Now we HAVE to downsize...

[stuartholmes]

The fun starts now. How to minimise the inevitable compromises, starting with 3500kg max.
. We’re restricting our choices to reasonable build quality which will probably eliminate most - obviously bias rather than researched facts! Our Hymer never had quality issues once we had replaced the stupid plastic kitchen drawer hinges with steel ones.

Never heard of 'quality' issues with Murvi PVCs. We have Morello but ease of bed-making was on our compromises list, you might want to look at Morocco, the twin-berth version.

 

[The Wino]

Been passed Spain introduce it on 1st January 2025 .rest have until 2027 to comply. ev's & all campervans/motorhomes using any fuel

Read the book "The great cholesterol conspiracy" 2007 by Dr malcolm Kendrick,explains it all & addresses all the issues & refutes them all with facts.

So one blokes book that's almost 20 years out of date Vs the NICE panel of experts the British heart Foundation and lots of others. I wonder who to give greater weight!!!!!

 

[CazPaul]

So one blokes book that's almost 20 years out of date Vs the NICE panel of experts the British heart Foundation and lots of others. I wonder who to give greater weight!!!!!

I’ve always been led to believe that your body(liver)makes all the cholesterol you need and you don’t need to eat any, but if you do your liver makes less of it to compensate.
However I’ve always read that having high cholesterol more importantly the bad LDL cholesterol is a killer.

It’s funny that you can manipulate and change peer reviews/analysis etc and get them to for your own thoughts if you want.

 

[gus-lopez]

So one blokes book that's almost 20 years out of date Vs the NICE panel of experts the British heart Foundation and lots of others. I wonder who to give greater weight!!!!!

All apply today as equally as they did in 2007 ,more so even. All are refuted using their own tests,applications & evidence

 

[maguirem]

Same here, other half 70 in Feb, didn't rant all the hassle so we p/e in September from 7.6 4 ton to a PVC 6.3 at 3500 ton. We also find it quite liberating. The amount of ",stuff" we carried which we hardly used was a game changer. Embrace the change, it will be worth it

had to declare a medical condition and DVLA removed C1 So went down the part exchange route so went from a 5 year old 4 ton to a brand new 3500kgs (6.3m long) that can be driven on a car license - still smells like a new car 8)

From my personal experience its liberating and can be taken threw towns without fear

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[jongood]

had to declare a medical condition and DVLA removed C1 So went down the part exchange route so went from a 5 year old 4 ton to a brand new 3500kgs (6.3m long) that can be driven on a car license - still smells like a new car 8)

From my personal experience its liberating and can be taken threw towns without fear

It really depends on what you want to use it for, PVCs would be pretty cold for winter trips and very hot in summer, add to that the limitations for shower and toilet and you're looking at being mostly restricted to places with facilities in shoulder seasons. If thats what you want then perfect but its a long way from fulfilling our requirements.

 

[Pausim]

A number of us on here have found downsizing to be liberating. I find embracing change far less stressful than fighting it. Times change, circumstances change and fighting things that you can’t control is usually a waste of time. I am not just talking about motorhomes or suggesting lying down and letting matters walk all over you. My philosophy is accept the things you can’t control, take charge of the things you can do something about and then enjoy the new situation you find yourself in.

We are none of us going to get out of here alive so why waste what time we have got fighting inevitable change.

 

[Pausim]

It really depends on what you want to use it for, PVCs would be pretty cold for winter trips and very hot in summer, add to that the limitations for shower and toilet and you're looking at being mostly restricted to places with facilities in shoulder seasons. If thats what you want then perfect but its a long way from fulfilling our requirements.

Some van conversions are properly insulated. OK the insulation is probably a bit less effective than the best A class motorhomes but the cab area on my current one is better insulated than the cabs on the 2 C class motorhomes I have owned. I also find heating the smaller volume of air far quicker, I have the same 6kW Combi in my van as was in my previous 2 A class motorhomes. I certainly have no intention of restricting myself to “shoulder seasons” and nothing I have experienced over the last 8 months suggests that I will need to.

