Eura Mobil is no longer ‘the new kid on the block’ in the New Zealand motorhome scene. Guided by experienced RV dealers Rainer and Edith Zeltwanger at Euro RV Ltd, they are well into their second season in the country and are doing remarkably well. And that’s not surprising considering how well Eura Mobil motorhomes have done in Europe.
Last year, the company won three Readers’ Choice awards in Promobil—one of Germany’s leading motorhome magazines: gold for the Activa One in the ‘bed over the cab, under €50,000’ category, silver for the Terrestra in the ‘bed over the cab, over €50,000’ category, and bronze for the Integra range in the hard-fought ‘integrated, up to €70,000’ category.
Eura Mobil is based in Sprendlingen, 80km southwest of Frankfurt, near the French border. Starting business as caravan builders in 1959 (Blessing Caravans), they switched to motorhomes and the Eura Mobil name in 1983. In their early years, they supplied ‘bed over the cab’ models to rental fleets in Europe. They acquired Karmann Mobil Motorhomes in 2000, and in 2005, they were bought out by Group Trigano. Today, they offer a full range of motorhomes with different styles and layouts.
THE OVERVIEW
The Profila T 730 EB is a low profile model, 2880mm high with a straight roofline from the cab through to the rear. It features a spacious bathroom across the rear next door to twin single beds, with the kitchen amidship, and the lounge/dinette incorporating the cab seats at the front.
Mounted on the Fiat low chassis for motorhomes, it has the Fiat 2.3-litre turbo diesel motor powering the front wheels through Fiat’s six-speed AMT auto gearbox. The body is plain white with unobtrusive black and gold decals. The silver and black alloys Rainer fits as standard replace the Fiat 15-inch wheels, giving the 730 EB a lift, both practically and aesthetically. Having an awning, in this case, a four-metre model by Fiamma, and bike rack as standard is not uncommon but Rainer goes the extra mile. He also includes a rear-view camera, an external shower, and a SOG fresh air system on the toilet cassette that creates an odour-free toilet, which doesn’t use chemicals.
Each side of the motorhome has a large access door to locker space under the twin beds. There are two separate 9kg LPG bottle lockers kerbside as well as a wet locker on the driver’s side, which can also be accessed from the bathroom. Overall, the 730 EB is a conservative, well-presented, tidy package.
SWITCH ON THE HEAT
Being mounted on Fiat’s Camping-Car low chassis allows Eura Mobil to install a full-length double floor and still have 1980mm of headroom within the relatively low overall height of 2880mm. It also means a flat floor with no steps and the added benefit of floor cavity storage. The 110mm double floor cavity (Eura Mobil refer to it as ‘the technology space’) is also used to route heating ducts and electrical wiring, house batteries, and both fresh and grey water tanks and pipes unobtrusively and efficiently throughout the vehicle.
When the on-board heaters are operating, this floor cavity is heated, preventing pipes from freezing and keeping the interior floor comfortable enough for the occupants to remain barefoot if they choose. Eura Mobil claim the overall insulation of the 730 EB is so effective that with the heaters on, it can heat the interior to 20˚C when it’s minus 26.5˚C outside. Thank goodness, we don’t need that degree of insulation in New Zealand.
A SOLID BUILD
Under the banner Euro Mobil Sealed Structure, they prioritise building leak-proof motorhomes and support it with
a 10-year warranty against leaks. By replacing the screws and bolts that penetrate the outer walls with adhesives, potential leak points are eliminated. And according to Eura Mobil, they don’t lose any structural strength doing it this way.
A metre length of this adhesive bond can support 3500kg, which is the laden weight of the 730 EB. An added benefit is that the vehicle bodies are both stiffer and quieter. The conventional foam sandwich construction walls are clad with GRP sheet, both inside and outside, producing a durable hail-resistant shell.
Since 2006, these structures have been wood-free. Where aluminium is used to brace and strengthen the panels, methods are in place to avoid cold ‘bridging’ from outside to inside through the aluminium. Clever stuff that works.
A PEEK INSIDE
Although Eura Mobil is part of the Group Trigano, their motorhome interiors are distinctively different from the parent company’s other products. Eura Mobil build their furniture as per their own designs. There are nicely rounded corners and sweeping curves to the kitchen bench and drawers that give the 730 EB a distinctive look of its own. Eura Mobil refer to their cabinetry build process as ‘the 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle’. A CNC machine mills the parts and their craftsmen assemble and install the finished product. Hidden alloy frames add strength, the rounded corners add style, and details such as soft close drawers indicate the interiors are up with the best.
The cabinetry colour scheme in the vehicle reviewed is Chalet, a natural coloured ‘Wild Oak.’ Buyers can choose from an extensive range of upholstery options, either fabric or leather, to personalise the interior.
With the cab seats rotated, five can sit around the table. Mounted on an ‘air’ pedestal, this table lowers to form the base of the dinette bed conversion. The dinette seat cushions are extra thick and ergonomically designed for comfort.
When seated, windows all round make it easy to keep tabs on what is going on outside. Two hatches—one fixed above the cab and the other an opening hatch above the dinette—fill the space with light. All opening hatches and windows are fitted with insect screens and blinds.
KITCHEN NEEDS
Tucked away beside the dinette is the small, but beautifully formed, kitchen. It is all drawers and no doors, making efficient use of the space below the bench. There is a dedicated drawer for cutlery and a deep drawer that would be suitable as a wine cellar. The bench-top space is equally well-thought-out. Three in-line hobs, which are mounted on the outside wall, leave a useful strip of workspace across the front.
The dual-purpose sink lid reverses to provide a chopping board. It is in two pieces, so one half can remain covering the sink while the other half slips into wall brackets creating a small but useful shelf above the sink.
To the opposite stands the 140-litre Dometic fridge/freezer and above that is a small oven with a matching glass door.
A VERSATILE SPACE
A classy opaque-paned sliding door leads through to a private suite. Twin single beds, each with their own locker above, storage space beneath, padded headboards, and LED reading lights, provide a place to park your personal possessions and grab forty winks. This is my favourite layout because the space is so versatile. It can be an extra entertainment area during the day or somewhere to while away an afternoon with a good book.
The Profila T 730 EB doesn’t have an overhead bed in the lounge. Sure, it has four seatbelts and four berths, but it relies on the dinette converted to a double bed to make up the numbers, putting it into the category of motorhomes that cater for a couple as the primary occupants, who occasionally have overnight guests.
FULLY FUNCTIONAL
Across the full width across the back of the motorhome is the bathroom with a toilet, a separate spacious shower, and an extremely elegant handbasin. There are shelves for storing towels and toiletries and wall fittings housing a glass and a toilet soap dispenser.
Beside the toilet is a large locker that functions as a hanging locker from the bathroom, but because it has an outside access door, it can also be used as a wet locker or a place to carry fishing rods and golf clubs.
By the way, don’t be alarmed if you can’t find the locker door for the toilet cassette. Since the toilet is mounted against the back wall, the cassette is located beneath the bike rack.
VERDICT
So there you have it, the Profila T 730 EB, designed and built by Eura Mobil’s dedicated staff in one of Europe’s smaller motorhome manufacturing plants and benefitting from the technology and design offered by one of Europe’s biggest manufacturers—and parent company—Group Trigano.
