Over the past few years, the option of using your motorhome as your permanent home has become a reality for more and more people. If it’s something you’re considering, a stylish and comfortable ‘van with a luxurious interior are likely to be just a few of the requirements. But how do you go about choosing the best motorhome for full-time living?
Well, the Practical Motorhome Awards 2024 are here to help. With decades of collective experience within the industry, we’re perfectly placed to pick out the top options on the market. This year, we picked the Niesmann+Bischoff Flair 880 as the best motorhome for full-time living – its sophistication and quality spec really help to create that home-from-home quality. In this guide, you’ll be able to see what we made of it, as well as the other models on our shortlist, including brands such as Laika and Carthago.
We also take a look at the ‘vans that were shortlisted at last year’s awards, as well as some of the standout models from recent years from a variety of well-known brands, including Coachman and Hymer.
If you’d like to find out more about the different brands out there, be sure to read our round-up of the best motorhome manufacturers too.
The winner of the best motorhome for full-time living is:
Niesmann+Bischoff Flair 880
- Price: TBC
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: TBC
- MiRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: 8.87m
- Width: TBC
Reason to buy:
- High-end home-from-home comforts provided
Reason to avoid:
- At over 8.8m, it’s a lot to drive
Think of Niesmann+Bischoff and you’re likely to conjure up images of motorhomes with high levels of sophistication and an excellent spec. That’s certainly the case with the Flair 880. Coming on an Iveco Daily base, it provides users with the chance to customise the interior to match their own wishes and needs.
Take the kitchen – here, you can choose between features such as an oven, extra storage and a dishwasher, and a number of real-wood veneers for the ceiling cabinets.
It’s worth noting its size – it comes in at 8.87m, even though it’s still shorter than last year’s winner of the title, the Niesmann+Bischoff Flair 920. Clever seating is typical of the thoughtful design – two belted seats transform into a comfortable bench. Lighting can be used to achieve different moods, and we love the luxurious walk-in shower with its concrete-effect floor.
It’s at the top end of the market, but if you have the budget, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more luxurious option.
On the shortlist for the best motorhome for full-time living are:
Laika Kreos H 5109
- Price: £157,000
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: TBC
- MiRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: 7.89m
- Width: 2.32m
Reason to buy:
- Stylish throughout
Reason to avoid:
- Bold interior colouring may not be to everyone’s taste
Elegant touring is all but guaranteed in the newest addition to Laika’s Kreos range.
Its Alde heating system allows you to tour at just the right temperature, whether you’re relaxing on one of the two sofas at the front of the ‘van or in the fixed singles at the rear.
Then there’s the electronically operated drop-down bed – it provides a sleeping area of 1.95m x 1.4m and includes features such as an elastic-supported Froli bed base and LED spots with USB sockets, ensuring anyone sleeping there will enjoy as much comfort as those in the fixed singles.
There’s a sophisticated washroom too – it feels spacious, thanks to wall units with mirrored exteriors, which help to spread the light around. A double shower head comes as standard too.
A kitchen that’s packed full of features includes a 153-litre fridge, a three-burner hob, and a double sink – we like how there’s even the option of a dishwasher, ideal for those who don’t want to face a sink of motorhome crockery after rustling up a feast.
Carthago C Tourer I 145 LE Superior
- Price: depends on option chosen
- Berths: 4 (can be 2)
- MTPLM: TBC
- MIRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: depends on option chosen
- Width: 2.27m
Reason to buy:
- Solidly built and luxurious
Reason to avoid:
- Lounge seats might feel a bit upright for some people
A ‘van with Superior in its name is setting high expectations for itself, yet we think this Carthago model certainly delivers.
Available on both a Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Fiat Ducato base, the scene is set when you glance at the exterior. Eye-catching wings create a stylish appearance, while the full LED headlights offer dipped and mainbeam settings.
Step inside and you’ll immediately notice the injection of class that the continuous overhead storage lockers provide, thanks to their glossy ivory and brilliant ash shades. Recessed handles enhance the look.
At the front, an L-shaped seating area can be created, while the flexible washroom gives you the choice of combining the bathroom and toilet to create a more airy area.
Features such as a 32-inch LED flat-screen TV, an elegant wall panel and a spacious kitchen (which includes a 133-litre Slimtower fridge and an elevated work surface), combine to provide a comfortable living space.
Then you can look forward to enjoying an opulent sleeping experience in the two large single beds, up to two metres long, for a good night’s rest in your motorhome.
