RV REVIEW
arriving, we climbed aboard the M3 to assess
some of the differences.
DRIVING THE OVATION
Last issue, we took a long, hard look at the
Ovation M7 Slide-Out by Avan. This van sat in the
higher end of this manufacturer’s large, luxurious
motorhome range, but I couldn’t help but wonder
about Avan’s smaller rigs.
The Ovation line-up consists of an impressive 17
layouts, from the 6.96m M2 to the 7.92m M10.
Each van, aside from the M10, is available as a B
or C class unit.
Like all vans in the Ovation range, the M3 can be
driven on a standard driver’s licence. It is built
on the same base vehicle as the M7 Slide-Out,
the Fiat Ducato Maxi. While the M7 was a very
pleasant drive, from a standing start the four-
cylinder turbodiesel engine had to dig a little
for the power to ascend steep hills. The smaller,
lighter M3, however, had power in reserve when
climbing steep gradients.
While the M7 impressed with its size, a layout that
could sleep four or more people, and some design
tweaks compared to earlier M7s, we wanted to
see what its little brothers had to offer. There are a number of factors that make the Ducato
a suitable motorhome base vehicle. Among them,
I rate its around-town manoeuvrability and tight
turning circle very highly. Furthermore, there were
very few squeaks and rattles from the living quarters
as I navigated freeways and secondary roads.
The B class M3 is almost 1m shorter than the
M7 and almost 800kg lighter. With spring finally Our M3 sported Avan’s ‘Style’ pack, a no-cost
interior decor option that retains the company’s
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