The biggest campervan and motorhome manufacturers
Thinking of buying your very own campervan or motorhome? These are the biggest brands in the business...
A new campervan or motorhome is a purchase that you don’t carry out lightly, because it represents a significant investment. So, of course, you do your research – but when you start that research you’ll be faced with a bewildering array of manufacturers, each offering a huge range of vehicles. It would be easy to feel overwhelmed as soon as you fire up your internet browser.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of 10 great manufacturers that are well worth your attention. Each offers its own take on the motorhome or campervan theme, whether it’s a dedicated motorhome builder or a car company that’s converting some of its hard-working vans.
In each case, we've also included contact details for those brands, so you can get straight on with planning your next adventure. Brands are presented in alplhabetical order.
Adria
Contact 01787 888980 / www.adria.co.uk
Slovenian manufacturer Adria is one of the major players in the motorhome market. It has a wide range of offerings, covering everything from campervan conversions to some of the largest motorhomes you can buy.
The range kicks off with the Twin model, which is based on a Fiat Ducato van and which features four seats and up to four berths, although the entry-level Twin Supreme has two berths.
At the top of the range sits the new Supersonic A-Class motorhome, which uses Mercedes underpinnings and which has been designed to offer real luxury on the move.
Adria has also developed an app that allows you to control and monitor many of your vehicle’s functions, such as lighting, cooling and heating, and monitor the battery, water levels and gas.
Autosleepers
Contact 01386 853338 / www.auto-sleepers.com
Auto Sleepers has been going for more than 60 years, so it has plenty of experience in what makes a campervan or a motorhome a joy to live with.
It has a wide range of products, which kicks off with the Ford Transit Custom-based Ford Air Camper, which offers a huge amount of equipment in a smaller package. The pop-up roof means it even has up to four berths.
At the top of the range sits the Mercedes Coachbuilt range, which is topped by the £84,995 Burford Duo. It features a shower, toilet, wardrobes, a comprehensively equipped kitchen and a huge amount of space. It also has a roof-mounted solar panel, to help you minimise your energy use.
Bailey
Contact 0117 966 5967 / www.baileyofbristol.co.uk
Bailey proudly shouts about its origins in Bristol, and how it remains there to this day. It’s also proud that its employees largely live in the local area and have an average length of service of 10 years.
It has two main motorhome ranges on offer, called the Adamo, which is Ford-based, and the Autograph, which is Peugeot-based. Both ranges start from the same basic price, but choosing which style and fixtures you want can quickly add more to the total cost.
The Adamo features space for up to eight people, has external onboard storage areas, space for two 11kg gas bottles, and some versions even have electrically powered drop-down beds.
The Autograph features Peugeot Boxer cab, and a slightly larger 2.2-litre HDI diesel engine, which develops 165bhp. It has the benefits of a Thule wind-out awning and an Alde central heating system for when the temperature drops.
Burstner
Contact 00 49 7851 850 / www.buerstner.com
There aren’t many things that German brand Burstner doesn’t do. Its range covers the full gamut of options, from van conversions to A-classes and also large over-cab machines.
Products start with the Ford Transit-based Lineo model, which offers a flexible and high-quality living experience for those on a slightly tighter budget, and who don’t need a huge amount of space. The Lineo also has a 90-litre refrigerator and a shower attachment.
However, if you want all the bells and whistles, look at the Lyseo M Harmony Line, a semi-integrated unit which is based on Mercedes running gear.
It offers a large shower room, four USB charging sockets, a sunroof and ventilated storage cupboards.
Carthago
Contact 00 49 07525 9200 0 / www.carthago.com
If you think of Carthago as the Mercedes S-Class of the motorhome world, you won’t be going far wrong.
The company's products definitely sits towards the top end of the market, and models such as the new Liner-For-Two merely cementing that position. For a start, it has a double floor, which allows much more storage space. There’s also a toilet and sink on one side of the central passage, with a shower room opposite, while at the back is a large wraparound seating area.
There are clever storage features throughout, and Carthago uses high-end trims throughout its vehicles.
