Those looking to buy a motorhome at the budget end of the market are spoiled for choice, as there are some fantastic models available. The Practical Motorhome Awards 2024 are here to help you choose the van for you, as we reveal our winner of the best budget motorhome.

Our expert panel have used our years of collective industry experience to choose the winner, as well as highlighting the models that made the shortlist, including options from leading brands such as Itineo, Carado and more all making the shortlist.

The category has been rebranded from last year, where we called it the best motorhome under £60,000 – this is to better reflect the current market. However, you can also see the options from last year’s Awards, as well as some of our top budget picks from recent years, with vans from some of the best motorhome manufacturers including Chausson, Swift, Pilote, and more all appearing.

This year, we picked out the Itineo PS700 as the best budget motorhome on the market, a ‘van we also shortlisted for the best family motorhome category – we really like its spacious interior, as we think it provides plenty of room to relax.

The best budget motorhome is:

Itineo PS700

Itineo PS700

  • Price: £61,800
  • Berths: 6
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MIRO: TBC
  • Payload: TBC
  • Length: 6.99m
  • Width: 2.23m

Reasons to buy:

  • Spacious inside, plenty of room for a family to relax

Reasons to avoid:

  • Sixth travel seat is only an optional extra

Itineo, owned by Rapido, made a reputation for producing budget-priced A-class motorhomes before it moved into low-profiles. But this new model for the 2024 season is something of a novelty too because it is the first time the company has offered a six-berth motorhome in its low profile range.

And the good thing with our pick for the best budget motorhome is that it doesn’t feel like your average six-berth, with everyone getting on top of one another. With two bunks stashed away at the back, there is enough room for a huge front lounge with parallel settees around a large table where all the family can get together.

Itineo PS700 interior

The table and settees then make up into a huge double bed for the adults, with another drop down bed above it.

And best of all, you can get all of this, with spec that includes Truma Combi 4 heating, a two-burner hob, a 136-litre fridge and a 136cm-high garage, for only a little over £60,000 brand new. As standard you even get five travel seats and you only have to pay extra if you really need a sixth one.

Full review: Itineo Cozi PS700

The shortlisted options for the best budget motorhome are:

Carado T457

Carado T457

  • Price: from £64,890
  • Berths: 4
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MIRO: TBC
  • Payload: TBC
  • Length: 7.39m
  • Width: 2.32m

Reasons to buy:

  • Reasonable price, great amount of headroom

Reasons to avoid:

  • 98-litre fridge isn’t huge for a family’s food

This, the latest new model from the Erwin Hymer Group company, shows perhaps why it is building a steady reputation in the UK for providing relatively modestly priced vehicles that still show great quality and a decent spec. For a starting price of £64,890 you get a 7.39m long low profile motorhome with two 2m-long single beds at the back, and a large bed up front that drops down over a lounge with parallel seating.

Interior of Carado T457

There is a good spread of mains and USB sockets throughout the vehicle – five of the former and four of the latter – so everyone should be happy. And despite it being on a standard Fiat chassis, the motorhome also has 2.10m of internal headroom. So no banging heads on the ceiling, although there are steps to look out for.

Joa Camp 60F

  • Price: £59,000
  • Berths: 2
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MIRO: 2600kg
  • Payload: 900kg
  • Length: 5.99m
  • Width: 2.3m

Reasons to buy:

  • Enormous payload, Pilote build quality

Reasons to avoid:

  • Not a huge amount of worksurface in the kitchen

Now into its third season, Pilote’s budget brand is gaining in popularity in the UK. It is due for a refresh which won’t be unveiled until the October NEC Show, but this French bed model that comes in at just 5.99m in length will be continuing, and at a price you might well find attractive for a van that while a two-berth as standard includes four travel seats as standard but still manages to have 900kg of payload.

Joa Camp models manage to be cheaper than standard Pilote motorhomes because they run on Citroen Relays rather than Fiat Ducatos and depend heavily on modular construction. (So, for example you should see the same washbasin or shower tray appearing in all of them.) But their jolly interiors mean that they are far from bleak.