 

[The Wino]

I’ve always been led to believe that your body(liver)makes all the cholesterol you need and you don’t need to eat any, but if you do your liver makes less of it to compensate.
However I’ve always read that having high cholesterol more importantly the bad LDL cholesterol is a killer.

It’s funny that you can manipulate and change peer reviews/analysis etc and get them to for your own thoughts if you want.

All parts of our body are self regulating to a degree it's the way evolution has designed us but evolution is driven by being around long enough to pass on your genes to the next generation so illnesses that wipe you out over the age of about 30 have very little evolutionary effect. It's like insulin there is a natural balance but it sometimes goes wrong it's then very sensible to alter your lifestyle to cope but if that's not sufficient take medication whatever modern science has developed to have the best treatment possible.
We have a friend very much into alternative medicine who also believes in healing by holding their hand over the affected area and concentrating hard they dream up all sorts of reasons why they get various illnesses but I think the two big causes of most things that develop as we age are too many birthdays and bad luck. Let's face it we're all well past the point our bodies were designed to last for.

 

[Pausim]

but evolution is driven by being around long enough to pass on your genes to the next generation so illnesses that wipe you out over the age of about 30 have very little evolutionary effect.

This would suggest that young women should look to octogenarians to father their children then their children would inherit the longer life genes.

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[MitchandJenny]

No problem with our 3,500t Autotrail Tracker EKS, seating for parties of 8, 6foot long by
5foot 6inch wide make up double bed crossways or 2 singles lengthways.
End kitchen, fixed shower and toilet/washroom. Electric/gas fire, double 11kg gas bottles, 2 bike rack, blown air heating.
Happy.
Mitch

 

[Platelet]

I had stents put in about 3 years ago but I’m not aware of any subsequent negative consequences. It seems odd to me that the DVLA pay private rates for a consultant to oversee a test, and then employee a doctor themselves to second-guess the consultant who probably knows a patient’s relevant history.

As someone once said: “Time’s short. Keep moving”.

The first stage at DVLA is filtered by a non-medical person (even in the medical team), basically on a tick box. It is then sent up the line to someone else to evaluate, then sent to be read by a medical person, this could be a doctor but not necessarily. Then to a doctor, all this takes weeks if not months to take place.

I’m a retired motorcycle paramedic who for the last 3yrs worked at 111 (based very local to me). I was approached by DVLA to join their assessment team, to which I point blank refused.

If you can stand the stress of waiting, you’d be surprised how many have their entitlements returned after a re-assessment or appeal. Whatever the outcome I wish you well.

 

[Lenny HB]

Interestingly all opted for the 180hp auto.

Probably standard, all Fiat based Carthago's for the UK market are 180 auto.

 

[Hymerboy]

Possibly because it is not straightforward. If driving illegally made insurance invalid then we would all be uninsured as soon as we broke a speed limit. However, if being overweight was shown to be the cause of an accident then it might become an important issue so I try very hard to stay legal and stay safe.

In this instance he does'nt have a licence to drive over 3500 and in the case of a claim what would the insurers do ?

 

[corconx]

Researching t’internet there’s at least 5 Malibu 640 LE RB’s recently arrived in the UK - 2025 spec. They are almost identical. Obviously the various dealers guessed a saleable configuration when they ordered them a year ago. Interestingly all opted for the 180hp auto. None opted for the winterisation package which might be useful in the UK. None opted for leather seats, nor diesel heating, nor lithium, which I would choose if I wanted to wait up to another year for a bespoke order.

Seems you wait a year if you want anything specific on the base van that Fiat deliver to Malibu. Or maybe 8 months if you accept a van configuration (I guess including colour) and order specific Malibu options.

I’d rather compromise on spec and set sail a year earlier

It hasn’t changed much then. We waited 8 months from our order for a Rapido auto heavy chassis back in 2006. Waited 10.5 months for Dethleffs downsize auto from France in 2016 received 2017. So not much has changed time wise.

