RV REVIEW
The Tango Escape is now the Malibu Escape. It’s
still an Escape, and it’s still all about the escape. cladding all-round over a meranti timber frame,
and a sharper, more angular, front profile.
Until recently, this range of vans was built for
Tango Caravans by Essential Caravans. Finally, new decals and bold splashes of red –
colour-matched to various accessories bolted to
the van – set it apart from earlier Escape models.
But Tango’s Sarah Horter made the decision to
switch manufacturing to Malibu Caravans. Having
reviewed both the 18ft 6in and 18ft 8in Escapes
before, I was keen to see what differences Malibu
brought to the table.
And so, with Australia in the boiling grip of a
summer heatwave, I hitched up the latest 18ft
6in Escape – now known officially as the Malibu
Escape rather than the Tango Escape.
INNER GLOW
The most obvious difference between the earlier
models and the one reviewed here is in the
cladding. Instead of ribbed aluminium sides and
a smooth aluminium front and rear section, the
Malibu Escape has smooth composite aluminium
The layout of the van is much the same. Interior
design mostly goes over my head but here are my
two cents: personally, I preferred the decor of the
earlier Escape – it was bright and almost beachy.
By contrast, the decor of the Malibu Escape I
looked at was a little darker.
However, decor, etc., is a personal thing and can
be customised when the van is being built. The
interior of the Malibu Escape, I should make clear,
is as well-finished as previous versions, and there
are a number of welcome touches throughout.
Each overhead locker door is fitted with piano
hinges which, in my experience, is one of the
stronger fixing methods.
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