This post may contain affiliate links, from which we earn an income. Click here to read our affiliate policy.
Expert Advice for Buying a New or Used Motorhome
Buying a motorhome is one of the biggest purchases many people will ever make. New models can cost well into six figures, while even older used motorhomes often represent a significant investment. Naturally, everyone wants the same thing: a motorhome that’s enjoyable to own, built to last and unlikely to spend more time in the workshop than on the road.
The challenge is that choosing a reliable motorhome isn’t as straightforward as picking the manufacturer with the best reputation or the highest price tag.
Ask ten owners which brand is the most reliable, and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Online forums are full of conflicting opinions, social media tends to amplify horror stories, and every manufacturer has loyal supporters as well as unhappy customers. It can be difficult to separate genuine patterns from individual experiences.
The truth is that reliability is about far more than the badge on the front. The dealer who prepares your motorhome, the quality of the pre-delivery inspection, the specific model you choose, how well it’s maintained and even when it was built can all have a significant impact on your ownership experience.
That’s why we’ve taken a different approach.
Rather than trying to declare one manufacturer “the best”, this guide brings together owner satisfaction research, long-term industry trends and our own experience of eight years of full-time travel to help you make a more informed decision.
We’ll look at what thousands of owners think about their motorhomes, how satisfaction has changed over recent years, what happened during the post-pandemic production boom and, most importantly, how to use that information when choosing your next motorhome.
Whether you’re buying your first campervan, upgrading to a larger motorhome or searching the used market, our aim is simple: to help you avoid costly mistakes and buy with confidence.
Key Takeaways
Before You Choose a Motorhome
Buying a motorhome is one of the biggest financial decisions many people will make. Whether you’re investing in a brand-new model or searching the used market, it’s natural to want reassurance that you’re making the right choice.
The problem is that finding reliable advice isn’t always easy.
Every manufacturer has loyal owners who wouldn’t buy anything else, while online forums and social media are often filled with stories of expensive faults, warranty disputes and frustrating dealer experiences. It’s easy to come away believing that one brand is perfect and another should be avoided altogether.
The reality is rarely that simple.
Motorhome reliability depends on many factors, including build quality, the dealer who prepares and supports the vehicle, ongoing maintenance, and even when it was built. A well-maintained used motorhome can provide years of trouble-free touring, while a brand-new model isn’t guaranteed to be fault-free.
We’ve been travelling full-time since 2018, covering more than 120,000 miles in motorhomes and an overland truck across Europe, North Africa and beyond. During that time we’ve met hundreds of owners, visited countless campsites, spoken to manufacturers and dealers, and experienced the highs and lows of motorhome ownership ourselves.
Rather than relying on opinions or marketing claims, this guide brings together independent owner satisfaction data, industry trends and our own experience to help you make a more informed decision. We won’t tell you which motorhome to buy, but we will help you understand what really matters when choosing one.
Where This Advice Comes From
No single source can tell you which motorhome is the most reliable. That’s why we’ve looked at the evidence from several different angles.
The foundation of this guide is the annual Practical Motorhome Owner Satisfaction Survey, one of the UK’s largest independent surveys of motorhome owners. Each year, thousands of owners share their experiences of buying, owning and using their motorhomes, providing valuable insight into build quality, reliability, dealer support and overall satisfaction.
Rather than focusing on a single year’s results, we’ve also looked at how owner satisfaction has changed over the past five years. Looking at longer-term trends helps separate short-term fluctuations from patterns that are more likely to reflect the real ownership experience.
Throughout the guide, we’ve combined that research with our own experience of full-time motorhome travel. Since setting off in 2018, we’ve spent thousands of nights on the road, owned two motorhomes and two overland trucks, spoken to owners across Europe and documented our journeys through The Gap Decaders website and social media channels.
It’s important to be clear about what this guide isn’t. We don’t have access to manufacturers’ warranty claims, breakdown statistics or internal reliability data, and we’re not attempting to rank brands based on information that isn’t publicly available. Instead, our aim is to interpret the best independent evidence available and turn it into practical advice that helps you buy with confidence.
So what does the latest owner satisfaction data actually tell us? Let’s start with the manufacturers.
Manufacturer Satisfaction
Highest-Rated Manufacturers for New Motorhomes
The highest-scoring manufacturers for new motorhomes in the 2025 survey were:
- Adria (including Sun Living) – 83.8%
- Roller Team – 83.7%
- Bürstner – 83.3%
All three received Gold Awards, with less than one percentage point separating first and third place.
