2021’s top 20 new motorhomes and campervans

With the 2021 season well under way, there's a fantastic range of new motorhomes and campervans on the market.

If you're thinking of buying a new motorhome or campervan – or are tempted to upgrade from an older model – take a look at this selection of 20 of the latest models.

This content was originally published in the 2021 edition of Buying Your Motorhome, which has everything you need to know about choosing, buying, owning and enjoying a motorhome or campervan. Buy your copy here for just £4.99.

Auto Campers Day Van Eco-line

£36,000

Here’s a very welcome attempt at making campervans more affordable, not least because it’s the only Auto Campers model to be available on a pre-owned base vehicle.

The company can source a good used Limited-spec Ford panel van or Tourneo people-carrier and carry out a brand-new Eco-line conversion for a total cost of around £30,000. A conversion based on a new van starts at £36k.

Available with a low roof, high-top or pop-top, the Eco-line looks at first to have a standard side kitchen layout, but it’s a lot cleverer than that.

For a start, the rear corner furniture is modular, so you can have low cupboards, a tall unit or none, to give you a wider bed. The SB version offers even greater flexibility, using Ford’s original seats to make up to a seven-seater. Don’t need as many seats? Then simply don’t have them, or add them when you do.

There’s a choice of bed heights, too, the loftier one giving massive storage below. It’s all very modular and with a top-notch finish as well.
 

Auto-Trail Expedition 66

£36,995

Like the Auto Campers alongside, this is all about value for money. Here, though, we’ve moved up a size to a six-metre Fiat van conversion with a spacious two-berth rear lounge layout, but with a price tag that looks like it belongs on a used campervan.

It comes with the 140bhp engine and only in metallic black, while the spec includes air-con, cruise control, driver and passenger airbags, as well as swivels on both chairs, but you’ll have to pay extra for a radio. An automatic gearbox is available, too, albeit at a hefty £3,354.

There’s no step at the sliding side door but, inside, this is essentially the same traditional rear lounge floorplan as you get in other Auto-Trail (V-Line) campervans. It’s insulated to the same Grade III level and, if you need rear travel seats, the same-length Expedition 67 caters for that for an extra grand.

The kitchen includes a combined oven/grill and, better still, the gas supply comes via a money-saving 25-litre underslung LPG tank.

CMC HemBil Escape (Renault)

£45,950

With a good-spec VW campervan from a well-known converter often now costing at least £60k, one way to keep costs down is to look at an alternative base vehicle. CMC offers its HemBil Escape on Ford and VW, but it’s the Renault that wins the prize for value. Even with the 170PS engine and automatic gearbox (a new option on the Trafic that’s very appealing), the price is keen, at £48,970.

A little wider inside than the Volkswagen, the Renault-based Escape has a three-passenger rear bench seat without compromising the kitchen, which includes space for a chemical loo, useful drawers and a top-loading fridge.

The Reimo sliding rear seat not only makes into a bed easily, but enables you to massively increase boot space at the rear. Or you can add a sixth, removable passenger seat.

Based on a Trafic Sport, this camper comes with sat-nav, cruise control, 17in alloy wheels and metallic paint. A roof bed, diesel-fired heating and swivel driver’s seat are optional extras.

Elddis Autoquest CV80

£47,669

One of the big stories of the 2021 new model season has to be the move of high-top campervans with pop-tops into the mainstream.

There’s a huge choice of these now from continental manufacturers but most of those feature fixed bed layouts. If you want something with a more British feel and a rear lounge, then the latest camper from Elddis is for you. It also undercuts its main rivals’ prices by a healthy margin.

Based on the established six-metre CV40 model, the four-berth, four-seatbelt CV80 has an all-new elevating roof designed and developed for use across the Erwin Hymer Group.

It features long fibre injection (LFI) moulding for a strong, light lid, while the huge 2.10m by 1.44m upper bed sits on a slatted base and benefits from a massive flyscreened section at the front for maximum ventilation.

Uniquely, the roof also incorporates a Midi Heki rooflight, so the interior feels light even when the roof is closed.

Roller Team Zefiro 665

£48,445

This new low-profile from Italy ticks a lot of boxes. Sub-£50,000 price tag – check (even with the £1,500 Driver’s Pack that includes cab air-con, etc). A Ford cab for better in-cab ergonomics and a superior ride to the Fiat – check. Compact size – at 6.41m long that’s another yes. And yet at the price – and size – it’s a four-berth vehicle with a big garage that – get this – has a preinstalled bike carrier as standard (you don’t get that included on motorhomes costing twice as much!).

The Transit cab comes in silver and has a sunroof above, while the monochrome interior makes a pleasant change from 50 shades of brown.

If you want an automatic, that’s available for just £1,740 extra, while the Flex Space option (a variable height for the rear transverse double bed) is worth considering at £520.

