Rapido Merc. R/H drive. Bulb change. A major problem !

[Guest bill h]

This information relates to a new 2005/06 model R/H drive 987M. Its possible similar R/H Rapido models and R/H Fiat models will have the same lighting layout. I believe this problem is only factual on R/H drive vehicles where the head lamp lighting adjustment is re-arranged to suit UK laws. Problem = "Offside Head Lamp Reflector" Incorporating two bulbs, (one) Main beam 12v-55w H7. (two) parking light 12v-14w SCRAM (according to my book) NOTE the R/H assembly is not affected. When changing the 12v-14w small parking light bulb. Removing the plastic shroud containing the bulb is not easy. Replacing the 12v 14w bulb shroud is impossble! NOTE it is impossible! The beam adjustment mechanics (for R/H drive) have re-positioned the reflector to suit UK requirements at the opposite angle to continental driving. Result = The adjustable reflector flange metalwork now covers part of the bulb assembly entry hole and will not accept the 12v 14w bulb shroud! Remidy = 1. Remove the headlamp assembly complete. 2. Remove a section of the headlamp fixing flange. 3. Remove a section of the bulbs' plasic shroud holder. 4. Check the re-fitting of 12v 14w bulb shroud holder to the reflector very well and before re-assembling the headlamp to the bodywork. Remember to change a bulb in the future this has to be carried out 'under' the reflector 'blind' and possibly at the side of the road in the wet if ordered to do so!! None of this affects the near side light on my vehicle but I suggest you check. Note. You will require workshop air grinding tools etc to carry out the task. I have pictures and sketches of this modification and can email them if required. billhaylor2@sagainternet.co.uk (Gatwick area) PS I've not refitted the headlamp today as its now raining so I may have missed something and will add later. bill h

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Bill You probably will have, but if you haven't, you really should take this problem up with Rapido UK. At a push, I'd say "not for for purpose". It should not be enecssary to carry out any modifications to a vehicle in order to change a lamp. Some dismantling maybe, as lamps do (should) last a long time. However, what you describe, on a vehicle of that cost, is a disgrace. Rapido need to review the design as a matter of urgency. I wonder if a bit of a push from Trading Standards might help. Good luck Brian

[Guest bill h]

Yes this is getting real interesting. I've been sold an illegal vehicle. bill h

[Guest bill h]

And so, I need the address of Rapido UK please. bill h

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Bill Apologies. I'm afraid I've been lazy, and just assumed Brownhills were Rapido UK. I now realise they are not, but assume you must have bought from Brownhills since they seem to be the only UK Rapido dealership. Assuming you did buy from them, it is to them you should return. If you bought elsewhere, you should go back to whoever you bought from. It is for your dealer to put the fault right, and thus for them to contact Rapido UK and get the fault reviewed. Incidentally, it is not yet clear that anything is illegal. It is posible that your 'van has a construction error, say the wrong lamps fitted. Until the dealer has had a chance to put it right I'd go light on the "legal" padal. You may want them on your side, not hunkered down and feeling under threat! Good luck Brian

[Guest bill h]

"Rapido Caravanes" are at Wokingam in Surrey, between Guildford and Reading . 54 miles from where I live (Gatwick). At least one Forum member has talked to them at shows. I agree that they should put the job right, but I can do this modification better than they, particularly as its a metalic one. I have all the suitable equipment to hand being a precision engineer to the Medical and Aicraft Industry etc. (Heart valves and Space Vehicles) The original fault is a clear one. Rapido have either fitted a L/H drive light to a R/H drive vehicle, or, every UK R/H drive Rapido (and others perhaps) has this fault. Unless of course my bodywork is crooked! I believe this light assembly to be a standard product. ie; all things equal for manufacture. The light housing has one central bulb and one secondary bulb. When the beam adjusters are set to L/H drive the secondary bulb access is clear of surrounding metalwork. When the beam adjusters are set to R/H drive the flange holding the adjusters locks tight onto the secondary bulb housing. To remove the bulb housing is a struggle but the soft plastic does give way. To replace the housing is impossible by about 4mm and angled. Having been involved in Automotive assemblies it is easy to see how the system is assembled. (1) The light housing (complete with bulbs) is offered up and fixed to the bodywork. (2) At a later stage the beam adjusters are moved for either Left or Right driving. For UK use the adjuster flange traps the secondary bulb housing. Its not until a bulb change is needed that the re-fitting of the bulb housing assembly problem arises. Remember its unlawfull to drive a vehicle with faulty lights. If any of you out there pass through London Parks The Police therein are 'Parks Police' and a law unto themselves. They will stop you for any vehicle infringement and you'll be fined unless you can fix it on the spot !! I can email pictures. Have fun bill h

