Malibu Wall Construction?

SteveandSue

SteveandSue

Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Posts
590
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Location
Guisborough North Yorkshi
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5,677
MH
Malibu T410
Exp
Since August 2008
We are thinking of purchasing a 3 year old Carthago - - - Malibu Coachbuilt .
I am unable to succesfully get on to the Malibu website as it keeps kicking up the page about weight with no way that I can see of getting rid of this page?
I believed that the walls were exactly the same as Carthagos - ie with aluminium outside and inside - however we noticed in the vans info that the damp check (not by a Malibu dealer ) had(very low) readings on it - we questioned the salesman on this as the carthago we had was visual annual checks only - as the inside was aluminium and so the damp meter would be of no use. The salesman disputed this and said that the readings would show -??
Like many other vans we have recently looked at - unfortunalely the water ingress warranty is now invalid as they didn't use a Malibu dealer to do it and get it registered on the system as being done - however we were confident of the Carthago build quality but are now questioning this is the same on the Malibu - any knowledge appreciated
 
You just need to scroll down to the bottom of the pop-up window before you can press the ‘Accept’ button to get rid of the pop-up weight information. Then it lets you into the website. I’ve just done it and it worked for me.
 
Same construction but a different thickness: Carthago wall and roof thickness = 38mm, Malibu wall and roof thickness = 33mm.
Why they go the effort of producing 5mm thinner panels I've no idea but it's always been the case.
 
G7UXG said:
You just need to scroll down to the bottom of the pop-up window before you can press the ‘Accept’ button to get rid of the pop-up weight information. Then it lets you into the website. I’ve just done it and it worked for me.
Click to expand...
Yep - I realised that = but the accept button does not appear on our screen - no matter how far I throw the laptop.

As I thought they are pretty much the same - aluminium skin on inside aswell - Thanks

Any comments anyone on Visual water ingress checks - as damp meters do not work?

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swifty947 said:
Same construction but a different thickness: Carthago wall and roof thickness = 38mm, Malibu wall and roof thickness = 33mm.
Why they go the effort of producing 5mm thinner panels I've no idea but it's always been the case.
Click to expand...
It's the same between the E-Line and C-Line. The E-Line is thicker. It may be different with other models as well.
 
We have a 2021/22 season Malibu coachbuilt, the wall construction is slightly thinner than on the Carthago as it doesn’t have aluminium on both sides, wallboard is used inside instead, construction of the body is identical to the Carthago as are all the internal cupboards, mattresses etc..
styling is slightly more contemporary having less dark wood for example. The floor construction is the same, indeed it is a Malibu by Carthago after all. It is viewed as the ‘budget’ Carthago brand by many, however the ‘many’ have never been in one so draw your own conclusions on that. it Is a high quality conversion, the way it is constructed would lead me to say don’t be too concerned by water ingress, it’s not likely to occur, check for any damage though before making any decisions as this is one thing that would affect the integrity. FYI the PVC Malibu range no longer requires a damp check to honour the water ingress warranty, it is only a visual inspection on that range from what I’m told. If it is what you want then I would recommend the brand without hesitation. depending on where you are in the country may require you to do a little more travelling to find a good dealer, I can highly recommend Alan Kerr in Paignton, 1st class service, Oakwell motorhomes in Barnsley also have a very good reputation if you’re more centrally located. Have it checked by an independent service company, it may cost you £100 to get a report but money well spent if you like the motorhome. If it’s not ‘the one’ for any reason then at least you’ll be better placed when one does show itself.
if you have any questions please get in touch.
 
So different answers here then, some say it’s aluminium inside and out, last post it’s not aluminium inside?
 
Carthago branded coach built has aluminium inside & out with a soft touch finish. See below for info from the Carthago website.

Feather-light and yet extremely stable​

The Carthago main body construction technology is unmistakeable. The targeted use of high-stability high-tech lightweight construction materials and connecting technology reduces the weight of the main body. At the same time, it increases stability and safety as well as the durability and value retention of every Carthago motorhome

Extremely stable...​

... yet still lightweight. Thanks to the fullsurface bonding of the aluminium frame members, the special combination of aluminium on the exterior and interior walls and the RTM hard foam insulating core, Carthago does away with additional, weight-intensive wall reinforcements.

Lighter construction = more payload. That’s the message,

Malibu is same construction with GRP roof & underfloor, difference is that internal walls are finished in wallboard rather than aluminium.
see image below from the Malibu website

1678261084045.png


Hope this is helpful.
 
Hi - and thanks for all the replies above.
I still cannot get onto the Malibu web site (no idea why) it insists on ticking the box about weights - but doesn't show the tick box on our screen.
TenBobdave - thanks for photos - but which one shows/describes wallboard not aluminium? I dont doubt you - and its very good to know - Though we have now bought the Malibu coachbuilt - (so too late for wallboard to put us off) we had to sell our Carthago 2 years ago and the price of them is now off the wall !- we were very impressed with the quality of the build so if these are half as good that will do us -
No water ingress warranty on this - (except from supplying dealer) as like so many vans we have looked at = the owners have either just not bothered - or in this case - had them dome but not by a Carthago/Malibu dealer - so thus not registered on the site. They offer a 10 year warranty which seems to imply confidence in their product?
Its the Malibu T410 transverse bed - fairly short at 6.6m and a good layout for us with a massive garage - right van we hope - though we haven't got it yet as fridge problems on pick up - Jims check list was really useful to use as we have been out the game for a bit - So far the dealer has been excellent in sorting things out and we will put a review up on them at some point in the future when the issue is sorted out.

