South Africa Shows the World What It's Got With the Discoverer 4 RV: Prepare To Glamp

Folks, I want you to prepare your gear, clothing, food, and anything else you can think of, grab your family of four, and then hop into the Discoverer 4, the RV before us today. Oh, and if you've never seen a motorhome from a South African brand, this one should be the perfect place where to start.

Now, the Discoverer 4 is the work of the folks over at Motorhome-World, a team born out of a need to satisfy their RV rental service. Having trouble finding the sort of unit they wanted for their customers, they eventually started building RVs independently. Years down the line, this crew is considered a staple of the South African motorhome scene. The Discoverer 4 should do a dang good job of telling you why. Heck, this habitat has remained largely unchanged since its appearance back in 2001, leading buyers to believe that it's near-perfect, and that may be the case.

For starters, each Discoverer 4 is based on either an Iveco or Mercedes-Benz chassis and is 673 cm (265 in) long, and can be loaded up to 3,600 kg (7,937 lbs). And that's just about all we know about the chassis, engine, and body of each Discoverer 4. It looks like Motorhome-World is keen on keeping its trade secrets, and that's all right.

Overall, we're looking at a Class C motorhome, and that means quite a whole lot for outdoor lovers. The first is that everything is set up around a fully-contained unit. Because the habitat and chassis are one, everything you need is right there beside you. Even passage from the cab into the habitat is possible without ever getting out of your vehicle.

To understand what all that means, I want you to picture yourself driving along and suddenly stopping because you noticed a little spot on the side of the road that's perfect for Instagram shots. Since you won't have to worry about stabilizing anything, you decide to camp out for the night, assuming the law allows you to do so. Overall, it's a rather uneventful evening, with overcast skies and not much to see but what's on the TV.

However, the next morning, Discoverer shows off what it can do. Quests will wake up from their modular beds, arrange everything the way it was before going to sleep, and then it's onto coffee and breakfast. Since you got up before everyone else, you accessed the three-burner top, putting a kettle on one of the flames and a skillet with eggs and bacon in the other.

With bellies full, you all decided to take a step out of the Discoverer and see just what today's weather has in store. Well, it's clear skies, and the edge of the road you parked on overlooks a local beach. You all look at one another, smile, and before long, everyone is hitting the surf. Pass-through storage ensures such toys can be taken along on trips, not to mention Motorhome-World's long list of options.

After everyone has had their fill of salty beaches and sand in places it doesn't belong, you all head back and take turns washing up. Use either the indoor wet bath for this, or maybe you've got yourself an outdoor shower too. From here, how about a light snack, some tea, or more coffee? Maybe a siesta?

With everyone satisfied, it's on to the next leg of the journey. Next stop? That X on your map. You may want to refuel and replenish foodstuffs along the way to wherever your dreams want to take you. Finally, you arrive at the cliffs you were aiming for all along, set up camp, this time for more than just a night, and really settle in for the next few days or so. Why cliffs? I'm into bouldering and climbing, and that's just where you'd probably find me living the life.

There's one final aspect I want to point out about Discoverer 4. While the images in the gallery showcase a habitat filled with features, an ingenious layout and modular furnishings offer the feeling of more space, especially during daytime activities. But how much is this mobile haven going to cost us?

Well, there is an MSRP for this bugger, but it's bound to change depending on the exchange rates between the dollar and the South African Rand. Currently, the Discoverer 4, with an Iveco chassis, is selling for 1,670,000 Rands. Don't freak out; it's the equivalent of around $87,000 (at current exchange rates).

But there's a catch, if you want to get your hands on such a unit, you'll have to go down to Cape Town to pick one up, and then you may have to worry about it being suitable for roads in your country. Be sure to consider these things. Just a little something something to think about if you're in the market for something like this.