Comparing motorhome brands can be quite challenging and its safe to say pretty confusing. Everyone has an opinion, friends will tell you one thing, dealers the next. So how does one really make sense of the confusion?
We help hundreds of customers every year who get quite overwhelmed by all this, at times contradicting information, and are anxious about making the wrong choice. Some of our top tips for them to help clear the cloud of confusion are:
- Keep clear in your mind what you are hoping to achieve/ what lifestyle are you wanting on the road?
- Buy a motorhome that suits that need not the other way around.
- Don't try and mold or change the motorhome in order to achieve the vision mentioned in point 1. If the shoe doesn't fit the shoe doesn't fit.
- Speak to a product consultant in depth and learn about not only the product but what your unique lifestyle is going to be, do your research- you don't know what you don't know
- Compare apples with apples - have a list of non-negotiable and when you narrow product down compare specification against specification e.g. water capacity, battery capacity but also consider things like build quality, experience, resale value and who you are choosing to do business with?
So what motorhome brands are best? Well that is up to you to decide based on the above points and of course how you intend on using the motorhome. One brand will be far better for full time living than others because of it's specification and suitability for that type of lifestyle for example. Others will be better for campgrounds and weekend warriors (those who are still working and keen to get away for the weekends and short breaks).
We've put together the following table to help you do your research and compare the most popular specification requirements across popular brands... we hope this helps you to make a wise ;-) TrailLite choice!
This exercise has made it clear to me actually how difficult it is to research motorhome brands. Specification is one thing but there is so much more to it than that especially when things become a bit same same. I understand now more than ever before the importance of a needs assessment with our product consultants. Learning by researching products on the internet has the potential to become a costly mistake especially when nothing really makes it clear if these "brands" are right for me or my needs!
Motorhome Brand | Price Range | Number of Floorplans | Fresh Water | Grey Water | Solar | Base Vehicle | Drive | Made Where? |
Auto-Sleeper | from $145,000 | 11 | 71-130L | 71L | 80w | Mercedes Benz or Fiat Ducato | Rear Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive | UK |
Auto-Trail | from $142,000* | 30- various ranges within the brand including van style | 70-140L | 70-140L | 100w | Fiat Ducato | Front Wheel Drive | UK |
Allisee Supremacy | POA | 1 - slide-out | 250L | 230L | 300w | Mercedes Benz Sprinter 519 | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
Avida | From $144,206(Fiat Model) | 8 | 124-250L | 100-125L | Up to 2 solar panels - some models don't come standard | Fiat Ducato, Mercedes Benz or Iveco | Rear Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive | NZ |
Bailey Motorhomes | From $142,995 | 12 - 2 brands Autograph and Advance | 93.5-95L- Upgrade to additional 50L | 93.5 Upgrade to additional 50L | 100w | Peugeot | Front Wheel Drive | UK |
Benimar Mileo | from $133,000 | 11 | 120L | 105L | 150w | Fiat Ducato | Front Wheel Drive | Spain |
Benimar Tessoro | from $132,000 | 6 | 120L | 105L | 150w | Ford Transit | Front Wheel Drive | Spain |
Coastal | POA | 6 | 215L | 215L | 150w | Mercedes Benz V6 | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
Kea | 2018 Kea Cascade $114,990 | ? | ? | ? | ? | Mercedes Benz | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
TrailLite 300+ | From $206,000 | 3 of the most popular floorplans | 275L | 220L | 150w with 260 amp/hr battery | Volswagon Crafter | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
TrailLite 500 Series | From $210,565 | 4 floorplans with interior color scheme customization options | 275L | 220L | 150w with 260 amp/hr battery | Mercedes Benz | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
TrailLite 700 Series | From $239,697 | 7 floorplans with interior color scheme customization options | 400L | 220L | 150w with 260 amp/hr battery | Iveco Daily | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
TrailLite 900 Series | From $224,829 | 4 floorplans with interior color scheme customization options | 400-600L | 220-400L | 150w with 260 amp/hr battery | Isuzu or Fuso Canter | Rear Wheel Drive | NZ |
There are so many variables to answer the question what is the best motorhome brand however the above should give you some guide around the variation that exists and the importance of finding the right brand for you.
Right brand by lifestyle:
- TrailLite 900 Series is great for people looking to live full time in a motorhome
- TrailLite 700 Series is for people who don't want to compromise and are looking to enjoy exploring off the beaten track with more power under the engine
- TrailLite 500 Series perfect for people who are looking for a bit of choice and uniqueness in the interior but like the car like drive of a Mercedes Benz
- TrailLite 300+ is great for people looking for good quality, rear wheel drive and good value- represents amazing value for money
- Benimar is perfect for the budget conscious traveler looking for value, good specification for the price tag and looking to enjoy long weekends away.
As you can see each brand is going to suit a different need and lifestyle!
The information provided below is intended as a guide only and should not substitute for your own research. Prices were correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of righting and are subject to change. Please note these are also not updated.
Happy researching!