Highest-Rated Manufacturers for Pre-Owned Motorhomes
For owners of older motorhomes, the results were slightly different:
- Rapido Group – 84.0%
- Hymer – 83.9%
- Benimar – 82.8%
- Bürstner – 82.4%
- Bailey – 80.8%
Six manufacturers achieved Gold Award status in the pre-owned category, suggesting that several brands continue to perform well long after the initial purchase.
Overall Winner
When the results for new and pre-owned motorhomes were combined, Roller Team was named the overall Manufacturer of the Year with a score of 82.1%, narrowly ahead of Adria on 81.4%.
Unlike the new and pre-owned categories, the overall Manufacturer of the Year recognises brands that have performed strongly across both categories. That arguably makes it one of the best indicators of consistent owner satisfaction rather than the success of a single model or model year.
Dealer Satisfaction
One of the most revealing findings from the 2025 Owner Satisfaction Awards isn’t the manufacturers at all. It’s the dealers.
Highest-Rated New Motorhome Dealers
- Todds Motorhomes – 94.8%
- Peter Roberts – 94.5%
- West Country Motorhomes Group – 92.7%
These exceptional scores suggest customers were consistently impressed with everything from the buying experience to pre-delivery preparation and after-sales support.
Lowest-Rated Qualifying New Motorhome Dealers
- Spinney Motorhomes – 64.0%
- Marquis Group – 65.4%
- Motorhomes & Caravans, Hull – 67.2%
Even these dealers achieved Silver Award status, but the gap between the highest and lowest qualifying dealer was more than 30 percentage points.
Compare that with the manufacturers, where the top three new motorhome brands were separated by just 0.5 percentage points:
- Adria – 83.8%
- Roller Team – 83.7%
- Bürstner – 83.3%
That’s arguably the biggest takeaway from the entire survey. Once you’re choosing between two well-regarded manufacturers, the quality of the supplying dealer may have a greater influence on your ownership experience than the badge on the front of the motorhome.
Base Vehicles
The survey also asks owners to rate the chassis their motorhome is built on.
For new motorhomes, Volkswagen achieved the highest satisfaction score, followed by Mercedes, Ford and Fiat. All four received Gold Awards.
- Volkswagen – 92.7%
- Mercedes – 90.5%
- Ford – 86.1%
- Fiat – 83.8%
All four achieved Gold Award status, showing that owners are generally very satisfied with the major base vehicle manufacturers.
This is an important reminder that a motorhome’s driving experience and mechanical reliability depend not only on the converter but also on the underlying chassis.
Overall, the survey paints a reassuring picture. Most manufacturers achieved either Gold or Silver Award status, suggesting owner satisfaction across the industry is generally high rather than sharply divided.
That’s important because online discussions can sometimes give the impression that certain brands are universally excellent while others should be avoided entirely. The survey doesn’t support that view. Instead, it suggests that most manufacturers are capable of producing excellent motorhomes, while every brand has owners who have experienced problems.
Five-Year Standouts
Looking across five years of owner satisfaction results, several manufacturers stand out for their consistency rather than a single exceptional year.
Hymer
Hymer has been one of the strongest long-term performers, regularly appearing among the highest-rated manufacturers for both new and pre-owned motorhomes. Its ability to score highly across multiple years suggests a consistently positive ownership experience.
Adria
Adria has remained a regular front-runner and topped the new motorhome category in 2025. Its repeated appearance near the top of the rankings indicates sustained owner satisfaction rather than a one-off success.
Bürstner
Bürstner has consistently featured among the Gold Award winners and was named Overall Manufacturer of the Year in the 2024 awards after combining strong performances across both new and pre-owned categories.
Roller Team
Roller Team has become an increasingly prominent performer, finishing second in the new motorhome category in 2025 before being named Overall Manufacturer of the Year when the new and pre-owned results were combined.
Perhaps the biggest lesson isn’t which manufacturer finishes first in any given year, but which brands continue to appear near the top of the rankings. Consistent owner satisfaction over several years is likely to be a more useful buying indicator than a single outstanding result.
Why Owner Satisfaction Changed
One of the biggest lessons from looking at owner feedback over recent years is that context matters.
Between 2020 and 2023, the motorhome industry experienced extraordinary demand. Lockdowns encouraged more people to holiday closer to home, manufacturers received record numbers of orders, and many dealers sold their entire allocation months before vehicles even reached the showroom.
At the same time, manufacturers faced global shortages of components, disrupted supply chains and rising production costs. Like much of the automotive industry, they were building vehicles under conditions few had experienced before.
It’s hardly surprising that owner satisfaction dipped for some manufacturers during this period. Owners increasingly reported cosmetic defects, incomplete pre-delivery inspections, delayed warranty work and long waits for replacement parts.
