Six month review of Max... our European motorhome

Max is a 2021 Adria Matrix 520ST. He is 5.9 meters (19.5') long and has a Citroen chassis. We first met him in June, so it's been almost six months that we've had to get to know each other.

We did spend much of August and September in Canada, so really it's only been about four months of use. And in that four months, we have put 4,200 kms (2,600 miles) on the odometer. 

Let us say first of all that we're really happy with our choice. I had watched a lot of videos and read a lot of reviews about different manufacturers. So even before we met in person, we had a pretty good idea of what we were getting into.

Max.

There is no perfect RV. There is always a trade off between your own personal wants and needs, and what you are willing to give up in order to have your preferences.

As an example... for us, smaller is better. As a driver, I like the benefit of maneuverability and so Max's size is almost perfect in that regard. Yes, some people go even smaller, and there is a benefit to that but then you give up some space and some creature comforts. Like I said, everything is a trade off. You need to find the satisfactory compromise that works for you.

So, what do we love?

For such a small rig, Max has a really big kitchen, a really big bathroom, and a full size RV fridge and freezer. We don't eat in restaurants very often, and Ruth likes to cook, so having a small rig with a big kitchen and actual counterspace (sadly lacking in most motorhomes) is a big plus for us.

Ruth in Max's kitchen.

As far as small motorhome bathrooms go, Max's bathroom is spacious. When I was researching different motorhomes, one review stated that the 520ST bathroom is "roomier than it has any right to be" in such a compact motorhome.

Our living space is also larger than you would expect. For two people, we are totally comfortable.

So, what's the tradeoff? Well, Max doesn't have a separate bedroom. In some rigs without a separate bedroom, that means that you have to make up a bed each night which can get tiresome. But in Max, our bed is an electric drop down bed... and we love it!

When we are ready for bed, it takes about 30 seconds to get the space ready for the bed to drop down, and then I hit a switch that lowers the bed from the ceiling. The bed is totally made with the sheets and duvet already in place. I just get the pillows out of the cupboard above the fridge (where a TV would normally be stored) and we hop up into the bed.

When morning comes, with one of us on either side we straighten out the sheets and duvet, put the pillows in the cupboard, and hit the switch to raise the bed. It takes less than a minute. Ruth says it's the easiest bed she's ever made! 

And the original factory mattress is totally comfortable for our liking.

Of course there are some downsides with the style of bed for some people. If as a couple, you both tend to have different bedtimes, this wouldn't work so well. Fortunately Ruth and I are on the same schedule. And, you have to be somewhat nimble to actually get up and down from the bed to begin with. There is a ladder, we just find that we don't need it.

Another thing to love is the fuel mileage. Max seems to be averaging about 8.7 liters per 100 kms (about 27 miles per US gallon). Most European motorhomes get far better fuel economy than their North American counterparts so this is not specific to Max. But it is certainly one thing we love about motorhoming in Europe, especially since the fuel is pricier to begin with.

What do we not love?

As I said, there is no perfect rig, and there are some things about Max that we do not like.

Our first issue crept up not long after we got Max. At first, we really liked the sliding door that opens to the pantry shelving area. It kept things nice and neat looking for travel. But then when we had a problem with it, we ended up having it totally removed. Great in theory, but when things move around as they tend to do in a motorhome, the door can catch on stuff making it difficult (or impossible, in our case!) to open. Now that it's been removed, we are totally happy with it the way it is and plan to keep it that way.

The fold down bathroom sink is not very functional. Yes, it works to drain the water and is fine for brushing your teeth etc, but it's just not like a normal sink. Again, it's a tradeoff because having it fold away and disappear is part of what allows for such a spacious bathroom to begin with.

Up.

Down.

The bathroom roof vent is another issue. It had broken, and we haven't yet figured out exactly how or why, but when I had it out to reseal it, I noticed how cheap it was to begin with. The two roof vents in the main living space are much better quality, and I'm not really sure why they installed something different there to begin with. I belong to a couple of Adria forums, and there are several complaints about these roof vents. None that have broken like ours, but just about the cheap quality that doesn't seem to match the rest of the rig.

The shower drains very slowly. Almost to the point of where you think it might overflow. At first I thought there might be a kink in the drain hose or something, but apparently this is another common complaint.

The size of the toilet cassette tank needs consideration. It's not really an issue when you're staying in campgrounds, but if not, you want to do whatever you can to extend the amount of time between having to empty it. It's not really even a dislike, but having come from a North American rig that had such a large black tank, it has just taken some getting used to. And of course this issue isn't specific to Max. Almost all European motorhomes have the same or similar type of cassette toilet.

The trash can that is built into the entrance door is a bit of a pain. It holds quite a lot, but if you make it too full it's impossible to get the bag out of the compartment. So we've learned to only make it half full or so before replacing the bag. And again, it's a great space saving idea, but when you have the door open and the screen closed, you can't access it from inside. Fine if you are sitting outside having a beer though!

Our trash can.

When the ground is level, we're not. This has also taken some getting used to. The design of the motorhome and chassis means that when you are parked on perfectly level ground, the front end is always low by about 2 degrees. I like the interior to be perfectly level when we're parked up, so I tend to search for a parking space that has an uphill slope. Most of the time though, I end up having to get the leveling ramps out one way or the other. I'm pretty good at figuring it out, so it's not really an issue. But it would be easier if this weren't the case.

And that's about it. As I said earlier, we're really happy with our choice and we don't think any of the dislikes are serious enough to make us try something different.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nice deal on these 3K Carbon Fiber Hiking Poles.

And in Canada...

Lots of Hot Wheels and Barbie stuff on sale today.