Rapido or Dethleffs

[360david]

I have a dilema. I am in the market for an entry level A class motorhome.

I have narrowed the field down to two. Rapido Itineo and Dethleffs trend.

I like both but does anyone have any experience of these models or does anyone have any general thoughts on the two brands

many thanks

David

 

[Seanyboy]

I personally, drive a Rapido 924F. I've owned Rita for about 8 years. She's been tip top, only issues have been a blown exhaust and had to replace handbrake cable. Other than those issues, PERFECT. If i'm totally honest, if i ever was to trade her fat arse in, I'd look at having a fixed bed in my new girl and a bigger garage.

Hope this helps.

[Steve928]

Dethleffs = aluminium sides, Itineo = GRP sides.

That would sway me, but then those Itineos are seriously ugly (to this beholder).

 

By the way, it's only Itineo owners that would refer to them as Rapido Itineos, just like it's only Malibu owners that refer to their vans as Carthago Malibus ;-)

[76zedfour]

To compare an itineo and a dethleffs is night and day. I havent viewed a true rapido so cant comment on them but I have recently sold a 2018 dethleffs trend and drove halfway across the country to look at a new itineo fc650. I spent 90 seconds in the van and drove straight back. Awful van in my opinion. On paper layout looks great, in practice the shower was unusably small, ceiling height in bathroom was about 5foot8. All the panels were flimsy singles, the one I viewed had hinges hanging off, wonky cabinetry. The A class driving position and dash felt like a 20 year old vehicle

The trend is very well put together like all dethleffs but is bland, bland for a reason in order to compete at the budget end of the market with lesser brands. Dont be fooled by eye candy in other makes and look more at the quality.

[360david]

thanks for your responses. I do favour the Dethleffs if only for its Germanic build quality. I particuly like the front drop down bed. Im 72 and can get up to it without a ladder whereas the drop down in my swift is a bit of a pain.

I really wanted a twin rear bed but there are none around at the moment so will probably go for the fixed rear double.

thanks again

[Derek Uzzell]

Itineo motorhomes used to be built at a Rapido Group site near Angers that also made the de luxe Esterel brand but, in 2012, Itineo production was transferred to Rapido’s main factory at Mayenne.

 

The Itineo brand was created to offer low cost A-class designs targeting families and the original specification clearly reflected cost saving (eg. using a Ducato ‘commercial’ chassis rather than the ‘camping-car’ one). The photos in this 2008 “Which Motorcaravan” review

 

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/reviews/motorhomes/details/itineo-lb-690-2008-motorhome-review/898633

 

will show that the frontal appearance of early models was startlingly ugly, but things have come on a lot since then and current Itineo A-class designs are (in my opinion) just as attractive as much of the competition. (I’ve attached a photo of a current Itineo, a current Knaus and a current Rapido to support that view - but beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder).

 

There’s a review of an Itineo RC740 here

 

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/reviews/motorhomes/details/motorhome-review-itineo-rc740-motorhome/1012055

 

and another review (also of an RC740) is in the latest (September 2020) issue of MMM magazine. It’s poinrted out in the review that (for the UK market) the Itineo’s windscreen wipers are properly oriented for right-hand drive (something a lot of A-class builders can’t be bothered to do despite UK owners bitching about it) and there are three wipers to get a good view through the large windscreen. Although Itineo interior furniture is less ’swish’ than that of Rapido-branded A-Class models (eg. flat locker doors not curved ones) that’s to be expected on a ‘budget-conscious’ motorhome.

 

“Germanic build quality” (?) (?) I bought a new Hobby motorhome in 2005 and the heating system failed to deliver warm air to the front of the habitation area as a critical heating duct (buried in the floor’s insulation and unreachable) had been crushed during the build. I DIYed a fix, but this was a ‘reject the vehicle’ fault. Then there was the Hobby’s half-baked overcab insulation that caused damp to affect the overcab storage lockers. Plus the screeching noise when the vehicle was driven on rough roads due to how Hobby had attached the cab to the bodywork. I also vividly remember inspecting (some years ago) a Dethleffs motorhome where it was, literally, impossible to sit on the toilet with the bathroom door closed.

 

So, if you do choose a Dethleffs model over an Itineo, I suggest you don’t put too much emphasis on the former being Germanic and the latter French.

 

(I would have thought there will be a significant base-price difference between an Itineo motorhome and a Dethleffs Trend I equivalent.)

[StephDeLux]

Dethleffs' quality is miles ahead of Itineo.

[Derek Uzzell]

Then - if the price of the Dethleffs and Itineo motorhomes David is interested in is similar - the Dethleffs must be the rational choice.

 

(It’s not just Dethleffs and Itineo that are building ‘entry level’ A-class models. so there are other possibilities.)

[Kennyd]

I looked at the Itineo , thought it was lovely until I looked closer , all bling , looked good but Really wasn’t , I bought a Dethleffs Trend A7877-2 as I wanted a good garage & fixed transverse bed , it’s quite plain with little more than the essentials As standard BUT the quality is really good , I added all the goodies to spec it up , I’m very happy with it & would buy another