Rapido Decisions - Chassis/Import (1 Viewer)

[BMStewart2004]

Hi Folks,
not sure if this should have gone on the Rapido Forum but there are a few none Rapido queries.
We've been thinking about it for the past 3 years but are finally close to pushing the button at greater expense (thanks Brexit) on a MH.
After two visits to Dusseldorf show we seem (SWMBO) to have settled on the Rapido 8066DF.
Some points that those with more expertise can guide on;

1. Rapido quotes Unladen Weight in Running Order as 3125Kg with a standard upgrade of 3,700KG available. We were going to take the 150BHP/Heavy Chassis option which costs €5,110. However with a payload of 575Kg on the light chassis is this necessary? Weights of probable options are Autobox 20kg, 150BHP engine 20Kg, Awning 40Kg(?), ALDE 65Kg, 2nd Battery 27Kg, wife 55Kg (she says), Bikes 20Kg. This seems to come to about 250KG and leave @325KG for other stuff.(TV/Clothes/Alarm/Satellite(maybe/Cutlery/BBQ etc) in your experience is this enough? We will be touring the UK (Living in the North of Scotland) and Europe so clothing weight could vary.
2. How do those of you on Ducato chassis at similar weights find the 130BHP engine? IS the 150BHP engine worth the cost/weight penalty?
3. ALDE vs Truma? We hired a Bailey a year or so back which had ALDE and thought it was very good. My wife is always cold... Is ALDE much better than Truma to make it worth the €2,630 cost especially with a double floor van?
4. Two or three years ago you could save a fortune importing vs buying in the UK what are conversion costs for lights/dash etc - is it still worth it. Have UK dealers narrowed their margins to account for the post Brexit Sterling crash? I've a price from a Belgian dealer and have contacted a UK dealer and am awaiting an email/call back.

As this will be our 2nd largest expenditure after our house we want to get it right and avoid "Gotcha's".
Many thanks
Bill
Looking forward to your responses.

 

[138go]

Having had ALDE and Truma the ALDE heating is far better as it warms the whole MH. Takes longer to get going but does keep the place warmer. The Truma just blows hot air which cools quickly and does not air the MH as well. As for payload 325Kg is not much. Add other half, bikes, water, full fuel tank, etc. etc. and you will be over the limit. The heavy chassis gives you more scope, larger wheels and double leaf springs on the back. As for the engine the 150BHP pulls our 4250 Liaka with out any problems. The Fiat Automatic Gearbox is IMHO worth having. It saves all the changing up and down and makes for a far nicer trip especially in France with all their roundabouts. We get about 28mpg with the 150BHP and Autobox.

As for importing one you are then in the hands of whatever dealer you can find to do any guarantee work. Not all dealers will want to help especially if it's an import. Remember your contract is with the supplying dealer and it's up to them to put it right if you have problems. If you are unlucky enough to get a Monday Special you will have to sort it somehow.

 

[Emmit]

I'm no expert but,
20Kgs Bikes (note plural)
Tad optimistic with that weight(s)
And no solar? that's another 10kgs ish

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[The Dudess]

1. You can never have too much payload.
2. We had the 150 bhp upgrade on ours - definitely worth it.
3. Alde every time. Wouldn't have a van without it now. We added the Alde option to our new van.
4. Can't comment as we have always bought from a UK dealer.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

1. You can never have too much payload.
2. We had the 150 bhp upgrade on ours - definitely worth it.
3. Alde every time. Wouldn't have a van without it now. We added the Alde option to our new van.
4. Can't comment as we have always bought from a UK dealer.

This.

 

[Northernraider]

Agree can never have too much payload it's better to have spare than not enough.
The alde system is great as it hears everywhere including the storage spaces

Can't help with the dealer and new van stuff as I've always bought second hand private

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[zac]

After having the 2 previous MH's on Truma blown and now having Alde there is no comparison. Alde is in every way far superior in my opinion and will keep the MH nice and warm, my wife was always cold in the previous MH's but not in this one (Rapido 10000dfh).

Incidently i see Rapido have now dropped the 9000 and 10000 series from there line up.

 

[BMStewart2004]

Having had ALDE and Truma the ALDE heating is far better as it warms the whole MH. Takes longer to get going but does keep the place warmer. The Truma just blows hot air which cools quickly and does not air the MH as well. As for payload 325Kg is not much. Add other half, bikes, water, full fuel tank, etc. etc. and you will be over the limit. The heavy chassis gives you more scope, larger wheels and double leaf springs on the back. As for the engine the 150BHP pulls our 4250 Liaka with out any problems. The Fiat Automatic Gearbox is IMHO worth having. It saves all the changing up and down and makes for a far nicer trip especially in France with all their roundabouts. We get about 28mpg with the 150BHP and Autobox.

