Buyers' Guide

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.

For a recreational vehicle that’s specifically designed and constructed to your personal needs and preferences, a custom-built motorhome may be your best solution.

Custom-built motorhomes may be designed and built by a manufacturer who specialises in bespoke builds — or built by a capable DIYer to your specifications.

In this buyers’ guide, we discuss how custom motorhomes are built and what features they have. We also look at the different kinds of tailor-made motorhomes and how the cost of these compare to ready-made ones.

German motorhomes have built a global reputation for exceptional design and comfort — but also reliability, innovation and safety.

Carado, Bürstner and HYMER are three of the premium German motorhome brands available to purchase in New Zealand. In this article, we discuss the safety features and innovative technologies of these three popular German brands.

Whether you’re at home or on the road, sleep is important for our energy levels and general wellbeing. And when you’re on a campervan holiday for weeks or months, the impact of a quality bed and bed layout that’s easy to use can’t be understated.

After years of recreational boating, Peta Stavelli of Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations magazine, returned to motorhoming. As a potential buyer, you might also be asking yourself — how do these two kinds of recreational investments differ?

A key differentiator between a high end motorhome and an ordinary one is the bathroom. It should be a welcoming space for you to refresh and revitalise.

Motorhome bathrooms should be both comfortable and practical. In high end, premium motorhomes,  you can expect wood veneer cabinetry, sophisticated lighting and a self-contained shower — much like your bathroom at home. Although in some models, the bathroom may feel less like an oasis and more like the inside of a bathtub.

In this buyers’ guide, we discuss everything you need to know about RV bathrooms. We’ll touch on layout, features, water storage needs, freedom camping, and different types of toilets — along with how to use and empty them.

If you’re planning to spend a decent amount on a new motorhome, you’ll have the pick of two types of body construction.

In the more affordable corner is the semi-integrated motorhome — which still retains the front sheet metal parts and cab components of its donor van that provided the platform.

Fiat may have recently lost ground to upgraded European vans like the Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit and Volkswagen Crafter. But the new Series 8 Ducato shows improvements that should allow it to continue its reign at the top of the motorhome platform segment.

Motorhome vehicle transmissions have evolved over time — from the days of manual transmissions to 21^st century automatics.

In this article, we’ll shed some light on what a vehicle transmission is while looking at the pros and cons of various motorhome transmissions. We’ll also offer advice on how to get the most out of your motorhome’s transmission.

Like their battery-powered counterparts in the passenger car, bicycle, and motorcycle sectors, more motorhomes will begin to travel electrically as we wean ourselves off fossil fuels.

That’s despite the many packaging challenges that electric motorhomes present such as substantial changes to existing electronic architecture to hold the huge batteries needed to drive the vehicles. Electric motorhome models may therefore take a little longer to enter the market than electric campervans — but a shift away from diesel power is inevitable.

In this discussion, we take a close look at increasing investment in electric vehicles and how that’s going to affect campervan and motorhome markets. Plus, we chat about range, infrastructure, and the relationship between battery weight and payload.

You’ve invested a lot of your hard-earned cash in your new motorhome. So why leave it parked up in the cooler months? You can savour those cold winter evenings on the road in a toasty warm motorhome.

A motorhome that’s fully winterised has been built for four seasons. It has full insulation, double glazed windows, and a grunty heater that can be used without needing to plug into mains power.

If you plan to use your motorhome in winter, a central heating system is a must. These are now standard in caravans and motorhomes imported from Europe.

Do you absolutely love motorhoming? Have you almost reached that tipping point where purchasing a motorhome makes more sense than continuing to hire?

If exploring the magic of Aotearoa in a motorhome is your thing, you’ll likely consider buying over renting at some point — and when you do, read on, cause we’re here to help.