Full review: Carthago C Tourer I 145 LE Superior
Adria Supersonic 780DL
- Price: TBC
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 4500kg
- MiRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: 7.83m
- Width: 2.31m
Reason to buy:
- Face-to-face settees create sociable setup
Reason to avoid:
- People may find interior too dark
If you’re looking for a motorhome for full-time living, you’ll want to choose one which provides plenty of home comforts and a high-quality spec, something that the newest addition to the Mercedes-based Adria Supersonic range certainly offers.
The 7.8m-long A-class motorhome is the first of the range to come with a rear fixed single beds layout, with a well-equipped kitchen and washroom to be found in the centre of the motorhome.
The face-to-face settees in the front lounge create a comfortable setting for sitting back and relaxing in the stylish modern interior.
There’s no stepping up or down either, thanks to the double floor, which also offers additional benefits such as underfloor storage.
Plenty of optional extras also let you make the ‘van that bit more tailored to you and your needs – these include a roof-mounted awning with dimmable LED lights, a ceramic toilet and even a waste water disposal camera.
Our pick of the best motorhomes for full-time living at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023:
Niesmann + Bischoff Flair 920
- Price: £194,200
- MTPLM: 7200kg
- Payload: 1919kg
- MIRO: 5281kg
- Length: 9.27m
- Width: 2.42m
Reasons to buy:
- Great build quality, a home from home
Reasons to avoid:
- Pricey, minimalist interior may not be for everyone
If money is no object and you want something that will more or less resembles a city apartment when you are on your travels, then last year’s winner of the best motorhome for full-time living, totally revamped for the season, should press all the right buttons.
The real crowd puller is the washroom with its walk-in shower with a concrete-effect floor complete with both a very minimalist hand-held shower and a rain shower. In the lounge N + B has brought a feature over from its iSmove models: an L-shaped dinette seat for travelling that can quickly be turned into parallel settees instead.
The bed at the back has been lowered in the new generation Flairs too. Then there are clever little details, such as the space for up to 6 lithium batteries if you want to go off-grid, or the habitation door that automatically partially closes when you open the external storage drawer next to it – allowing for easier access to a wider drawer. Many of these external drawers also contain removable boxes to make packing and unpacking even easier.
You also get drawers under the seats in the front lounge. Just in case there is something you don’t quite like, much of this van is customisable to what you want. So you might expect at such a price. But for the ultimate dream of living full-time in a motorhome, this could be the ultimate vehicle.
Full review: Niesmann + Bischoff Flair 920
Coachman Travel Master 545
- Price: £122,000
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 4500kg
- MiRO: 3650kg
- Length: 8.06m
Reasons to buy:
- Packed with kit, luxurious interior for longer tours
Reasons to avoid:
- Pricey, requires a C1 driving licence
If you’re planning to spend a lot of time in your motorhome – which you’ll certainly do if you want to live in it full time – you’ll really want everything you could need to hand, and as standard on your motorhome. After all, ticking the options box on some motorhomes can really ramp up the cost.
Not so with the Coachman Travel Master 545, which has an incredibly high level of kit as standard. It’s based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis with 170 HP engine, but it’s the inside of the ‘van that really impresses. The interior looks and feels truly luxurious, and there are small details – such as the touch-sensitive dimmable lighting – that make you feel as though you’re in a hotel room.
The comfortable island bed, 130Ah battery, solar panel, garage storage space and large Skyview rooflight all go to help make this a motorhome you’re really going to want to spend time in.
Knaus Van Ti Plus 650MEG TRIBAL
- Price: From £114,000
- Berths: 2
- MTPLM: 3850kg
- MiRO: TBC
- Length: 6.99m
Reasons to buy:
- Stand-out looks, extraordinary amount of off-road kit
Reasons to avoid:
- Requires a C1 licence
We all enjoy exploring in our motorhomes, whether that’s in the UK or in the more remote areas of Europe. But what if you really want to head into the wilderness for a spot of full-time, no-holds-barred adventure travel?
That’s where vehicles such as the Tribal limited edition version of Knaus’s Van TI come in. Produced by Premium Motorhomes in Doncaster – which specialises in high-end German vehicles – it takes a regular Knaus before imbuing it with a touch of bad-boy style, giving you a kit list that will enable you to hit both the road and the rough.