Elddis
Contact 0371 964 2113 / www.elddis.co.uk
Elddis is another manufacturer that has stayed close to its roots in the place it was founded, namely County Durham. It was set up in 1965 by Siddle Cook (Elddis is Siddle backwards) and his son, Raymond.
The brand is part of the Erwin Hymer Group these days, and is making strides in the motorhome marketplace. Its range kicks off with the Autoquest CV20 campervan, a Fiat Ducato-based vehicle that’s designed to offer a comfortable living experience for a couple. It comes complete with a three-burner cooker and an 87-litre fridge-freezer, air-conditioning and a touchscreen infotainment system with DAB radio and Bluetooth, although a HD touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is an option.
The Elddis range is topped off by the Autoquest 196, which offers six berths (including an electrically powered drop-down bed), a shower room and toilet, a family-sized kitchen and the power of a 140bhp 2.2-litre Peugeot engine.
Ford
Contact 020 3564 4444 / www.ford.co.uk
Never mind the dedicated campervan manufacturers, Ford has also got in on the action with the Transit Custom Nugget, which is being produced in conjunction with Westfalia.
The Transit Nugget is primarily aimed at single adventurers or couples, and has three main interior areas. There’s an L-shaped kitchen at the rear, a living room in the middle, and a sleeping compartment in the pop-up roof.
It’s designed more for weekends away rather than full-on tours, so has just a 40-litre fridge and two-burner cooker, although there’s also an outside shower and seating for five.
The Custom Nugget is available with a 2.0-litre diesel with either 128bhp or 182bhp. The lesser-powered engine is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox while the more powerful brings the option of an automatic gearbox.
Hymer
Contact 00 49 7524 9990 / www.hymer.com
Hymer offers a vast range of products, all the way from the Hymer Free campervan conversion, up to the B-Class Masterline I, and also including the CrossOver models, which are designed to be driven off-road. They have pretty much something for everyone.
The brand certainly has plenty of experience in the field, having been around since 1957.
Base vehicles are either Fiat or Mercedes models, with the range kicking off with the Fiat Ducato-based Free. This is designed for quick and simple spur-of-the-moment weekend jaunts for those who no longer wish to sleep under canvas. The Free can sleep up to five people (might be a squeeze), with the ability to cook for them all.
Then of course there’s the Mercedes Sprinter-based B-Class Masterline I, which is designed to be driven across continents. Again, this offers sleeping space for five people, and a 153-litre fridge from which you can keep everyone fed and watered.
Swift
Contact 01482 875740 / www.swiftgroup.co.uk
Swift is the largest leisure vehicle manufacturer in Britain. It started to build motorhomes back in 1985, but only dipped a toe into the world of campervans in 2021.
The company’s range of motorhomes is pretty much completely based on Fiat Ducato underpinnings apart from the Monza, which is based on a Ford Transit Custom.
At the bottom of the pile is the Fiat Ducato-based Select, which offers weekend-away transport for two people. The Select also offers a three-burner hob, a toilet, a shower and a television.
At the top of the range is the well-known Kon-Tiki, which is designed to offer proper luxury on the move for up to six people. To that end, it has a four-burner cooker with oven and grill, a huge fridge, a toilet and sink, a separate shower and an external garage.
Volkswagen
Contact 0800 954 0225 / www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk
If one car manufacturer is synonymous with campervans, that manufacturer is Volkswagen. Think of a Volkswagen campervan and thoughts of flower power, beach parties and air-cooled engines spring to mind.
Things have changed these days, but Volkswagen still has a strong presence in the campervan arena. The California 6.1 is ideal for a couple and their offspring because it has space to sit and cook, and a pop-up roof for when it’s time to sleep.
A digital cockpit keeps you up to date with everything going on with the vehicle, and there’s a touchscreen control panel to allow you to configure and control various aspects of the living area.
And if that’s all a bit too social for you, there’s also the new Caddy California that lets you go away for a weekend on your own or with one other. There’s a folding table, two chairs and a pull-out kitchen to the rear.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Best plug-in hybrid cars 2024 – best and worst PHEVs named
Plug-in hybrid cars can reduce fuel consumption to an absolute minimum, but which models are the best all-rounders and which ones should you avoid?
