Owner Stories | From a Boat to a Motorhome

For Craig and Sue Pine, the transition from a recreational maritime lifestyle to travelling in a motorhome has been easy and enjoyable. The hardest part of the exercise was finding a motorhome that would meet their expectations.

After a long search through the secondhand market, they found that a new Bürstner Lyseo TD736 Harmony Line fulfilled all their needs — as Craig outlines in this owner story.

Preferring to buy nearly new secondhand

I’m someone who usually likes to buy nearly new secondhand, no matter what — as that’s where you get the best value.

We looked everywhere at many secondhand motorhomes but couldn’t find one that met our needs. Some had twin single beds in the rear, while others had tiny little garages that looked pathetic — one seller even suggested that we carry our barbecue in the overhead storage area.

From owning our launch, we knew that our top priorities were an island rear bed and decent storage. So, in January, we settled on buying a new Bürstner Lyseo TD736 from Wilderness in Auckland.

Find out all you need to know about buying a used motorhome.

A motorhome for any kind of weather

Craig and Sue had spent around 20 enjoyable years cruising in their boats. However, they began to consider owning a motorhome a better option — as it would make their recreation more accessible and cost-effective.

We loved our boats, but there was a lot of time when they sat at the marina collecting barnacles. They needed cleaning off twice a year, and that adds quite a lot of expense to owning a launch.

Then there was the weather to consider. There were many weekends when we couldn’t go away in the boat as only one of the two days had good weather.

The excitement of travelling to events

Since purchasing the Bürstner, the Pines, along with their pair of Spanoodles, Maggie and Molly, have travelled 4500km in it.

We love camping out at beaches and walking our dogs along them. We also started looking for events to take the motorhome to — driving it to the V8 Supercars, a Tom Jones concert in Napier and the Beach Hop in Whangamatā.

Both Craig and Sue work during the week but often take off at the weekends in their Lyseo.

We’ll get away on Saturday morning and often delay returning until early Monday morning. We still haven’t told our kids that there’s a drop down bed above the lounge — just in case they say they want to come too.

The power of Fiat Ducato

The large garage on the TD736 easily swallows the Pine’s large Weber Traveler BBQ and outdoor furniture. However, Craig’s favourite part of their motorhome is the 180hp 2.2L turbo diesel with a nine-speed automatic Fiat Ducato powertrain.

It compares favourably to the secondhand Ducato-based motorhome offering a 2.3L, 130hp engine with a six-speed automatic driveline that the couple viewed before buying their Bürstner.

It was a huge surprise just how good Ducato's latest generation is. The engine has tons of power and is silky smooth — it zips up the hills.

When we get out on the open road, we simply rip up to 90km/h and lock in the cruise control. It’ll use between 10.5L and 11L of diesel every 100km — a huge contrast to our thirsty launch.

Learn about motorhome chassis and construction in our buyers’ guide.

Clever interior design elements

Sue’s favourite element of their Bürstner Lyseo TD736 is its clever interior design and the way it increases convenience and space, which she discusses further.

The lounge table can be adjusted in position and size to suit whatever’s happening at the time. The toilet door can also divide the motorhome into two separate rooms, giving the rear bedroom both privacy and extra space.

I like how the bed has a day mode, sliding backwards to create better access. You don’t have to squeeze past it — and it’s great that both Craig and I have wardrobes on either side.

Read more Wilderness owner stories to discover why people chose a specific motorhome and where they most enjoy going.

Loading and unloading is a breeze

Craig loves how easy it is to load and unload the Bürstner whenever the couple reaches or is about to leave a destination. Upon arrival, it’s often a short routine of:

• Putting up the awning
• Spreading the ground mat
• Erecting the camp chairs and table, and
• Folding out the wheeled frame of their Weber barbecue — which the Pines do most of their cooking on.

From turning off the engine to sitting in the shade of the awning with a nice glass of wine takes about 15 minutes max.

It’s five o’clock somewhere

The Pines do enjoy a tipple. Their previous 12 metre launch was called Rhythm and Wines — while their new Bürstner motorhome has a number plate proudly declaring that it’s 5clock somewhere.

Craig says that their initial familiarisation trip to Sue’s parents' place at Pauanui made them realise that they’d packed too much glassware.

We’ve taken a lot out, but there are still wine and cocktail glasses. That trip was a good way to learn how everything works, as we were on our family turf instead of camping out. We soon found it all very easy to operate compared to a launch.

Another pleasant surprise was how well Bürstner’s cabin is insulated.

Be sure to choose a motorhome with the right heating system for winter travel.

Dog-friendly park over properties

The couple’s dogs, Molly and Maggie, usually fall asleep in their travel crates while the motorhome is on the move. When camping, the Pines often enclose an area with a folding fence — or put their collars on long leads.

We like using the park over properties of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) because they’re dog-friendly — plus, Molly and Maggie love chasing balls on any nearby beaches.

Take a look at our top tips for travelling in a motorhome with pets.

Enhancements for the future

A few upgrades the Pines have in mind for their Bürstner Lyseo TD736 include:

• Getting a power-lift bike rack installed — so they can cart their e-bikes
• Increasing the motorhome’s solar energy capture and storage ability.

It already has a 100 watt (W) panel, an inverter and a pair of 95Ah batteries. But we’re used to having 300W from our time with the launch and swapping the AGM batteries to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) units will almost double the energy storage.

At weekends, the Pines and their dogs are usually found parked at a beach in the upper North Island enjoying a leisurely break from their busy working weeks.

It really helps us slow down a lot.