Horizon`s New Entry-level Melaleuca Appeal Certainly Took Us By

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SURPRISE APPEAL! Horizon’s new entry-level Melaleuca Appeal certainly took us by surprise… by Richard Robertson Day Test | 29 Horizon Motorhomes specialises in van conversion motorhomes and at 5.99 m the Melaleuca is it’s entry level range. The new Melaleuca Appeal balances price and features without sacrificing comfort, while the latest Fiat Ducato is a fun drive ideally suited to conversion. H orizon Motorhomes has carved an enviable niche in the Australian motorhome market. It’s model range is exclusively van-conversion based and the company has built a loyal following, while its conversions have an enviable reputation for quality, durability and liveability. It’s no secret I’m a great fan of van conversion motorhomes – witness our own Project Polly – as distinct from ‘coachbuilts’, which have a seperate body built on a cab-chassis. In both markets Fiat’s Ducato rules the roost as the most popular base vehicle, closely followed by Mercedes’ Sprinter. A van conversion’s strengths are its structural integrity due to the vehicle basically being a big metal box; its durability for the same reason, and being narrower than a coachbuilt, manoeuvrability. Some models, including the Melaleuca Appeal reviewed here, are short enough to park in a single car space, while fuel economy is better due to reduced frontal area and usually lighter weight. The disadvantage are reduced living space – vehicle width is a double-edged sword – and the ‘whizz-bang’ sliding door, although in truth such doors are quieter and easier to use these days (and the Sprinter can be optioned with a remote-operated electric side door). A large part of Horizon’s success has been its evolutionary model development. Rather than come up with new designs each year, Horizon refines and improves its layouts based on buyer feedback and manufacturing experience. Each layout is proven and highly liveable, but over the years the improvements have lead to what a tax accountant might call ‘bracket creep’. In motorhoming terms it means the equipment list keeps getting longer, but with creeping costs. A new model from Horizon is a rare thing and the company kept this one a closely guarded secret. At very short notice I was invited to review it, prior to it’s launch at next week’s Queensland Caravan Camping and Touring 30 | Day Test Supershow in Brisbane. Until now Horizon’s entry-level model has been the Melaleuca. Built on the Fiat Ducato, it’s compact and particularly popular with solo travellers. It’s also very well equipped, but over the years the price has crept up. Enter the Melaleuca Appeal: an entry level version designed to better balance price and equipment. What’s the Appeal? N o budget priced ‘stripper’, the Melaleuca Appeal still has a decent level of standard equipment. It has also been designed using an interesting philosophy, best explained by Horizon’s managing director, Clayton Kearney: “The Appeal has the capability to be upgraded Right: The side door has a stop to prevent it opening far enough to hit the rear side window. Below: The door only opens about half its original length, which is fine for access and has the added bonus of reducing closing effort and noise. In action it’s both light and quiet. Day Test | 31 at anytime. If you (later) decide you really can’t live without a TV or filter water tap, or that you would like additional reading lights, they can all be easily added – the base set up includes all wiring and necessary outlets for all those little extra comforts.” It’s an interesting move and one that adds value because it means future upgrades shouldn’t be as expensive as if starting from scratch. Truth be known I was concerned the bean counters might have pared too much equipment in their pursuit of increased affordability. In reality they seem to have struck a good balance, although I think there is room for adjustment in the equipment list that could either lower the price further without sacrificing comfort and/or convenience, or keep it the same but make it even more liveable. Anyway, here’s what’s missing compared to a standard Melaleuca: Top: Huge barn doors and a U-shaped dinette/bed allow easy relaxing to take in the views. Add the optional full rear insect screen for maximum usability. Above: Swivelling cab seats provide comfortable secondary seating; handy if your partner goes to bed early. 32 | Day Test •O  pening, double-glazed windows in rear doors (fixed glass now) •T  V (but the Winegard Sensar aerial is still there!) • Removable table between cab seats •T  urbovent front roof hatch (standard hatch now) • Filtered drinking water system • Entry step • One of two external lights • 200 AH house battery (now 100 AH) •4  extra reading lights (2 in the cab and 2 in the rear) • Wall mounted magazine holder in dinette area • External shower • Cupboards above rear doors •F  loor-level drawer under the dinette (now a removable shelf) • Automatic gearbox The result is a $102,500 drive-away price for the manual Appeal, or $105,550 for an auto. By comparison, the ‘full strength’ Melaleuca costs $112,500 on the road. Above: The Appeal loses the transverse cupboard above the rear doors, but that adds headroom and a feeling of spaciousness. Below: The bathroom light cycles through dim and bright white, then blue. It’s a nice touch, especially at night. Bottom: The removable betweenseats table is gone, which is a pity. Day Test | 33 You