Which van conversion

[sandalwood]

Between Adria 640SLX (2015) or Rapido V 68 (2018). Adria no oven. Small fridge bathroom round door difficult. Rapido expensive has oven. Big fridge freezer good bathroom. Having driven van, great drive. But again is storage problem! Having driven prefer drive to my big lovely Rapido 776 Ff

 

Undecided?

[Derek Uzzell]

Adria and Rapido are both reputable makes, but other manufacturers make PVCs with twin rear beds. A 2018 Rapido V68 should have all its warranties in place, whereas a 2015 Adria 640SLX’s warranties will (probably) all have expired. The Rapido has an oven (Quite likely in a daft position!) but its asking-price is bound to be significantly higher than a 2015 Adria’s. Although both vehicles will have been built on a similar type of base, the Rapido’s motor should be Euro 6 compliant and the the Adria’s Euro 5. You appear to be focusing on the interior layout/equipment, without considering the specification of the Ducato panel-van on which each vehicle was constructed (Do both have similar output motors? Do both have ESC? etc.)

 

Seems to me you are seeking guidance on choosing between a near-new and a 3-year-old PVC when the most important factor is likely to be the price rather which design is ‘better’ than the other. Not sure how anyone can help with that type of comparison.

[Rayjsj]

We have friends who downsized to a Rapido V68, they have owned it for nearly 2 years and have nothing but praise for it for long distance, long term touring.

We had a look over it not long after they bought it and were very impressed with the innovation and quality of the conversion.

A strong contender if we ever have to replace our 600 V line. Go for it, it will hold its value well.

[colin]

Get a Globecar Campscout and ask the dealer to fit a small oven.

[veletron]

Hi

 

Still very happy with my V55 (actually branded campereve, but same van). Have a look at Dreamer Van - they come from the same factory. same layouts as the Rapido branded vans + some additional layouts - more choice of spec vs price.

 

https://www.dreamer-van.co.uk/

 

Nigel

[Derek Uzzell]

This video-clip relates to a 2015 Adria Twin 640 SLX

 

 

It’s likely that Rapido sacrifices one of a V68’s kitchen-unit drawers in order to install the optional 20-litre oven (as shown in the attached photo of a V55’s kitchen-unit).

 

The Adria has a similar design of space-saving shower cubicle as Globecar tends to use, with a sliding tambour door, whereas the V68 has a more conventional washroom. Neither has a genuine ‘separate’ shower.

 

The thing is, though, that (as I understand it!) sandalwood is not having difficulty deciding between new or recent Adria or Rapido models or any similar new models from other manufacturers, but between a 2018 Rapido and a 3-year-old Adria. The Rapido will probably have an asking-price some £10K higher than the Adria’s, but the Adria will have experienced three years of use (What’s the mileage: what are its tyres like?) and its original Fiat/Adria warranties will no longer be valid.

 

If sandalwood were asking for advice on buying new 6.36m-long PVCs with twin longitudinal rear-beds, or even choosing between two similar age/similar price PVCs with that interior layout, it might be possible to help. But choosing between a 3-year-old vehicle and a much more expensive current model will very much be down to how much the buyer will be prepared to fork out.

 

Personally, if the Adria and the Rapido were both 2018 models with much the same price and specification (ignoring the oven that I’d not want anyway) I’d probably opt for the Adria as I believe it’s likely to be better and more sensibly built.

 

 

[sandalwood]

Tks for advice. You say you don’t want oven, how do you cook? Mileage 5K seems nice van,sold because of illness. Just have to get used to limited space. Should we have Rapido, we pay £30k extra for freezer and oven!

 

Regards

 

Shirley

[spirou]

Who uses an oven/microwave in a van?!? There's hardly any space as it is, I don't expect to be cooking anything complicated that would require either. The space you save by getting rid of them can be used for actual food.

[Derek Uzzell]

sandalwood - 2018-09-20 6:33 PM

 

Tks for advice. You say you don’t want oven, how do you cook? ...

Regards

 

Shirley

 

I manage to avoid motorhome cooking duties and my wife - though an excellent cook - considers that motorcaravanning and her needing to use an oven would be an alien combination.

 

Our 1st motorhome (a UK-built Herald) had a large gas oven and a 4-burner gas hob with grill. The oven was never used and the grill fell apart. Our 2nd motorhome (a German built Hobby) had a 3-burner gas hob and no oven or grill. We never regretted the lack of oven and grill and our current French-built Rapido 640F has just a 2-burner gas hob. The Rapido standard UK specification for a 640F includes a sizeable gas-oven mounted high up above the fridge/freezer, but I deleted the oven when I ordered the motorhome gaining a large storage locker as a result.

