Verdict
Pricey, but great value and impressive. However, the cramped dinette floor may put off some buyers.
Pros
Beautifully built and tastefully furnished
UK models have a very high specification
The sleeping area is great
Cons
Dinette floor is cluttered with the intrusion of the gas bottle locker
Limited kitchen workspace
Living
The Rapido boasts a single side-facing seat behind the driver opposite the dinette. Pale upholstery really brightens the interior, but in practical terms, it may show grubby marks in use and look shabby over time. Where the lounge suffers a little is in respect of the seat height, exacerbated by its Aguti seats, which sit lower than the standard Fiat items. However, they flick around into the lounge position with minimal effort and slide into the table pretty well.
The table is something of a work of art, providing a flat surface, without the need for lumps of lumber having to be lifted and stored away while in transit. The spring-loaded table extension simply slides out from underneath and lifts up flush with the main table surface.
A minus point is the lack of leg room beneath the dinette table. The gas-locker eats into the space under the table, which means the seat nearest the wall is at best compromised and at worst downright uncomfortable.
Kitchen
The kitchen is behind the habitation door, on the offside. It has a large 150-litre fridge freezer at the foot of the offside bed, which leaves room for an oven under the worktop. However, this is placed directly opposite the washroom door, making it slightly tricky to access.
Despite this, though the detailing is thoughtful. For instance, a small pull-out work area under the sink serves as useful food preparation space, while the deep open-sided drawer beneath provides acres of storage space for food tins and eight wine bottles. There is also a drop-in fabric bin suitable for dry waste, or fruit and vegetables. Beneath the oven is another large locker, but there’s only one overhead locker as the other is for a TV set.
Washroom
This area is a little short on floor space but the same criticism can be levelled at the Rapido. It is similarly well appointed, but the sliding shower door is not all that handy, and the stepped shower floor may be awkward for some.
The washroom feels small, too, because there are few mirrors and dark wood. The shower feels luxurious and the Thetford is usable without having to swivel the bowl, unlike the others on test here.
Beds
The Rapido offers good access to the bed area – at the expense of garage size – and it has the feel of a good quality hotel room. You can make the two single beds into a double by pulling the aluminium frames from beneath the mattresses and using the infill cushions to make up a double bed. Even though the wardrobe sits partially between the two singles, the made-up double is so big, it can be used transversely.
There is the option of an occasional single bed at the front of the ’van. It’s always useful to have an extra bed, but ultimately, the beds are not that great and the Rapido’s in particular is heavy and cumbersome to make up.
Storage
There’s ample storage space for all but the heaviest packers. There are many nice touches such as towel rails and coat hooks– the sort of details easily missed but which make a difference to day-to-day living in a motorhome. For overcab storage, there’s one corner cupboard and open shelves.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 400 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.19 m |
| Width | 2.31 m |