The colour scheme and paint job is part of the Tribal Limited Edition pack, which costs £32,789; for that, you also get a host of other exterior kit including a Seikel lifting kit and suspension for more efficient off-road driving, under-body armour, Delta alloys and all-terrain tyres, a bull bar, and an LED light bar above the cab that allows you to see 900m ahead, and will also penetrate both snow and fog. There’s a whole lot more that we don’t have space to write about here.
The standard Knaus vehicle on which the Tribal version is based (with 4×4 option) costs £78,410, so the additional kit here costs a premium of more than £35,000. But for the extra you’ll get a motorhome that’s beautifully fitted out to take you on the adventure of a lifetime, allowing you to hit the rough road in complete comfort – and style.
Full review: Knaus Van TI Plus 650 MEG Tribal
Hymer Venture S
- Price: £197,540
- MTPLM: 4100kg
- MiRO: 3725kg
- Payload: 375kg
- Length: 6.45m
- Width: 2.16m
Reasons to buy:
- Great upper bedroom, comfy rear lounge with sun deck
Reasons to avoid:
- Pricey, it is just for two
When the Venture S was first put out as a concept vehicle, its inflatable pop-up roof and rear door that folds down to create a sun deck seemed incredibly futuristic. But a production model of the van was unveiled at Caravan Salon in August 2022, and for those who really dream about living around the clock off grid in their motorhome, it really is something rather special.
The inflatable roof creates a bedroom, but noise reduction compared with a standard campervan roof is immediately noticeable. And you get up to this little haven by a real flight of stairs that cleverly doubles up as extra storage units.
The sundeck created out of the back door includes a ladder down to the ground. A spacious shower room is created by just extending the washroom wall. There‘s even a little desk that can be folded out of the sidewall, with all suitable connections if you need to do a spot of work while you are having your adventure.
The vehicle is also equipped with a Sonos music system, and for the first time ever in a Hymer vehicle, a film projector is included as an option. This limited edition van already had a UK sterling price (a hefty one, as you would expect), but it’s not yet clear when right hand drive models will be available.
Full review: Hymer Venture S
- You can get more ‘van inspiration by taking a look at our best campervan guide.
The best of the rest – we also recommend the following motorhomes for full-time living…
Here, we round up the ‘vans from recent years that have really impressed and are well worth considering if you’re looking to live in a motorhome full-time.
Carthago Liner-for-two I 53
- Price: £122,250
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 2
- MTPLM: 4800kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 7.83m
Could there be a better name for a motorhome designed for full-time living? You have two comfy beds that drop down over the cab. With these in the down position the cab is completely obscured so you could almost forget you are in a movable vehicle.
Moving back from here, there is a washroom spread across the centre of the ‘van that could well be larger and more sophisticated than whatever you have at home, complete with two different kinds of showers and (as an optional extra), a SOG unit on the loo to keep smells away.
Then, beyond a well-equipped kitchen comes this motorhome’s real pièce de resistance: a C-shaped lounge that’s large enough for a party of eight or more if you want, but also adaptable enough to act as somewhere the two of you can lie back and watch the TV, which slides out from behind a cupboard. There’s even a reclining seat specifically for this purpose.
Alongside plenty of useful storage inside, the Liner-for-two comes with a huge garage at the rear.
Yes, it’s a lot of money. But it’s possibly cheaper than that villa you were thinking of buying on the Côte d’Azur. And you can take it with you.
BUY IF… You have all the money in the world
PROS: Super washroom; ultra-snazzy lounge
CONS: The price!
Read our 2019 Carthago Liner-for-two review.
Pilote 696D Essentiel
- Price: £56,075
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 6.99m
If you are going to be in the motorhome for a while, you probably want a decent-sized washroom.The 696D, a 2020 model from Pilote, certainly has that. It’s positioned at the rear of the vehicle, has enough space for you to wash and dress in, and comes with a huge amount of clothes storage space that sits over an equally capacious garage.
The main living area includes a large lounge with settees that face each other and are long enough to extend beyond the table if you need to stretch your legs. In any case, the table also folds down to create more room.
The kitchen between these two areas is plenty big enough to keep you sane, too.
If you are wondering about the bed: no, you don’t have to make it by bringing the settees together – although this arrangement is available as an optional extra. The standard bed, however, drops down from the ceiling, and is huge. All you need to do at the end of the day is flick the switch.
BUY IF… It really is just going to be the two of you in here, seeking ultimate comfort
PROS: Huge washroom; space-saving bed
CONS: Even the UK edition does not include a microwave in the kitchen
Read our 2020 Pilote P696D Essentiel review.
