# Advice on panel van conversions



## Attesi (Aug 23, 2013)

Currently we have an Autosleeper trident which is now 19 years old and prior to that we had a Devon Conversion on VW split screen for many years so we are well acquainted with small motor vans! 

With advancing years, we would appreciate a little more room and recently viewed a Rapido V56 on a Fiat Ducato. The layout suited us perfectly with the permanent double bed, but we can only garage a 5.5 metre vehicle and the Rapido Is almost 6 meters long. 


Are there any similar layout vans which are that little bit shorter? 

Al Fulton


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

I don't believe that you will find the same layout in a 5.5m van 
Why not just leave it out of the garage if you have the space.

Mike


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## Attesi (Aug 23, 2013)

Thanks for your reply Mike, 

I had feared that might be the case but thought I would ask in case I was missing something. I have no room to leave the van out, it must be garaged and I can't extend. 


Is yours a v56? What sort of consumption do you get? 

Regards, 
Al


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

Attesi said:


> Thanks for your reply Mike,
> 
> I had feared that might be the case but thought I would ask in case I was missing something. I have no room to leave the van out, it must be garaged and I can't extend.
> 
> ...


I saved £25,000 by buying a new Peugeot Boxer and doing my own conversion. It has a similar layout to the V56 with the exception that I used the first 100mm at the back for vertical storage.
Any van at 5.5m long will not have a fixed bed across the back but a front lounge which will convert to a bed.
The on board computer says that I'm getting around 39 mpg which may be a bit higher that the actual as the speedo reads about 6% faster than actual.

Mike


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

If the main desired feature is a bed you can leave made up in a van under 5.5m, assuming the budget is no problem then it might be worth taking a look at the Globecar Roadscout and Roadscout R models; and the La Strada Avanti M (harder to find and pricey - Elite Motorhomes near Banbury are the British agents). All are on the Ducato 5.41m van.


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