can sleep east-west and leave the table in place, plus have a pair of inwards-facing seats at the front. Very versatile… 34 | Day Test What’s the Box? T he Melaleuca Appeal is built in – Horizon calls itself the Built In Specialists – a long wheelbase Fiat Ducato van. Ducato vans are ideally suited to motorhome conversion due to their very square shape. Being front-wheel drive they have a low floor height because there’s no drive shaft or bulky rear axle/ differential, while more under-floor room allows for a bigger water tank. That lower floor height means increased headroom without the need for a high roof, plus the Ducato is wider than its rivals, meaning for many people an east-west bed is viable. Add to that a higher gross vehicle mass (GVM) rating, which means increased payload, a larger 125-litre fuel tank and a lower price and the it’s no wonder the Ducato is king of the van-conversion crop. New for 2017, all Fiat Ducatos get a 2.3-litre Multijet2 turbo-diesel that’s Euro 6 emissionsstandards compliant. Melaleucas have always had a 2.3-litre mill under the bonnet (a 3.0-litre engine has been standard on all other Horizon Ducato-based models until now) producing 110 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque. The new engine ups the torque ante to 380 Nm, which is a real bonus. For those who want maximum power a version of the new 2.3-litre engine is optionally available with the same 130 kW/400 Nm of the superseded 3.0-litre donk, if desired. Decent ground clearance and a shortish wheelbase with minimal front or rear overhang means the Melaleuca Appeal can get you to places bigger vehicles can’t. The strong metal box of the Ducato’s body is also highly durable and secure. Love-it-or-hate-it, white remains the most practical colour as it shows dirt the least, reflects heat in summer and is easily colour matched if scratched. Day Test | 35 Above: The bathroom is a good compromise for the size of the vehicle, but there’s no storage space. Note the tap, which pulls out to become the shower. Below: A removable hatch allows long items like snow or water skis to be easily carried. If you could remove the central U-section of the bed it would allow bikes, a kayak or similar to be securely carried inside, which would only add to the Appeals, um, appeal. It’s an interesting move that the Melaleuca Appeal comes with a six-speed manual gearbox (the six-speed auto is an option, and still standard on the ‘full strength’ Melaleuca). I say interesting because Australian motorhome buyers have shunned manual gearboxes for some time – witness the demise of the Ford Transit as a base vehicle predominantly for that reason. It’s certainly a move to help bring down the price and in my opinion a good one; giving buyers a choice denied for some time. Fiat’s standard equipment list is still generous and includes remote central locking, electric windows and mirrors, cab airconditioning, a touch screen infotainment centre, cruise control with speed limiter, height-adjustable and swivelling cab seats, height adjustable headlights, and now, even a pair of cup holders! Safety items include dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, electronic traction control, and a hill- 36 | Day Test The Ducato comes with factory-fitted seat swivels that are the best in the business. The driver’s seat swivel is restricted by the fridge cupboard placement, but that’s unavoidable in a vehicle this size. The seats themselves are very comfortable, while the Ducato’s cab remains the most car-like. holder function. The only obvious omission is side and/or curtain airbags, which aren’t even optionally available. Driving the Box A ll Ducatos are light, easy and fun to drive and this one is no exception. The new Multijet2 engine feels just like its predecessors and we only put a few kilometres on it, so I can’t comment on its open road abilities (although I have no doubt they’d be fine, especially given the increased torque). The test vehicle also had the auto gearbox, which in truth is an automated manual (sans-clutch) and called the Comfort-matic Transmission in Fiat-speak. It’s an interesting gearbox that you drive like a conventional auto, but which still pauses slightly between shifts as a computer changes gear. For my money, however, I’d take the manual. Funnily enough I’m just back from a week in a manual Ducato in New Zealand. It’s my second NZ rental experience in such a vehicle and I really enjoyed it. While I wouldn’t buy a manual car, somehow a manual motorhome/light commercial vehicle feels right. In any case, Fiat’s manual gearbox is precise if a little notchy, while the clutch is light and progressive. Perhaps it’s a function of the smaller/lighter engine, but the Melaleuca Appeal felt lighter to drive than usual. Mrs iMotorhome also commented on how light and easy it was to drive as she did laps of the beachside area for the camera. Visibility was as good as ever, ditto cab comfort, and all-in-all this sixth generation Fiat Ducato remains a terrific motorhome base vehicle. What’s in the Box? I n a 5.99-meter long box there’s only so much you can fit in and so many ways to arrange it. Up front is the cab, in the middle are the Day Test | 37 Above: There’s no shortage of fresh air or light and the side door window makes a handy kitchen serving hatch. Right: Abundant kitchen drawer space is good as there are no cupboards overhead. There’s also no rangehood, but a small fan hatch in the roof is fitted. Note the flip-up bench extension, which adds