Bürstner Lyseo TD 744 Harmony Line
- Price: £68,995
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 4250kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 7.49m
Bürstner designed the 744 layout, now available in the double-floor TD range with the Harmony Line upgraded spec, specifically to make you feel as if you are in a three-room apartment. And it kind of works. There is a conventional front dinette, behind which sits a perfectly adequate kitchen and washroom. But then, behind that is something really unusual: a comfy rear lounge complete with L-shaped seating, a large window to look out of, a pull-out coffee table and a wall that is just crying out for a television. At night you simply drop the roof of this lounge area down to reveal a huge double bed.
There is also lots of storage in here – not just a large wardrobe but more overhead lockers, underseat storage areas and special cabinets than you would probably know what to do with.
BUY IF… You really like the feeling of moving from one room to another.
PROS: Really roomy rear lounge
CONS: Washroom is a bit compromised
Read our 2017 Bürstner Lyseo TD 744 review.
Adria Matrix 520 ST Axess
- Price: £56,885
- Berths: 4
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 5.96m
If you are going to be using your motorhome full-time, eventually you are going to want a fairly decent kitchen, with plenty of storage and workspace. Fortunately the 520 ST has that in droves in the large L-shaped kitchen that takes up the rear offside corner of the motorhome. Rather handily, this has direct access via a hatch to the garage behind, so you can haul in your bulky provisions and kitchen appliances that you might not need all the time without having to go outside or even having to disrupt everyone else in the motorhome.
A drop-down bed comes down over the front dinette so, if it is the two of you, going to bed is just a question of getting up from the sofa, twisting the key and letting the electric motor do the rest.
In all this, there is even space for a fairly large loo on the rear nearside, away from the door, and any awning you might want to put up.
BUY IF… You can’t imagine going away without a fully functioning kitchen
PROS: Huge bed and kitchen
CONS: Garage is not the largest in this selection and you only get a fold-down washbasin
Read our 2020 Adria Matrix 520 ST Axess review
Swift Edge 494
- Price: £49,805
- Berths: 4
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 7.32m
The 2020 Edge range is aimed very much at the budget-end of the market. Even so, we think it has everything you should need for full-time living.
Unusually for a motorhome, it has a transverse bed at the rear, with plenty of space to move around in and create a little den of your own.
There’s plenty of space in the front lounge, too, and we think even if there is just the two of you, you could still make use of the overcab bed as an extra storage space – or as a place to have guests to stay where they wouldn’t take up any of your own living space.
The central kitchen and washroom are all you could need for a long stay, too.
All this for less than £50,000.
BUY IF…. You are budget-conscious and want to invite people to stay
PROS: Wonderful end bedroom
CONS: Overcabs are not the most economical on the road
Read our 2020 Swift Edge 494 review.
Chausson 520
- Price: £49,910
- Berths: 4
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 5.99m
French brand Chausson led the way in designing motorhomes with luxurious end washrooms that make ideal full-time ‘vans as a result.
This year, while other manufacturers have caught up, Chausson has gone one extra in offering this motorhome layout in a model that is less than 6m long – and so should be much easier for taking on ferries or fitting into a parking space. Nor does the 520 necessarily compromise on much. You still get a rear storage area of sorts – admittedly not a full garage like other Chausson motorhomes that share this layout, but still a compartment accessible from the rear panel that has enough room for you to store your important, but not always used, household items.
Along with the huge washroom, once you raise the drop-down bed in the morning, there is a very comfortable front lounge with parallel settees either side of a fold-down table.
BUY IF… You are worried about driving anything too big
PROS: Large washing and dressing room; still some ‘garage’ space
CONS: Probably not a vehicle to go for as a full-time ‘van if you have never used a motorhome before
Read our 2020 Chausson 520 review
Dethleffs Pulse 7051 DBM
- Price: £60,990
- Berths: 4
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Length: 7.41m
The Pulse range was introduced in 2019 as a companion to Dethleffs’ best-selling Trend range, but perhaps appealing to a slightly younger, more modern audience. Which, of course, is you.
Erwin Hymer Group subsidiary Dethleffs has invested some resources, including a sophisticated lighting system that makes the interior feel that much more homely.
This model includes a large and comfy rear island bed that you can lower or raise to make extra room in the garage beneath. You have to do this manually but that is possibly no bad thing if you are planning to visit remote places, as it is one less electric thing to go wrong.
