Rapido Series 7065

A FINER WAY TO SEE THE WORLD

Words and photos by John Page

Depend on it if the machine bears the RAPIDO logo then the design approach will have genuine flair married to robust construction. Such an ethos is highly valued by Brownhills of Newark who made the 7065 Low Profile available to us for a spell. Beautiful Clumber Park and the Caravan Club’s campsite was the locale in unseasonable sunshine during early November.Powered and driven by Fiat, within a body length of 7.39m the wide-bodied Al-Ko chassis rear section is mated to the Fiat cab as a basis for a superb piece of aerodynamic styling. Metallic silver paintwork completes the picture. Rapido term the 7065 a 2+1 on the basis of its three berths although there are four safety belt fitted seats for travel and generous seating at mealtimes. The twin bedded sleeping layout is now firmly established as a popular floor plan, especially by those who spend a lot of time in countries near the equator and, dare I say it, probably of a mature age. The en-suite bathroom spans the full vehicle width and the angled galley is opposite the entrance door ‘midships. Up front the cab floor space is part of a wonderfully light lounge/diner in which a crew of two can sprawl languorously. All this within a relatively compact body length of surprising manoeuvrability.
Construction The long wheelbase chassis is an amalgam of the Al-Ko wide track, torsion bar sprung rear section with a Fiat cab that contains the engine and transmission unit. Advanced technology for the exterior shell is a composite of aluminium bonded to GRP with a final gel coat. All of which makes for considerable strength and high resistance to UV and water ingress. Insulation is of high density Styrofoam and the complete assembly makes for a thickness of 30mm for roof and walls and a 40mm floor. On the basis that the roof and bonnet form part of the overall RAPIDO styling the description could be described as semi-integral – a cut above standard chassis cab designs.It’s about more than good looks though because the standard of joinery, fittings and overall construction throughout is quite special. On the outside all the various external compartment doors open smoothly and lock positively. Inside, with warm looking maple from Canada as the raw material the finish and function of all the timber components is a pleasure. Accessibility to the gas, electric and control systems has been well planned so you don’t have to search to find batteries fuses and so on. Nor is it necessary to read the instructions to discover how the 12v control systems operate – it’s visually obvious.
ON THE ROAD

A long wheelbase chassis complete with independent suspension for all four wheels and that wide track for the pair at the rear is a good starting point to achieve stability and smooth travel whether cruising long distance or meandering to savour the countryside. Leave the photography to your navigator though: it’s safer that way. Our demonstrator with the 3.0-litre motor and automatic gearbox is the crème de la crème of Fiat Motorhome mechanicals with 160bhp of effortless power and the ultra simplicity of gear swapping whether you choose to leave it on auto or take command. The changeover at any time is essentially instantaneous. Try it and marvel. On fuel consumption another benefit of this particular type of auto/manual transmission is a fuel consumption rating comparable to a Motorhome with purely manual gearbox, as distinct from a conventional auto transmission where the mpg is less favourable.  A passenger airbag was welcome, as were the rear view camera and the use of the internal heater when on the move, a long overdue facility for all of us who camp throughout the year. Stress when behind the wheel is perhaps now more prevalent than it has ever been, due to the sheer density of traffic, private and commercial, the excessive speed of some thoughtless drivers and the way that the modern car tends to cocoon its driver in a comfortable dream world of unreality.  Motorhome pilots I suggest are not in that category because they are conscious of handling a larger vehicle that demands full attention, they are sat higher for a better view of the surrounding traffic and, usually, they have the experience that comes with maturity. Some of Rapido’s contributions to keeping the captain cool and calm are the supplementary heating, excellent radio reception plus low airstream and vehicle body noise levels. Not forgetting of course the well upholstered six dimensional adjustable cab seats.In Nottinghamshire mountains are few and far between but whenever hills or mountains are on the horizon the sun roof above the cab will give the passengers a marvellous unfolding panorama of the view ahead. It will also provide plenty of extra ventilation on the move in hot weather.
COMFORTABLY COCOONED

Deep blue and soft grey are a pleasant change for a Motorhome fabric scheme but it has a fresh feel to it and contrasts well to the Maple woodwork. There’s plenty of space for five to sit around the table in comfort and the table swivels back front or sideways smoothly before locking in position. It also adjusts for height to support the cushions for the third bed. The lighting is three-fold, either soft indirect, general or adjustable for reading or writing. Radio reception and CD playing are superb from the Pioneer audio package with extra speakers in the lounge and bedroom. TV too has a well-engineered mount for a flat screen set, sliding out from its housing and angling front or back for viewing in the lounge or the bedroom. Truma Combi gas or electric space and water heating are highly effective through the duct system that can also be switched on whilst travelling. In the hot weather four roof vents including the sun roof will be highly effective, as well as windows and the habitation door, everyone of which entrances are fully fly -screened to deter the aerial pests.

