Habitation door on wrong side

[Gary217]

Hi - we're looking around at changing our van and one we like is a Rapido model. While I do have some reservations about French build quality it is a nice bit of kit but with one quirk in that the habitation door is on the Right Hand Side. It is a coachbuilt so we have cab doors on both sides so no issue there, and there is the obvious issue of the hab door opening into traffic if we needed to (eg - getting the dog out). But what I'm wondering from anyone who has a RH side hab door, does this cause issues at some campsites? Many are relaxed about how you park but some do insist that you reverse in - if we do that with this one our hab door will be on the wrong side. Anyone with a continental van had any issues with this? Thanks

 

[tonyidle]

Every Continental-built van (there might be an odd exception) has the hab door on the UK off-side. Some campsites insist on reversing in and some prefer not to have doors facing. I try to park with the best view from the (front) lounge then argue later. It's not an issue. As for laybys l try to choose ones that have an island (or better) between layby and road. But I'd do that anyway.

 

[PeteH]

Straight answer No. I am on my second, (Rapido) we use the offside door all the time with no issues, On CC and CCC sites I just park Nose in. And we have a dog, and a disabled ocupant, it just means you take more care. ALL my R-V`s where offside doors. You get used to it quite quickly, and of course if you go "en Continent" you are half way there!.

Edit:- We often camp with another couple who have a Caravan. so we both park up with awnings / doors facing and can Party in the Centre!!.

 

[funflair]

We just have the one door on the right hand side, we don't use many UK campsites but have had a bit of "silly warden syndrome" once where they insisted that we should be on the right side of the pitch she understood that we wanted the view rather than looking at a brick wall but couldn't quite understand that we wanted to be in the middle of our pitch, she said we needed to leave room for our car and the awning, DOH.

Isolated incidents like this would not put us off LHD and right hand door though.

Martin

 

[TheBig1]

rapido build quality is excellent, and the hab door on the uk offside no real issue at all

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[138go]

Having the habitation door on the “wrong” side is really not a problem, at all.

 

[63720]

Owning a German van, the most important thing for me is payload, the hab door is secondary.

 

[Pausim]

There is no right and wrong side.

 

[Rosemary1]

We have a Rapido (which we love ). Have never had any problem although have sometimes reversed in and sometimes drove depending where we are, who with and what suits us

 

[teddybear]

Had left hookers for last 15years only problem we have had is when we have had to use a campsite and the odd warden has been a trifle overofficious

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[Hettie's Crew]

Only appears to be some Caravan Club sites that like to dictate which way around you face, but not all. Camping and Caravan Club are much more relaxed. It’s never been an issue for us. As you said the only issue can be getting out on a busy road, the answer to that is motorhome out of the UK, much more relaxed.

 

[Gary217]

Thanks for the replies, pretty well confirming what we thought that for lay-by's use a deep one for safety, most campsites are ok but we'll find the odd snotty one who might not understand the issue and interesting that the view is Rapido build quality is good. It seems well constructed, I guess it's just my (unfounded) prejudice that French built vehicles are not too robust. Having said that our current van is a German La Strada and the build quality of that is totally superb so it sets a standard when we're looking at other vans.

Might be time to open negotiations tomorrow...

 

[keithchesterfield2]

Go abroad, young man, and take your Rapido back to it's roots and lands that appreciate the Motorhome and the way of life we visitors to foreign soil love so much.

The habitation door will be a benefit then - not a worry.

 

[Silver-Fox]

rapido build quality is excellent, and the hab door on the uk offside no real issue at all

Agree from another Rapido owner ?

 

[Hettie's Crew]

French built vehicles are not too robust.

Having had BMW, MINI, Volkswagen, Toyota, SEAT and several Landrovers over the recent years, we now have two Citroens and wish we’d bought Citroen years ago.

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[7735]

We have a Rapido A class with off side habitation door and No drivers door. Never had an issue and if you go abroad it’s ideal.

spongy

 

[daveinspain]

Agree from another Rapido owner ?

And more agreement from another Rapido owner. Never had an issue in UK with our left-hand drive van when we have visited there.

 

[Wh05apk]

Another advantage is that you normally have a large window on the passenger side and small window(if any) on the driver's side in front of the door, which makes visibility at junctions and sliproads when abroad much better.

 

[Duck Truck]

Politely explain to the wardens that you are PAYING a lot of money to use their site and woold like to park so that it's Ok for you

 

[klaatu]

All of our vans have been LHD with the hab door on the right hand side, even when we lived in the UK, and the only site where we were instructed on which way round to park was at Grantown-on-Spey (Caravan Club, I think).

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[Tony50]

Thanks for the replies, pretty well confirming what we thought that for lay-by's use a deep one for safety, most campsites are ok but we'll find the odd snotty one who might not understand the issue and interesting that the view is Rapido build quality is good. It seems well constructed, I guess it's just my (unfounded) prejudice that French built vehicles are not too robust. Having said that our current van is a German La Strada and the build quality of that is totally superb so it sets a standard when we're looking at other vans.

Might be time to open negotiations tomorrow...

I have had 2 A class Rapidos, had faults with both, all quite major, mind you not do many faults as the Chausson !! Never had a faultless caravan or Motorhome when I have spoke to some Hymer and even more premium owners most have admitted they have had faults,R/H door no problems.

 

[Campervan_man]

It's better for Me as I can park the van next to My left hand side fence .

 

[thebriars]

Agree from another Rapido owner ?

Having now moved over from caravans, we have had five new caravans in the past. The 4 British ones fared badly, one was a write off with damp after 4 years after already having extensive damp warranty repairs, one had a leaking window at first service, the third had water pouring through the roof and subsequently half the insides ripped out to repair the rippling GRP lining within the first year. The last one lasted a week before it started falling apart, and we rejected it after 5 months with numerous structural faults. The French Trigano caravan we had we kept for five years with no problems what so ever. Maybe French cars are lousy, but they seem to know how to make lightweight catavans and motorhomes.

 

[Mikey RV]

Makes no difference at all go for it. Our hab door is on the drivers side on the Burstner and never had a problem on any site including club sites, you can go in either way to suit you. Don’t let that door put you off having a nice motorhome which suits you every other way.

 

[Beltie]

Grantown - on - Spey isn't Caravan & Motorhome Club. It's a private site which is affiliated to the Club, but is responsible for its own rules.

The Club doesn't seem too bothered about the issue, but I guess you could always get the odd stroppy warden. On the other hand, I know of several private sites which stipulate where or in what orientation you can park if you have a continental 'van.

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[Jaws]

All bar this, our current van, has had the door on the off side.. never had a problem

 

[Northernraider]

Another reason not to use a campsite

All the best vans have the hab door on the right hand side ....so just go to sites with good vans on ?

 

[peterc10]

We spend most of our time in our Hymer touring Europe so the door is on the correct side. And we do that because they don't care which way your bloody door is facing.

 

[Scotch mist]

Another reason not to use a campsite

All the best vans have the hab door on the right hand side ....so just go to sites with good vans on ?

I can’t argue with that , I’ve never thought about which side it’s on , I JUST USE IT

 

[Constance]

I tend use more CMC sites than others (over 130 sites in 5 years) and the rules are simple - if you reverse in you line up with the peg on the offside, if you drive in it's the nearside. This is to maintain the 6m fire regulation regs between outfits, as I understand it. So not over - officiousness - it just allows safety and personal space. Something I didn't get on a private site on Skye, where I had decent room between me and the next outfit, but late at night found I could hear snoring and realised the owner had allowed a camper to park between me and my neighbour!

C

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