 

It seems to be an obsession for any motorhome sold in the UK to have some sort of oven, but our dietary requirements definitely don’t need one. Our motorcaravanning involves a no-cooking breakfast, generally eating out middle-day and a no-cooking snack in the evening. My wife seems to have no difficulty producing a cooked meal if necessary using the Rapido’s 2-burner hob, just as she had no problems doing this using just a 2-burner Campingaz stove when we went tenting.

[polo]

Sorry to buck the trend. We have a Rapido V55 which we are very happy with away for a month this year with no storage problems. As for cooker we have the smev 20ltr. It was fitted when we bought the van new. Would not have speced it as previous smev grill same size only dried food not cooked it! But this oven is very useful for the two of us and suprisingly cooks very well

[Muswell]

Is that funny little cupboard with the glass door an oven? I always wondered what it was.

[jumpstart]

I have to say I’m slightly amazed people don’t use an oven. If in Spain at30deg I fully understand but in this country I would have thought it people would use it. We’re off next week for a couple of days hiking the Macmillan trail, so rolls for lunch and Shephards pie or lasagna or curry in the oven for the evening.Meals are pre prepared and frozen .Its so easy especially if your wife does the cooking.

On the subject of which van conversion you could always have one built to your specification,which I will be doing from a reputable company next year.

[derek500]

We have a microwave that's used for food storage and as a microwave when on hook up. Very handy.

 

We use an Amazon Czech Cooker (cheap Remoska) as an oven when on hook up.

 

When off hook up we use the gas grill. Wrapping food in foil makes it like an oven for heating food.

[Derek Uzzell]

In 2015 there was a long discussion about ovens in motorhomes

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Ovens-in-Motorhomes/38218/

 

For a Rapido 640F model like mine, if bought in France the cost of specifying the optional gas-oven would be around €600. As there’s no logical place to install it elsewhere the oven goes high up above the fridge/freezer - it’s quite big with a miirrored front as shown in the relevant photo in this advert

 

http://www.thompsonleisure.com/motorhomes-for-sale/rapido-640f-2016-3-berth-motorhome/4526/

 

Not having the oven means that there will be a deep shelved storage locker instead, as pictured in this other advert and, for us, this locker is far more useful.

 

https://www.hlindner.at/web/de/caravan/rapido-640f

 

(Incidentally, the flimsy plastic end-supports for the wardrode-rail (photo attached) fragmented during our last trip. It’s quite likely that Rapido uses these supports on other models, so - if your Rapido has them - check for cracking. Better still, replace the complete rail with something more substantial as a precautionary measure.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spirou]

Wrapping food in alu foil while cooking is not the brightest idea from a health perspective. It's not terrible, but best avoided.

[artheytrate]

In our Globecar Campscout we only have the 2 burner hob and we use a double skillet, and Pat my wife turns out some fantastic meals with this.

 

 

Double skillet pan+diffusser caravan motorhome vw campervan roast w/out an oven

 

John.

[peterjl]

We switched vans earlier this year and ditched the oven. We have two burners which is more than sufficient.

 

I don’t think an oven should be a deciding factor. Other features of the van will have a greater impact on how the van works for you.

 

Peter

[monique.hubrechtsgm]

I have gas oven whit grill. To prepare pizza and heat up bread in the morning etc. This is a must have if avaible as an option. Do not agree whit most of above comments.

[spirou]

I don't even like making pizza at home, forget about making that kind of mess in the van. There's a decent pizza place anywhere :D

[gdf]

Can't speak for the Adria but we have had a V68 for a year now and find there is loads of storage particularly at the back of the van. It has a false floor at the back where i can store the 'dirty' stuff - hookup cable, levelling ramps etc. I've also found it very easy to access the stuff in the 'boot' space without opening the back doors by simply lifting the offside bed.

 

The drawbacks I've found are:-

 

As we have electric bikes and didn't want the weight on a door mounted rack (hinges not up to it after a few years of use) we fitted a cycle carrier to the chassis. This has increased the length of the van and the overhang along with putting a lot of weight on the rear axle so the space is difficult to use within the axle loads.

 

The toilet/shower compartment seems to be small - the hand basin gets in the way and the cupboard above the toilet seat is hard when I hit my head on it.

 

The waste water tank is below the van which gives two issues. It easily bottoms on speed bumps and the drain hole drains underneath the van which means in cold weather you can't easily let it dribble into a container to prevent freezing. There is not enough height to add bits to drain to the side.

 

We swapped a 2011 Autocruise Accent for the V68 and - tin hat on - I don't think that Rapido design or customer service is as good as Swift's.

 

Hope this helps

 

Dave

[sandalwood]

Hi

 

Tks for info. Notice you have van conversion, isspace and bed making an issue! After having a big vehicle, the vans are small! I’m thinking, cut down on clothes, odd and s...do and adapt? Am I right?