Sleeping Twin bedded style here has a whole raft of advantages additional to the actual couches. It makes possible a full vehicle width washroom, the beds are left made-up, sleeping in summer will be cooler and there is yards of stowage capacity within the bed bases. Foam mattresses with sprung slatted bases are decidedly comfortable and both rise effortlessly on gas struts. Here again the illumination is every bit as special as it is in the lounge but there are also a pair of spotlights at ground level to avoid mishaps on the way to the washroom at night. Well made doors give privacy from the lounge and the washroom. So with Radio and TV relayed to this sleeping compartment there is every encouragement to retire early and rise late. Lowering the lounge table on its pneumatic support and re-arranging cushions to create an odd looking but potentially comfortable bed up front creates the plus-one berth. Many and various are the methods of arranging privacy for the cab, often flimsy or fussy; so the Rapido system of a pleated blind that slides upwards for the windscreen to leave the mirror intact and fan shaped blinds that open effortlessly upwards through 90o for the cab door windows has the problem solved.

CULINARY TACKLE

Not lavish of dimension but definitely planned well for the storage, preparation, lighting and the steam extraction. 150-litres of cold store is opposite but within arms length and beneath the worktop is a decent size oven, capacious drawer space for pots etc and a couple more for implements and wrappings. Careful storage for up to nine bottles of wine and the cabinet for the glasses and mixers also show a civilised French regard for some of the true necessities of camping by Motorhome.The three hob burners have spark ignition and cunning split section glass top that maximises workspace whilst one of the burners is in use. There’s an efficient extractor at eye-level and spotlights are well placed at ceiling height and directly above the worktop. Ingeniously designed twin sinks cater for the washing and the rinsing – all of which adds up to a thoughtfully designed meal-making machine.

WASHROOM

Have a glance at the photo to appreciate some of the finer points of this splendid washroom. It all implies hands-on experience from the designer or perhaps designers.  Check out the genuine wooden duckboard in the shower and the amount of floor space to double as a changing room with the wardrobe alongside. The mirror, the stainless steel deep bowl and the really effective ventilation, it’s all here and sensibly placed. The latest ingenious flushing toilet of course and beneath a trap door in the floor a large compartment to hide valuables. Hooks and racks for the towels just where you need them and the same for the toothbrushes and unguents. Very few Motorhome washrooms will match this style.

STORAGE

Checking out the total stowage arrangements you will get the distinct impression that intelligent planning of this important item has been considered from the outset rather than squeezing in space after the machine has been assembled. Space in the cab relates to whatever may be needed en route such as maps, documents and snacks as well as the fire extinguisher. Boots can also stash in the large locker near the entrance door. In the bedroom, sleep tackle and outdoor gear have loads of space under the bed bases as well as generous roof locker capacity. Elsewhere the galley and washroom I’ve covered, leaving the additional exterior access for skis, tripods and climbing gear.

SUMMARY

A real pleasure to live with this French Motorhome for an all too short spell but sufficient to appreciate that it is a Motorhome of quality designed to work without stress or hassle. Among the many details I’ve mentioned it is worth noting the utter simplicity of the control panel to operate and to check out. Good and obvious access for the auxiliary battery and the electrical control systems. Basically things genuinely work as the designer intended. Apart from all else what a fantastic looking Motorhome where the quality of the exterior is a whole lot more than skin deep. Taking everything into account the £69,224 to put this 7065 on the road is a real value for money price offering stiff competition to any vehicle of comparable specification but don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

TECHNICAL DATA

Vehicle specification:

Rapido 7065 three berth Low Profile Motorhome

Price of vehicle tested: £69,224

Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Brownhills Motorhomes, A1/A46 Junction, Newark, Notts, NG24 2EA

CONVERSION

Overall length: 7.39m

Overall width: 2.35m

Overall height: 2.76m

MPTLM: 3500kg

Payload: 400kg

Construction:  Aluminium/GRP composite exterior with Styrofoam insulation

Fresh water capacity: 100-litres

Waste water capacity:  10-litres

Gas storage capacity: two x 7kg cylinders

Auxiliary battery: 100Ah

Refrigerator: Dometic 150-litre fridge/freezer

Water heater: Truma Combi 6 EH, gas and electric water and space heating

Lighting:  Generous mix of individual spotlights and subdued indirect lighting

Upholstery: modern chenille fabric in deep blue and soft grey

Other equipment fitted: Cab air con’, reversing camera, passenger airbag, 28-litre oven with grill, living area door mosquito screen,

BASE VEHICLE

Type:  Fiat LWB chassis mated to the Al-KO, wide track chassis.

Power unit:  2999cc, multijet four-cylinder turbo diesel

Maximum power: 157bhp @ 3600 rpm

Maximum torque: 400 Nm @ 1700-2500rpm

Transmission: six-speed auto/manual transmission to front wheels

Steering: power assisted rack and pinion

Braking: servo assisted system to all disc wheels with ABS and ESP

PERFORMANCE

Fuel consumption: 24-26 mpg estimated

Maximum speed: 80+ mph estimated

Comfortable cruising speed: 65-75 mph where legal