Just a thought though - The Malibu water ingress warranty states that the vehicle has to be subject to water sprinkled for 20 minutes (same as Carthago) and visual check after - If its wallbaord and not Ali - then wouldnt a damp meter be used? as the wallboard would retain moisture?

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Hi, thanks for your message, the image was to show that the construction is the same as the Carthago,

Try this link : https://www.malibu-carthago.com/en/motorhomes/
Clear your browser history, or better still try an alternative browser as not all website are created equally !
Just a thought though - The Malibu water ingress warranty states that the vehicle has to be subject to water sprinkled for 20 minutes (same as Carthago) and visual check after - If its wallbaord and not Ali - then wouldnt a damp meter be used? as the wallboard would retain moisture?
The Carthago damp check is as you described as you can't get a reading from a damp meter on the aluminium walls,
The Malibu however having the 'traditional' wallboard inside can be checked with a damp meter in the normal way.

I'v not yet come across anyone that has has water ingress issues on their Carthago or Malibu, fingers crossed.
They are very well built so again I'd be confident you'll not have any issues there, as with everything you'll have
niggles and bits that might need some attention from time to time but when you consider what they are and
what they go through we shouldn't be surprised really.

We have the T430 LE which is a shade under 7 meters and the layout works well for us, the garage is as you'll agree
a real benefit, you do get a lot of garage envy when on site from other vans.

Our previous van was a PVC (IH Motorhomes) and we managed well, the Malibu just gives us loads of storage space
and room to be comfortable too. The bed you'll agree is excellent.

You'll love it too I'm sure. Just make a note of where you put everything because you'll never remember !
 
Yes, it's virtually the same, Aluminium, Dense Foam & Wallboard construction, the Hymer showed of the PUal system
on it coachbuilts too, really strong, light and no timber in sight ! (PU Foam and Aluminium = PUal)
 
Same I think .. From the Hymer spec sheet and website -- PU foam guarantees a comfortable temperature in summer and cosy warmth during the colder months. The first generation of PUAL side walls consisted of an aluminium outer skin, a foam core and a high-quality plywood interior wall. The manufacturing process: by applying a pressure of approx. 500 tons, the PU foam was bonded to the aluminium and plywood, creating an extremely sturdy and durable side wall without thermal bridges.

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Re the Hymer PUAL system, the Current 2.0 version now has Aluminium inner and outer same as the Carthago branded coach builds.

PUAL 2.0 – The evolution​

With the evolution of the patented PUAL bodywork concept, HYMER continues to lead in body shell design in the industry: now featuring an aluminium inner and outer skin, improved foam composition and a 100% wood-free design without thermal bridging – for maximum stability and optimal insulation values. Aluminium on the inside wall ensures even, rapid heat distribution. The polyurethane foam also offers numerous other benefits. Among other things, it is water-repellent, lightweight and extremely durable.
 
TenBobDave said:
Same I think .. From the Hymer spec sheet and website -- PU foam guarantees a comfortable temperature in summer and cosy warmth during the colder months. The first generation of PUAL side walls consisted of an aluminium outer skin, a foam core and a high-quality plywood interior wall. The manufacturing process: by applying a pressure of approx. 500 tons, the PU foam was bonded to the aluminium and plywood, creating an extremely sturdy and durable side wall without thermal bridges.
Click to expand...
Carthago/Malibu use RTM hard foam which is a bit better than the PU Hymer use, also Hymer internal walls have been Aluminium for quite a few years now.
 
So the Malibu uses the equivalent PUal 1.0 system, the Carthago shares the PUal 2.0 system for reference.

The OP now have their van so let's hope they enjoy it to the max, wallboard / aluminium / foam = fun !
 
Only thing to watch out for are the Carthago skylights. Some have experienced water ingress according to a dealer friend. Mine is a 2013 but I haven't had any issues. It's now up for sale with Motorhome Depot if you want a very well cared for van
 
Hi - yeah took a look at it on Motorhome depot - they are good vans - yours is pretty much the same as what we sold except ours was coachbuilt -We were after something a bit newer - the Malibu that we have bought seems pretty much the same build quality - lets see how it performs? Good luck with your sale. (y)
 
Can confirm Malibu use aluminium/rtm/wallboard side walls, grp/rtm/wallboard roof and grp/rtm/grp floor. Gas locker door is aluminium/rtm/aluminium due to the openness of Carthago / Malibu gas locker wallboard would be no good in this environment, side locker and under floor locker door and walls aluminium/rtm/aluminium.
 
SteveandSue said:
Hi - yeah took a look at it on Motorhome depot - they are good vans - yours is pretty much the same as what we sold except ours was coachbuilt -We were after something a bit newer - the Malibu that we have bought seems pretty much the same build quality - lets see how it performs? Good luck with your sale. (y)
Click to expand...
Thank you.
 
TenBobDave said:
Just make a note of where you put everything because you'll never remember !
Click to expand...
Definitely agree with this! We've done it for quite a few of our PVCs and MHs but it was vital for our double floor Carthago with all its storage and loads of internal cupboards etc. Each location has details of what's in it so if I opened the list on a pc, tablet etc a quick search and I know where to 'forage'. :giggle:

I have a printed version too so if I have and idea of where stuff might be a quick check is usually all that's needed to confirm.

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Not lost anything in my Carthago yet. I did forget where stuff was in my last yacht but that has massive storage/ cubby holes all over the place. Mind you, yachts need even more bits of kit that requires storing than motorhomes.
 

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