The electric drop-down bed over the front lounge is standard, as are a solar panel, reversing camera, 6kW gas/electric heating and a flyscreen for the door. Tall motorhomers will love the 2.15m by 1.33m rear bed, too.

Chausson 644 First Line

£48,940

All of this French firm’s low-profile motorhomes are offered in three levels of spec for 2021, with First Line being the most affordable.

Despite that, the sub-£50k pricing here includes cab air-con, two airbags, swivel seats with height adjustment, a DAB radio, diesel-fired heating (more convenient on continental tours), a panoramic skylight over the cab, a flyscreen on the door and Chausson’s Technibox with all the service items located together.

First Line models are based on the Ford Transit with 130PS engine and manual gearbox and the sub-7m 644 is a brand-new layout for this season.

It has the open-plan Smart Lounge (side settees that convert into travel seats), but the differentiator is the transverse bed at the rear measuring 2.00m by 1.43m. Under this is a generous garage (plenty of room for bikes), while a second (electric drop-down) double bed can be added up front for an extra £710.

Unusually, the 644 also has five belted travel seats, while those seeking to really use the garage space can upgrade to a 4,100kg chassis from the standard 3,500kg.

Globecar Summit Prime 540

£51,995

There’s a huge choice of fixed bed campervans from almost all the leading European motorhome brands but, when it comes to making this type of model, few come close to the experience or the production volumes of Globecar/Pössl.

The Summit Prime is the company’s flagship and the first range to get the opening overcab Skyroof, which is becoming a must-have feature for this class of camper.

Available in medium-wheelbase (as here), long and extra-long versions, the Prime gets fancy ambient lighting and premium furniture to mark it out from lesser models.

The kitchen includes a neat fridge door that opens from either side (great for getting a cold drink from outside), as well as more worktop area than most rivals. But the key feature, which is especially welcome in this compact 5.41m campervan, is the swing-wall washroom which makes showering so much more convenient.

A soft-closing sliding door is another feature that you’re unlikely to find on the opposition.

VW California Beach Camper

£53,695

The California is VW’s own in-house campervan, built in Volkswagen’s own specialist factory. Ford and Mercedes may now have their own campers, but these are outsourced to Westfalia and, anyway, VW rules when it comes to compact campers.

The pick of the range is probably the Coast (from £56,395) as a cheaper alternative to the Ocean but still with a full kitchen. However, not everyone needs – or wants – a fully spec’d campervan and the Coast has a list of rivals longer than a kid’s excuses for not doing their homework.

The newly launched Beach Camper, however, is a simpler vehicle but still built to VW’s exacting standards – and destined to enjoy the Cali’s unrivalled residual value.

Unlike the original Beach (now called Beach Tour), the Camper has a simple foldaway galley with one-ring gas hob. It’s available as a four or five-seater and comes with the 150PS engine and DSG automatic gearbox, as well as a pop-top, roof bed, roll-out awning and outdoor table and chairs.

Carado T459 Clever+ Edition

£55,379

Carados have long impressed with their sturdy build quality, but with the new Clever+ Edition all the toys come as standard and every hint of ‘entry-level’ has been eradicated.

There’s a silver metallic Fiat cab, alloy wheels, an awning and bike rack, but it’s perhaps the flush-fit framed habitation windows that make the biggest difference to the appearance.

The spec also includes the Chassis Pack, Chassis Comfort Pack and Basic Pack, along with details like an insulated waste water tank.

Inside, it’s the new layout of the T459 that is more important as this is Carado’s first side settee lounge. That aside, this island bed floorplan has no surprises, but it does feel spacious.

There’s an opening overcab sunroof, cab blinds are standard, and the duo-tone grey upholstery looks plush, while the dining table folds to be less dominant in the lounge.

The kitchen includes an oven/grill and the fridge is a giant 167-litre model with automatic energy selection. A manual drop-down bed over the lounge can be added if you need four berths. At a five-grand premium over the standard model, this Clever+ looks a great buy.

Dreamer Camper Van XL Limited

£55,800

The Camper Van XL has been around for a couple of years but for 2021 it gets upgraded to Limited spec. Crucially, that brings with it the addition of an overcab sunroof – the first to be fitted on an H3 (extra-high) Fiat Ducato panel van.

Also included now are a choice of silver or grey metallic paint, 16in alloy wheels, touch reading lights in the cab, reinforced rear suspension and the Comfort + Pack.

The layout is unchanged, with an L-shaped settee up front beating most rivals’ simple half-dinettes, while the rear fixed bed is a generous 1.95m by 1.37m. In between is the patented Modul’Space washroom which incorporates a separate shower (very rare in a campervan), while the kitchen features a 133-litre fridge with automatic energy selection.

