Horizon Melaleuca

WE LIKED

• Flexible rear bed/lounge setup
• Two tables available
• Multiple drawers in the kitchen

NOT SO MUCH

• No standard solar panels or gas fridge for free camping
• Lack of hinged flaps at kitchen bench ends
• Insect screens on both doors should be standard

The last time I visited Ballina Campervan and Leisure Centre, on NSW’s north coast, I almost didn’t get there because of some especially wet weather. In a case of déjà vu, I almost found myself in the same situation during my most recent visit.

Fortunately, two clear sunny days in between some very bad weather gave me an opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of the dealership’s Horizon Melaleuca conversions with a Fiat Ducato base.

Like the rest of the Horizon line-up, the Melaleuca is a large van conversion – something that Ballina Campervan proprietor Clayton Kearney has focused on with his motorhome/motorcamper range, which also uses Mercede-Benz Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter base vehicles.

LIGHT AND BREEZY

Our review Melaleuca came in the distinctive "Golden White", which looked quite impressive in the afternoon sunlight.

It was powered by a 115kW/400Nm 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine, matched to a six-speed automated manual gearbox. This relatively responsive gearbox is not quite as smooth as the full auto Benz shifter but is certainly better than VW’s updated Sprint Shifter. The AMT gearbox also solves a problem that people with short legs have in being too close to the dashboard and trying to operate the clutch.

Instead of using standard (non-opening) Ducato windows, the Melaleuca has Seitz hoppers fitted all-round, including for the back doors, which considerably improves ventilation flow. Rear and side-door insect screens are also a Horizon option – something to consider if you like keeping them open.

Other external fittings include two wall lights, a Fiamma F65 awning, nearside gas bin for two 4kg cylinders, a roof-mounted Dometic air-conditioner and TV antenna. There are no other external hatches fitted but the toilet is a vacu-flush setup, so the cassette tank can be inside the vehicle.

SMART DESIGN

The Melaleuca features a rear bed/club lounge area, offside toilet/shower cubicle and nearside kitchen bench, as well as Fiat factory-fitted swivel seats.

Lightweight laminated ply is used for the construction of the cabinets.

Like any compact interior layout, there has to be a compromise or two space-wise, and in this case there isn’t much room around the swivelling cab seats – the driver’s seat only swivels part way and there’s just enough room for two people and a small table.

That said, the small table isn’t really necessary unless you want to have the rear bed made up as a double on a semi-permanent basis. The swivel seats would be useful though for two people during inclement weather or on cooler evenings.

LED reading lights, supplemented by LED ceiling downlights, are fitted in all corners. Powerpoints are fitted above the kitchen bench and above the offside bed where there’s also a 12V socket.

The kitchen isn’t overly large, but that’s to be expected in a conversion of this size. Fitted into the benchtop is a Smev stainless steel combo with a three-burner cooktop on the left and a sink on the right.

Bench space can be extended with the hinged flap that swings up into the doorway and the kitchen’s stack of five drawers leaves room for a microwave underneath the cooktop.

A bracket-mounted LCD TV is fitted in the wall space above the kitchen and behind the sliding door, and behind that sit 12V control switches and gauges for the house battery and water tanks.

Also in the kitchen is the Waeco 110 litre fridge, fitted underneath the wardrobe behind the driver’s seat. Being at floor level, accessing the fridge does require some bending but the wardrobe, which is also the storage point for both tables, is easily accessible.

CLEANING UP

Smallish bathrooms and motorcampers go hand in hand but at least there’s room to turn around in the Melaleuca’s. Its bathroom contains all the essentials: Dometic toilet, flexible-hose shower, corner washbasin; and wall mirror. The shower and washbasin have separate taps.

In the rear, the lounge is fairly versatile as it can also be set up as either two single beds measuring 1.9 x 0.6m (6ft 3in x 2ft), or as a double measuring 1.9 x 1.87m (6ft 3in x 6ft 2in). Both options can be left made up all the time, but using the single beds means the rear table, on a Lagun any-which-way mounting, can still be utilised.

The underbed storage is quite generous (the downside is a lack of a walkway), with part of the space taken up by the toilet cassette tank and a drawer, accessible from the rear doors.

Overhead lockers are fitted all-round above the rear lounge and because they’re angled they offer useful storage space while reducing the chance of banging your head.

Extra storage is supplied beneath the floor of the lounge/bedroom. It’s not a particularly deep storage area but it’s good for small items.

VERDICT

While a few more standard items would have bee nice, the Melaleuca is a fine example of just how far conversions have come since Mercedes-Benz introduced its Sprinter van into the marketplace a few years back.

Although not specifically designed for it, one of the characteristics of this motorcamper is that it’s suitable for single travellers – relatively spacious, secure and fully self-contained for easy living. The Melaleuca is also small enough to be easily handled on the road and when negotiating car parks.

A variation on this club lounge layout features single beds and a walk-through, which would make it even more suitable for a single person as well as a travelling couple. 

HORIZON MOTOR HOMES MELALEUCA

Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato LWB
Engine: 3.0-litre  turbodiesel
Gearbox: Six-speed AMT
Power/torque: 115.5kW @ 3500rpm/ 400Nm @ 1700rpm 
Tare: 2913kg
GVM: 4005kg
External length: 5.99m (19ft 8in)
External width: 2.05m (6ft 9in)
Internal height: 1.9m (6ft 3in)
Cooktop: Dometic three-burner (combo with sink)
Fridge: Waeco 110 litre
Microwave: Sharp carousel
Gas: 2x4kg
Lighting: 12V LED
Toilet: Dometic vacu-flush
Shower: Variable height
Hot water: Truma 14 litre
Fresh water: 95 litre
Grey water: 55 litre
Price: $103,750 (on road, NSW)
Supplied by: Ballina Campervan and Leisure Centre, NSW
Website: horizon.com.au