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Can you help with this clutch fault on our Fiat Rapido motor home?

I have a September 2008 Rapido A Class motor home with a plated weight of 4200kg (heavy duty), but we normally run when loaded at about 3600kg, and it has a Fiat 3.0-litre engine. At 18,000 miles the clutch activator failed in France and was replaced. The French garage also told us that the clutch plate and flywheel were damaged and should be replaced on our return home, and this is now being done.

It is going to incur costs of around £1300 unless Fiat feels there is a manufacturing defect. My local Fiat service garage suggests heat damage. I would welcome your opinion as to is this a manufacturing problem and not driver; is a replacement going to solve the problem or is it due to the load on the chassis (and if so is there an alternative) and is the failure of the clutch activator related or just a coincidence?

Asked on 26 May 2012 by AC, Guernsey

Answered by Honest John
I don't know enough about commercial vehicles to give an honest answer, but it could be that the conversion is not actually suitable for the drivetrain. The vehicle is designed to be a van, run to 200,000 miles over four years or so, then scrapped. It is not designed to be a motor home. A lot of motor homes also incur condensation and corrosion damage to the DMF, clutch and transmission while they stand unused in the owner's driveway over winter.
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