Another winning feature in this four-berth vehicle is the drop-down bed (1.90m by 1.25m) which runs lengthways over the lounge. For 2021, this adult double berth now lowers electrically.

Hobby Optima OnTour A65 KM

£56,495

This sub-7m, 3.5-tonne motorhome is part of Hobby’s new Optima OnTour overcab range (following the success of similarly branded low-profiles in 2020). It has a spacious front lounge with a side settee and pullman dinette, while 2.13m-long bunk beds run across the back of the motorhome.

Mum and dad will probably choose to sleep in the large luton, where the mattress measures 2.02m by 1.53m, although it’s also possible to convert the lounge into beds.

Based on a Citroën Jumper cab (sister to the more common Fiat Ducato, but without an automatic option), this family motorhome comes with the Hobby Complete All-Inclusive package, so you won’t have to pay a penny extra for features such as a double-hinged 133-litre fridge with automatic energy selection, a slide-out shelf for easy gas cylinder changeover, cab air-con, ESP and ASR, cruise control, cab chairs with armrests and height adjustment, an electric step, and 6kW heating.

Simple modern design and Germanic quality are part of the package, too.

Rapido C56

£57,500

The firm from Mayenne has launched a brand-new range of slimline (2.17m wide) low-profile motorhomes – called C Series – for 2021 and this is, perhaps, the most appealing as it’s the shortest, at just 5.99m.

Within that campervan-like length, the C56 incorporates a French bed layout and an L-settee lounge. A Skyview panoramic rooflight above the windscreen helps to make it feel surprisingly spacious inside.

Included as standard on right-hand drive models are a heated waste tank, external shower, removable carpets, an oven/grill, a second leisure battery and, on the Fiat cab, Traction Plus, Hill Descent Control, piano black fascia trim, chrome-ringed instruments and a leather steering wheel with radio controls.

The Truma Combi heating runs from diesel as well as 230V and is upgraded to the 6kW version. The Select Pack then increases the standard kit even further.

A novel feature is a slide-out extension to the corner of the bed, so at night it’s properly rectangular in shape. If you’ve been put off other French bed designs, this one might just make you change your mind. It’s super compact and rather stylish.
 

Knaus Van TI 650 MEG Vansation

£57,869

Usually the rear panel on a motorhome has lights and surrounding mouldings that sit proud of the structure but Knaus’ new FoldXpand construction, introduced on its new Vansation models, allows a completely flat surface, thus increasing the length of the living space inside by around 10cm.

This is the headline feature of this latest Van TI, but there’s much else to like here, starting with a compact overall width of 2.20m and a generous payload of over half a tonne. But it’s the lengthy list of standard kit that will really get your attention. An overcab sunroof, sat-nav, alloy wheels, roll-out awning, reversing camera and TV with satellite dish are all included as standard.

The layout is a classic rear-single-beds-over-garage design but length has been kept under 7m and the quality is impressive. If you’d prefer a double bed, the alternative Vansation is even more compact and features a French bed floorplan.

Pilote P626D Evidence

£57,940

Motorhomes with a large front lounge and the main bed lowering from above have grown rapidly in popularity over the last few seasons and it’s not hard to see why. In fact, Pilote’s P696D is one of our favourites in this sector. But what if 7m is a bit too big for you? Well, this Gallic manufacturer has the answer with its new 6.20m P626D.

Not only that, but this is one of a selection of layouts that has been tailored to the UK for 2021 with new Evidence spec. This gives you the 140bhp engine, automatic gearbox, Chassis Pack, Comfort Pack, Media 8in Pack, Energy Pack, an awning, Skydome overcab sunroof, and faux leather upholstery – all the things that British customers usually order.

It also makes that £58k price tag look rather good value as the auto’ gearbox alone adds £3k to some rivals.

Apart from the spec, it’s the size of the lounge relative to the compact body that’s key to this model.

Bailey Adamo 75-4DL

£59,999

Based on a Ford Transit with automatic gearbox as standard, this is quite simply Bailey’s best motorhome yet. In line with its maker’s usual style, the £60k price tag is all-inclusive, with no packs to push up the cost.

In fact, there are virtually no options, and the standard spec includes air-con, alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers, a reversing camera and a 160PS engine.

Inside, there’s a cosy wrap-around lounge in the stern, but one that is cleverly combined with a proper garage for your bikes, barbecue, etc. And a second seating area is incorporated up front, with two side-facing settees and swivel cab seats.

Of course, the sofas convert into travel seats and, this being a Bailey, those seats have been fully crash-tested to ensure the safety of your nearest and dearest.

With two lounges, the 75-4DL is a family-friendly motorhome that features two drop-down beds, both coming down low. One of the stars of the 2021 season.
 