[Guest bill h]

In the first part of my message. 4th para 'the R/H is not affected' should read "The nearside or L/H lights are not affected"

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Bill h: Contact information for your dealership is: Caravanes Rapido Gorrick Luckley Road Wokingham Berks. RG40 3AU Tel: 0118 9791023 Fax: 0118 9891067 e-mail: rapido@rapidomotorhomes.com I make the following observations: 1. As the '3 lights in a slant' design is common to all current model 9-Series Rapidos (whether Mercedes or Fiat-based), I'm sure you are correct to assume that the bulb-changing difficulty you describe will relate to every A-Class Rapido having this lighting arrangement. (I would think there is also a possibility that the difficulty might be present on the vehicle's opposite side when the L/H light unit has been adjusted to dip to the right.) 2. I understand what you are saying - that modifying the flange of the R/H headlamp-unit of a 9-Series allows a failed R/H 'parking-light' bulb to be easily removed and replaced when the R/H headlamp has been adjusted to dip to the left. As parking-light bulbs rarely fail in my experience (I've never had a front parking-light bulb fail in 40+ years of driving), I see the bulb-changing problem and your Handy Hint being facts useful to be aware of but hardly things to go ballistic over. It appears that the R/H parking-light bulb can be removed/replaced if some disassembly of the light-unit and/or beam-adjusters is carried out. If this is correct, then you might be interested in the following quotation: "Note: Replacing a bulb on vehicles with air conditioning may prove to be difficult as several parts have to be removed first. Therefore it is recommended that you have the bulb replaced by an expert." This advice doesn't relate to a Ferrari or an exotic motorhome, but is taken from the handbook for the humble Ford Transit! Much as those of us with DIY tendencies would wish it otherwise, it is unrealistic nowadays to expect to be able to carry out emergency roadside vehicle maintenance in the manner we were accustomed to in the 1960s. You have targeted the difficulty involved in changing a front-light bulb that has little 'safety value' when the vehicle is being driven, but what are you going to do if the high-level brake-light fails, complain that Rapido haven't included anti-gravity boots in the tool kit? 3. I would very much like headlamps on my motorhome to have the facility to alter the dipped-beam relatively easily from UK to Continental pattern (as can be done on your Rapido). This would avoid all the faffing about with bits of sticky plastic/tape or expensive headlamp swapping that motorcaravanners go through when driving in the UK and abroad (that's when they actually bother, of course!). Given the choice of a 'fixed' headlamp system where it was easy to change parking-light bulbs, or an 'adjustable' system where it was impossible to change (without some spanner work) one parking-light bulb when one headlamp was in left-dip configuration, I'd surely opt for the latter. If it's to be argued that this difficulty is a slur on Rapido's reputation and somehow makes a 9-Series illegal or unfit for the purpose of being a motorhome, where does that put all other motorhome designs with non-adjustable dip-pattern headlamps? As a good proportion of UK motorcaravanners travel abroad, should they be demanding a 2nd set of headlamps from UK dealerships or some sort of free headlamp exchange scheme for whenever they wish to leave our shores? Are we going to say that any motorhome with 'fixed UK dipped-pattern' headlamps is unsuitable to be described as a motorhome as the lighting equipment implies motorcaravanning as a pastime must be restricted to the UK? 4. On current Transit-based motorhomes fitted with a swivel on the driver's seat it's impossible to access the vehicle-battery for routine maintenance without first removing the seat + swivel. When you've done that it's still impossible to gain access to all 6 battery-cells without removing a metal hold-down bar. On current Hobby Transit-based motorhomes it's impossible to remove/replace a rear wheel using the method described in the Ford handbook and, although one might be able to lower the spare wheel using the Ford-recommended technique, it would be impossible to raise it again. (Incidentally, these difficulties will almost certainly apply to many non-Hobby coachbuilt motorhomes built on the Transit chassis.) So let's hope your bulb-changing problem is the only 'impossible' thing you discover about your Rapido.

