The wide selection of ‘vans on the market in the UK can make it a tough prospect to know how to go about finding the best motorhome for you.
Whether you’re planning to buy your first ‘van or are an experienced tourer looking for an upgrade, how do you choose a motorhome that will suit your needs? That’s where we come in.
To help make the decision as simple as possible for you, the experts at Practical Motorhome have identified the best motorhomes on the market.
This has seen us run the Practical Motorhome Awards, where our expert judging panel, with decades of collective experience, picked out the standout motorhomes for the new season, covering a wide range of categories.
As well as that, we also run the Owner Satisfaction Awards, where our readers help buyers pick the right motorhome. We received 5,081 responses in our most recent set of results, run in conjunction with the Camping and Caravanning Club, giving us a comprehensive picture of the market.
We’ve added together the information provided from our various sources, which includes the many tests and reviews we conduct throughout the year, to pick out the best motorhomes for sale and help you find the right ‘van for you.
Models from the leading motorhome brands feature on our list, including Adria, Swift, Chausson and more. You can find out more about them by reading our guide to the best motorhome manufacturers.
If you’re looking for a different type of ‘van, you can also take a look at our best campervan guide.
How do I choose the best motorhome for me?
Start by thinking about how regularly you are going to be using your motorhome. Where will you be going in it and how many people will be using it? Is it a base for touring as a family, or are you intending to use it as a couple?
Then, think through what is important for the motorhome to definitely have – the must-haves vs the would-likes. For instance, do you want a motorhome with fixed single beds? Is there a particular layout you want your ‘van to have? What would make it the best motorhome for you?
The best motorhomes: mini reviews
Benimar Tessoro 483
- Price: £69,995
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 3049kg
- Payload: 451kg
- Length: 6.70m
- Width: 2.30m
Reason to buy:
- Plenty of storage on offer
Reason to avoid:
- No internal access to garage
Our winner of the best motorhome for couples at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023 comes with a huge locker at the rear, accessible through three doors and providing a useful storage space for a bike.
Inside, you’ll find a well-lit interior, with the sunroof letting plenty of light flood in, while eight LEDs can be relied on in the evening. The seating helps to separate off the kitchen, an area which does have limited workspace.
Despite this, we like that it’s well kitted out, with a decently sized sink, a three-burner gas hob, a combined oven/grill, a 145-litre fridge-freezer, a microwave and an extractor fan too.
There’s plenty of room to get dressed in the bright washroom, although there is only one drainage hole in the shower.
The comfortable drop-down bed can be lowered to above the travel seats; it’s easy to access, thanks to a ladder, and strip lights will allow you to read.
While this means you’re not getting any overhead lockers in the lounge, storage is still excellent, with a double wardrobe at the rear, along with that previously mentioned impressive garage. Our only complaint here is that it’s not internally accessible.
An excellent level of kit is provided too, including a solar panel and exterior barbecue points.
We think if great storage is an important factor to you and you’re touring as a couple, this could be the best motorhome for you.
Full review: Benimar Tessoro 483
Swift Voyager 584
- Price: £67,495
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Payload: 424kg
- MIRO: 3076kg
- Length: 7.85m
- Width: 2.37m
Reason to buy:
- Comfortable lounge area
Reason to avoid:
- Garage can’t be accessed internally
Fresh blue decals on the exterior provide a stylish touch to the ‘van that won our best low-profile motorhome category at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023.
Inside the 584, we found the cab seats were easy to swivel, while we appreciated how the folding pedestal table made it easy to walk through the cab. When in position, you could easily seat four.
It’s good to see two mains sockets near the kitchen, but the absence of an extension means you wouldn’t have much available work surface if you’re using something like a toaster and a kettle (see our best motorhome kettle guide if you’re looking for one).
You also have to make do with a combined oven/grill, but you still get a dual-fuel four-burner hob, as well as a stainless steel sink and a 133-litre two-way opening fridge.
A sizeable basin can be found in the washroom, as can a large mirror. A shower with good headroom but only a single drainage hole is also provided.
We thought it unusual that the two single beds at the rear of the ‘van cannot be made into a double, but they’re comfortable and generously sized, with good room for sitting up in. Two cupboards beneath the bed make up for the lack of overhead lockers here too.
