Key Features
| Model Year | 2014 |
| Class | Low Profile |
| Base Vehicle | Fiat Ducato |
| Price From (£) | 49,700 |
| Engine Size | 2.3TD |
| Maximum Weight (kg) | 3,500 |
| Berths | 3 |
| Main Layout | French Bed |
At a glance
Full review
The Rapido 640 has a very desirable rear island bed, which until now has been seen only in relatively long motorhomes.
French manufacturer Rapido has just launched an innovative new low-profile in its 'entry-level' 6-series line-up. The 640 is just under 6.5 metres long, so it's very short for this type of layout.The designers at Rapido have come up with clever solutions for the kitchen, washroom and front dinette areas, enabling this design to cram a lot into not much space.
Base Vehicle
The base is the obvious Fiat Ducato, fitted with a 2.3-litre 130bhp engine and six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
The chassis is the low-slung, wide-tracked Fiat and on such a relatively compact vehicle, fuel economy is good.
The coachbuilt bodywork is all in durable glass-fibre, plus there's glass-fibre lining on the underside of the floor.
Living Area
On site, the cab seats swivel easily to face the fixed table, and on either side there's a small settee, providing space for four to sit comfortably and dine on the table.
For travelling, the two side facing seats can be turned into forward-facing seats and come with three-point seatbelts.
The Kitchen
The transverse kitchen unit here is the patented innovation in this layout. It runs across the vehicle rather than sitting along a side wall.
There's still a large gap to get through to the rear, while an XL-sized fridge/freezer and a high -level gas oven occupy space on the nearside wall, forming an L-shape.
Sleeping Area
The bedroom area features a generous island bed which measures just under two metres at its longest point, though it is curved to allow access on both sides.
The bed features a Bultex mattress, fitted on a slatted base, which lifts up on gas struts to reveal the space below, giving easy access to the fresh water tank and electrical RCD's, as well as the standard Truma Combi 6E heater.
Washroom
The main compartment is alongside the bed on the nearside, and contains a bench cassette toilet and a shower tray set into the floor.
There's also a wall locker with mirrored front, plus a pull-out clothes drying line.
For the shower, a set of plastic screens fold out to shield the toilet from splashes, which also means there are no clinging shower curtains, so it's a very practical design.
The vanity unit is situated in the bedroom area and features a small circular basin with a chrome mixer tap, plus a large sliding mirror which pushes away to reveal the tap for this basin.
To read this review in full, click here to buy a digital copy of August 2013 Which Motorhome
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