New van

wildebus said:
very nice finishing touch there. Did you have to rout a channel and then use some 'bang-on' trim?
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That doesn't look like the T-trim David, just pushes on and a tack at the joint keeps it tensioned and stops it from coming off if I'm right.

I've used both in my van.
 
Robmac said:
That doesn't look like the T-trim David, just pushes on and a tack at the joint keeps it tensioned and stops it from coming off if I'm right.

I've used both in my van.
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...unless @GMLS has found an adhesive which actually holds it. If so I would love to know what he used as I still have to do my bathroom door.
 
Robmac said:
That doesn't look like the T-trim David, just pushes on and a tack at the joint keeps it tensioned and stops it from coming off if I'm right.

I've used both in my van.
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sounds simpler to use. Looks spot on whatever it is :D
 
wildebus said:
sounds simpler to use. Looks spot on whatever it is :D
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Yes the routing for the T-trim can be a pain if you don't have a steady hand.

I will use the T-trim again though to edge some shelving which Modom has requested.
 
Fisherman said:
After over two years of waiting we are heading up to Perth this morning to look over our new van. It only arrived last Friday, but the registration process which now takes 3-4 weeks was started a week ago, so we should be ready to go first half of December.
In all that time apart from the NEC February 2022 we have never seen a Rapido V68 anywhere.
Looking forward to having a right good look, do some measuring, and sort a few things out.
Here’s a photo sent from the dealership Dicksons of Perth, who have been great throughout the past two years.

View attachment 125112
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Bill, is the side door electric power closing?
 
I know that they always recommend buying from a dealer near home, but I have owned three vans over my nearly 20 years of motorhoming and each I have bought from way down south (1st van 300 miles away, 2nd van 600 miles away, 3rd van 450miles away). The main reason being that the dealers all had reasonable reputations and they could supply the exact van I wanted in a good time frame and at a good price. I have never regretted buying from so far away. A trip to the dealers, when necessary, can make part of a long trip away (almost a holiday), but I also have an excellent network of local guys who can do both habitation and mechanical work to the manufacturers spec thus maintaining relevant warranties.
I seriously thought of buying from Dixons for one of my vans but their attitude at that time (5 years back) put me off I’m afraid.
 
runnach said:
Bill, is the side door electric power closing?
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No Terry, but it does have the half opened mechanism which we wanted.
I was surprised how quietly we could close the side door, I don’t know if they have improved them, or some folk just love slamming them.
 
Tonybvi said:
I know that they always recommend buying from a dealer near home, but I have owned three vans over my nearly 20 years of motorhoming and each I have bought from way down south (1st van 300 miles away, 2nd van 600 miles away, 3rd van 450miles away). The main reason being that the dealers all had reasonable reputations and they could supply the exact van I wanted in a good time frame and at a good price. I have never regretted buying from so far away. A trip to the dealers, when necessary, can make part of a long trip away (almost a holiday), but I also have an excellent network of local guys who can do both habitation and mechanical work to the manufacturers spec thus maintaining relevant warranties.
I seriously thought of buying from Dixons for one of my vans but their attitude at that time (5 years back) put me off I’m afraid.
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Since ordering the van I have changed the colour, engine size I ordered a 140bhp, then changed to the 180bhp, the boiler I changed from Gas/elec to diesel, upholstery, I wanted a skyview window, then decided not to bother, I added air suspension. Only yesterday I asked for a mains socket, and parking sensors. Tim told me they put 30L of diesel in the tank (Fiat deliver them with just enough to drive 10 miles). I asked him to fill the tank and I would pay the difference, he said don’t worry I will get you a full tank FOC.
Tim forwarded every email he got from Rapido, dealt with all of my changes, kept me up to date. Yesterday he offered to drive us into Perth town centre, but we wanted the walk.
As for buying a good distance away I bought my current van from Catterick Caravans 180 miles away. Twice I had to drive down and spend a night in a hotel. It’s ok if you can make the visit part of a trip, but what happens when it’s urgent as happened to me. I don’t blame the dealers for not taking on warranty work at £35 an hour, when they normally charge £60-70. But this situation should be sorted out.
 
Fisherman said:
No Terry, but it does have the half opened mechanism which we wanted.
I was surprised how quietly we could close the side door, I don’t know if they have improved them, or some folk just love slamming them.
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One day Bill, one day the whooooooosh slaaaam dunk, will be as rare as the Corn Crake in song 🤪
 
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Robmac said:
Yes the routing for the T-trim can be a pain if you don't have a steady hand.

