Rapido inside lights

[Grumpy Grandad]

Hi.

We have just purchased a Rapido 9048 df, and although the handover was very thorough, you always find something missed when you get home.

On pressing the light bulb switch on the control panel, to enable the bathroom lights to be used, the under cupboard led striplights come on! Does anyone know if there is a switch hidden somewhere to switch the led's off, please

Stuart

[Derek Uzzell]

Stuart

 

Rapido built the 9048df from model-year 2007 to 2015. With my crystal-ball at maximum turbo-boost I’m guessing yours is a 2012 or 2013 version, but it would be helpful if you could confirm your motorhome’s year of manufacture just in case someone has the same model. There’s no guarantee whatsoever that Rapido has used the same electrical system (or interior lighting philosophy) from year to year or model-range to model-range.

 

My own 2015 Rapido 640F has an amalgamated toilet/shower compartment, with the washbasin separate from the toilet/shower and within the bedroom area. If I turn the switch on for the light in the ceiling above the washbasin, this also causes nearby under-shelf LED ‘strip-lights’ to illuminate - so there’s a good chance your Rapido has no ‘hidden' switch to specifically operate the under-cupboard LED lights.

[Grumpy Grandad]

Good morning Derek

That must have been a very expensive Crystal ball. You are almost spot on. Our Rapido is a late 2012 model, which I believe was slightly changed from early 2012 models.

Our electrics sound very similar yo yours. I have tried to find the cable yo the Leds, to enable me to install a switch, but it is hidden in the cupboard end panel somrwhere.

 

Thankyou for your advice

Stuart

[Derek Uzzell]

My Rapido’s the same.

 

Conduit is occasionally used to enclose cabling, but most of the wiring for the lighting is hidden and (realistically) inaccessible. I’ve contemplated adding a couple more reading lights in the lounge area, but the cost of matching the original Dometic lights (that only seem to be avalable from Rapido nowadays) and the challenge of wiring them in ‘invisibly’ has so far dissuaded me from doing this.

[Grumpy Grandad]

It almost gives the impression that the cable is actually inside the bulkhead. Obviously Rapido have a peculiar way of doing things.

Do you manage ok with your load capacity?

As you are probably aware we had a Hymer B544 which was plated at 4250 kgs. This meant we could carry everything, including the kitchen sink !!

Now we are down to 3700 kgs we are having to drastically cut back on what we carry. Prior to filling the van we had it weighed, it came out at 3400 kgs. So we are now trying to carefully weigh everything as it goes in to the van.

 

Thanks.

Stuart

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Grumpy Grandad - 2017-12-07 2:01 PM

 

...Do you manage ok with your load capacity?

 

 

Rapido quotes an unladen weight in running order of 2795kg for a 640F model like mine, making the user-payload 705kg. That figure is sufficiently large that there has been no real incentive for me to weigh the motorhome, but I’d be very surprised if - even with a full fresh-water tank (120 litres), me and my wife on board, plus ‘baggage’ - the fully loaded weight would ever exceed 3200kg.

[Brian Kirby]

Rapido Motorhomes are showing a 9048df as having an "unladen" weight of 3080kg +/- 5%. Depending on the actual condition in which yours was weighed, it does seem to be suffering a degree of "middle aged spread"! Are you satisfied with the accuracy of the weighbridge. Losing 300kg seems a bit steep - assuming it is an equivalent model year.

[Grumpy Grandad]

Hi.

The weighbridge we use js a Vosa bridge which is open 24hhrs a day so you can self weigh.

One of the possible reasons that we have quite a high unladen weght is that the Rapido came with two leisure batteries and a solar panel. But we will just have to be more careful as to what we take with us now.

 

Stuart

[Derek Uzzell]

French-language technical guides for Rapido motorhomes can be downloaded from here

 

http://www.rapido-camping-car.fr/rapido_historique-technique_les-anciens-guides-techniques-rapido.phtml

 

A 2012 or 2013 Rapido 9048df model could be ordered in ‘light’ form (3500kg or 3700kg MTPLM) or ‘heavy’ (4250kg MTPLM) and the motor could be 2.3litre capacity or 3.0litre, with ComfortMatic transmission as an option.

 

The quoted ‘mass in running order’ (MIRO) was 3100kg (+/- 5%), but this would be for the basic LHD French specification. One could add about 25kg for the extra equipment that would have been fitted as standard to RHD vehicles destined for the UK, plus another 30kg for an extra battery and mounting-tray and, say, 10kg for a passenger air-bag, radio, etc. that most buyers would choose. Then in Stuart’s case there’s the weight of the solar-panel and (because most UK motorhomes seem to have them) quite likely the weight of an awning and bike-rack. (And the MIRO only includes the weight of 50litres of fresh-water, not the 120litres possible.)

 

I would have thought one would need to be a mite careful not to overload a 3500kg MTPLM Rapido 9048df with 2.3litre motor and manual transmission (and really careful if it had the 3.0litre motor and ComfortMatic) but the payload appears to be adequate for a 3700kg 2.3litre/manual version.

 

As will be seen from this advert

 

https://www.caravansforsale.co.uk/motorhome/rapido-9048df-180bhp-auto-2012-used-motorhomes-for-sale/696088

 

the 9048DF is a quite compact A-class design with no rear ‘garage’, so storage space for large heavy items is quite limited.

[Grumpy Grandad]

Hi Derek.

Problem solved!!

I have found the switch for the under cabinet Leds. After hunting about again this morning, found it down the side of a unit. I assume that the van you have seen advertised is at Brownhills. They did contact us but their part-ex price was poor. Although we have bought vans from them before and have been pleased with there service.

 

Thanks again for your help

Stuart