Rapido C55 Night Edition

Slimline and well-equipped, with single beds and a garage – this Rapido played its cards right to win our Motorhome of the Year award for 2025

The Best Fixed Single Bed Motorhome of the Year is always one of the hardest fought categories in the Out & About Live Awards – there’s just sooo much choice in this sector! But, for 2025, the Rapido C55 Night Edition prevailed against strong competition from Hymer and Sunlight in a sector of the market dominated by German brands and with contenders from all marques, at every price point and with overall lengths from stretching from usefully under 7m to over 8m.

The Rapido subsequently joined all the other class winners – from Auto-Trail, Chausson, Itineo, Niesmann + Bischoff and Pilote – in the race for the top prize, the overall Motorhome of the Year. That’s the hardest decision of all, comparing models of alternative sizes and prices, aimed at wholly different customers – not just apples versus oranges, it’s like choosing between a Barbour jacket and a thong.

However, after much debate, the Night Edition was the worthy winner and now we’re pleased to bring you the full review, thanks to Britain’s most rural motorhome dealership, Wokingham Motorhomes, which surely has the longest association ever with a single manufacturer, having sold Rapidos long before the French firm even entered the motorhome market in the early 1980s.

Night Edition with a black cab

Clearly, the Night Edition takes its name from its metallic black cab (at the back there are black surrounds to the tail lights in place of the usual red), but the enhanced spec goes much further than a change of colour compared with earlier C55s.

There’s a new exclusive décor inside with Luceo furniture and trendy black accessories (sockets, tap, lights, etc), Truma diesel heating, a heated waste water tank, 16in alloy wheels, leather steering wheel, tyre pressure monitoring and an electric parking brake.

You also get the Select Pack included as standard, with a Pioneer multimedia unit (DAB radio, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and reversing camera), radio controls on the steering wheel, cab blinds, front fog lights, all-season tyres, a second 92Ah AGM leisure battery, Traction Plus, Hill Descent Control and a habitation door with window, flyscreen and central locking.

Right-hand drive vehicles are upgraded even further to suit the demanding British buyer, so we get the 6kW diesel/electric Combi boiler (instead of the 4kW version), an oven, external shower and stabilising jacks – all within the list price, which still limbos under the £80k barrier.

With so much kit as standard, there’s little need to visit the (refreshingly short) options list. The test vehicle had just a change of upholstery from the grey quilted Dubrovnik fabric to Milan TEP faux leather (£450) and an upgrade of the power unit from 140hp and a six-speed manual gearbox to 180hp mated to the new eight-speed automatic transmission (£5,420).

Also available are the Safety Pack (driver assistance systems including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and automatic lights and wipers), Lounge Pack (digital dashboard, inductive phone charging and automatic air-con), Energy Pack (solar panel and lithium battery) and the Symphony Audio Pack for music fans.

The base vehicle is, of course, the ubiquitous Fiat Ducato, complete with its new multi-slotted face – something that looks a lot less controversial, or even noticeable, in black! Other than the external cosmetics and new auto transmission, not a lot else seems to have changed much in the latest update to a vehicle now referred to either as the Series 10 (following on logically from previous Series 9) or sometimes, inexplicably, as the Series 2 (perhaps they count differently at Fiat).

The steering column still lacks tilt adjustment and the cab's dashboard plastics are as cheap and hard as ever but the Ducato remains the dominant motorhome chassis, with its precise steering, surefooted handling and right size for almost every leisure application.

Size is key here – with a 2.17m width (18cm slimmer than many coachbuilts) and 6.72m length (only 36cm longer than some Fiat panel vans), the C55 Night Edition is a lot more compact than some single bed motorhomes.

And, with compact size comes easier driving, especially in towns and on narrow lanes, as well as more payload – usefully over 500kg even as specified here.

With the engine upgrade, this little Rapido will also delight those who want to get their towels on the beach first – no excuses for hanging around in this spritely ’van.

Driving it feels more campervan than motorhome with its super stability and surefootedness and only a few more rattles than we’d like spoiling the fun.

Rear garage with 150kg limit

The fairly generous payload means that you can really use the garage, although note the 150kg limit here. The space measures a bike-friendly 1.20m high with a width of almost a metre (64cm at floor level) and it’s heated and illuminated, as well as having two full-sized loading doors. There are three fixed lashing points down each side of the garage. Both leisure batteries can be found here, as can the gas locker (on the offside) with room for one 13kg cylinder (which should be plenty as propane is only used for cooking).

The Novatech body construction uses impact-resistant polyester for walls and roof, in addition to the underside, while framed habitation windows give a premium look and Styrofoam insulation is a plus.

The 110-litre fresh water tank is inboard (under the half-dinette), while the heated underslung waste tank holds 90 litres and should empty quickly via its large-bore external outlet.

