MMM Motorhome Awards 2024: Best Drop-Down Bed Motorhome
Welcome to the MMM Motorhome Awards 2024 award for Best Drop-Down Bed Motorhome, delivered in association with Creation Personal Finance.
One of the most important innovations of the last few years, models with lowering beds as their primary night-time accommodation are a big growth area.
We are delighted to reveal the 2024 winner and two highly commended runners-up.
WINNER – Best Drop-Down Bed Motorhome
Rapido 606F
(Photos courtesy of Warners Group Publications)
Why the Rapido 606F?
In the October 2023 issue of What Motorhome, we said the Rapido 606F “looks like winner.” I hope we didn’t give the game away too early but this new 2024-season model seemed like a shoo-in for the Drop-down Bed award from the get-go.
This type of motorhome – sub-7m in length with a large front lounge, an equally generous rear washroom and, importantly, a full-sized garage but without a fixed bed – has been growing steadily in popularity since Chausson first brought us the concept with its 640. It’s not hard to see the appeal of models like this, which offer lots of living space for a couple, plenty of storage and a near-instant double bed, just by pressing a button or turning a key.
The new Rapido starts off with an instant advantage in its sector, not only benefiting from the aesthetic makeover of the whole 6F range this year but with an overall length of just 6.69m – 30cm less than many of its key rivals.
.jpg "Rapido 606F")
An innovative design
Inside, you don’t feel any loss of space – in fact, quite the opposite. The longer of the two sofas measures 1.58m and headroom under the stowed drop-down bed is 1.91m. There are further pluses, too, such as the reading lights over the swivel cab chairs, the fold-in-half table and an offside armrest, which becomes a headrest when the settees are converted into travel seats. With this French firm, you can take as read the well-proportioned sofas and restful décor, while the familiar choice of Nacarat or Luceo furniture gives you a choice of ambience. Meanwhile, new black fittings and terracotta drapes keep things up to date cosmetically.
As this is the Drop-Down Bed category, of course, the bed itself is a key part of the model’s success. Not only is it a good size (1.91m by 1.46m), but it comes down to just 79cm off the floor, which is almost certainly a best-in-class figure. And the mattress is shaped so that access through the habitation door is not disrupted.
The kitchen has an automatic energy selection fridge/freezer with 167-litre capacity and, for the UK, an oven that’s positioned sensibly. Then, across the rear, the palatial washroom comes with a large separate shower and it serves as a spacious dressing area, too. Rapido’s designers have also given more thought to the wardrobe space, making access to your clothes easier than in most rivals.
Under the wardrobe is a garage boasting a 1.20m internal height (ideal for cycles) and, although this is a licence-friendly 3.5-tonne motorhome, there’s still a useful payload of 545kg – plenty for two people.
Rapido is, perhaps, quite late in introducing a model like this to its range, but not being an early adopter means you can learn from your rivals. It certainly seems to have done that here, creating a model that goes straight to the top of its class.
Specifications
Price from:
£74,800
Base vehicle:
Peugeot Boxer
Berths:
4
Travel seats:
4
Length:
6.69m
Width:
2.35m
Height:
2.90m
Gross weight:
3,500kg
Payload:
545kg
Highly commended
Pilote Atlas A656D
(Photos courtesy of Pilote)
If you find the other motorhomes in this category a bit too samey, then maybe the new Atlas, from Gallic maker, Pilote, will be right up your rue.
From the dark metallic grey cab, black alloy wheels and grille emblazoned with ‘FORD’ to its angular overcab and geometric graphics, the A656D is eye-catching. And it’s compact, too, at only 6.60m long and 2.19m wide. Pilote is not the only brand trying to tempt those seeking something more spacious than a campervan.
Inside, this Pilote is, again, a brave new world. The layout is familiar but the design is bolder than anything previously built at La Limouzinière. The grey upholstery is quite automotive in style, while the cabinets feature contrasting blue/grey drawer fronts.
The drop-down bed (1.89m by 1.40m) lowers right down to just 94cm off the floor, while the rear washroom has the superior Dometic toilet. The most unusual feature (which we like), however, is the pigeonhole-style storage for folded clothing and sundry other kit.
Specifications
Price from:
£84,500
Base vehicle:
Ford Transit
Berths:
4
Travel seats:
4
Length:
6.60m
Width:
2.19m
Height:
2.69m
Gross weight:
3,500kg
Payload:
485kg
Highly commended
Swift Voyager 540
(Staff photos)
.jpg "Swift Voyager 540")
New last year, Swift’s Voyager range was the British company’s first foray into Ford-based coachbuilt motorhomes. It continues into 2024 with just some detail enhancements to the spec. New features include external shower and barbecue points, cup holders for the rear travel seats, cab blinds, and a hanging rail in the shower. All useful stuff, but perhaps the key thing is that the Voyager is still keenly priced at just under £70k.
That figure doesn’t require you to fork out more cash for options packs – the only factory add-on is Ford’s automatic transmission. Included as standard are a 100W solar panel, alloy wheels, reversing camera, 9in infotainment touchscreen, dual-fuel heating (which can be used on gas en route) and the VIN Chip anti-theft system.
.jpg "Voyager 540 lounge")
.jpg "Voyager 540 kitchen")
As you’d anticipate in a British motorhome, the 540’s lounge is both spacious and comfortable, with sofas that have nicely raked backrests. And the kitchen has the expected oven/grill, plus a mains hotplate and the possibility of a dealer-fitted microwave, too.
Specifications
Price from:
£69,870
Base vehicle:
Ford Transit
Berths:
4
Travel seats:
4
Length:
7.01m
Width:
2.37m
Height:
2.87m
Gross weight:
3,500kg
Payload:
495kg
Finished reading?
Return to our MMM Motorhome Aawards 2024 main page to see all the motorhome award categories and disvcover who was our overall winner.
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