As for importing one you are then in the hands of whatever dealer you can find to do any guarantee work. Not all dealers will want to help especially if it's an import. Remember your contract is with the supplying dealer and it's up to them to put it right if you have problems. If you are unlucky enough to get a Monday Special you will have to sort it somehow.

Thanks for taking the time to give the feedback really appreciate it, the 325Kg was including the auto box/ bigger engine/wife/bikes etc so would be for clothes/food/beer/beer/beer and wine

 

[BMStewart2004]

After having the 2 previous MH's on Truma blown and now having Alde there is no comparison. Alde is in every way far superior in my opinion and will keep the MH nice and warm, my wife was always cold in the previous MH's but not in this one (Rapido 10000dfh).
Need to keep the boss warm cos if she's cold my life is a misery....

Incidently i see Rapido have now dropped the 9000 and 10000 series from there line up.

Yes saw that as we were going to look at 9000DF.

Thanks for taking the time to respond

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[BMStewart2004]

1. You can never have too much payload.
2. We had the 150 bhp upgrade on ours - definitely worth it.
3. Alde every time. Wouldn't have a van without it now. We added the Alde option to our new van.
4. Can't comment as we have always bought from a UK dealer.

Thanks for this looks like our spec is righter than wronger
No response from UK dealer yet after 24 hours - maybe they don't need the business....

 

[BMStewart2004]

I'm no expert but,
20Kgs Bikes (note plural)
Tad optimistic with that weight(s)
And no solar? that's another 10kgs ish

Thanks for responding:
Bikes are road bikes mine is <7Kg's Italian Stallion the wife's is a little heavier
We decided against Solar meantime but may add in the future

 

[The Dudess]

Thanks for this looks like our spec is righter than wronger
No response from UK dealer yet after 24 hours - maybe they don't need the business....

I think it's a busy time for the dealers at the moment with having to man the Dusseldorf show and the Newark show.

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[Mr Chrysalis]

I've just been to a weighbridge with the Rapido 890F which is rated st 3650kg. And an unladen weight of 3210kg, so a payload of 440kg. It has the 150bhp engine and a tow bar. With empty tanks, only one gas bottle and the smaller of 2 Cadacs removed we are right in the limit with the 2 of us and 2 small dogs. When I weighed it the fridge was half full of beer but no food ( we are between trips!), and there are few clothes in it. I have added a spare wheel and we do have 2 leisure batteries and a satellite dish. There is very little else we can take out so my recommendation would be to go for the bigger chassis. My previous van was an autotrail Dakota with heavy chassis and smaller engine. That gave us a bigger payload, but I much prefer the bigger engine. We do tow a toad sometimes, so can keep weight of the van down by moving heavier items back there ( bottled water, beer, Cadac, cables etc)

 

[TheBig1]

beware rapidos weight figures, they are notoriously over optimistic. really well built vans though and we love our 10001

 

[Emmit]

Thanks for responding:
Bikes are road bikes mine is <7Kg's Italian Stallion the wife's is a little heavier
We decided against Solar meantime but may add in the future

I stand corrected. Jees that's light!!!

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[BMStewart2004]

I've just been to a weighbridge with the Rapido 890F which is rated st 3650kg. And an unladen weight of 3210kg, so a payload of 440kg. It has the 150bhp engine and a tow bar. With empty tanks, only one gas bottle and the smaller of 2 Cadacs removed we are right in the limit with the 2 of us and 2 small dogs. When I weighed it the fridge was half full of beer but no food ( we are between trips!), and there are few clothes in it. I have added a spare wheel and we do have 2 leisure batteries and a satellite dish. There is very little else we can take out so my recommendation would be to go for the bigger chassis. My previous van was an autotrail Dakota with heavy chassis and smaller engine. That gave us a bigger payload, but I much prefer the bigger engine. We do tow a toad sometimes, so can keep weight of the van down by moving heavier items back there ( bottled water, beer, Cadac, cables etc)

Wow, thanks very much, payload soon disappears in the real world

 

[BMStewart2004]

I stand corrected. Jees that's light!!!

Between SWMBO and bike = only one winner

 

[BMStewart2004]

beware rapidos weight figures, they are notoriously over optimistic. really well built vans though and we love our 10001

Cheers, looking like my cost lowering options are disappearing
Still, you can't take it with you....

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[Lenny HB]

With that size van the 150 engine is a must have, even better if you can streach to it is 180.
Your weights are wrong the 150 is only ½kg heavier than the 130.
As it looks impossible to run at 3500kg and the 3700 chassis would be very tight only sensible option is the maxi chassis. Nothing better than having spare payload no matter how we load our van always have 500kg spare nice not to have to worry about payload.
If you were to go for the 3700 chassis you would need to check the axle loading very carefully not really possible until you have the van could be too late then. Last van we uprated to 3850 only gained 150kg due to axle loading.

