Do old Rapido's age as well as old Hymers?

[stagn8]

Hi,

 

First post and looking to tap into the collective wisdom on here. :-D

 

We want to change our motor-home and are looking to buck the current trend and upsize! We currently have a Hymer 650 A-class, which is a bar model 3 berth, it is 18 years old (1998) and still in remarkably good condition. What we now need is a van with twin singles, full size garage and the drop down front bed so we can let the family use it when we aren't. Very young kids in the singles and parents in the drop down.

 

I know there are plenty of very modern vans with this layout but can't find much that is a few years old and in our price range. One that does take our fancy is the Rapido 9066 or if we are lucky the 966m (Mercedes). So, what construction method did Rapido use around 2007 and will it last for a good few years more ( we have had the Hymer 6 years).

 

Alternatively, are there any other makes or models that fit our criteria that we haven't come across, I am sure there must be a Hymer with the required layout but I don't know what model it is. Don't really want to spend more than around the £35k mark.

 

Looking forward to a few views and thoughts.

 

Keith

[hagrid]

Hymer B588 I believe is the layout.

 

When we were looking to purchase, we were fortunate to be able to view the models we were interested in, a new Hymer and a new Rapido parked next to each other. We spent a long time comparing the two, we chose the Hymer and have never regretted our choice for a moment. Like all things, it comes down to personal choice, my personal opinion is that the Hymer had a better detailed finish and it was apparent to me, that it would probably be more durable. No doubt, there will be Rapido owners with the opposite opinion.

[StuartO]

I have a 2006 Fiat-based Hymer B674 which has two singles at the back, garage under and a drop down double at the front.  The swing-wall bathroom is clever because it gives you a decent sized bathroom and a separate, full size shower space.  Ours has the low level single beds (which reduces garage height) but some were built with stairs up to higher level beds, (but no upper lockers in the bedroom) allowing for a full height garage, necessary if you want to put a motorcycle or scooter in there.  We're still happy with the low level beds we chose, which makes for a much better bedroom and the garage is plenty big enough fro storage. 

 

You should be able to get one the same age as ours within your budget but they weren't that common and you might need to get it in Germany. Hymer also made a Mercedes-based similar layout, a bit longer overall with a bigger fridge - but too long for our garage and about £10,000 more to buy.  I think it was the B680. 

 

[Tracker]

Having travelled a lot in mainland Euroland we see a lot of old, some very old, Hymers in various states of wear and tear, some fabulous for their age and some that we are amazed they are still working and/or legal.

 

We don''t see more than the very rare old Rapido, or indeed any other make, but that may have something to do with the sheer popularity and historical market share of the Hymer brand over so many years?

 

 

[stagn8]

Thanks guys, the Hymer model numbers are very useful, gives me a few more models to search for. I do favour Hymer as they are familiar but I also like the look and layout of some of the Rapido's but longevity is the key for me with this kind of investment.

 

Interesting observation about old Rapido's in Europe, I would of thought they would be fairly common. Will be over in France in a few weeks so can look for myself :-D. Still need to investigate Knaus, Burstner, Dethleffs etc. so difficult when you can't just pick up a handful of brochures, still, Newbury soon and it is fairly close.

 

Thanks again,

 

Keith

[StuartO]

Do some browsing on www.mobile.de

 

This link will show you some B674s - note that German private sellers often ask unrealistically high prices, so look at the dealers' offers to indicate actual market prices.

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/search.html?isSearchRequest=true&usage=USED&scopeId=MH&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&makeModelVariant1.makeId=11300&makeModelVariant1.modelDescription=B674

 

[Guest pelmetman]

stagn8 - 2016-05-04 2:58 PM

 

Hi,

 

First post and looking to tap into the collective wisdom on here. :-D

 

We want to change our motor-home and are looking to buck the current trend and upsize! We currently have a Hymer 650 A-class, which is a bar model 3 berth, it is 18 years old (1998) and still in remarkably good condition. What we now need is a van with twin singles, full size garage and the drop down front bed so we can let the family use it when we aren't. Very young kids in the singles and parents in the drop down.

 

I know there are plenty of very modern vans with this layout but can't find much that is a few years old and in our price range. One that does take our fancy is the Rapido 9066 or if we are lucky the 966m (Mercedes). So, what construction method did Rapido use around 2007 and will it last for a good few years more ( we have had the Hymer 6 years).

 

Alternatively, are there any other makes or models that fit our criteria that we haven't come across, I am sure there must be a Hymer with the required layout but I don't know what model it is. Don't really want to spend more than around the £35k mark.

 

Looking forward to a few views and thoughts.

 

Keith

 

Kinda depends on how long your planing to keep it?..........

 

In my view pre 2000 ish vehicles will be able to kept on the road for decades if not indefinitely........ vehicles post 2000 will become nonviable within 15/20 years of build due to MOT restrictions :-| ........

 

Its the elephant in the room that folk don't like to talk about :D ........

 

 

[stagn8]

Thanks for the link Stuart, had a look at the 674 but it is a bit small and only has a half dinette. Had a look for Rapido's 9066's and wow they do keep there value over there. Unless I am doing it wrong they seem to be about 10k more expensive than equivalent over here. (Looking at a 2008, around £35k here and 47k euros over there). 8-)

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Rapidos built around 2007 had bodywork with a rot-vulnerable wood framework (and that’s still the case with most Rapido models to a greater or lesser degree) while circa-2007 Hymers did not. Rapidos have ‘plastic-skinned’ bodywork, so should be more dent- (and hail-) resistant than Hymers with their aluminium skin.

 

Me, if I were looking at 9-year-old Hymers and Rapidos, I’d prefer the former.

[StuartO]

stagn8 - 2016-05-10 3:04 PMThanks for the link Stuart, had a look at the 674 but it is a bit small and only has a half dinette. Had a look for Rapido's 9066's and wow they do keep there value over there. Unless I am doing it wrong they seem to be about 10k more expensive than equivalent over here. (Looking at a 2008, around £35k here and 47k euros over there). 8-)

 

I've always found MHs advertised on mobile.de cheap enough to bring back to UK (having bought from a dealer) and pay less overall than buying in UK.  The euro rate varies and that can make a difference.  Private German sellers tend to over-value their MHs and I suspect they won't sell them easily, even if they do have lower mileages.  The previous owner of Bundesvan once told me that he never bothers with private ads in Germany because the sellers are stubborn and will not negotiate.

 

I appreciate that the B674 only has a half dinette but with the two swiveling front seats we can seat five easily, six at a push.  The lounge and kitchen do overlap but that's the sort of compromise you have to make to get everything in if you take up valuable space with single beds.  I think the low-bed version feels more spacious than the high bed one because the rear end feels like a separate room rather than a bed hole. 

 

The B674 is a 6.9 metre long motorhome, which is long enough for many people.  There are of course longer MHs with more space but they won't drop into your budget range until they are quite a bit older unless you go for a cheaper make.