A class of their own - our guide to A-class motorhomes

A-class manufacturers

First, though, we should explain what an A-class is.

These motorhomes start with a chassis-cowl (basically just a bare frame with its engine exposed and seat bases and dashboard out in the open air). This is normally supplied by Fiat (Ducato) or Mercedes-Benz (Sprinter), or Iveco (Daily) for the largest models, but it has no external bodywork from the base vehicle. All of the exterior bodywork is manufactured by the motorhome company.

That, of course, means that an A-class looks more like it was designed to have a leisure role, rather than being an adaptation of a light commercial vehicle. The body will be the same width all along the sides, not wider behind the cab as with a low-profile or overcab coachbuilt.

Inside, therefore, the cab area is wider and will feel more of an integral part of the living space, while front seats will usually swivel more easily. Nick Barker, Sales Manager at Travelworld, refers to this as extra “elbow room” while Wokingham Motorhomes’ Adrian Prior also points out that the driving position in an A-class often gives better vision for drivers over 6ft.

Above, there’s typically a drop-down bed that lowers over the cab seats (without interrupting the rest of the lounge, which can be a big plus over low-profiles that have a drop-down bed). Some models offer extra cupboards instead of the front bed but having the drop-down is sometimes seen as desirable for future resale.

Whilst most A-classes are around the typical coachbuilt motorhome width of 2.35m, there are slimline models on the market, too, such as the Carthago C-Compactline, Dethleffs Globebus, Itineo Famili Compact, Hymer Exsis and Rapido C Series.

Whilst most A-class motorhomes are built by the major European brands, experience matters more in this sector than any other. After all, now the maker is building the vehicle (mechanics aside) itself, not just the interior.

Hymer was the first continental brand to sell A-classes in the UK back in the 1980s, with Pilote not far behind. The Hymermobil was the original European A-class, with the first examples hitting the market in 1972. By 2014 the company had already built 150,000 motorhomes…

Today, of course, Hymer has plenty of rivals – including other brands within the Erwin Hymer Group (Bürstner, Carado, Dethleffs, Etrusco, Laika, Sunlight and Niesmann + Bischoff) – and there are some fabulous alternatives, even if none is quite as well known. Look out for an ‘I’ in the model name, signifying integriert in German or intégraux in French, as our continental cousins call these ‘fully integrated’ motorhomes.

A-class design features

There are A-classes that are six metres long, right up to double that – and with a garage that will accommodate not a couple of mountain bikes but a small car, such as a Fiat 500. Concorde and Morelo are brands that compete in this rarefied ‘liner’ category where it’s quite possible to spend half a million quid or more.

Those liners will require an HGV licence (over 7,500kg), but there are many other A-classes that can be driven on a standard car licence. However, not many provide a generous payload on a 3,500kg chassis and it’s worth considering a heavier base vehicle, especially if you want to load up the garage or carry more than just you and your spouse.

Many A-classes (especially German ones) also come with a long list of options and option packs. These can not only add £20k – or much more (£50k-worth of options is not that unusual) – to the base price but seriously erode your payload. A vehicle that might barely have enough carrying capacity in standard form will soon be dangerously and illegally overweight if you tick too many boxes without also uprating the chassis.

Most current-model A-classes have a rear bedroom featuring a pair of single beds or an island double, but this wasn’t always the case. Models where the drop-down bed was the main sleeping space once dominated and these layouts (which offer an amazingly spacious feel relative to their size) can still be found from a few makers.

Rear lounges have made something of a comeback in A-classes, too, with Carthago introducing a C-shaped seating area (a sofa that curves around to face four ways) and Dethleffs and Frankia also adopting this design. You’ll find L-shaped and U-shaped rear lounges, too, and Rapido offers an interesting rear lounge model with a garage (the 854F).

Our pick of A-class motorhomes in 2024

These models include some brand-new A-class motorhomes and are truly spectucular - check out our reviews here to see inside these stunning `vans.

Coachman Travel Master Imperial 845

With its pedigree rooted in premium caravans, Coachman launched its range-topper, the Travel Master Imperial 845, at last October’s NEC show and, although this time it was pipped to the post in our awards, it was still highly commended.

Our comments included, “A £206k price tag sounds as substantial as the 8.82m overall length until you factor in what’s included” and “there are even heated carpets in this true flagship motorhome.”

Read our full review to find out more about this rather superior motorhome!

Le Voyageur Eterna LVf.8GJF

For 2024, Le Voyageur has replaced its Classic range with the new Eterna – a range of Fiat-based A-classes ranging from 6.80m to 8.55m in length.

The French company, part of Groupe Pilote, has also worked on reducing these motorhomes’ weight, so the smaller models (up to 7.25m) can be on 3,500kg chassis and the longer ’vans (7.55m upwards) can benefit from increased payload – or more options can be fitted, as most customers want a high-spec vehicle.

Read the full review here!

Florium Wincester 75 LMF Millennium Edition

Part of the Rapido Group, Florium (and sister marque, Fleurette) manufactures a range of low-profile and A-class motorhomes.

What’s interesting about all three layouts in the A-class range is that they offer face-to-face lounges, making them primarily aimed at couples. You can carry rear passengers, but all three models offer spacious touring for two.

Wandahome at South Cave in East Yorkshire is currently the only dealer for the Fleurette and Florium motorhome ranges in the UK.

Read the full review here!

Frankia Platin Pure I 7400 Plus

All things are relative in the world of A-class motorhomes. This new Platin Pure is hardly compact, at 7.76m long, nor is it entry-level, with a total cost as shown here of £176,950. But it’s still a Platin, which means a very high spec and a rear-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz chassis with 5,500kg maximum gross weight.

Previously, Frankia’s range-topping Platin was only available as a 7900 model (8.07m long) or an even bigger 8400 (8.61m). If you wanted something a tad more manoeuvrable, then the 7400 layouts could be ordered in the M-Line range but, by the time you’d added all the extras to bring these up to Platin spec, you’d exceeded the price point of a larger motorhome.

This anomaly is something that sole UK Frankia agent, SMC Motorhomes in Newark, has wanted to address previously but only now (mid-season in 2024) are the Pure versions being launched.

Read our full review of this unique A-class motorhome here.

A-class motorhomes for sale

If you're interested in an A-class motorhome, we're not surprised in the least.

You can find a huge range of new and used A-class motorhomes for sale on our website, both from dealers and private sellers across the country. You could, for example, pick up a Hymer B-MC I 580 with just under 13,000 miles on the clock, or a brand-new Laika Ecovip H 4109 DS based on a 9-speed automatic Fiat Ducato.

Explore the full range of A-class motorhomes for sale listed on our website today!