 

[BMStewart2004]

With that size van the 150 engine is a must have, even better if you can streach to it is 180.
Your weights are wrong the 150 is only ½kg heavier than the 130.
As it looks impossible to run at 3500kg and the 3700 chassis would be very tight only sensible option is the maxi chassis. Nothing better than having spare payload no matter how we load our van always have 500kg spare nice not to have to worry about payload.
If you were to go for the 3700 chassis you would need to check the axle loading very carefully not really possible until you have the van could be too late then. Last van we uprated to 3850 only gained 150kg due to axle loading.

Cheers Lenny, good feedback as always!

 

[Techno]

beware rapidos weight figures, they are notoriously over optimistic. really well built vans though and we love our 10001

Exactly ! And no conscience about it either

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[Lenny HB]

Aldi versus Trauma really come down to how well they have been installed and how much attention has been paid to detail, more so with the Truma.
We nearly went for the Aldi but decided it was a stretch too far. If it has been installed properly the Truma is excellent. Hymer's latest efforts in the newer models the Exsis & DL it works really well heating the van evenly and has screen heating vents. With the CP Plus controller once the system is up to temperature you wouldn't know it was on.

 

[Blue Knight]

Chaps,

I'm just being inquisitive here (and for my learning): The Rapido van @ 3.7T will have maximum axle load capacities of (F)1850Kg and (R)2000Kg but what will be the new max axle weights for the 4.4T chassis.

Thanks all,

Andrew

 

[Lenny HB]

Chaps,

I'm just being inquisitive here (and for my learning): The Rapido van @ 3.7T will have maximum axle load capacities of (F)1850Kg and (R)2000Kg but what will be the new max axle weights for the 4.4T chassis.

Thanks all,

Andrew

At a guess similarr to our Hymer if it's on an Al-Ko chassis. Hymer is 4500kg, Front axle 2300kg, Rear 2500kg. On a 4400kg will probably be 2400kg on the rear.

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[Blue Knight]

At a guess similarr to our Hymer if it's on an Al-Ko chassis. Hymer is 4500kg, Front axle 2300kg, Rear 2500kg. On a 4400kg will probably be 2400kg on the rear.

Thanks Lenny, some healthy numbers there.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[haganap]

trust me BMstuart, I own a rapido and it's great... I would be more concerned about the bike you are going to load in to it... I don't think my Ribble full carbon TT bikes do it justice and have recently thought about upgrading to a https://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/C...VdBbTCh3vSArXEAQYBSABEgINb_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

But my wife won't believe it's only £500

 

[7735]

We have a Rapido 966m rated at 3850k and payload is also a problem. You may also want to think about a spare wheel about 33k or at least a spare tyre. I wouldn't go anywhere with just a can of squirt. We have trauma warm air and when running on gas is really toasty. I think you will find it will be the front axle that restricts uprating and you can't do much about it. Just wondering, do you get a oven and grill with an import.

Spongy

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[Mr Chrysalis]

We have a Rapido 966m rated at 3850k and payload is also a problem. You may also want to think about a spare wheel about 33k or at least a spare tyre. I wouldn't go anywhere with just a can of squirt. We have trauma warm air and when running on gas is really toasty. I think you will find it will be the front axle that restricts uprating and you can't do much about it. Just wondering, do you get a oven and grill with an import.

Spongy

The oven and grill is part of the UK Pack so, if I understand correctly, is not part of the unladen weight quoted

 

[BMStewart2004]

trust me BMstuart, I own a rapido and it's great... I would be more concerned about the bike you are going to load in to it... I don't think my Ribble full carbon TT bikes do it justice and have recently thought about upgrading to a https://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/C...VdBbTCh3vSArXEAQYBSABEgINb_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

But my wife won't believe it's only £500

Tell her it's only £420 - just don't let her find out thats the monthly finance figure.....
Sigma is only a few miles for me and I hate going in there in case my credit card jumps out of my pocket and buys a bike. They have a beautiful Colnago C60 in there in Mapei colours but the frame costs more than my (secondhand) C59 did. Want, Need,Afford,Justify.... Nope!

 

[BMStewart2004]

We have a Rapido 966m rated at 3850k and payload is also a problem. You may also want to think about a spare wheel about 33k or at least a spare tyre. I wouldn't go anywhere with just a can of squirt. We have trauma warm air and when running on gas is really toasty. I think you will find it will be the front axle that restricts uprating and you can't do much about it. Just wondering, do you get a oven and grill with an import.

Spongy

Thanks for wheel advice! Boss doesn't want an oven, we've never used it on hire vans we've had, so thats not an issue. Reading yours and other comments I think we'll just have to shell out on the heavy chassis if we want to feel comfortable - or go back to Hymer 588

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