Full review

This special edition 8096dF motorhome from Rapido is a new model with a layout that has ‘UK friendly’ written all over it. That’s because it has a lounge with parallel settees and a completely flat floor from cab to bedroom. Yes, it’s a British-style seating area. And, with the leather-look ‘TEP’ upholstery, the full-width A-class cab, panoramic windscreen, superb mood lighting and the trademark Rapido fold-in-half table, doesn’t this lounge look inviting?

Better still, the side-facing settees can be converted into a pair of individual belted travel seats, should the grandchildren be along for the weekend.

No one in your family is going to feel shortchanged come sleep-time, as long as a pair of double beds is suitable for your family dynamics. The usual drop-down cab bed is manually operated but ever-so-easy to use and it offers good headroom (0.78m), as well as a very comfy Bultex mattress on a slatted base.

In the rear, these are as good a night-time quarters as you’ll find, with a generously wide bed made possible by the angled sides of the adjacent wardrobes, which is a clever touch. Compare the mattress dimensions – 1.95m by 1.58m according to the office tape measure – and you’ll find few bigger.

The pleated headboard and Art Deco reading lights impress, too, along with the solid sliding doors that provide privacy for the split en suite ablutions at the foot of the bed. There’s a lockable door to prevent those kipping up front from disturbing you, too, while the only downside here seems to be the stepped floor in the shower, which otherwise serves impressively well, with soap dish and shampoo basket, clothes drying rail and blingy blue backlighting.

Across the corridor, the stainless-steel washbasin, sliding mirror and plentiful storage  are usual Rapido touches. There’s a touch more room to use the swivel loo than in some rival designs, too. Turning the L-shape of the galley to face the lounge enhances the feeling of space, even when the en suite toilet door is closed. It increases the likelihood of the cook overflowing their creativity onto the table, too, so maybe the lack of galley surface isn’t so bad after all.

Kitchen roll holder and spice rack, central locking of the drawers, an extractor hood, oven/grill (at low level) and a massive 160-litre HPC (that’s High-Performance Cooling for motorhoming in really hot weather) fridge/freezer with automatic energy selection are all standard fare.

Then there’s a reversing camera with night vision and sound, linked to a double-DIN Pioneer stereo with rear speakers, cruise control, heated twin-lens coach-style mirrors and height-adjustable captain’s chairs in the cab. Then there’s the habitation door with waste bin and flyscreen. There are alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and special anniversary exterior graphics to add a touch of flash on the road.

The standard 3,500kg chassis will be enough for some couples (with a 380kg payload), while a move to 3,700kg could be a good compromise for those taking extended tours or travelling with more than two folk aboard. Whichever you choose, the garage is limited to 150kg, but it’s definitely not restricted in volume. With maximum dimensions of 2.16m by 1.13m and headroom of 0.89m, you’ll not be short of capacity for all your gear. And if you need more height, say, to accommodate bikes or a lightweight motorbike, you can press a button and the bed rises electrically to increase the garage’s height to 1.18m.

Then there’s the 190mm-deep double floor with external hatches on either side and trapdoors hidden below the living area carpet. Here, then, is an A-class motorhome that stands comparison with bigger and pricier alternatives. Our advice is to get one while your nearest dealer still has stock available, and before post-Brexit exchange rates push up the price.

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

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