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[G-RMPS]

Been to see a Malibu now. Measured it to within an inch (cm?) of it's life. I know the dimensions of every nook and cranny.

Malibu bumff is misleading, at least, regarding the storage area in the back. Their brochure says it's 99cm high. Rubbish. It's 77cm. And only 74cm usable if you have the optional shelf they can supply. It's 20cm above the van floor. I call this space a "cave". There's also a 20x20cm box on the offside floor which somewhat limits storage on that side. The front of the storage area is staggered. So the length from front to back is 126cm on the offside section, and just 116cm on the nearside section. So my nice, substantial, 120cm table would be a casualty of a move to this van. Malibu provide an optional table and chairs set which, I assume, would fit in the lower part of the storage area. The chairs are OK for dining, but not suitable for "lounging", I imagine. Probably not for us then.

For completeness the cave width is 93cm (excluding the inner cave bit).

Within the cave, there's a reasonably big inner-cave storage area behind the gas bottle cupboard. However if the shelf is installed you have to completely empty the storage area, including removing that shelf, if you wish to access this storage area. Maybe OK for infrequently used stuff. Are tool boxes used infrequently on Malibus?

 

[nicholsong]

Last week, all set for 3 month's in Spain. Van loaded and almost ready to go. Ferry, campsite, hire car all booked months ago. Just one problem. Driving licence renewal, which I applied for at the beginning of September. It finally arrived, two days before we were due to set off. With the C1 missing :-( Next day, I got a letter saying the C1 had been revoked "have not met the required standard", whatever that means. I had been required to take an exercise stress test weeks ago which, as far as I knew, had gone OK. Certainly I had had no qualms about undertaking it, and it didn't seem particularly "stressful" at the time.

So, the van is in storage and I cannot drive it.

Step one. Cancel the campsite, hire car. Reschedule the ferry to November. Cost £12, but the £600 now re-invested in a club cabin for the future.

Step two. Decide what to do with the van. One option was to try to sell it for cash with a dealer. Dealers forecourts are stuffed with unsold vans. So doesn't sound like a practical proposition. Another option was to try to sell it privately. In min-December? When I cannot even demonstrate the van without a valid driving license. So part-exchange maybe? What replacement could carry a Hymer's load of possessions and remain below 3500kg, and at what incremental cost? Lennie says it's impossible. He may be right.

Episode two to follow!

I have not read all the thread.

You need to know what the problem is as it may affect your flying licence.

 

[Lenny HB]

Friends who have downsized from a Carthago Hihgliner to a Malibu. We a said they wouldn't last 6 months in it but 3 years on they still love it. It is on the Maxi chassis so they have fitted a towbar mounted bike carrier, wouldn't be able to do that on a 3500kg one.

 

[Pausim]

Been to see a Malibu now. Measured it to within an inch (cm?) of it's life. I know the dimensions of every nook and cranny.

Malibu bumff is misleading, at least, regarding the storage area in the back. Their brochure says it's 99cm high. Rubbish. It's 77cm. And only 74cm usable if you have the optional shelf they can supply. It's 20cm above the van floor. I call this space a "cave". There's also a 20x20cm box on the offside floor which somewhat limits storage on that side. The front of the storage area is staggered. So the length from front to back is 126cm on the offside section, and just 116cm on the nearside section. So my nice, substantial, 120cm table would be a casualty of a move to this van. Malibu provide an optional table and chairs set which, I assume, would fit in the lower part of the storage area. The chairs are OK for dining, but not suitable for "lounging", I imagine. Probably not for us then.

For completeness the cave width is 93cm (excluding the inner cave bit).

Within the cave, there's a reasonably big inner-cave storage area behind the gas bottle cupboard. However if the shelf is installed you have to completely empty the storage area, including removing that shelf, if you wish to access this storage area. Maybe OK for infrequently used stuff. Are tool boxes used infrequently on Malibus?

View attachment 990569

The 99cm is the height of the bed above the floor, it would be more helpful of they gave the height of the “cave”.

