Talvor MacLeay

WHAT WE LIKED

• Easy access to vehicle seats from living area
• Space saving double bed system
• Ample cupboard storage space

NOT SO MUCH

• Ablution cubicle door flimsy and not properly lockable for travel
• Auto gearbox hesitant between gears
• Some poorly located electrical fittings



Talvor is a subsidiary of Brisbane-based Apollo Motor Home Holidays and since its birth in 1985, has grown to be the largest private RV hire company in the world with over 3000 vehicles on the roads of Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.

From that world of experience the company collated the likes and dislikes experienced by their customers before launching into RV sales while still carrying on the business of RV hire.

The first Talvor branded campervans appeared on the market in 2005, and the four-berth MacLeay is one of nine Talvor models which range from Hippie campers to six berth motorhomes.

ON THE ROAD

The MacLeay is based on a VW Crafter cab/chassis. At the wheel the seating was comfortable with everything in easy reach, while affording excellent vision to the front and forequarters. A console above the driver and passenger is handily located for maps and the like.

The Crafter is fitted with a 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which produces a maximum of 100kW of power and 300Nm of torque. Peak torque kicks in at a handy 2000rpm which gives the vehicle good acceleration and it’s all delivered without excessive diesel ‘rattle’.

The six-speed automatic transmission, however, is less impressive, with unusually long periods (lag) between automated gear changes. Fortunately buyers of these campers will have another option soon in the cab/chassis department with Mercedes-Benz coming on line with Talvor this year.

The rest of the road experience was excellent with no excessive flexing when travelling on undulating bitumen and body roll was acceptable.

INNER SANCTUM

The MacLeay’s accommodation module features a 'cab over' berth, double bed in size and accessible via a ladder at the front of the central passageway.

A full height ablution (shower/toilet) cubicle features on the offside behind the driver’s seat and the kitchen galley sits further to the rear on the same side.

A U-shaped dining area/lounge sits across the rear of the vehicle and the removable table can be swung from side to side to allow bodies to slide easily into seats.

Directly above, another double bed is lowered electronically to make up more sleeping accommodation. The lifting mechanism (secreted in tracks in the wall), comprises a heavy duty chain similar in style to that which operates on fork lift tines.

When lowered for sleeping the bed superimposes the entire lounge/dining seating area, and can be left 'ready to sleep' with linen and pillows before retracting to the ceiling again.

Opposite the galley, bench space is available above a cupboard set, on the end of which is mounted the 19-inch flat screen TV. A 19 litre microwave sits higher up, flush mounted in the wall above the 150 litre refrigerator.

The ample windows all round in the MacLeay give the impression of spaciousness and due to the thoughtful layout design, it certainly doesn’t feel cramped.

CLOSER LOOK

The bed above the cabin sits quite high which allows for easy passage from the camper proper into the driver and passenger seats, and there’s also ample room between the two seats for bigger bodies to pass through.

A couple travelling for extended periods would do well to design some sort of storage system for this bed area to free up the rest of the van.

While the ablution cubicle has good head height for showering, excellent ventilation and a compact fold away vanity basin and stylish toilet, it fell down in the door department. When the MacLeay arrived for review the door was swinging on its hinges and continued to come adrift during the test drive.

In the kitchen area, the cooker and sink had glass fold up tops to create more bench space when not cooking and beneath the cooker was a regular sized pan drawer. Ample cupboard space under the sink included some slide-out spice racks on the door.

The electronic heart of the MacLeay is under a cushion in the dining/lounge seating area.  This is where you’ll find the 12-volt battery charger, which feeds the batteries that are accessible via an external hatch in the offside, and all the fuse and connector boards.

While the charger itself was installed on the wall of this compartment, the fuses and exposed terminal points were fixed across the bottom. This style of installation puts at risk anyone who decides to place an item in here, mistakenly believing it was for storage. If the item was metallic, damage to fuses and holders not to mention a dead short in the system could result.

The seating here was quite comfortable and the swing table made the area all the more serviceable.

A generous amount of cupboard storage is located opposite the galley and its tops are multi levelled, finished in a granite look.

There’s also cupboard storage against the ceiling along the van’s centre, and short fences in the front of each help stop items from falling onto you when opening the doors upon arriving at your destination.

EXTERNAL STORAGE

A number of lockable compartments are situated about the fibreglass body, five of which are on the nearside.

At the back is a full width storage tunnel with two access doors and amongst other things, brooms, mops, and tent and annexe poles could live here when not in use.

Another compartment hosts a stainless steel BBQ ($1,982 option) which slides out on a drawer set and is plumbed to a pair of gas bottles nearby.

Another door opens to form a small table, or valuable bench space when cooking, while behind it is a CD radio with two external speakers and 12V and 240 volt outlets.

A vacant storage box is found behind the fifth door.

There’s also an external shower which will be handy for those just coming off the beach and will minimise sand and salt being dragged through the living quarters.

A 2kVa Honda generator ($2,835 option) is also secreted behind a hatch and the dual batteries behind another. The cassette for the toilet is also removable from the onside.

THE VERDICT

There’s a lot to like about the MacLeay’s camper body, being reasonably robust and well designed to maximise the feeling of interior space and light-filled living quarters.

It’s competitively priced, given the smorgasbord of standard features provided, and would easily and comfortably accommodate a couple or small family for long periods of time.

But while a competent cruiser, the gearbox shortcomings mentioned earlier could be disconcerting to some. All is not lost though; options are on the way.

TALVOR MACLEAY

Base vehicle: VW Crafter cab/chassis
Engine: 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power/torque: 110kW @ 3500rpm/ 300Nm @ 2000rpm
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Fuel tank: 75 litre
Overall length: 6.99m
Internal length: 4.44m
External width: 2.33m
Internal width: 2.135m
External height: 3.23m
Internal height: 2.01m
GVM: 4490kg
Tare: 2250kg
Tanks: 100 litre (fresh), 100 litre (grey)
Fridge: 150 litre 3-way
Toilet: Thetford Cassette
Air conditioning: Rooftop
Batteries: 2 x 100Ah
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Television: 19 inch flatscreen
Microwave: 19 litre
Cooktop: Triplex (2 gas, 1 electric)
Price as reviewed: $151,220 (Qld drive-away)
Website: Talvor.com