Our pick of the budget motorhomes from last year – the best motorhomes under £60,000 from the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023:

These are the models we shortlisted at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023, when the category was the best motorhome under £60,000. The winner was the Chausson S514, an option our judging panel really liked thanks to features such as its ingenious storage options and eye-catching exterior.

Chausson S514

The Chausson S514
  • Price: £56,990
  • Berths: 2/3
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MIRO: 2600kg
  • Payload: 900kg
  • Length: 5.99m
  • Width: 2.10m

Reason to buy:

  • Great exterior, clever storage options

Reason to avoid:

  • Limited kitchen

Looking for a coachbuilt motorhome in this price bracket usually means settling for a white box that doesn’t really inspire great excitement with anyone. Not so with the newly revised S514 from Chausson. You get an exterior that instantly sets you apart from everyone else on the caravan park because it’s grey, and grey all over, not just on the sides. (It’s a unique colour in the motorhome market too.)

With the black alloys as well, and the black edging to the locker doors, people will more likely think you are in some sort of sophisticated adventure vehicle than in a plain old transverse bed van conversion.

But there’s cleverness on the inside too, which again you wouldn’t expect at this price. The way the “butterfly bed” folds up when you don’t need it means you have space to store an upright bicycle at the back and still have space to get dressed further front – quite a consideration in any van that is less than 6m long. And yet the front dinette is not uncomfortable either, and provides an occasional extra berth.

Full review: Chausson S514 Sport Line

Joa Camp 60G

Joa Camp 60G
  • Price: £58,600
  • Berths:
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MiRO: 2860kg
  • Payload: 640kg
  • Length: 5.99m
  • Width: 2.05m

Reason to buy:

  • Comfy and well equipped rear bed, great storage

Reason to avoid:

  • Kitchen is a bit basic

Budget pricing in motorhomes also usually means lots of modular construction, with features being included or designed to fit a large number of models, not just this particular one. Pilote’s budget brand Joa Camp has been built on the principles of modular construction, but thankfully you won’t see much sign of this in most of its models, not even in this, currently its most popular van conversion, which manages to include comfy and well equipped rear bed and a cosy dinette in less than 6m.

The only sign of cost cutting you will see is a moulding for a window in the washroom that isn’t there. And you could argue that the ledge for this provides extra storage space, so it’s not all bad.

The price is also kept low by the base vehicle being a Citroen Relay, rather than a Fiat. The cab and dashboard should be familiar to anyone who has driven a Fiat, however.

Full review: Joa Camp 60G

Rimor Kilig 9

The Rimor Kilig 9
  • Price: £59,495
  • Berths: 6
  • MTPLM: 3500kg
  • MiRO: TBC
  • Payload: TBC
  • Length: 6.97m
  • Width: 2.34m

Reason to buy:

  • Bright interior, six travel seats

Reason to avoid:

  • This layout can easily start to be too much once there’s only two of you touring.

There must be many a cash-strapped family who have laughed out loud at a “family motorhome” tag when they have seen what the price being demanded for such a desired product actually is.

Italian brand Rimor, however, has been carving out a niche in providing family motorhomes that really could be within most family’s budgets. The new Kilig range of Ford-based motorhomes is no exception. This model in particular offers not just six berths, but six travel seats as well. So if you need a vehicle that you will be using to ferry a large family around just as much as to live in, this one’s for you.

It’s interior still looks bright and cheerful, with plenty of splashes of blue, a colour which seems to be on trend at the moment. For a Continental motorhome the kitchen is reasonably well equipped too, with a three-burner hob and a 141-litre fridge. A 120-litre water tank should be enough for a family too.