I will use the T-trim again though to edge some shelving which Modom has requested.
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I've found that when using T trim you have to get the groove perfectly central along the edge of the board, if you dont then often it doesn't want to lip over the 2 sides properly, I've taken to making the groove slightly over-width which helps massively with centralising and then applying some glue to the tongue to make sure it doesn't come out.
I did exactly this when I made the unit over our bed, although I couldn't get a perfect colour match for the trim it does fit bang on along the whole length.
PXL_20231121_121845337.jpg

You can also do it without any lip at all, here's our fold down bedside 'tea shelf ' . No lip, just fix the plastic strip over size and then router it off flush with the 2 faces of the board. Obviously edges have to be 100% chip free though.
PXL_20231121_121929761.jpg
PXL_20231121_121916819.jpg
 
merl said:
I've found that when using T trim you have to get the groove perfectly central along the edge of the board, if you dont then often it doesn't want to lip over the 2 sides properly, I've taken to making the groove slightly over-width which helps massively with centralising and then applying some glue to the tongue to make sure it doesn't come out.
I did exactly this when I made the unit over our bed, although I couldn't get a perfect colour match for the trim it does fit bang on along the whole length.
View attachment 125169
You can also do it without any lip at all, here's our fold down bedside 'tea shelf ' . No lip, just fix the plastic strip over size and then router it off flush with the 2 faces of the board. Obviously edges have to be 100% chip free though.View attachment 125170View attachment 125171
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Nice job! A simple but great idea (overwidth routing slot). I bought the router bit along with the trim and although it's a nice tight fit it does give any margin for error so I will find a wider bit!

Some pretty crap photo's here as our van is full of 'stuff' at the moment but hopefully you can see the T-trim along the top of the panel on the side of our bed;

20231121_130122.jpg


And in the small cupboard entrance under the cooker I have used the push on trim in the aperture for which no router is needed;

20231121_130154.jpg
 
merl said:
I've found that when using T trim you have to get the groove perfectly central along the edge of the board, if you dont then often it doesn't want to lip over the 2 sides properly, I've taken to making the groove slightly over-width which helps massively with centralising and then applying some glue to the tongue to make sure it doesn't come out.
I did exactly this when I made the unit over our bed, although I couldn't get a perfect colour match for the trim it does fit bang on along the whole length.
View attachment 125169
You can also do it without any lip at all, here's our fold down bedside 'tea shelf ' . No lip, just fix the plastic strip over size and then router it off flush with the 2 faces of the board. Obviously edges have to be 100% chip free though.View attachment 125170View attachment 125171
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Can I ask where you got your shelf brackets from please?
 
Robmac said:
I will find a wider bit!
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TBF I'd not bother buying a different bit, just router the same slot twice from both sides of the panel, this makes sure your slot is perfectly central no matter but because it cancels out the error hence you do tend to tend to finish up with a slightly wider slot. (Ohh Matron)
 
merl said:
Originally got them from ebay a while back but the seller doesnt exist now. I did an image search for you though and here's some on amazon.
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Thanks for that Merl.

Looking at the ad I can see (I think) what a 180° hinge would do but not what a 0° hinge would, I would have thought that the ones you have would be 90°?
 
Robmac said:
Thanks for that Merl.

Looking at the ad I can see (I think) what a 180° hinge would do but not what a 0° hinge would, I would have thought that the ones you have would be 90°?
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Sure, My shelf only moves through 90deg but only because it gets stopped by the cupboard panel above, if that wasn't there then I guess theoretically it'd go through about 270deg until the hinge bottomed out on it's self again but I don't think mine were called 270 degree anyway!
I know how hard it was finding them, I knew exactly what I needed and after much downloading of images and contorting myself trying to imagine how they folded up I ended up with those. The pictures look right to me, as long as you get the ones with the 2 screw holes and not the double glass ones I think you'll be OK.
Rob, Yeoblade, If you want to take a much closer look at their workings just to make sure they're going to work for you then let me know and you can check them out via a what's app video jobbie. No probs.

ANYWAY... Great looking van, sorry for hijacking your post Bill! :)
 
merl said:
Sure, My shelf only moves through 90deg but only because it gets stopped by the cupboard panel above, if that wasn't there then I guess theoretically it'd go through about 270deg until the hinge bottomed out on it's self again but I don't think mine were called 270 degree anyway!
I know how hard it was finding them, I knew exactly what I needed and after much downloading of images and contorting myself trying to imagine how they folded up I ended up with those. The pictures look right to me, as long as you get the ones with the 2 screw holes and not the double glass ones I think you'll be OK.
Rob, Yeoblade, If you want to take a much closer look at their workings just to make sure they're going to work for you then let me know and you can check them out via a what's app video jobbie. No probs.

ANYWAY... Great looking van, sorry for hijacking your post Bill! :)
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Thanks Merl, I've now seen them advertised elsewhere as 90° so I think it was just a typo in that ad. One last question before I stop hijacking Bill's thread. :giggle: In the up position what stops the shelf from flopping down?
 
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