[Guest Annie]

Although our 966M Rapido was purchased second-hand and privately, we have found the dealers at Wokingham to be extremely helpful. (The vehicle was purchased from them in the first place). Don't be put off by the location - a long, muddy/or bumpy drive - but a good welcome when you arrive. Annie

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Derek/Bill All true, but quite a bit removed from simply replacing a humble bulb. The odd bulb does fail (sometimes you get a faulty one) and, especially on glass fibre bodied vehicles, "earthing" problems (missing/badly fitted earth tags) can cause repeated bulb failures until sorted. I still, therefore, sympathise with Bill and believe that this was/is a design fault. Not a major design fault, but one that could probably be sorted readily enough with a minor mod to an underbonnet bodywork profile. Then all bulbs would be replaceable as they should be, and the product would be that much better for it. If no-one tells the manufacturer his product has a fault, he may remain blissfully unaware of it's existance, leading to endless repetition of all those annoying little snags you enumerate so well above. The real problem is that Bill has attacked the headlamp and, so to speak, removed the evidence. It might have been better to have gone striaght to the Rapido dealership, pointed, and asked "how one is supposed to fix that"? After all, it is just possible that the dealer could have shown Bill another way (even the approved way!) that was easier and would have saved him all that effort. Moral: if it ain't broke dont fix it, but if it is (and it's still under warranty), get the dealer to fix it! Regards Brian

[Guest bill h]

First, I get on well with Martin, Paul, Adrian and Maureen at Wokingham. (or is it smart selling) I've met them several times. However when they've been asked to do something and they don't, and when I've pointed out an error they just laugh, in my book that follows that there's more than a hint of 'so what' in the air. I've already been informed of an untruth from them when asking about a spare set of bulbs. Halfords I was told. I went to Halfords and was told no. I've been on both sides of business and know how to tell fibs with a smile. In my years I've bought about 16 'new' vehicles, so am aware what is not asked doesn't get told, like any saleman etc. This particular problem has been fixed by myself quite easily but taking two days at my pace. I have photos if anyone wants copies showing the original problem. I've just been out in the rain to check again and it would seem that the lighting reccess at the front is not square to the plane of the chassis neither to the central line of the vehicle. This therefore could be an 'odd ball' vehicle and the hand built situation could make them all different. I'm forwarding all the info and modification details to the Rapido dealer for their comments, and will they be truthfull in answer, we'll see. This is the end of the story. PS My original forum writing was to make other M/H owners aware of the problem. It seems no one has tried to change the same bulb. I shall continue to monitor Rapido's and Fiat's with this design. The nuisance was minor. The time and cost of returning to the dealer far outweighed my work. And best of all I know its done correctly !!

