Best Motorhomes in New Zealand

Pros: Full steel van bodies are stronger structurally; easier to drive and park.

Cons: Smaller dimensions limit internal living space; can only be partially insulated. 

The Jayco isn’t the best van to camp in - that honour goes to either the popular Volkswagen Grand California or the harder-to-find but ultimately luxurious Malibu Genius. However, the Aussie-made JRV 19-1 is available for a fraction of the price of the latter two vans and has everything it needs to supply comfy self-contained independent camping at the site of your choice. New prices currently start at approximately $125,000 for a JRV based on the Renault Master, however it’s worth shelling out a few more shekels for one based on the Fiat Ducato, which has a superb nine-speed automatic gearbox instead of the jerky six-speed semi-automatic of the Master. 

Pros: Somehow an unholy marriage between a van cab/chassis and a caravan achieves the best of motorhome worlds.

Cons: More expensive than a fully-equipped campervan and not as easy to drive. 

Bürstner is part of the mighty Erwin Hymer Group (EHG) and the brand occupies the middle ground in terms of quality and prestige between the affordable Carado range and the no-expense-spared Hymer motorhomes. This balance between luxury and value is reflected in the quiet ride of the Lyseo when touring, the well-considered interior design, and the obsessive attention to detail. As hybrids between a commercial van cab/chassis and a caravan, the bodies of semi-integrated motorhomes often emit squeaks and rattles when on the move. The Fiat Ducato-based Lyseo, which cost $259,000 in 2023, is the quietest of the lot. The aural calm reminds one of driving a Lexus.

Pros: Fully-manufactured motorhome body results in neater exterior design and extra cab space; superb views while driving thanks to enlarged windscreen. 

Cons: Said body adds extra expense and can make topping up engine oil or windscreen washer fluid a complicated process. 

Happily, neither of the above annoyances apply to the Carthago chic c-line I 5.9 XL LE. For like all Carthagos, the creation of the new body and the adaption of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van platform to it included the fitting of longer wipers to totally clear the view through the much-enlarged windscreen. The essential fluid top-up lines have also been extended forwards so that they’re readily at hand as soon as you lift the huge gas-strut equipped bonnet. There’s also a separate rear bumper beneath the rear panel, ready to sacrifice itself in encounters with seemingly suicidal campsite fence posts, leaving the expensive humungous GRP panel above it unscathed. In more ways than those that are readily apparent during the initial buying process, Carthago has sorted out all the finer details of building the best fully-integrated models that it can, using the experience gleaned over decades of perfecting the design and the process. For the first fully-integrated Carthago, the Chic T, made its debut at the 2003 Dusseldorf Caravan Exhibition more than twenty years ago.