Rapido 850F motorhome

Surprisingly compact and yet spacious inside, this new island bed A-class is the latest design from Rapido. It was the winner of Best Fixed Double Bed Motorhome 2026 in the Out and About Live Awards.

Most island bed motorhomes are around 7.5m long and, often, when manufacturers have tried to reduce that size, the results have been, at best, compromised. Perhaps that’s why, when Rapido showed its dealers the layout plan for the new 850F, they were initially a bit nonplussed.

However, seeing it for real last summer soon changed their minds and I, too, was impressed at its spaciousness for a 7m model. Colleagues on the Out and About Live Awards judging panel were equally taken with it, so much so that it grabbed the Best Fixed Double Bed category ahead of strong competition from Fleurette and Rimor amongst others.

The 850F isn’t just a new layout  but part of a refreshed 8F Series for 2026. This range, along with its Al-Ko chassis sister, the 80dF, has been completely redesigned internally and externally, with new furniture and a bolder, more aggressive front face.

There are new cab windows, a new front passenger door, new-look wheelarches, revised bus-style mirrors and enhanced cab insulation. Most importantly, the latest sloping dashboard design improves driver visibility.

Based on the Fiat Ducato with OEM wide-track rear axle, the 8F is still Rapido’s most affordable A-class range. It includes 7.49m-long single bed and island bed layouts, as well as the rear lounge 854F and now the 850F.

Prices for this newcomer start at £85,900, but to that you need to add the ‘non option’ of the Select Pack at £2,190. Still, at under £90k, this is considerably more attainable than many other A-classes, especially those German models that favour extensive options lists.

Extra spec for the UK

Here, the right-hand drive version already comes with a higher spec than on the Continent. So, you get the Truma Combi 6 EH gas/230V boiler which you operate from the main Rapido touchscreen – or your phone – rather than a separate heating display. 

Also standard are the oven, a second leisure battery (both 92Ah AGM), removable carpets, external shower, electric parking brake, front fog lamps, twin lens mirrors and rear steadies.

The Smart Pack is also included in the UK, with 16in alloy wheels, leather steering wheel with radio/phone controls and the aluminium-effect fascia trim.

The aforementioned Select Pack ensures that you have minimal need to add extra kit. It comprises a Pioneer multimedia unit with 6.8in screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a reversing camera, plus Traction Plus, Hill Descent Control, composite leaf springs for the rear suspension, all-season tyres, a thermal dual-pleat windscreen blind, doors with two-point central locking, a habitation door with window, flyscreen and bin, a gas inverter (so you can use the heating while driving) and a heated waste tank.

There’s very little else you can add but you might want to consider the Lounge Pack (automatic cab air-conditioning instead of the standard on/off air-con, an induction phone charger and digital dashboard) at £850 – I wouldn’t bother. Or more likely, the Energy Pack (£1,100), which upgrades the batteries to lithium and adds a 150W solar panel.

There are also two brand-new furniture finishes to choose from, at no extra cost, and five upholsteries. The demo vehicle here features the light wood Aurora cabinets with Alba fabric (£270 extra).

New design, height-adjustable garage

There’s no doubt that the redesign has brought the 8F series up to date visually. With its framed habitation windows, hexagonal black mesh grille wearing the Rapido three generations logo, LED daytime running lights and classic red/grey graphics, the 850F looks premium.

It also continues with the company’s Novatech construction, featuring an impact-resistant polyester finish for the sides, roof and underside, plus superior Styrofoam insulation.

As with the vast majority of A-classes, you get a habitation door on the offside and cab door on the nearside, the former fitted with an electric step that auto-retracts.

The gas locker can accommodate two 13kg cylinders side by side and low down to ease the strain on your back, while the inboard fresh and underslung waste tanks are generously sized at 120 litres each.

The key feature, externally, is the garage. This has loading doors on either side (only to floor level on the offside) that clip to the body in the open position.

The maximum load in here is 150kg and there are fixed lashing points, a ceiling light, mains socket, outside shower and convenient access to the habitation electrics.

There’s no spare wheel but the garage does have a significant party trick – press a button and you can raise the headroom from 84cm to 1.14m (with the bed above rising accordingly). Importantly, tambour roller sections on either side keep the bedroom and garage storage entirely separate.

Overall payload is 425kg on a licence-friendly 3,500kg chassis. That’s better than some rivals but 3,650kg and 4,400kg upgrades are available for those that need more. The auto gearbox robs you of 25kg, don’t forget.

Fiat Ducato base, improved visibility

Under the usual letterbox-like bonnet of this Rapido, the 140-horsepower motor is standard, with that eight-speed automatic gearbox fitted as a £2,580 option that most will surely want.

It makes driving effortless and smooth, with the Ducato’s very firm suspension ensuring a surefooted and stable feel – although there were also a good few rattles on the long and bumpy drive away from Wokingham Motorhomes’ rural retreat.

Hopefully, those can be addressed at PDI (this vehicle was fresh from its NEC debut) – after all, Rapido’s oldest established dealer has nigh on 50 years’ experience with the brand…

The captain’s chairs with integral seatbelts and tilting squabs give a comfortable seating position as you enjoy the commanding view through the panoramic windscreen. It’s the new, angled dashboard that makes a huge difference, though, as you can see the road closer to you, making it far easier to position the vehicle on the road. A BIG improvement.