The remaining two berths are made by lowering the pedestal table and rearranging the cushions.
Like the Benimar Tessoro 483, there’s no internal access to the garage, but the external doors allow you to reach an area that is big enough for bikes.
Full review: Swift Voyager 584
Chausson S514 Sport Line
- Price: £56,990
- Berths: 2/3
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MIRO: 2600kg
- Payload: 900kg
- Length: 5.99m
- Width: 2.10m
Reason to buy:
- Stylish exterior, good storage on offer
Reason to avoid:
- Kitchen and washroom are a bit basic
For 2023, Chausson has taken what was already an impressive formula and managed to improve it even more. It now boasts a revamped exterior that is decked out in a shade known as Grey Matter – we think it looks great.
Coming with the Ford 170bhp Transit engine, the improved ‘van also has a small seat by the door, allowing as many as five to sit around the clip-on table.
The kitchen includes a sink, a half-height fridge, and a two-burner hob, but when we reviewed it, we were told UK models would also come with an oven, instead of one of the overhead lockers.
Rolling back a tambour door will reveal the washroom; this includes a handbasin and a mirror, which can be swung out to reveal the shower. We liked the size of it, but did note a plastic catch is all that keeps the partition in place. A circular toilet can also be found in the washroom.
The butterfly bed can be folded up to let you reach both a hanging wardrobe and also a low-lying shelf that could serve as a useful bit of extra kitchen space.
It’s a comfortable sleeping area, but it’s also very useful for the storage beneath too; folding the rear half up provides more headroom for bike storage and similarly bulky items in the garage. In fact, we think storage is great throughout in the ‘van that won the best motorhome under £60,000 category at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023.
Full review: Chausson S514 Sport Line
Joa Camp 75Q
- Price: £59,500
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 2825kg
- Payload: 675kg
- Length: 7.4m
- Width: 2.30m
Reason to buy:
- Great spec for the price
Reason to avoid:
- Island bed has no daybed mode
Joa is Pilote’s budget brand, and we thought the 75Q represented an impressive debut when we saw it. Prices have been kept down by the decision to opt for the Citroën Relay base vehicle, as well as modular construction, although the former means there’s a bit of a step up to get into the ‘van.
One of the instances where this budget price tag becomes apparent is with the interior decor – no handles on the lockers, for instance, and underseat areas can only be accessed through a few access flaps.
Despite this, our winner of the best 2 berth motorhome at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023 is nicely lit, with light flooding in. Ambient lighting can be turned to in the evenings, although you’ll have to make do without LEDs and spotlights.
The table is a great size, capable of seating eight, and we also think this could make up for the small kitchen work surface by offering extra space.
The kitchen comes kitted out with a two-burner hob, a Thetford Duplex oven, and a 133-litre Dometic two-way opening Series 10 fridge.
We liked how impressive the shower is. Accessed by swinging out a partition and closing a tambour door, it comes with two drainage holes, while the washroom itself also includes a large basin with a towel rail and mirror.
This is a motorhome with an island bed – we thought it was comfortable, and liked the inclusion of two swan-neck spotlights that provide lighting, but there’s no daybed function. It also can’t be lifted, but the garage will provide useful storage, as will the wardrobes on either side of the bed.
Full review: Joa Camp 75Q
Adria Supersonic 780DC
- Price: £156,690
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 4500kg
- MiRO: 3520kg
- Length: 7.8m
- Width: 2.32m
Reason to buy:
- Useful double floor, great spec
Reason to avoid:
- No microwave
Our winner of the best A-class motorhome at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023 comes with a smart all-silver exterior and a sleek Mercedes dashboard.
A double floor ensures you have a flat interior throughout. We thought the lounge was a very elegant space – it comprises of two parallel settees in leather or fabric, set either side of a rotating table.
It may be a fairly dark interior, but light flooding in will offset this. Along the side wall, you’ll find the kitchen. There’s not masses of worktop, but we think it’s usefully positioned, sitting in front of the three-burner gas hob. While you have to make do without a microwave, you do get a Dometic two-way opening fridge with separate freezer, a grill, an extractor fan and a sink.
