, and you can, too — by hiring one.

RV rentals offer the ultimate chance to ‘try before you buy’.

It’s the best way to see if these RVs are as good as they look and, more importantly, to see if they’re a good match for what you need.

Don’t want to spend hundreds for the hire? Try a relocation deal. For as little as $1 a day, you can put an RV to the test. You’ll have to be prepared for time and distance limits, and an airfare home, but it’s a cheap way to thoroughly check out different models.

Which brings me to the Maui Cascade.

I decided to test drive this four-berth RV and put a relocation deal to the test at the same time.

MAUI CASCADE

Britz and Maui, two of Australia’s most iconic campervan rental brands, also have a vehicle sales brand called KEA.

That means any Maui motorhome you rent is available to buy as an equivalent KEA model, and in this case the Cascade is the same as a KEA Discovery.

“I decided to test drive this four-berth RV and put a relocation deal to the test at the same time” 

 HYDRAULIC BED

The main thing I wanted to try in the Discovery is the hydraulic bed. I know there are far more important considerations, but this looks nifty.

At the flick of a switch it drops down from the ceiling, above the lounge/dining setup that winds right around the entire rear of the RV.

Brilliant! You can make the bed then make it disappear again — back to the roof lining — and make good use of the table and seats. That makes for a lot of living room inside.

At night, flick the switch again and the bed lowers to whatever level you like — just above the lounge room, for example.

There’s a light up top, sitting flush on the wardrobe, but no windows.

The Discovery is perfect for a couple. But it’s designed for four people, so how does it rate on that front?

With four on board, things get a little squeezy. The lounge/dining area also converts to a second big bed — so it looks like double bunks.

Two bed boards create the base, and extra cushions are stored behind the two passenger seats. It’s good to know that these cushions don’t fall apart like with some other composite beds.

I travelled with a friend so we had both beds permanently made up, which meant sacrificing all internal lounge and dining options.

Driving across the top of Australia, we took advantage of balmy weather and used a table and chairs outside.

The ladder to the top bed is easy to attach, but it does block access to the bottom bed and makes it awkward to get in and out in the middle of the night.

 DRIVEABILITY

I haven’t found an RV I don’t like to drive, but the Discovery felt even more stable on the road. With no luton there is less wind resistance and better fuel economy.

It’s comfortable and easy to drive with good visibility. Outside mirrors are great and the reversing camera is a gem, but even better is the view straight out the back through the full-width windows.

FRONT CABIN

The dash looks impressive with a sleek entertainment hub taking centre stage. It’s a radio/GPS/Bluetooth system all in one.

Gadgets galore on the steering wheel are not so easy to navigate, though, and the screen is so shiny it’s hard to see anything but your passenger’s reflection.

I must stress however that any technology struggle is probably just me. I like to keep things simple — or at least have a comprehensive lesson in how to use said gadgets.

COVID-19 means vehicle handovers don’t exist. With hire vehicles, you are armed with an app and a series of good videos. Did we watch them? Yes. Did we remember it all? No. We had to phone the 1300 help line — when we had phone reception — to ask how to navigate the dash menu controls. Those people deserve medals for patience.

For the record, you wipe your finger over them. Don’t try to push them like a button.

There are no USB ports in the front in this hire vehicle, though I believe they are available when you buy the KEA equivalent. We used a 12V adaptor to charge our phones, cameras, and battery packs while driving.

There are USB ports below the extra two passenger seats just behind the driver’s seat.

Seats are comfortable with lumbar adjustments for when you’ve been driving too long. They also swivel, offering another seat facing inside.

The swivel action means no height adjustment, so shorties like me need a foot stool. Of course, the other way to describe that ‘problem’ is that the seats offer plenty of leg room.

Compartments are plentiful in the Cascade — a large glovebox, room for sunnies, plus a lock-up compartment and an open ledge.

Door wells come in handy but it’s a bit of a tight squeeze trying to put anything in them while driving.

Cup holders are great — large enough and well placed below all the gadgetry so a spill means you won’t short anything out. They also come in handy to store the keys which, despite not having to go in an ignition switch, must still be in close proximity to the ignition button.

 LIVEABILITY

The Discovery feels spacious thanks to lots of windows and light decor.

As you enter the main cabin, the two extra passenger seats are straight ahead. Plenty of legroom here, but that space can’t be used for much else with four on board. With just two of us, we loaded those seats with bags, cameras, and work gear.

More about Kea here

An extra anchor point for the table would be handy here to act as an alternative dining/work station and allow guests to take advantage of the swivelling front seat.

The Dometic 240V reverse cycle air conditioner works well, though we only needed it once because window placements offer great airflow.

Double power points are found under passenger seats and in the kitchen.

Blinds — as with all RVs — tend to block the breeze, so privacy comes at a trade-off.

The Cascade/Discovery does not have the ‘boof-head’ style luton above the front cabin. That means more head space and easier access moving inside, but also means sacrificing storage space.

The ladder is just about all that fits above the front two seats, plus room each side for shopping bargains found at op shops along the way and nets to stop things falling out.

In terms of privacy, the front curtain runs along the roof of the driver’s cabin offering more living space inside and the option to swivel the front seats while still blocking prying eyes.

I love the manual step — one less thing to get clogged up with dust and seize up like my electric one has.

 BATHROOM

The bathroom in this fully self-contained RV feels roomier than some others, and I was happy with the shower test. For me, that means not running out of hot water, not bumping elbows on the side walls, and a great shower head.

But where is the drain? I must have been parked on an angle as the water did not drain easily. If something was blocking the drain, I couldn’t find it to fix the problem. Perhaps it’s tucked behind the swivelling loo, but it remains a mystery that was solved only by driving.

 STORAGE

In short, there’s not enough storage for two people let alone four.

The Cascade has one tiny wardrobe — which also houses the table — and two shelves under that, next to the bathroom, plus a cupboard just inside the main door.

With the bottom bed made up there is room for two bags underneath, but if you use this area for lounge and dining, there is nowhere for luggage storage.

One overhead cupboard sits above the extra passenger seats next to the control panel, and two more above the cooktop/grill next to the microwave. We used all of these for food.

Outside storage is pretty good. A compartment on the driver’s side fits the power cord and a hose.

The larger passenger-side cubby hole fits a few chairs and buckets but not quite the outside table, which had to go inside.

 KITCHEN

I loved the kitchen, despite the benches being too high and making me feel like a kid trying to do the dishes. The only reason they are so high is to allow for a good size under-bench fridge, which seems like a fair trade-off.

The fridge deserves a special mention — it managed to keep ice for three days. Bought initially to help the fridge ‘get going’, it came in extra handy for G&Ts under the stars.

A big bonus in this RV is an under-sink cupboard alongside three well-sized drawers for cutlery, crockery, and glasses.

THE BOTTOM LINE

On a fast and furious relocation test from Cairns to Darwin in seven days, the four-berth Maui Cascade (KEA Discovery) didn’t miss a beat.

It’s a pleasure to drive, even for long stretches and on varying road conditions.

For two people, it’s an ideal RV if you pack light and smart and possibly work out a way to use the extra space behind the driver’s seat for extra storage.

For four people it would be an awesome escape pod for weekends when you don’t need to take much luggage and can enjoy relaxing in the great outdoors.

You might just have to fight over where the fishing rods go.