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Bill h: I visited the NEC show yesterday and, remembering your posting, took a look at the front lights on Rapido 9-Series vehicles. These appeared to be identical to those used on several other models from different motorhome manufacturers. I noticed that the headlamp-units that carry the 'parking-light' bulbs were the innermost pair flanking the radiator aperture. This is commonplace for '4-reflector' headlamp systems, whether or not the reflectors are separate (as on the Rapido) or integrated into a single light unit (as on our Golf). What did perplex me was that the norm for this type of arrangement is for the outermost reflectors to have a dipping capability with the innermost reflectors merely being 'driving lights' that produce a long-range beam that extinguishes when dipped-beam is selected, leaving just the parking-light bulb illuminated. Where 4 separate reflectors are used I would anticipate that the outermost pair would produce a dipped-beam pattern specific to whether the vehicle is intended to be driven on the left or right side of the road (ie. would produce a left-dipping UK or right-dipping 'Continental' pattern). But I would expect the innermost pair of reflectors to provide 'straight-ahead' beams suitable for whichever side of the road it was intended that the vehicle be driven on. So, if one is going to drive a vehicle with a UK-pattern 4-reflector headlamp system on the Continent, it's the outermost pair of reflectors that will need to be adjusted, masked or have beam-deflectors fitted, while the innermost reflectors can be ignored. If the innermost pair of your Rapido's headlamps are indeed 'main beam only' driving lights, I can't understand why the beam pattern would need to be altered for UK or foreign use, hence why they should have an adjustment mechanism designed to do this. Obviously there will need to be a means of adjusting the vertical and lateral 'aim' of such headlamps, but that won't have anything to do with LHD or RHD, or UK or Continental specification. What I'm suggesting is the likelihood that your bulb-changing difficulty may afflict every current Rapido 9-Series wherever it's marketed and whichever side of the vehicle the steering wheel is on. Motorhomes are full of little gems like this. How much furniture disassembly would be involved for even the most trivial of internal repairs to be carried out on your Rapido's heater? Why do Dometic insist on attaching the upper part of their refrigerators' chimneys in a manner that often makes it impossible to clean the flue without removing the fridge? My experience is that the more expensive the motorhome the greater the possibility that 'style' considerations will produce infuriating constructional oddities. Regarding your "spare set of light bulbs" observation, there is no chance of you purchasing a Rapido 9-Series specific set of bulbs from anywhere (let alone Halfords) and this is likely to be true for the majority of modern coachbuilt motorcaravans. Apparently your Rapido handbook reveals which types of bulb go where (a near-miracle in my experience of motorhome handbooks!) so you should have little difficulty in gathering together a suitable set from the bulbs available at high street motoring accessory outlets. The alternative would be to buy a standard set of bulbs, which should be available from Halfords, and add those extra bulbs that your Rapido needs but aren't included in the standard set. (Probably what most people do.) I expect your Rapido dealer would assemble an appropriate set of bulbs for you if you insisted, but the cost of the exercise would surely exceed that of you putting together a set yourself.

[Guest bill h]

Regarding bulbs the only one seen at Halfords so far was the 12v 55w central one at around £18.00 from that inner reflector where the problem was. Rapido Wokingham had previously said 'all at Halfords' (another fib in my book) I have asked them for a 12v 14w replacement. As time passes I will find a source. I agree that style dictates in many M/Homes and some I looked were really cluttered up. I aim for simplicity and would have quite liked to build from an empty van, but I have no covered working space and my time is certainly growing shorter. Its not that I want an instant toy but doing it this way does give me lots of free time which, incidently is always occupied (I've just started on 4 repro 1819 Hobby Horses) (Wooden wheeled cycles) Your observation on the main beam / dipped lights may be the answer to the lighting problem. I've not been out in the dark, neither have I read all the electrics info or checked exactly which reflectors are supposed to be 'angled' or 'straight. This I will do tomorrow, its 3am at the moment (working on the bikes). There is a possibility that they've been fitted wrongly. From your description of the main or angled reflectors I would say that the inner ones are angled which is opposite to your observation. bill h

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

There's a website named www.consumabulbs.com that advertises a very wide range of automotive light bulbs (though I couldn't find any 14W ones). Otherwise the manufacturer of the light units (Hella) may be able to assist (or perhaps Hymer(UK)?). When I was goggling at Rapido A-Class headlights at the NEC (with my wife rolling her eyes in disbelief and despair!), as far as I can recollect the reflectors of the inner pair of headlamps looked like they would produce the type of simple symmetrical beam that one would expect from a 'driving' light. I think I recall that the small parking light bulb was at the bottom centre of each reflector, but I wouldn't swear to that. Even if I'm wrong about the exact position of the parking bulb in the reflector, I'm sure all the light units on the Rapidos I looked at were oriented similarly, that none of the lights looked 'cock-eyed' and that, on other makes of motorhome employing these light units, that the orientation of the reflectors was identical to those of the Rapidos. My Hobby motorhome incorporates a standard Ford cab, but 17 of the exterior lights have nothing to do with the Transit base vehicle. Your 'van is based on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis-cowl and it's very likely that this is provided to Rapido completely devoid of exterior lights and that none of your light units come from the Sprinter. Such customisation can complicate obtaining consumable spares (like light bulbs) when unusual components (like dinky Hella lights) have been chosen by the motorhome manufacturer. I'm a mite doubtful that your lights have been fitted wrongly, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if, when fitted 'correctly', that it proves impossible to carry out an easy roadside replacement of certain of the bulbs. All coachbuilt motorhomes are giant jigsaws and sometimes the pieces don't mesh too well. March 2006 "Which Motorcaravan" contains a short piece on Base Vehicle Servicing in which John Wickersham says "it's alleged that a recent A-Class model from a well-respected German manufacturer has such a small bonnet lid that a service engineer can neither remove nor replace the air filter on some Fiat Ducato engines". Now that's what I call inaccessibility!