Jobl Kampa LE

The Jobl Kampa LE
  • Price: £58,750
  • Berths: 4
  • MTPLM: 3000kg
  • MiRO: 2490kg
  • Payload: 510kg
  • Length: 5.30m
  • Width: 1.94m

Reason to buy:

  • A campervan that is significantly less than 6m long but still includes a toilet

Reason to avoid:

  • You don’t need to add too many optional extras to take it over £60,000

Purists will sniff and pronounce that real campervans should not come with a toilet, let alone a washroom, except possibly a Porta Potti you pull out at night for all to see. Others with more pressing needs might say they are perfectly happy with a little more privacy and comfort, thank you.

This new VW-based pop-top campervan doesn’t include a completely separate washroom. But beyond its end kitchen it does include an electric flushing toilet and a small washbasin where you can do your ablutions in relative privacy. Because the toilet is at the back, it is well out of the way of any sleeping or lounging area and can of course be easily emptied too.

That isn’t the only thing we liked about this vehicle that was our winner of the best van conversion under £60,000. We liked the well equipped kitchen and the well illuminated  roof bed too. If you add in all the extras on the version of the vehicle we tested in June 2022 this would put the price over £60,000, but even at standard price it is well equipped.

Full review: Jobl Kampa LE 

 

The other best motorhomes under £60,000 that we recommend from previous years are…

Chausson 520 2020

STAR RATING 4.5 OUT OF 5

  • Price: £49,910
  • Layout: Rear washroom
  • Sleeps: 4
  • Travel seats: 4
  • MTLPM: 3500kg
  • Length: 5.99m

Offering the hugely popular Maxi Lounge layout in a sub-6m motorhome is the result of brilliant design, and there’s no compromise on luxury, either making it an understandable choice for Best compact motorhome in our Motorhome of the Year awards.

Chausson’s Maxi Lounge concept – where you have two facing settees beneath a drop-down bed, with a huge washroom and dressing room at the rear –  has proved very popular.

With the fixed bed tucked up and out of the way, the sense of roominess inside is remarkable, and continues even when you head to the washroom and open up the huge cupboards that you’ll find in here.

But never before has the concept been available in less than six metres You still get the sense of roominess. You still walk in and think that this is a comfortable lounge, where you would actually choose to spend a wet afternoon. And you still get a luxurious washroom.

PROs
Incredibly spacious
Luxurious washroom

CONs
No large garage

Read more in our Chausson 520 review

Swift Edge 494 2020

STAR RATING 4.5 OUT OF 5

  • Price: £49,805
  • Layout: Transverse rear island bed
  • Sleeps: 4
  • Travel seats: 4
  • MTLPM: 3500kg
  • Length: 7.32m

This four-berth was named Best Budget Motorhome in our 2020 Motorhome of the Year awards and impressed our judges with its floorplan, surprisingly spacious interior and excellent kit.

Edge is aimed at first-time buyers, and we think it really hits the mark with the 494. There’s a clever blend of luxurious floorplan – a large transverse island bed stretches across the rear, and there’s plenty of space throughout the interior – and entry-level touches: you’ll find everything you could need here, but you won’t feel as though you’ve paid for anything you’re not likely to use.

This is a lot of motorhome for the money: there’s an excellent level of kit in here, including Truma Combi heating, a Dometic 8-series fridge, an oven and grill, cab air-conditioning, Duvalay mattresses on the beds, pleated blinds on the windows… and the list goes on.

The soft furnishings look and feel classy, and there’s plenty of storage space – the 494 has a reasonable payload of 525kg, too.

PROs
Comfortable island bed
Great value – perfect for first timers

Read more in our Swift Edge 494 review

Pilote Pacific 696D Essentiel 2020

STAR RATING 4 OUT OF 5

  • Price: £56,075
  • Layout: Rear washroom
  • Sleeps: 2
  • Travel seats: 4
  • MTLPM: 3500kg
  • Length: 6.99m

In this layout the whole of the rear is sectioned off for a huge washroom, with a large garage on the outside, and although it comes as a two-berth with a drop-down bed as standard (the extra double in our test model is a £340 cost-option), the 696D does have two fold-out travel seats as standard, so you could take extra passengers.