Another significant change is the electric parking brake, which gets around the old problem of a tight space between the seat and gas locker, into which big hands struggled with the lever.

The new coach-style mirrors give an excellent view aft in combination with the Pioneer radio’s reversing screen (albeit rather smaller than Fiat’s own infotainment unit). And, if you still manage to bump the back end, at least the bumper is a separate section.

Going forwards, the triple windscreen wipers (correctly handed for right-hand drive) sweep the glass more effectively than in most A-classes. There are pull-down roller-type sun visors and speakers set into the base of the bed above.

Spacious interior

But it’s the feeling as soon as you step inside the 850F that’s the winning factor. This feels bigger than you’d expect of a 7m motorhome, especially one with an island bed.

For a start, there’s plenty of floor space immediately inside the door. Plenty of daylight, too, with the A-class cab and large rooflight taking centre stage. After dark, it’s equally bright, with downlights in the ceiling and the base of the cab bed, plus a swivel reading light over the sofa.

That settee is long enough for feet-up sprawling and has backrests that magnetically attach to the vehicle’s sides (so they don’t flop over when you drive). With a raked backrest and scatter cushions, it’s a great place to unwind.

Or you can enjoy the cab’s captain’s chairs, which are perfectly placed to watch the telly (a bracket for which is mounted on the washroom wall, with 12V and aerial sockets adjacent). Bag the rotated driver’s chair and there’s a tiny jump seat (just 32cm wide) alongside that can be used as a footstool. Its base slides out but would be even better if it extended further.

The table, meanwhile, is a permanent fixture but not an obtrusive one when folded in half. As a couple using this motorhome you might never unfold it, but, if you do, it’s banquet sized – 84cm by 83cm!

Coat hooks above the jump seat and elasticated straps above the cab seats (which look ideal for collecting mementos and postcards from your European tours) complete this very inviting lounge.

Kitchen with XL-sized fridge

Fans of British motorhomes may point to the lack of a microwave, or the limited worktop, but there’s plenty to please in the Rapido’s galley. Of course, there are trendy black accessories (tap, 12V and 230V sockets) but it’s the large drawers that I liked best, complete with a switch to centrally lock them.

The Can hob may only have two gas rings but they are well spaced, so you can use pans larger than those destined for a doll’s house! Down below, the oven (also from Can) includes a grill and is sensibly positioned below the hob.

The fridge – a three-way absorption type with automatic energy selection – is supersized, too, with a bottle drawer in its base and a cupboard above. I’m so pleased that Rapido wasn’t tempted to put the oven up there!

Duo'Space washroom

Opposite the cooler, Rapido saves space in this shorter motorhome by putting all the ablutions together in one room. There’s no shortage of space in here to use the cassette toilet or the smart oval basin with its pop-up plug.

Large mirrors on the wall and the door help to ensure there’s no claustrophobia. It’s just a shame that the washroom storage locker doesn’t have the elastic straps that we’ve seen in some Rapidos.

You don’t have to endure a battle with a shower curtain, though, as this is a Duo’Space washroom. Undo a bolt and the wall behind the basin swings to the right and a bifold screen completes a proper shower cubicle. There’s even a basket on the wall for your shampoo and gel.

Island bed

It’s the end bedroom with 1.90m by 1.48m island bed, though, that’s the 850F’s raison d’etre. Slid back in its chaise longue position, it makes for a spacious (that word again) bedroom with comfy space to sit up with a brew. Your tea can rest on one of the extra-long beside tables, complete with USBs to recharge your devices overnight.

Even when the hypoallergenic Bultex mattress is pulled out flat, there’s room to get around the end of the bed (just) and a sliding door makes the bedroom completely private if one of you wants a lie in, or if you’re using it as a four-berth.

Wardrobes on either side of the bed follow a new design that sweeps round into the top lockers. It’s a style statement that also gives you plenty of clothing storage. Under the foot of the bed there’s a compartment for those items (socks, pants) that you want kept toasty warm – it sits above the boiler.

You can now delete the drop-down cab bed in your 8F series Rapido but it’s still the norm here to have four berths. It’s a new bed, with wider mattress, simpler locking mechanism (just a catch to slide across before lowering) and better stability (with rests that stop it wobbling when lowered).

The bed still lowers manually, after tipping the front seat backrests forward. It comes down to 1.24m off the floor (so a ladder is required), but headroom is good (up to 76cm) and there’s a roof vent (essential in summer).

There’s a single LED downlight at each end, so you can sleep with heads at either end (or kids could top ‘n’ tail) and a curtain surrounds the 1.87m by 1.42m mattress for privacy. When you raise the bed back up, there’s just enough room to leave a duvet in situ.

More compact motorhomes with an island bed rarely work well but Rapido has succeeded in packing a lot into a 7m overall length and still creating a motorhome that feels remarkably roomy. It’s well-equipped, too, with the Select and Right-Hand Drive Special packs and seems well priced for what it offers.