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Bill You were considering visiting Blois sometime fairly soon. It used to be a legal requirement, and so far as I know it still is, to carry a set of replacement lamps in France. Just a thought, but if you continue having problems with this, you could head for the nearest Rapido dealer to your French channel port and see if they have a lamp kit for your 'van. I think they'd be obliged to provide these to French buyers by law, possbly provided free with the a (cheaper than UK) Rapido supplied to a French purchaser, or at least have them available. I know a lot of French car dealers do this. Good luck Brian

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Bill Just as a postscript to the above, I think there is more to your headlights than first meets the eye. That, or there is something radically wrong with their installation. For a instance, I can't find any references to a 12V 14W lamp anywhere. All sorts of other wattages, 5W - which would be normal for a sidelight, 15W - which would be unusually heavy, but not 14W. Second, the SCRAM reference may refer to a series of modular relays perked around the vehicle that individually switch the lamps. I can't find that designation for a vehicular lamp anywhere, but I did find a reference to Serial Controlled Remote Addressable Modules, which are switching modules, not lamps! I would suggest you find out exactly what they are and who made them. It may be that there has been an error in mounting them, either as Derek is (I think) suggesting by swapping the inner and outer units, or possibly by mounting one of the units rotated 90 degrees. You'll just have to turn the lights on after dark, and see how they look. Might be interesting! Regards Brian

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Bill: I was in a small local "Motor World" shop today where 'Continental travel' bulb-sets were being sold, plus a comprehensive selection of bubble-packed automotive light bulbs. But no 12V/14W bulbs... I've been mulling over your original statement that you needed a 14W bulb. This is a startlingly high wattage for a 12V parking light as the norm is 5W or below. My Transit uses 5W or 3W bulbs for 'marker' lights, while my VW Golf uses 5W or 4W. In fact the Golf's front parking lights are within the inner pair of reflectors as on your Rapido and I vaguely recall from my NEC visit that the bulbs look similar. So perhaps the bulb you want is not 14W but 4W, which could well explain why you are having such trouble locating one? Motor World had a variety of low wattage bulbs with different fittings, so the easiest way to check you were getting the correct bulb would be to use one of your existing bulbs as an sample.

[Guest bill h]

Further comments on bulbs etc; I went out as I said in the rain but couldn't decide if the reflectors were positioned incorrectly. They do conform to the user manual, dated 06-2004. The parking light bulbs are 12v 14w (SCRAM). I did check last week on the good bulb then the user manual as it seemed high. I do have a Mercedes commercial W/S within 3 miles which was one of the reasons for choosing a Merc engine so I will try there for spare bulbs. I have not tried the lights at night and I'm not sure how I could adjust them for France etc. A Rapido dealer in France for bulbs is a good suggestion. Yes the parking light socket is under the reflector by 180* which made it difficult to get at and why I decided to remove the whole thing to see what the original problem was. I could revolve the reflector perhaps but having sorted the problem I can replace any bulb easily now. The near side bulb shroud and socket are no problem. Rapido Wokingham have made no comment on my modification. When the vehicle goes for 1st service I will offer to remove the lamp for them to check. They did stress that all was OK previously. My only comment was that I did what was needed to make the vehicle legal. The User manual pictures Merc and Fiat with the same or similar bulb sizes and I have a friend with a Fiat but he's in Spain so I'll call round when he returns. The 12v 14w bulb is a small one with 2 pins diametricaly opposite. I have asked Wokingham for a replacement. (There were two other items on the vehicle that were defective, repacements on the way)

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

I remain extremely doubtful about this 12V 14W bulb - it seems much more likely to be 12V/4W As far as I'm aware, vehicle manufacturers (or motorhome converters) are not legally required to fit light units in a way that would makes roadside bulb replacement quick and easy. If that were the case then a large percentage of modern vehicles would be deemed illegal.

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Bill: Try running a GOOGLE search on "12V/4W" (omitting the quotes). This should retrieve a Maplins reference with a drawing of a bulb that very much resembles your description. By the way, you should be able to get H7 bulbs for well below £10 (GOOGLE search for suppliers)