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Rapido 803F
Sections:

Key Features

Model Year 2017
Class A-Class
Base Vehicle Fiat Ducato
Price From (£) 59,400
Engine Size 2.3TD
Maximum Weight (kg) 3,500
Berths 4
Main Layout Garage
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At a glance

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 545kg

Full review

That big windscreen, which floods the interior with light, as well as affording you great views both on-road and on campsites, is just part of what makes an A-class motorhome so special.

The full-width cab also greatly enhances the feeling of space – and that’s especially important when your motorhome is just six metres long.

This is actually Rapido’s smallest A-class, and one of its smallest motorhomes full stop. It’s also a model with few direct rivals. That’s perhaps surprising, because giving a compact motorhome the advantages of an A-class really does make all the difference. You’ll be amazed at just how spacious this vehicle seems.

Of course, there’s the usual drop-down bed in the cab – always an A-class forte as, unlike in low-profiles, the bed can be occupied and the lounge (excluding cab seats) can be used at the same time. But here there’s also another instant double bed at the back. It tapers slightly to the nearside but this over-garage bed is bigger still – 2.03m by 1.40m, says Rapido. A pull-out step under the fridge/freezer makes for simple access.

Meanwhile, external doors on each side (larger on the offside) open to reveal a dropped floor in a true garage, with a bike-friendly internal height of 1.17m. The wardrobe is under the bed, so there’s no access to the garage from the living area.

The redesigned layout of the 803F also includes a new washroom, sited conveniently close to the rear bedroom and fitted with a new style of fold-away washbasin, as also seen in the new-this-season 604FF.

The kitchen is not as petite as you might expect. OK, so the hob only has two burners and there’s not a lot of worktop, but the fridge is a tall, slim 135-litre model. And, if you forgo some of the superb drawer space, you can have a conveniently positioned oven.

The L-shaped lounge is best-suited to two or three residents but should accommodate a quartet of campers, if necessary. There’s the usual fold-in-half Rapido table, but the cab captain’s chairs are the best place for watching TV.

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On the outside, the 803F benefits from the changes seen across the 8-Series Rapido line-up. So, there’s a new grille up front and – more noticeably – a new rear bumper with LED tail-lights.

To complete your 803F, you’ll want to add the Rapido Pack with reversing camera, Pioneer multi-media head unit, solar panel, passenger airbag, cruise control, electric cab mirrors, height-adjustable cab seats, door with fixed window and waste bin, as well as a flyscreen, rear speakers and a cooker hood. You can choose from the Elegance furniture shown here or more contemporary Castello. And there’s a large choice of fabrics, too.

However you specify your 803F, you’ll be wondering if Rapido has managed a packaging miracle. And why more manufacturers don’t offer something similar.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the July 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.

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