We don’t carry a table for use outside, we fitted the extra rail to the back of the kitchen unit and hook the internal table to it.

 

[G-RMPS]

That's an idea. Is the bracket retro-fittable? I guess that table unit is quite heavy to move outside?

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[Rob Hammond]

This would suggest that young women should look to octogenarians to father their children then their children would inherit the longer life genes.

Sounds good to me

 

[G-RMPS]

Well, that's one storage solution!

 

[Pausim]

That's an idea. Is the bracket retro-fittable? I guess that table unit is quite heavy to move outside?

Yes ours was retro fitted, Reliance sourced and fitted the rail for me. Probably cheaper than the £120 quoted by Malibu on the options list. The table is surprisingly light and unclips by lifting the leg end first and then lifting off the rail, very easy procedure.

 

[royandsharont]

Looking at the ‘cave’ & table I think my Adria Twin is better laid out and the table comes as standard. As for insulation we’re absolutely fine in all seasons. They insulate them to winter alpine skiing which I’m guessing may be down yo -20C. We can carry 2 bikes on a tow bar fitted bike rack too on our 2000k rear axle weight, but they are not electric bikes. We carry high back Isabella Thor chairs and did carry a large roll top Brunner table at one time, all from the larger van with the ‘garage’

HERE is a review I did on mine which has some photos

 

[Minxy]

Been to see a Malibu now. Measured it to within an inch (cm?) of it's life. I know the dimensions of every nook and cranny.

Malibu bumff is misleading, at least, regarding the storage area in the back. Their brochure says it's 99cm high. Rubbish. It's 77cm. And only 74cm usable if you have the optional shelf they can supply. It's 20cm above the van floor. I call this space a "cave". There's also a 20x20cm box on the offside floor which somewhat limits storage on that side. The front of the storage area is staggered. So the length from front to back is 126cm on the offside section, and just 116cm on the nearside section. So my nice, substantial, 120cm table would be a casualty of a move to this van. Malibu provide an optional table and chairs set which, I assume, would fit in the lower part of the storage area. The chairs are OK for dining, but not suitable for "lounging", I imagine. Probably not for us then.

For completeness the cave width is 93cm (excluding the inner cave bit).

Within the cave, there's a reasonably big inner-cave storage area behind the gas bottle cupboard. However if the shelf is installed you have to completely empty the storage area, including removing that shelf, if you wish to access this storage area. Maybe OK for infrequently used stuff. Are tool boxes used infrequently on Malibus?

View attachment 990569

Have a shuftie at this website I did when we had a Globecar as it may give you some ideas as to what you could do with a PVC to make it more usable etc.

Globecar Campscout Info

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[kimndon]

We had a campervan rental pre COVID with 3 Possls/Globecar. The rear doors were devoid of any insulation. It made me wonder how much insulation the rest of the vans had!!

 

[jongood]

We had a campervan rental pre COVID with 3 Possls/Globecar. The rear doors were devoid of any insulation. It made me wonder how much insulation the rest of the vans had!!

Insulation is not a feature the majority of van operators require hence there isnt much in there. All PVCs are conversions and the doors and the cab area are almost impossible to insulate.

 

[Pausim]

Insulation is not a feature the majority of van operators require hence there isnt much in there. All PVCs are conversions and the doors and the cab area are almost impossible to insulate.

Difficult but not impossible.

Insulation is covered in this video between 2 and 3 minutes in.

 

[Lenny HB]

Friends who have a Malibu found very little insulation in the read doors it was easy to sort.
What I have noticed although most PVC's are poor on insulation the Germans fit a 6kw heater and the Brits a 4kw heater.

 

[G-RMPS]

Friends who have a Malibu found very little insulation in the read doors it was easy to sort.
What I have noticed although most PVC's are poor on insulation the Germans fit a 6kw heater and the Brits a 4kw heater.

Did they take the doors apart (no, not blow the doors off!), or fit some sort of thermal curtain?

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