01422 396 769 
quotePOLL NOW CLOSED – THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED
There are a number of base vehicles available for a modern motorhome, but what’s your favourite…?
In this month’s poll we’re asking “What’s your favourite motorhome base vehicle?”
There were many base vehicles listed in the Motorhome of the Year awards at the end of last year by Practical Motorhome as well as by Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly (MMM), and Which Motorhome but we’d like to know what’s a favourite with our readers and fans.
Feel free to leave any comments or share any motorhome experiences in the section below.
Hi, Can you help please. We have become proud owners of a 261 but cant fin any sort of manual, particularly stuck on where/if there is a drain to allow us to clean fresh water tank – can you help please?
Hi Ali, what make of motorhome is it?
Fiat Ducato with Euro 5 engine, 130 hp but fit a TDI-tuning box (Insurance acceptable) and take it to 150hp for a couple of hundred quid, instaed of the many hundreds for the Fiat 150 engine that dealers want. Smooooth and punchy driving is the result.
I agree we have the automatic Mercedes Sprinter and we are always impressed by the ease of driving and power. Hills no problem, easy to manoeuvre, good all round visibility, great controls, it practically drives itself, we are amazed that it does not have more votes.
And don’t forget that Guy Martin, a Proper Mechanic and holder of many world records related to vehicles of all types from bicycles to cars and trucks, a professional HGV mechanic, reckons Transits are the best. That is what he buys and runs, and he aims to get 100,000 miles from a set of front brake pads. That tells me a great deal about his skill as a driver – forward vision and anticipation. As a motorcyclist I can tell that most car drivers are not interested in what is beyond their front bumper. Nothing, so far as they are concerned.
However I think most motorhome buyers will be more interested at what is inside the motorhome than what base vehicle it is on.
I would like to have a Camper that uses the NISSAN CABSTAR VAN assembly.
It will give you a Camper with the following Accomodation layout :
Good size double bed at the back and Garage under it for my motorbike. Dinette , kitchen , bathroom.
This can be under or less then 5 meters long.
I could park it any where as it takes the same parking space as a large saloon like large Jaguars or Mercedes or large American saloon cars.
Only it will have to be taller , but there is no limit in height apart from supermarkets or Malls parking lots.
The short Campers with double bed and garage under are about 5.45 but LOOSE ABOUT 1 meter at front of driver.
Not so with the NISSAN CABSTAR OR EQUIVALENT VEHICLE.
I will be waiting for such a CAMPER that will give me DECENT. Accomodation , double bed , garage foe my motor bike and EASY PARKING everywhere withing the parking regulations.
I would like to send this letter to manufacturers
Thank you.
Claudio Meda
I’ve drive 3 Fiat Ducatos with Comfortmatic gearboxes in the UK and in New Zealand. If you accept that driving 3-5 tonnes on a 2.2l diesel is never going to be a sporty drive ( nor should it be), it is a very relaxed drive. The ‘hilly’ mode makes the gearbox change up and down at higher revs. That’s very useful in hilly areas and on flat but bendy roads, saving multiple gear changes. I’ve not driven others, but I’m very pleased with the Fiat. And the little extras are useful too – USB charger, worksheet clip, tablet computer holder. More cubby holes than I can remember where I put things. And the customer service has been brilliant (though RAC delivering their breakdown service were less than helpful on occasions).
Has to be the Transit. I have had 2 VW Transporters and 3 Transits and the Transits were more reliable, easier and cheaper to fix when there was a problem, especially when abroad and finally they are generally cheaper to buy than the VW.
Some say that the VW is better built, however I spoke to an engineer who confirmed that the Transit is as well built if not better. The only downside in this comparison is the engine noise, the VW is quieter but not much these days. Mercs are too expensive and the French base vehicles too unreliable. I have friends with Citroen, Peugeot and Renault base vehicles and they never stop moaning!! I love driving theTransit; its quick, easy to drive, good on fuel and comfortable. Say no more.
Mercedes sprinter 518, 3 litre V 6 engine layout, super smooth and sounding motor, and from a servicing cost point of view this engine HAS NO CAM DRIVE BELT, which can be a very expensive item to change, but far more expensive to repair engine damage should the belt break (and they do)
Does add cost to the motorhome to have a Mercedes base vehicle but with rear wheel drive (twin wheel on 518) and the bulletproof V6 engine it makes the perfect motorhome base in my view.
Driving for a living you soon realise that transits are the vehicle to have comfort and legroom. robust interiors .powerful quiet engines reliability .everyone in transport knows fiat means fix it again tomorrow.
Got to be Merc sprinter for me as I prefer rear wheel drive And it’s always been a good reliable motor it’s got great pulling power and is very economical she averages 36 to the gallon I have had the engine remap done by diesel express which was the best thing I had done more low down torque less gear changing
My favourite is a Fiat Ducato round about 1993 -1995. The reason is simple: no computers, no EGR valve, no cat converter, no DPF, no DMF, you can service and repair it yourself and it is more economical than the new ones which lose a lot of power through the add-ons. Watch out for the Euro 6 motors which will require you to keep the AdBlue tank filled, and woe betide you if you don’t. It will go into limp mode. The new ones use a lot more energy and pollution in their manufacture than they will ever save in their economic twiddly bits.
However you can’t get a shiny new motorhome with an economical, not-polluting-to-manufacture and expensive-to-maintain engine so we have to choose the prettiest one!
And DAB radios don’t work, so don’t get one of those.
(I’ve got a new Fiat Ducato)
I started with a vw long wheel base camper and a ford car , then a Peugeot boxer motorhome and Peugeot car . I now have a mclouis 261 Fiat ducato motorhome and a Fiat panda 4×4 cross, both vehicles take some beating.