The main washroom is bright, thanks to a roof light and a big mirror, while a toilet and salad-bowl-style basin can also be found. The shower room sits across the aisle – it’s not the widest and continues that dark theme found elsewhere in the ‘van, thanks to the black shower tray and wall.
In the rear bedroom, you’ll be able to swap the bed into daybed mode at the press of a button. In this space, there are also two bedside tables, with USB ports usefully positioned.
A second double can be lowered electronically from above the cab too. Storage isn’t going to be a problem in this ‘van either, with a roomy garage, three overhead lockers, and two bedroom wardrobes just some of the available options.
Full review: Adria Supersonic 780DC
Bürstner Lyseo Gallery TD Harmony Line 689G
- Price: £89,495
- Berths: 3
- MTPLM: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- MiRO: TBC
- Length: 6.9m
- Width: 2.3m
Reason to buy:
- Creates a home-from-home vibe on tour
Reason to avoid:
- Veers towards pricey for what is a low-profile ‘van
The best motorhomes will ensure you have that real home from home experience when you’re on the go, and that’s something that this eye-catching and impressive Bürstner achieves.
What we really like about this low-profile ‘van is how the roof gives you the impression of being on tour in a two-storey motorhome. A staircase takes you up to the bedroom space, which, as well as including a comfortable bed, also provides a small table which would be an ideal zone for working on a laptop.
Add in features like a luxurious rear washroom and innovative storage options, and it’s easy to see how this was our winner of the best motorhome over £80,000 .
Knaus Tourer Van 700MQ Vansation
- Price: £72,230
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 2800kg
- Payload: 140kg
- MIRO: TBC
- Length: 5.88m
- Width: 2.16m
Our winner of the best motorhome under £80,000 at the Practical Motorhome Awards manages to fit both comfort and innovation into a ‘van that is only 5.88m in length, ideal for less daunting driving.
We’re impressed that Knaus has still included a separate shower cubicle, despite the ‘van’s short length. This has been achieved by having it fold down to half height when it’s not in use.
The front dinette is ideal for relaxing in. The inclusion of a bed that slides out from over the cab is not commonly seen in a coachbuilt of this size, but it’s an ideal sleeping space for the grandkids when they stay over.
As this is a Vansation special edition, there are also plenty of extras included too, such as DSG automatic transmission.
Elddis Autoquest 115
- Price: TBC
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MIRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: 6.6m
- Width: 2.2m
Reason to buy:
- Spacious and comfortable lounge
Reason to avoid:
- Bed requires making up
Our winner of the best motorhome under 7m was redesigned for the new season, and now comes on a slightly longer chassis.
This extra 45cm has been used to lengthen the parallel sofas, improving the overall comfort of the ‘van. This has two useful benefits; not only does it give you more space when you’re entertaining, but also provides bigger single beds. We like that if it is the double bed that you opt for, a seat remains on both settees, a useful place to perch if one of you wakes up first and wants to relax with a cuppa.
It even means you have the flexibility of leaving the bed made up during the day, while still having two available seats.
Other new inclusions for the new season include a bigger rooflight, while a motorhome solar panel is an option too.
- After a van conversion instead? Our best van conversion round up will be a great place to start.
How we review motorhomes
We’ve been reviewing motorhomes for more than 20 years now, regularly putting the latest models on the market to the test. When we review these ‘vans, we make sure we provide honest, impartial advice, highlighting the pros, but also drawing attention to any niggles too.
We begin by taking a look at the latest releases before selecting the motorhomes that we think are worth a closer inspection. We then take the ‘vans out for a live-in test, trying them out in real-world circumstances for periods of time that vary from a weekend trip to a longer tour around the UK or abroad.
When we take a motorhome out, we take everything into account, from its build quality to the practicalities of touring in it.
We have an experienced team of motorhome testers – we know what to look out for in a good motorhome, whether it’s from the perspective of a beginner or a more experienced tourer. You can find out more about how we test on our About Us page.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not get the latest news, reviews and features delivered direct to your door or inbox every month. Take advantage of our brilliant Practical Motorhome magazine SUBSCRIBERS’ OFFER and SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER for regular weekly updates on all things motorhome related.
