Malibu

Conversions & upgrades

1. 12-volt extension

   Our Malibu Van came with the optional socket package, but unfortunately there are simply too few 12 V sockets in the vehicle. So right after buying it, we installed additional 12 V sockets.

   We found space for the new sockets in the bench seat. The cables run through the bench seat and the storage compartment under the table to the leisure battery under the driver's seat.

   

2. Rear garage

   The rear garage in our Malibu Van 640 had no carpet. To stop the floor getting scratched and our load sliding around uncontrollably, we put in a carpet.

   We bought a carpet with nubs on the back so that any moisture can dry off.

   LINK to the product

   Cutting the carpet to size was very easy thanks to the nubs on the back, which make it easy to cut a straight line.

   

   

3. Power inverter

   Our power inverter is a must in the Malibu Van too, so that the coffee machine works even when we are not connected to external power. We had already installed the inverter in the Frankia and have now moved it to the Malibu.

   Power inverter:

   • Manufacturer: Wenchi Power
   • Pure sine wave
   • 1500 watts continuous power
   • 3000 watts peak power

   Link to the manufacturer

   We quickly found a place for the inverter: the storage compartment under the bench seat.

   The inverter was firmly mounted on a new board. The cables to the battery run through the storage compartment under the table to the driver's seat.

   The remote control (on/off switch) was installed directly in the front of the bench seat, so we don't always have to reach the unit inside the bench seat when we use it.

   The new 230-volt socket in the bench seat is connected directly to the inverter.

   

   

4. Coffee machine

   In the Frankia we always had a Dolce Gusto, but it was too big for the Malibu Van, so we had to find another one. We chose the "De'Longhi Nespresso Essenza Mini EN 85.B". Its compact size and the low inrush current when the capsule machine heats up convinced us.

   We bought the machine for 70 euros with a "welcome bonus" on Amazon.

   We found the right place for the new capsule machine in the pull-out compartment under the bench seat.

   The machine fits very nicely into the small corner.

   The power cable was routed directly through the back of the compartment to the inverter. We fixed the machine to the floor with Pattex power tape.

   

   

5. Awning crank

   Inspired by other Malibu owners, we also chose the space behind the cupboard at the rear for the awning crank.

   

   

6. AST soft-close system

   We always found the typical slamming of the sliding door very annoying, and on a pitch or campsite in the evening or at night it is really loud.

   At the caravan fair in Düsseldorf we took a closer look at the soft-close system from AST Technik (LINK) and were immediately impressed. We booked an appointment directly with the manufacturer online, and three months later (the waiting time is even longer now) we set off for Eschbach in southern Germany.

   I arrived a day early and was able to stay overnight right on the company premises. Electricity, showers and toilets are available.

   Work started punctually at 8 a.m. To a layperson, the installation looked rather strange :-)

   After just over three hours, the system was installed, adjusted, fine-tuned and tested. It was exactly the right decision – the typical slamming of the sliding door is gone.

   I could also have had the system installed by an AST partner, some of whom would even have been closer, but I deliberately chose to have it installed by the manufacturer. The conversion on the Malibu Van 640 is not that easy, because the sink has to be removed, gas pipes disconnected and the ambient lighting adapted.

   

   

7. Carpet

   In the 2020 Malibu Van there is a complete compartment under the table – ideal for shoes. Malibu's development team had the great idea of cutting out the area around the table leg in the wood, so the table doesn't have to be removed every time the flap is opened.

   Now comes the catch: if the Malibu Van is delivered with the additional carpet, this clever table solution no longer works. The carpet has no cut-out for the table leg, so we always had to lift the table and remove the carpet first whenever we wanted to get to the flaps. Very annoying.

   When we were at G+S (who supply carpets, curtains, covers etc. for Malibu vans), we mentioned the problem in passing, and after a short discussion the carpet was cut to shape and edged.

   Now we can open the flap again without removing the table or carpet.

   

8. Sink extension

   Right from the start, the sink in the Malibu Van was too small for us. Every time we used it, we had to mop the floor afterwards. In 2022 the team at perfect-van.de set about designing and then producing a sink extension for exactly this van model.

   I was one of the lucky testers who received a prototype of this new sink extension for the 2020 Malibu Van in advance and were allowed to test it – just in time for our Easter tour.

   The extension fits exactly onto the existing sink and enlarges the basin. The small corner sink becomes a round, normal-sized sink. The extension stops water from ending up on the floor when you use it (e.g. when washing your face).

   No tools are needed to fit it. The extension is simply placed onto the existing sink from above and held in place by the side supports. It doesn't tip over and can take a bit of weight. While driving we didn't notice any rattling from the fitted extension.

   For showering, the extension is simply taken off – it only takes a second. We just stand it upright in the sink and can then close the shower doors.

   Another big advantage of the extension is that you can now wash your hair over the sink. We simply use the shower head and wash our hair over the extended basin. No more water on the floor.

   We can only recommend the extension.

   Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

   The extension costs 89 euros (as of 6/2022) and can be ordered directly from www.perfect-van.de.

   

   

9. Rear pull-out tray

   In August 2026, we added a pull-out system to our Malibu. Measuring 40x120 cm, the system accommodates two standard Euro-crates. It features a full-extension slide with a 200 kg load capacity, offering a high level of convenience. I mounted the pull-out system onto the existing Malibu intermediate floor, which still leaves enough space underneath to store our chairs and table.