As supply chains have gradually stabilised, owner satisfaction has improved for many manufacturers, although the recovery hasn’t been uniform. Some brands have returned to consistently strong scores, while others are still rebuilding confidence.
For buyers, the lesson isn’t to dismiss every motorhome built during those years. Many owners have enjoyed trouble-free touring in vehicles produced throughout the pandemic period. Instead, it highlights why individual inspection, service history and dealer preparation matter so much, particularly when buying a used motorhome from this era.
Reliability Beyond the Badge
If there’s one lesson to take away from this guide, it’s this: don’t buy a badge, buy a motorhome.
It’s tempting to focus on manufacturer rankings, but the evidence suggests there’s much more to a satisfying ownership experience than the name on the front.
The 2025 Owner Satisfaction Awards found only a fraction of a percentage point separating the three highest-rated new motorhome manufacturers, while dealer satisfaction varied by more than 30 percentage points. That alone tells us that where you buy your motorhome can be just as important as what you buy.
The specific model matters too. Every manufacturer produces a wide range of layouts and specifications, and even two motorhomes from the same brand can deliver very different ownership experiences. Research the exact model and model year you’re considering, not just the manufacturer.
The underlying chassis also deserves attention. Whether your motorhome is built on a Fiat, Ford, Mercedes or Volkswagen base vehicle will influence its driving characteristics, servicing requirements and mechanical ownership experience, independently of the habitation body built on top.
Maintenance is another major factor. A well-maintained motorhome with a complete service and habitation history is often a better buy than a newer vehicle that’s been neglected. Regular habitation checks, prompt repairs and annual servicing can prevent many of the costly problems that owners encounter later.
Ultimately, the most reliable motorhome isn’t simply the one with the highest survey score. It’s the one that’s been well designed, carefully prepared by the dealer, properly maintained and chosen because it suits the way you want to travel.
How to Buy a Reliable Motorhome
While no purchase is ever risk-free, there are several practical steps that can significantly improve your chances of buying a motorhome you’ll enjoy owning.
Start with long-term owner feedback
Don’t rely solely on brochures, YouTube reviews or dealership recommendations. Independent owner satisfaction surveys reveal what people think after months or years of ownership, not just during a weekend test drive.
Research the exact model
Manufacturers produce dozens of different layouts over many years. Search for the specific model and model year you’re considering rather than the manufacturer alone.
Owner forums and Facebook groups can be particularly useful for identifying recurring issues with individual models.
Choose your dealer as carefully as your motorhome
Ask about their pre-delivery inspection process, servicing facilities, warranty support and customer reviews.
A good dealer can solve problems before you ever collect the vehicle.
Inspect thoroughly
Whether buying privately or from a dealer, check for signs of damp, water staining, soft floors, poorly fitting lockers, damaged seals and evidence of previous repairs.
If you’re not confident, pay for an independent habitation inspection. It could be the best money you spend.
Don’t overlook used motorhomes
Many early manufacturing defects appear during the first year of ownership and are resolved under warranty. Buying a well-maintained used motorhome with comprehensive history can reduce both depreciation and early ownership issues.
Budget for maintenance
Every motorhome requires ongoing care.
Annual habitation checks, servicing, tyre replacement, battery maintenance and resealing should all form part of your ownership budget. Reliability isn’t just about how a motorhome leaves the factory. It’s also about how well it’s looked after afterwards.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy
Before handing over a deposit, ask yourself these questions.
Final Thoughts
Every motorhome owner has a story.
Some have travelled hundreds of thousands of miles with barely a fault. Others have experienced frustrating warranty claims before their first holiday. Both experiences are real, and both help explain why choosing the “most reliable motorhome” is so difficult.
What the evidence does show is that reliability is rarely determined by a single factor. Manufacturer reputation matters, but so do dealer preparation, build quality, maintenance, the individual model and how the vehicle has been cared for throughout its life.
That’s why we believe owner satisfaction surveys are such a valuable buying tool. They don’t provide absolute answers, but they do offer one of the best independent snapshots of real ownership experiences available. Combined with careful research, a thorough inspection and choosing the right dealer, they can help stack the odds in your favour.
After more than eight years and over 120,000 miles of full-time travel, we’ve learnt that the best motorhome isn’t necessarily the most expensive or the highest ranked. It’s the one that suits the way you travel, has been well built, well prepared and well maintained.
There probably isn’t a perfect motorhome. But there are plenty of excellent ones. The trick isn’t finding the brand with the loudest reputation. It’s finding the individual motorhome that’s been well designed, well prepared and well cared for.
