Owners' Stories

When Mark and Nicola Baker set out for a long drive through Europe in their Carado motorhome, they agreed that no matter where they were, some things would never change, Peta Stavelli writes.

Most of us would agree that two and a half years in a confined space with another person would be difficult. Yet this is exactly what Auckland couple Mark and Nicola Baker set out to do – and they succeeded gloriously, with their relationship emerging even stronger for the experience.

Like most success stories, this one was built on a strong foundation.

For Craig and Sue Pine, the transition from a recreational maritime lifestyle to travelling in a motorhome has been easy and enjoyable. The hardest part of the exercise was finding a motorhome that would meet their expectations.

After a long search through the secondhand market, they found that a new Bürstner Lyseo TD736 Harmony Line fulfilled all their needs — as Craig outlines in this owner story.

The story of Jane Goodey and Ali Mossalem’s search for a motorhome has plenty of sliding-door moments. You know the ones — those times in life we all encounter, when what could have been wasn’t, and even the best-laid plans can go astray. 

In this case, the retired Christchurch couple bought a new motorhome when they had initially set out to purchase a secondhand one. Their new purchase wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision but rather a series of those life experiences when things just didn’t go to plan.

Now that Ali and Jane are proud owners of a brand new Bürstner Lyseo TD590, they couldn’t be happier that things didn’t work out as they had originally envisioned.

Elizabeth and Hans Van Der Linden purchased a brand new 2023 HYMER MLT 580 RWD from Wilderness in September 2023. In this owner story, Hans explains how everything’s going with the couple’s exciting new ride — and talks about what it feels like behind the wheel of a rear wheel drive motorhome.

Purchasing a motorhome or campervan is a significant life decision. Whether you're a first-time buyer or you’re planning to downsize your current RV, take time to assess all the options before choosing the motorhome that’s ideal for you.

In this blog, we discuss why you should consider buying a campervan, what to look for in a used one and the costs of ownership.

We’ll also hear from Wilderness Motorhomes’ marketing director, Mary Hamilton, a seasoned professional in the motorhome industry. She’ll comment on buying new versus secondhand, renting before owning, listening to friends and the common reasons why people change motorhomes.

Thinking about buying a motorhome and travelling to parts of New Zealand you always dreamed about? Hear from Bürstner and HYMER owners that have been there and are doing just that.

We talk with seven couples, partners and singles that have made the leap to a motorhome lifestyle. Find out why they bought their chosen models and where they absolutely love to travel.

Want complete isolation? Try remote Anatori Beach on the West Coast near the very top of the South Island. Fancy the bright lights of the big city? Park your motorhome in the very heart of Auckland city, close to the harbour bridge and under the lights of the Sky Tower, and walk to a multiple of options for drinks and dinner.

For Wilma and Grant McGregor, it’s the little luxuries that make their HYMER Starline B680 such a pleasure to spend time in. “It’s a bit like a yacht,” says Grant. “There’s a lot of woodgrain inside and the quality is amazing. We took it for our first drive and it was like driving a luxury tour coach.”

Apart from their choice of vehicles, there is no ‘typical’ Wilderness owner. Our people (or the Wilderness Family as we like to call them) come from all walks of life and they are each at different ages and stages of their journeys.

Liz Kinley and Tau Huirama are self-professed motorhome newbies. In fact Liz had only been in a motorhome once in her life prior to purchasing their new Bürstner Lyseo IT744.

Jane Butler runs a life coaching business called Out of the Rut.

Over the years she has helped a lot of Kiwis get out and live the best version of their lives.

This year Jane realised it was about time she did the same herself. She has taken a large part of 2017 off to get away in her own motorhome, recharge the batteries and get her own life back on track.