Itineo SC700

£60,500

Few brands offer as affordable an entry into the world of A-class motorhomes as Itineo, which is wholly owned by Rapido (the motorhomes are actually built in the same factory in northern France). And it would be hard to think of another brand that does family motorhome layouts as thoroughly.

Newest in its portfolio of bunk bed models is the 6.99m-long SC700, but this is a unique take on family motorhoming. The twin bunks (each 2m long) lower electrically from the ceiling when required. The rest of the time, this area is a mini-dinette with two seats and a table, so the kids can have their own play area. Or it can be converted into a garage.

Parents will sleep in a drop-down double, which lowers into the cab, leaving most of the large, side settee lounge undisturbed.

Family-friendly features in this five-berth motorhomes also include a 150-litre fridge, a separate shower and an optional fifth seatbelt.
 

Adria Matrix Supreme 670 SL

£70,000

Adria has totally redesigned its top-selling Matrix range for 2021. Available in Plus or Supreme spec, the latter has an all-over metallic silver finish and Alde ‘wet’ central heating.

Whichever version you choose, Adria says its new Matrix is the result of two years’ development in which everything bar the toilet and the fridge have been changed.

It’s now taller, with a stylish inclined rear wall and a technical double floor with the water tanks mounted lower and between the axles for better weight distribution. The panoramic window above the cab has been increased in size, too, while the garage doors are wider.

Step inside and you’ll instantly see that the interior design is all-new, too, and Supreme spec features darker furniture, called Cashmere. Adria has long been a master of making modern-looking motorhomes that don’t go OTT in their design and this Matrix Supreme is a new high-water mark.

The SL layout has single beds over a garage and a comfortable L-shaped front lounge, but there’s also an island bed ‘SC’ version, if you prefer.
 

Laika Ecovip 3019 Da Vinci Edition 

£74,222

This is an Italian brand offering a premium product that focuses on its country’s passion for style and design. Sitting between the Kosmo and the Kreos ranges, the new Ecovip comes in low-profile and A-class versions, while nine layouts in each vary from 6.59m to 7.40m.

For the UK, there’s also a Da Vinci Edition Pack that includes the 4,250kg Heavy chassis, as well as the Chassis, Chassis Design, Comfort and Multimedia packs, plus electric heating, a TV bracket, an oven, awning, solar panel, external shower and barbecue points and carpets.

The 3019 measures just a tad less than seven metres but, although it’s reasonably compact, it’s certainly not short of style. On the practicality front, its garage can carry up to 250kg and has 1.24m headroom. There’s a double floor, too, with more storage (including room for a second leisure battery).

There’s impressive interior lighting, as well as choice of furniture styles – the dark Rovere Moka looks fabulous – plus a wide range of upholsteries. Da Vinci models also get a Grand Chef cooker with oven/grill as well as an unusual twin sink arrangement and 142-litre fridge.

Carthago C-tourer T 143 LE (Merc) 

£76,310

German premium brand, Carthago, was one of several manufacturers (along with Hymer, Rapido and now Bürstner) that were quick to introduce A-class motorhomes on the latest front-wheel drive Mercedes Sprinter.

For 2021, it has expanded its offering on the three-pointed star to include the C-tourer range, which also features low-profile models.

This T 143 LE is the most compact of the Mercs, at 7.06m long, and it’s only around £2k more than the equivalent Fiat-based version – a gap that reduces with more powerful engines and the auto’ gearbox.

As well as the Merc cab with its 10.25in MBUX touchscreen display and wide range of modern safety options, the C-tourer gets premium body construction, a heated double floor with usable height up to 55.5cm, Combi 6 heating, and a large garage that can cope with up to 350kg.

As ever with a luxury Teutonic motorhome, there are Chassis, Comfort, Driver’s Assistance and Media Packs to consider, as well as a vast range of options to create the motorhome of your dreams.

Niesmann + Bischoff iSmove 6.9 E 

£84,230

OK, so you’ll probably need £100k+ to buy a fully spec’d-up iSmove, but what a ’van! Clearly part of the same family as the bigger Arto and Flair, the iSmove inherits their exterior design DNA but takes Niesmann + Bischoff into the 3,500kg A-class market with a motorhome packed with innovation.

Inside, it feels much bigger than its 7m length thanks to clear sight lines front to back, while felt wall linings give soothing acoustics. The kitchen seems to almost vanish, then open up horizontally in two directions and vertically with an electrically rising shelving unit.

There’s a similar disappearing trick with the bathroom, as the basin and the wall behind it slide across to make a shower cubicle. But the cleverest feature is the way the nearside bench in the twin-sofa lounge rotates to become a belted rear travel seat.

Self-sufficiency is impressive, too, with a 50-litre gas tank, 200 litres of fresh water, a lithium battery, solar panel and large garage.

Choose from single bed or island bed layouts and then configure your iSmove to your needs and taste.