The engine is a 2.3-litre 120bhp Euro 6D Temp turbodiesel, but the motorhome we tested had an upgrade to 140bhp.

With the table set up, there is room to seat six for a meal. The headroom is impressive, even with the drop-down bed. That bed doesn’t obscure much daylight – plenty streams in through the windows with their voile curtains. The kitchen has an in-line three-burner hob with large sink next to it. This Pilote is being sold in the UK, so it comes with a GB Edition Pack (£3,372 on this model), which includes an oven. The drop-down bed lowers easily and we’d recommend the additional bed option fitted in our model, because it is a doddle to set up and even with this in place, there’s a small seating area.

The garage is big enough for a couple of bikes and more, with holds to secure them.

PROs
Comfortable finish
Generous headroom

CONs
Variety of packs and accessories can put the price up considerably

Read more in our Pilote Pacific 696D Essentiel review

Malibu Van Charming Coupé 600 DB 2020

STAR RATING 4.5 OUT OF 5

  • Price: £57,265
  • Layout: Van conversion, transverse bed
  • Sleeps: 2
  • Travel seats: 1
  • MTLPM: 3300kg
  • Length: 6m

Carthago’s regular ranges simply ooze luxury and quality, and there’s a good dose of both to be found in this van conversion, too. The standard-fit Barcelona/Antara cream and brown upholstery looks very elegant and hardwearing, while the softly striped flooring contrasts beautifully

UK models get right-hand drive, and we think it’s worth upgrading to the £2560 Chassis Package, which gives you parking sensors, cruise control, cabin blackout system, a flyscreen on the habitation door, cab and lounge speakers, and a host of other kit.

The kitchen is located on the offside, by the wide entrance door. It’s small, but neat, with a two-burner gas hob with a glass cover, and a sizeable sink. Workspace is at a premium, although it is enhanced by a lift-up extension.

The 600 DB is a two-berth as standard, and the sleeping area is made up of a transverse double bed that stretches across the back of the ’van; at 1.95 x 1.58m (narrowing to 1.4m), it’s a good size and comfortable, too.

Washrooms are one area in van conversions that can suffer, because of the dearth of space – but not so here. Malibu claims this is ‘the biggest bathroom in its class’, and it certainly feels very spacious.

PROs
Quality build and stylish design

CONs
Kitchen is on the small side

Read more in our Malibu Van Charming Coupé 600 DB review

Swift Edge 486 2020

STAR RATING 4.5 OUT OF 5

  • Price: £50,125
  • Layout: Rear lounge
  • Sleeps 6
  • Travel seats: 6
  • MTLPM: 3500kg
  • Length: 7.32m

The Edge 486 so impressed our judges, it won Best family motorhome for 2020. It’s a six-berth, with six belted seats; ideal, then, for transporting a large family. The layout is well designed for six occupants: it has various ‘zones’ that allow the adults to escape from the youngsters during the evening, and children can make the mid-dinette their base for the duration. Adults are sure to love the rear lounge: it’s a good size, and is surrounded by windows to allow in masses of natural light.

Sizeable kitchens are vital in family-friendly ‘vans, allowing the convenience of cooking up a feast for multiple occupants with ease. This model scores well here: there’s plenty of work surface to make use of – and a foldaway flap offers even more. The worktop is in ‘Fero’ dark grey, which should prove a practical colour for a family on tour.

The rear lounge can be made up into one of the three double beds: it’s the smallest, but they’re all a good size (ranging from 2.14 x 1.31m upwards). One other is made up from the double dinette, with the final bed living in the overcab area.

PROs
Plenty of workspace in kitchen
Layout offers zones for adults and children

CONs
Not the cheapest of 6-berth models

Read more in our Swift Edge 486 review

You can find more motorhome reviews in our Motorhome Buying Guides – check out Best motorhomes under £80,000 and Best motorhomes over £80,000


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