With such a huge choice of new motorhomes on the UK market, Touring Magazine brings you its top 10 list for the discerning adventurer.
1 Best Campervan
Mercedes-Benz Magellan from Rolling Homes
from £47,995
We can’t pretend that the Magellan from Rolling Homes is a brand-new model; it has been around for a good few years now. But that’s the beauty of it – this campervan has stood the test of time and still comes up as one of the very best campervans you can buy today.
Hand crafted with beautiful oak furniture using traditional cabinet-making skills, you really will notice a difference in the interior finish between this top-of-the-range campervan and others.
The interior walls are insulated with sheep’s wool, one of the most eco-friendly insulation products, and lined with carpet. There are black-out curtains for a great night’s sleep and the kitchen worktop is made from Corian, utilised in top-of-the range home kitchens.
It’s the Mercedes-Benz Vito 90hp 109 CDI as standard, but there are option upgrades to increase on-the-road performance, with 114hp, 163hp and 190hp engines, plus an automatic gearbox alternative.
2 Best Compact Leisure Vehicle
Sun Living V60 SP Tent Top
£TBC
Pop-up roofs on compact leisure vehicles have become an ever-more standard feature in the last couple of years, but Sun Living – the entry-level brand of Slovenian manufacturer Adria – is new on the act.
Hence, added to the brand’s existing range of vehicles for 2023 is the V60 SP Tent Top, a vehicle that’s under 6 metres but has four belted travelling seats and, thanks to the ‘tent top’, four sleeping berths.
Why do we rate it as one of our best motorhomes? There’s no denying that you can purchase more luxurious interiors. But in a world where prices are increasing infinitely – and pushing motorhome holidays out of reach for some – Sun Living offers smart, simple design with proven, practical layouts, has a well-respected brand behind it and yet retains value for money.
3 Best Electric
Nissan e-NV200 by Sussex Campervans
£67,995
Electric motorhomes are growing in popularity amongst eco-conscious tourers and our electric offering is from Sussex Campervans.
Sussex Campervans are well ahead of the game with their electric van. The e-NV200 was a long-term project for the Horsham-based firm and they have succeeded in producing a practical true electric camper to rival the fossil drinkers in style, power and range.
And all-electric means just that. Down to the installation of an induction hob cooker, no fuel tanks of any kind are needed in this van.
The base model was designed by Nissan as a city van, making it naturally agile and with a turning circle of only 11.1M, this would be equally equipped for those tight pitches or as a euro-camper negotiating the narrow streets of Paris or Rome.
Slimline it might be, but this camper has a generous amount of space inside making it one of the best motorhomes in this field.
The power source is 40kWh made of 4 lithium powercells providing 109HP.
Batteries are stored low, so as not to eat into the usable space, also giving this electric campervan a low centre of gravity for secure and smooth handling.
This e-NV200 is available as two or four berth, with a pop-top elevating roof and a choice of layouts, plus the vast upholstery range and custom options that Sussex Campervans offer.
Check out Touring Magazine’s exclusive road test of this all-electric van here.
4 Best Off Road
Sunlight Cliff 4×4 Adventure Van and Hymer Venture S
Price TBC
This is the hardest best motorhomes category to determine right now, because 4×4 off-road campervans and motorhomes are becoming ever more popular to make by manufacturers, entering the mainstream market rather than the traditional bulky and cumbersome overland vehicles of old.
We’ve picked out two that really hit the mark. The first is the Hymer Venture S. It may be familiar to readers of Touring – we’ve featured the concept prototype version, the Vision Venture, previously. Now that vision has become reality with the launch of the brand new off-roader.
Cool? It’s hard to find a motorhome much hipper. It features a pneumatic pop-top roof, complete with a stairway (that’s compartmentalised for storage) rather than a ladder. Its tailgate offers a striking glass Infinity Screen that offers 180-degree panoramic views and an exclusive sun deck when open.
There’s plenty of top-notch gadgetry but, more so, this is a work horse as a powerful Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, with standard all-wheel drive and studded tyres. It’s designed to go anywhere.
Orders are now being taken, though prices haven’t yet been released. But it’s fair to say this is not going to be a budget vehicle…
Step forward the Sunlight CLIFF 590 4×4 Adventure Edition! Sunlight has been producing its CLIFF compact leisure vehicle for several years now; it’s a very popular motorhome that’s tried and tested.
Now the 590 – a two-berth vehicle that’s less than 6 metres long, has been given an all-terrain sporty appearance on its Ford Transit chassis.
There’s more than simply looks, though, with a 4×4 vehicle on a Ford Transit chassis that’s designed for desert roads, muddy tracks and anywhere else suitable for big adventures.
Inside, you’ll find a comfortable rear transverse bed alongside a host of storage compartments for your kit.
There’s no launch date set for the UK yet, but this is one to watch.
5 Best Family Compact Leisure Vehicle
Dreamer Select Family Van
Price TBC for 2023
We’ve put Dreamer’s Family Van top of our list in this category of our best motorhomes round-up before and we’ve yet to find a better vehicle for the purpose of family adventures while keeping things compact. There have, however, been a few alterations to keep it fresh for 2023.