The entrance is on the offside, as with most imported models, but the remote central locking and auto-retracting electric step make for added convenience, along with the coat hooks just inside.

New Luceo interior design

Thankfully, Rapido hasn’t continued the night theme inside, which contrasts with daylight flooding in through the huge glass overcab sunroof. Natural light plays a big part here (via the deep door window and trio of rooflights, including a large wind-up one over the lounge) in preventing this small motorhome feeling, err, small.

The new Luceo interior with its mix of pale wood, cream drawer fronts and concrete-effect walls helps, too, as does the excellent artificial lighting.

There are plenty of downlights in the ceiling, ambient strips above top lockers, reading lamps and a backlit panel in the galley. Best of all, the cab has not been forgotten with touch-operated B-pillar reading lights on both sides.

The lounge here may not have palatial dimensions but it scores well for comfort, with the half-dinette extending into an ‘L’ (which simply folds down when you need to carry two rear passengers) and the table folding in half. There’s a TV bracket on the wall – perfect for viewing from the cab chairs, which each offer feet-up lounging – via the L-settee on the nearside and a neat flip-up jump seat/footstool on the driver’s side. Unfolded, the table can cater for four place settings.

The table may come into play for meal preparation, too, because once you raise the hob and sink lids there’s just the small slot-in extension panel by the door. Such compromises are inevitable in a compact motorhome but there’s no concessions to be made when it comes to the cooler.

Alongside the galley, the Vitrifrigo Slim Series compressor fridge boasts a 140-litre capacity and has a separate drawer below to keep chablis and champagne cool.

Cooking will be on the Can two-burner hob or in the 23-litre oven and grill which, pleasingly, is fitted under the huge cutlery drawer and not above the fridge. All the storage in the main galley unit is in drawers, each locked electrically for travel by the flick of a single switch.

Above, there’s an extractor hood and two eye-level cupboards with push-to-open doors.

Duo's space washroom

There’s no shortage of room in the C55’s Duo’Space washroom; the aisle between it and the galley doesn’t suffer the squeeze often seen in van conversions. Shoulder and legroom on the swivel cassette ‘throne’ are, for once, plenty for those of larger build, while you can also easily get your face over the oval countertop-mounted basin. Mirrors behind the washbasin and on the door help to create the illusion of more space, too.

Fittings include a metal tap, toothbrush mug, toilet roll holder and robe/towel hooks, but it’s a shame the tall cupboards lack the staps to keep contents secure that we’ve seen in other Rapidos.

The washroom lives up to the ‘duo’ in its name when the wall behind the basin swings to the right, over the loo, and a bifold screen covers the door. The toilet room now becomes a shower and it’s a good ’un with a practical size, 1.87m headroom and a basket on the wall for your shampoo, etc. There’s a roof vent (number four) and a drying rail for wet gear, too.

Night-time

Aft of the washroom and galley, there’s a small step up into the bedroom, which can be partitioned off with a solid sliding door. Here, you’ll find the familiar format of twin beds high over the rear garage, with two steps for access. The offside single bed is longer (both are 80cm wide) but by how much depends where you extend the tape measure as the foot of the mattress meets the angled wall of the washroom (our figure of 1.86m is taken in the middle of the bed).

The singles here are mounted on sprung staves and have comfy Bultex mattresses but, in common with most rivals, the top lockers at the head of the bed make sitting up difficult – pity Rapido didn’t add those tip-up bases that create a chaise longue position.

What you do get is a pair of reading lights, a rear speaker, a backlit headboard, a roof vent and net curtains for the two windows.

There’s also an extra cupboard over the foot of the nearside bed and a 12V power point to add a second telly here. Then, with a slot-in panel and an extra cushion, you can turn the bedroom into a transverse double bed arrangement instead, reached via a short ladder.

Under the foot of each bed is more storage. Beneath the offside is the Truma Combi boiler with a cupboard above – great for keeping clothes toasty warm. Opposite and, likewise, accessible either with a conventional door or by lifting the mattress, is the wardrobe. Unlike some, this is tall enough (at 83cm) for shirts and trousers to hang neatly and it’s a surprisingly generous size.

Berth number three is made from the front lounge, with the addition of a pair of extra cushions stored in the garage against the back wall. The bed is bigger and flatter than many of its ilk but it does block the doorway as it runs across the vehicle (rather than utilising the cab seats) and it is a bit of a jigsaw. I had to get out the handbook to work out where everything fitted. However, the C55 will primarily be a two-person vehicle, so this is just an occasional extra berth, perhaps for a visiting grandchild.

For youngsters, though, it’s worth noting that there is no Isofix.

The Motorhome of the Year 2025 fits one of the most popular layouts into a more compact body for easier driving and more payload. It has a big fridge and low oven in the galley, a great washroom design and a comfortable lounge, while the standard spec wants for nothing but a solar panel. A worthy win for Rapido!