valuable work space. kitchen and bathroom, and at the rear the combined dinette/bedroom. It’s standard Horizon Melaleuca stuff and you can read all about it in my review of the ‘full strength’ version in Issue 102 from last September. It’s a layout that works particularly well despite the vehicle’s sub-six metre length. The good news is, despite the lighter list of standard equipment the character, comfort and ‘appeal’ of the Melaleuca are minimally impacted. Appearance wise you’d be hard pressed to pick the differences, at least at a casual glance. Stepping inside, the differences aren’t all that obvious either, with the missing TV the most apparent. Interestingly, Mrs iM commented the TV’s absence gave the dinette/bed area a slightly less cluttered feel, which added to an overall “sense of simplicity” she found quite appealing. The Melaleuca’s floor plan has always been appealing in its simplicity and practicality, but 38 | Day Test it’s the dinette/bed that stands out. U-shaped across the rear, it can provide an east-west double bed across the back, with dinette up front that you can leave in place at night. Or, you can remove the multi-adjustable Lagun table and have single beds down the sides, using the piece in between (by the rear doors) as a bedside table. Alternatively, you make the whole thing up into a giant king bed! There’s full-width storage under the rear of the bed too, accessible through the back doors and also via a removable board that provides access for long items into the aisle. bikes/surfboards/kayak or whatever down the aisle would be a real bonus. Food for thought… What I Think D espite its entry-level status, Horizon’s new Melaleuca Appeal is aptly named. It retains the original Melaleuca’s strengths without sacrificing its character or charm, and that’s no accident. It’s what happens when you take a highly developed design and refine it to a specific end. Perhaps the surprise is its appeal despite the lighter equipment list. In fact it’s very appealing indeed… All cabinetry, fixtures and fittings are the usual high quality Horizon items, while decor and design are a nice balance of functionality and appeal (there’s that word again). The kitchen remains a good size and well equipped; the bathroom is compact but functional and all you need (although a mirrored shaving cabinet would be good), and there’s enough storage space for any owner’s reasonable needs. In a Perfect Box… P ost review, Mrs iM and I spent time thinking about the Melaleuca Appeal’s equipment list and wondering what, if anything, we’d do differently. We think we’d retain the TV, especially as the aerial is already there and most people are addicted to it. We’d also keep the removable front table, because a secondary seating/dining/working area is invaluable in any vehicle. However, the awning and front roof hatch could go, and also the microwave as we’re primarily free campers. The external 240 V power point could go too, ditto the mains water connector. I’d also order the manual and would love Fiat’s leather steering wheel over the standard plastic hoop if available. One other thought: The ability to remove the rear centre bed section and just have two long beds – like a traditional campervan – to put The Appeal looses the regular Melaleuca’s opening rear-door windows, swapping them for Fiat’s fixed glass, which are actually bigger and provide more light and view. Swings and roundabouts… Day Test | 39 “A new model from Horizon is a rare thing and the company kept this one a closely guarded secret.” 40 | Day Test Specs GENERAL Make Horizon Motorhomes Model Melaleuca Appeal Type Van conversion Berths 2 Approved Seating 2 Licence Car VEHICLE Make/Model Fiat Ducato LWB Engine 2.3 L Multijet2 4-cylinder turbo-diesel Power 110 kW @ 3600 rpm Torque 380 Nm @ 1500-2250 rpm Gearbox 6-speed manual Safety Driver/passenger air bags, ABS brakes, ESC & hill start Fuel 125 L WEIGHTS Tare Weight 3150 kg Gross Vehicle Mass 4250 kg Max Payload 1100 kg Braked Towing Capacity 2500 kg DIMENSIONS Overall Length 5.99 m (19' 8") Overall Width 2.05 m (6' 9") Overall Height 2.62 m (8' 8") Internal Height 1.90 m (6' 3") Single Bed Option 1.87 m x 0.66 m (6’ 2” x 2’ 2”) Double Bed Option 1.85 m x 1.22 m (6’ 1” x 4’ 0”) King Bed Option 1.87 m x 1.85 m (6’ 2” x 6’ 1”) Day Test | 41 Specs EQUIPMENT Slide-Out No Awning Fiamma wind-out Entry Steps Optional Hob 3 x gas burners, glass lid Rangehood No (fan hatch) Sink Round with fold-down mixer tap, glass lid Fridge Waeco 136 L 12/240 V compressor Microwave Yes Lighting 12 V LED 12 V Sockets/USB Outlets Yes Air Conditioner Optional Space Heater Optional Hot Water System Truma LPG Toilet Thetford cassette Shower Flex hose, adjustable height Pros… • • • • • • • • • • Price Quality Upgradability Storage Simplicity Liveability Drivability Economy Payload Warranties CONs… • Nothing obvious CAPACITIES Batteries 1 x 100 AH Solar Optional LPG 2 x 4.0 kg Fresh Water 150 L Grey Water 55 L Hot Water 10 L Toilet 19 L (cassette) PRICE ON-ROAD From $102,500 As Tested $102,500 Warranty - Vehicle 5 years/200,000 km Warranty - Motorhome Conversion 3 years Warranty – Appliances As per manufactures Contact Ballina Campervan and Click for Google Maps Motorhome Centre 299 River Street Ballina NSW 2478 T: (02) 6681 1555 E: [email protected] W: horizonmotorhomes.com.au Copyright 2017 iMotorhome.com.au 42 | Day Test “Horizon’s new Melaleuca Appeal is aptly named. It retains the original Melaleuca’s strengths without sacrificing its character or charm.”