Motorhome of the Year 2014 - part I

Although motorhomes of various price classes and ranges were assessed, the title of the best Camping Car of the Year 2014 was won by the relatively small, semi-integrated Rapido 640 model.

Ordinary cars have their plebiscites - e.g. Car of The Year, and unusual cars, e.g. campers, theirs. Two British magazines - "Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly" (MMM) and "Which Motorhome?" have joined forces to jointly announce the winners of the Motorhome of the Year Awards 2014.

Four vehicles were nominated in each of the nine categories, which were then assessed by the jurors. Here are the final results of the vote.

Motorhome of the Year 2014

The Rapido 640 is said to be the best motorhome currently available for sale. Such a verdict was determined by its compact size (the model was approx. 6.5 meters long), as well as the interior layout with a double bed in the corner of the vehicle. This arrangement allows you to save space without sacrificing comfort.

The issue of the kitchen, which was placed across the motorhome, right next to the entrance, was solved in a very unusual way. Thanks to such original ideas, it was possible to find a large amount of space in a small area. The Rapido 640 even has a large shower room, and a large wardrobe under the bed.

Best Camper Van

Wellhouse Ford Terrier was the winner in the "Campervan of The Year 2014" category. The jurors liked such elements as the equipment, good-quality finish and the relatively favorable price of this car.

In this case, we are talking about a van with a raised, canvas roof, under which you can arrange a double berth. Apparently nothing new, but in this van we also managed to fit a fold-out bed downstairs and a set of furniture with a kitchenette! The kitchen is accessible from the inside of the car, and not from the outside, as is the case with such small motorhomes with modular construction.

Best Van in the Higher Class

The award was also granted in the "High-Top Van Conversion of the Year" category. Here, the best model IH N-Class 630 SL , based on the Fiat Ducato, turned out to be the best. This victory was actually obvious, considering that it is probably the only motorhome in its class with… sliding sidewall. So far, similar solutions have been used only in the most expensive and usually very large camping vehicles. And yet in the van, the possibility of expanding the space through the sliding out part of the living room seems even more urgent.

Compact Camper of the Year

A very important category is Compact Motorhome of the Year, which refers to the most popular camping vehicles, being a compromise between good equipment and a price acceptable to many customers. This year's award was won by the Pilote Aventura G600LA .

The jurors liked, among others a sofa, which, in combination with twist seats for the driver and passenger, allows you to create an L-shaped lounge corner. with a large fridge-freezer is also comfortable. A large shower and a spacious wardrobe are other advantages of this vehicle. It can therefore be said that the Pilote won not thanks to unique technical solutions, but thanks to the comfort and spaciousness that work well in everyday use.

We will present the winners of the other categories in the second part of the article.