Full review

It’s no secret that Rapido sometimes uses its lower-priced sub-brands – Dreamer for campervans, Itineo for A-class motorhomes – to test new layouts and new ideas before incorporating them into the parent company’s range.

We’re rather hoping that this will be the case with the FB650, for we reckon it could be just right for the UK market, and a great replacement for the late lamented Rapido 9048dF.

In the meantime, both of the UK’s Itineo dealers are advertising stock vehicles and, should this layout end up in the 2018 Rapido portfolio, prices are likely to be rather steeper than the very appealing £52k price tag here.

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So, what’s so great about this newcomer from Itineo?

Well, it’s a compact (6.55m long) A-class without a fixed bed for a start – and that’s a breed that’s always had a good following here.

Where this style of motorhome has sometimes proved lacking, though, is in terms of externally accessed storage space. The FB650 not only has a full-sized rear garage, but it comes with three loading doors. The ones in the rear wall and on the nearside may only be quite small, but the offside door is almost of entrance door height. Moreover, the garage itself goes right to the ceiling on this side and has 1.20m headroom across the full width of the ’van. Loading capacity back here is up to 150kg, while the vehicle’s overall payload is over 500kg.

The rest of the exterior is typical Itineo – an A-class with a look that you won’t mistake for other brands. That long expanse of dashboard ahead of the driver does take a little getting used to, though.

The captain’s chairs – complete with integral seatbelts – rotate easily and they turn to face a surprisingly generous lounge. There’s a two-person, inward-facing sofa on the offside and a good-sized L-settee opposite. The table is large and a permanent fixture but it can slide right across to the nearside to create a gangway through to the cab.

The kitchen is L-shaped and located immediately to the rear of the habitation door. By placing the three-burner hob in the corner of the unit, Itineo has created a good amount of worktop, while the galley also boasts an excellent slide-out pantry unit. The fridge is a 142-litre slim-tower and an oven can be fitted above.

To the rear, the bathroom is a star feature. There’s loads of space in here, plus a separate shower and a vast wardrobe with both shelving and hanging space.

Finally, of course, the main bed is the A-class drop-down number in the cab. The bed doesn’t come down as low as in some rivals, while mattress dimensions are 1.89m by 1.38m.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the June 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.