Review written on 8/1964.
The new Appalachian looks to put Calboni on the map against rivals in the Van segment. This new Van has some intriguing features, but is it enough to push the Appalachian to the top of your buying list above Alpine? Or is it such a lemon that it should be forgotten much like the Entrance? Let's take a look at the details in this month's Vehicle Review!

Normally we take the vehicles out to the track as our first test. And to be honest we tried, but the Calboni Appalachian is so slow that it took us nearly 3 hours just getting out of the parking lot. And that shows you how dreadful this Van is. The 122 hp @ 4348RPMs 4778 cc I3 engine is grossly underpowered. Interestingly enough if you waited all week you could power the Appalachian up to a top speed of 69 mph and accelerate full throttle with a 22.427s 0 to 60 mph time. With its 118 lb-ft of torque you can tow around 1095 lbs but don't expect to get there anytime soon. Compared to its peers in the Van class the Calboni Appalachian selling point should not be driveability. The Appalachian offers bare bones handling. There is just enough grip in the wheels to keep you from flying off the side of a cliff... But not much. On the track, it is not much better. So in a nut shell the Appalachian is as slow as a rock. The only way to make it move is to push it off a cliff.

We were mortified when we began our interior testing of the Calboni Appalachian. This vehicle lacks basic features you'd expect in a toy car, let alone a vehicle that costs this much. The flint stones had more comfortable rides. It is because of the abhorrent lack of oversight by Calboni that we have no reason to recommend this vehicle when it comes to comforts.

Amazingly spacey the Calboni Appalachian can bost 123 cu-ft interior and cargo space. This vehicle is massive compared to most. It's one of our top choices when it comes to practicality.

The Calboni Appalachian has just enough labor of love in it to make it better than most other vehicles. Even though it came off an assembly line you can tell that the employees at Calboni love their job. This is reflected in the quality of material and workmanship used to finish the product.

Do expect major repairs over the life time of owning a Calboni Appalachian. This is to be expected as it's not designed to be a life long vehicle.

Here is a pro-stock tip. If the Calboni Appalachian sells any meaningful number of vehicles, be sure to buy fuel stocks! It's that bad! The Appalachian gets an abysmal 5.9 mpg! This is not the vehicle for trying to save money on fuel expenses.

Safety is another important topic on the minds of many. The Calboni Appalachian maintains the average amount of safety features for this type of vehicle. While not overly impressive, it should be enough to keep you alive in most cases. Don't expect miracles however.

The Calboni Appalachian fits the mold of your prototypical Van. It meets all the necessary requirements of being a good Van and at times is quite enjoyable. It may not be the best. But it is still a good Van.