The comfy front lounge includes a few nifty storage solutions, too, and the kitchen has a high spec for a continental ‘van.
BUY IF… You appreciate really modern German engineering
PROS: Flexible and comfortable bed
CONS: Shower tray is compromised by the wheel arch
Read our 2019 Dethleffs Pulse 7051 DBM GT review.
Elddis Autoquest CV60
- Price: £42,099
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 2
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Peugeot Boxer
- Length: 5.99m
A full-time ‘van that’s a van conversion? Well, why not, when the ‘van in question is as cleverly designed as this, which is also available as a Compass Avantgarde CV60 (effectively the same ‘van, with a different upholstery finish)? No wonder it was our Motorhome of the Year 2020.
The French bed that’s in the offside rear corner can be pushed back to become a comfy daybed, which also provides a perfect spot for watching television or the world go by. And yet you still effectively get a second lounge because there is a table up front beside the swivelled cab seats that is handily close to the kitchen and has its own storage areas and lighting. Okay, there’s no garage, but the area under that bed is easily large enough to hold, for example, a driveaway awning.
BUY IF... You fancy lazy days of lounging, but still want a relatively nimble mover
PROS: Clever bed that also becomes a daybed
CONS: No garage space
Read our 2020 Elddis Autoquest CV60 review.
WildAx Elara
- Price: £69,675
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 2
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Base vehicle: Mercedes Sprinter
- Length: 5.93m
Here’s another van conversion that is worth a look at as a full-time ‘van – and not just because it is based on the Mercedes Sprinter, which regularly tops van reliability polls.
Unusually for a van conversion, the Elara includes an island bed in the rear. It’s a huge one too – bigger than you would find in most A-classes – and very comfy, with a decent amount of storage around it. The space underneath, easily accessible from the doors at the back, is probably as large as the garages you get in some coachbuilt ‘vans. You can also go for an alternative option with two single beds that are just as long.
There is a comfy L-shaped sofa up front, too, and a pedestal table that is perfectly sited for swivelled cab seats. You probably couldn’t entertain in here, but that might not be what you want to do anyway.
BUY IF… You want the luxury of a huge bed – and the three-pointed star
PROS: Huge comfy bed and comfy lounge (for a van conversion)
CONS: Not much room for anyone else
Read our 2019 WildAx Elara review.
Volkswagen Grand California 680
- Price: £71,295
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3880kg
- Base vehicle: VW Crafter
- Length: 6.84m
Unless you are a Buddhist monk, the Transport-based California range would probably never work as a full-time ‘van. It is just too basic. But the Grand California 680, the larger of the two Californias, based instead on a Crafter, might just do.
It comes with two very large single beds at the rear, a decent washroom and extensive kitchen in the middle, with a peninsula fridge, and a comfy front dinette.
There is plenty of storage space under the beds in the rear. But the overhead lockers might prove more controversial: you will either love the engineering or think it takes up too much space.
Californias have been known to hold their value very well, so if you plan to sell your ‘van in the end, this is definitely one to consider.
BUY IF… You have half an eye on resale values when your stint at full-time ‘van living is over
PROS: Well-known brand with good resale values
CONS: Pricey for what it is
Read our 2020 Volkswagen Grand California 680 review.
How we choose the best motorhome for full-time living
When you want a motorhome for full-time living, you’ll want a ‘van that provides you with a home from home experience.
As a result, the key considerations we will look out for include how practical the layout is, how much space it provides you with, and the storage on offer, amongst other things.
The expert team at Practical Motorhome are well-placed to be assessing this, as, between us, we have decades of collective experience in the industry. As a result, we know what it that elevates a good ‘van to one of the best motorhomes for full-time living.
We’re regularly testing the latest motorhomes on the market, looking at and experiencing what we’re writing about. You can see hundreds of these tests in our motorhome reviews section, with more added all the time – each one highlights the pros and cons of each model, to help you make as informed a buying decision as possible. You can find out more about our testing process on our About Us page.
Further insight is achieved through our Owner Satisfaction Awards, where we find out how our readers get on when they’re buying a ‘van.
Combining this puts us in a good position to start compiling an initial list, which we then whittle down to create the final shortlist. Each ‘van we’ve included is a worthy contender, and we’ll explain why we’ve included them on our round-up of the best motorhomes for full-time living.
You can find more motorhome reviews in our Motorhome Buying Guides – check out Best A-class motorhomes and Best motorhomes for families. You can also head to our motorhome reviews section to see our impartial reviews of the latest models.
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