That includes a transition from the Fiat Ducato as a base vehicle to the 2.2-litre 140hp Peugeot Boxer.
There’s no change to the overall length at 5.99m, though, or the fact it incorporates five berths with single bunks at the rear and a drop-down double bed that sits above the lounge (where you can also make up a fifth berth).
Space is optimised with the DUO-SPACE washroom, a feature of many Dreamer vans, to allow toilet, basin, and shower area without compromising on living comfort.
And, with a double floor that accommodates the services, together with storage, plus a heated waste tank below, this is one for family travel all-year-round.
6Best Family Coachbuilt
Rimor Kilig 9
£TBC
Kilig, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a ‘pleasant emotional experience’ – that feeling of euphoria caused by an exciting experience. Well, we all know that the best motorhome adventures give exactly that so little wonder that Italian brand Rimor – master of family coachbuilt motorhomes – has named its new model series so.
There are 11 layouts available in the Kilig range, extending from 5.9 metres to 7.3 metres in length. Our favourite is the Kilig 9, that measures a fraction under 7 metres and provides a fabulously practical layout for families.
There are twin bunks at the rear, an overcab double plus two dinettes side by side that can create an additional double bed.
Interiors are zingy and Scandi, with a nautical decking look for the floors, and vibrant turquoise patterns across the upholstery.
7 Best Motorhome Under £50K
Etrusco V 6.6 SF
£48,300
Finding a motorhome under £50k gets harder and harder these days while costs rise on an almost daily basis.
But we’ve found one (actually, we’ve found more than one), launched this season by Etrusco, an Italian entry-level brand backed by the enormous Erwin Hymer Group.
The expansion of the brand sees new models based on the Ford Transit, including two under £50k.
They are the V5.9 DF and the V6.6 SF, which offer a transverse double bed and two longitudinal single beds respectively. The latter also has the option of a third berth. Both provide four belted travelling seats.
Styling internally is simple but elegant while retaining essential features such as a washroom and small galley kitchen. You can pack plenty to the rear garage beneath the beds, too, even with the narrower-than-usual 2.14m width of the vehicle.
And the price? £46,700 for the double-bed V5.9 DF and £48,300 for the V6.6 SF.
8 Best Luxury Coachbuilt
Malibu T430 LE
Price £75,780
What was once the budget brand of high-class German manufacturer Carthago, is now a high-class brand to stand alongside its sibling; indeed, there’s plenty of sibling rivalry such is the coming-of-age of the Malibu brand.
For 2023, the brand has streamlined its portfolio of coachbuilt motorhomes to simplify things. There are now just four layouts, and, from that, we’ve selected the T430 LE. At 6.9m long, the Fiat-based vehicle provides plenty of internal spaciousness without being uncomfortably tricky to manoeuvre.
At the rear, above a sizeable storage area, are two single beds, which could be transformed into a large double bed.
There’s further storage hidden away thanks to the double floor, under which the heating is also housed, creating a luxurious underfloor heating effect to keep things cosy while you’re touring in winter.
L-shaped lounge seating plus side-facing seat and swivelling cab chairs allows five to dine around the pedestal table comfortably.
9 Best A Class
Adria Supersonic
From £144,000
Adria has long been associated with producing excellent A-class motorhomes. Now they’ve gone one better with the launch of the all-new Supersonic, the best motorhome in their range.
What started out as a concept vehicle in the top-secret Adria innovation hub, looking at luxury yachts and interior home design for inspiration, has become reality.
There are four models from which to select, all on a Mercedes-Benz 2 or 3-axle chassis offering reliable performance with the sleek, elegant exterior design of the silver-coloured motorhome.
Internally, you’ll find open plan living where the lounge and kitchen are connected.
Attention to detail is obvious, including aspects such as new Aguti seating with seatbelts that stow away when parked up, an uncompromised driving experience in the cab and a single-level floor throughout with double-floor construction.
At the rear is a large bedroom suite with Luxe mattresses (either twin longitudinal singles or an island double) and a hotel-style spa washroom. All models, however, sleep four utilising an electric drop-down bed at the front, too.
10 Best RV
Morelo Grand Empire 26 T
Price from €777,500
It was all about impressive stats when Morelo launched its new flagship liner at the Caravan Salon in September 2022.
Twelve metres long; three axles; a whopping payload up to 11,300 tonnes; and a 530hp engine with 12-speed automatic transmission on the Mercedes-Benz Actros chassis.
As to be expected from a flagship model, this is luxury at its finest. There are real-glass double-glazed windows, air conditioning in the living quarters, underfloor heating in the cockpit (it’s not called anything as belittling as a cab in a vehicle like this!) and in the washroom.
In the kitchen, you’ll find an induction hob – and a dishwasher. And in the rear garage… well, there’s enough room to fit a MINI Cooper.
There are options to include a slide-out for additional space but, whether you determine this to be necessary or not, this is a vehicle that will accommodate the very finest living space on the move.
