#6698 RV with Speedboat

I got the #6698 RV with Speedboat for Christmas ’86, it had been released earlier that same year. This is a set I clearly remember building multiple times as a kid, and I still recall details from the instructions.

As usual, the instructions start off with building the minifigure, which is completely red, legs, torso and arms. I guess the reason for this is to enable playing with the minifigure configured for diving while still looking reasonable when driving. At least the cap is white for some contrast. Come to think of it, that red helmet could be imagined as the continuous hood of the wetsuit. Never thought of that as a kid, I guess I imagined this minifig preparing for some dangerous cave diving, wearing a helmet and torch.

First page of the booklet with instructions for building the minifigure and steps 1 to 10

This vehicle has some interesting building techniques that inspired me in my own builds. First is the simple but effective 1x4 plate bull bar attached to two headlight bricks underneath the front. Also the 2x2 tile engine hood that opens by a hinge brick turned outwards. It also serves as a rather nice front grille when the hinged part is black and the base matches the main color of the vehicle.

The undercarriage of the truck — Step 4/12

Adding the steering wheel and engine — Step 6/12

Adding the headlights and doors — Step 8/12

I remember that transparent panel behind the driver, I really liked that there was something there to keep the stuff in the back from falling out, but at the same time it was deeply unsatisfactory that it was not flush with the blue side panels, there were annoying gaps at both sides. I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a better solution without increasing the vehicle length one stud, but with the parts available at that time, I think it's probably impossible. Maybe it still is?

Second page of the booklet with instructions for building 11 and 12, as well as the trailer and boat (6 steps each)

This set contains two of that hinged vehicle roof with sunroof, a part I really liked as a kid. The Swedish word for a car sunroof is "taklucka", meaning "roof hatch", so that is what I used to call the ordinary hinged vehicle roof part. It totally made sense because that's what it is, a roof that can be opened for access into the vehicle.

But when I got my hands on this part that incorporated an actual sunroof, I had to call it "taklucka med taklucka", meaning a hatch roof with sunroof. I wonder what english speaking kids used to call those pieces? I had three of those parts in total, all in white. The third came with the Police Rescue Boat that already has a post here on the Hyggebygge blog.

The completed trailer — Trailer step 6/6

The trailer is really simple, basically built with three layers of plates with just a few extra details. But it is so elegant in shape and colour, with a distinct white stripe in the middle of the red. The control panel piece used as the winch fits right in—that is some Nice Parts Usage, a term not yet invented at the time. I think the trailer is just perfectly balanced, there is nothing I would change about it.

The boat is also a rather simple build mainly in white, again with a layer of plates creating a continuous stripe, this time in blue. Airplane fuselage pieces provide a nicely shaped hull for the boat, and I find it so interesting that the same parts used for a passenger jet also makes a small racing boat, and both those 4-stud wide vehicles will still look natural together in your LEGO city! Also of note is the boat’s engine incorporating all the other colors of the set. After I got this set I made all my boat engines in the same way, just varying the colors of the stripes.

The minifigure wearing diving equipment standing in front of the vehicle and the attached trailer carrying the speedboat

The minifig never resonated with me as a kid, I didn’t really identify with the sporty look, but apart from that I found this set very enjoyable, and I still do! There are plenty of 4-stud wide LEGO vehicles, but this set stands out with the RV’s high ground clearance, a nice color scheme that is varied but still works well between the three vehicles, and several details providing inspiration for own builds.

There is also something about using simple 1x2 plates as flippers for a diver. It would be almost 10 years until LEGO started producing detailed minifig flipper parts in 1995. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy the ever growing multitude of minifig accessories from LEGO, I really do. It’s just that I find it so fascinating, that anyone who has seen a real scuba diver would recognise even a crude part like the 1x2 plate for what is meant to be in this context!