They’re both the same surely? But are they really? Certainly they are used interchangeably at times. Here we provide the truth behind what’s what, and take a look at the different types of Motorhome and Camper Van available on the market today.
Traditional Motorhome
There are number of specialist motorhome manufacturers in the UK and Europe. Typically you would say that these items are ‘coach built’ with a caravan style body on a van chassis and cab.
Amongst the more popular manufacturers for this type of motorhome or camper van are Swift, Elddis, Rimor and Eura Mobil.
These do very much look like a motorised caravan from the outside. Internally they then contain all the features you would expect of a caravan. Including such as fixed seating, integrated appliances, running hot/cold water etc.
There is more of a premium feel to this type of vehicle, and new they come with a price tag that reflects it. Typically a new model from a major manufacturer will start from £60,000 for a base model. The price then going up, the more the spec of the vehicle you chose goes up.
RV
RV when used in the UK is in reference to the American term recreational vehicle. This is used to refer to a wide variety of vehicles with built-in living quarters designed for temporary accommodation. American style RVs tend to be much larger than their European counterparts. They also tend to look much less like a converted Van in the way a motorhome does, and more like a coach or small lorry.
Typical American RVs will be quite long and will often included additional features such as showers and air conditioning. Much more like a mobile home than a campervan as given their size they have more space internally which means greater facilities.
I’ll admit to choosing a photo of an RV on the larger end of the scale. However, it illustrates the point well.
Camper Van
This is the category that our own Bertha fits into. A campervan, especially in the UK would normally refer to a converted panel van that has been fitted with windows and an interior. Typically the choice for these would be for a long wheel base van to maximise internal space. However, if you look around a campsite you will also see those on a standard wheelbase.
Home conversions are popular with creating Campers like the one above and Bertha. And as a category they remain popular. You can with some effort get access to the great outdoors for much less than a coach built motorhome.
With a bit of ingenuity using recovered materials and items sourced second hand on such a facebook market place, it is possible to do a conversion for not too much money excluding the cost of the van. One key point here in converting is insurance.
To qualify for cheaper insurance as a motorhome the conversion needs to fit certain criteria. Amongst others the main ones would be the removal of the bulkhead between the cab and living quarters. Along with this fitting of windows to the living quarters. To find out more you are best to consult an insurers website and confirm what they are looking for. They will usually provide a set list of things they are looking for to class it as a motorhome or campervan.
A converted camper such as these is the mainstay of the van life #vanlife trend you will see on the internet.
Day Van
The smallest of the lot on this page. Day vans tend to be popular with fishermen or dog walkers who are looking for less features. A day van will often contain such as a rock and roll bed that flips out from a sofa to save space. A compromise most are willing to take as they are sleeping in the van less often.
Day vans are often used first and foremost for having somewhere warm and dry during the day. If out walking the dog or on a fishing trip and you just want somewhere comfortable to sit and make a cup of tea.
VW Transporter vans make a very popular base for conversions. These attarct something of a premium in the second hand market. The enduring popularity of these harking back to the original VW campers of years gone by
It’s quite common to see this style of van fitted with a ‘pop top’. This is where a section of the roof is removed and fitted with a replacement part that lifts up. This means that there is more room to stand up in the van if desired when parked up.
Given the size of them day vans are the cheapest option on this page. There are also a lot of converted Japanese vehicles in this category such as the Toyota Elphard. Specialist importers and converters for these vehicles exist and have built up a sizeable following. The Toyota Elphard in particular is popular because It drives like a luxury Lexus, and comes complete with Toyota’s superior build quality. There is a local importer and converter to us who is going through 120 of these vehicles each year.
Hopefully you have found this page helpful. We will continue to publish informational pages such as this so keep checking back. We all have to learn somewhere and this is our attempt to share some of our knowledge.