Premium "german" brands?

[CanvasCampFan]

Looking for our first MH and accepted wisdom seems to be start with a barely used premium brand

But which brands are these?

Hymer, Burstner, Knaus have cropped up - but I assume there are others

 

[AdamB]

I have hired a few camper vans over the years and have also owned one since 2005. I have always looked for quality over quantity - you can buy what seems like a great bargain, lots of bells and whistles and looks great at first glance, however a lot of these vans may use lower quality products and add 'shiny' bits to grab the attention of the potential buyer and only time will tell if they last more than a couple of seasons - so be wary when you buy! I bought a Niesman + Bischoff Arto 69GL brand new in 2005 - top quality build, attention to detail is impressive and very 'user friendly'.

 

[Coolcats]

Who knows? Thor are the worlds largest motorhome manufacturer,"

I quite like living in Valhalla one of the 12 Realms of the gods, if its good enough for Thor its good enough for me

 

[EuroTrotters]

Looking for our first MH and accepted wisdom seems to be start with a barely used premium brand

But which brands are these?

Hymer, Burstner, Knaus have cropped up - but I assume there are others

frankia
La atrada
Euramobil

 

[Garry - June]

Love our Frankia...

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[Peppadog]

From Bigtwin’s link, it looks like Pilote took control some years back. No idea who owns Pilote now.
Production is still in Germany.

 

[minesapint]

Carthago are excellent.

Hobby are also good. We have had one caravan a Hymer , two motorhomes one Dethleffs one Hobby, all German built, all were very good. We bought a brand new british caravan it had four warranty issues in a very short time. We sold it at just over a year old, and bought the Hobby.

 

[nicholsong]

1, Assuming there is a typo in there Geoff. Hymer took over N&B in 1996

2, Think of the brand in NE UK taken over by Hymer

Jon

Thought you might be referring to the Hymer take-over, but I was answering the Michael(sallylillyan) statement about it being 'Yankee', much more recent.

As to point No. 2 I have no idea who that was.

Geoff

 

[Basildog]

Hobby are also good. We have had one caravan a Hymer , two motorhomes one Dethleffs one Hobby, all German built, all were very good. We bought a brand new british caravan it had four warranty issues in a very short time. We sold it at just over a year old, and bought the Hobby.View attachment 416971

Only 4 warranty issues
I bought a German pile of junk and had over 50 faults
I can’t look at any van now without seeing faults and have no faith in the appliance manufacturers either , only good guys with out van were the lads at ALDE headquarters in Wellingborough.
Guess I was due a duff vehicle as I have bought over 50 new vehicles

 

[Two on Tour]

As to point No. 2 I have no idea who that was.

Hymer took over full ownership of the Explorer Group back in 2017 which included Elddis.

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[nicholsong]

Who knows? Thor are the worlds largest motorhome manufacturer, and I would imagine that there will be a lot of close co-operation, swapping knowledge and manufacturing expertise

THOR Industries' Family of Companies

Together, the THOR Industries' family of RV companies makes up the world’s largest RV manufacturer. We’ve chosen our family wisely, so your choice is that much easier.

www.thorindustries.com

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what sticker is on a motorhome, it is a converted delivery van, using a choice of two suppliers Thetford or Dometic so none could be called "bespoke"

Eddie

You can take your tongue out of your cheek now.

But for the benefit of the OP who is new to motorhomes, taking a bare chassis/engine and building a complete vehicle on top, like 'A' Class are built, is no more like converting a delivery van than using the same chassis to produce an ambulance.

Would you go out and buy an under 3500kg with a decent payload and expect the same quality of fittings as in some of the marques listed above.

Not to mention those MHs still built with timber frames as against aluminium structural bonded sheets.

Geoff

 

[beachwomble]

And just to confuse the issue more, I believe Possl/Globecar are all made in a Dethleffs factory!

Terry

Their D-Line models are made by Dethleffs. Their H-Line models are made by a Pössl-owned subsidiary in another factory. Their high-top models are made in a third factory but I'm not sure who's the main shareholder in that one.

 

[georgio]

Who knows? Thor are the worlds largest motorhome manufacturer, and I would imagine that there will be a lot of close co-operation, swapping knowledge and manufacturing expertise

THOR Industries' Family of Companies

Together, the THOR Industries' family of RV companies makes up the world’s largest RV manufacturer. We’ve chosen our family wisely, so your choice is that much easier.

www.thorindustries.com

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what sticker is on a motorhome, it is a converted delivery van, using a choice of two suppliers Thetford or Dometic so none could be called "bespoke"

And usually Italian Fiat engines and chassis

 

[kevenh]

Kraftwerk are good.
And I loved Xmas Deutschland.

Wait! BRANDS? Sorry. I hoped it was a bands discussion.
OK, being part of Elddis group, I think my compass is British so I’ve nothing sensible to add.

 

[Ian Bosman]

EuroMobil gave up using wood in their construction and only make motorhomes although you will come across and older caravan from them but date back, I believe pre 2009. No rattles in my Terrestra A570 from 2009 but not many to be seen even in Germany. They are part of the Trigano Group

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[MikeManning]

Have had several Hymers over the years (all A class) and I would have to concur that the quality did seem to drop off over the years.
Never liked Pilote, boring and soooooo old fashioned looking.
We purchased a Bavaria (made by Pilote to make people think it was Germanic!!!) I740 Allure 2 years ago. What a super motorhome it has turned out to be. Dreadful exterior graphics but a real pleasure to 'live in'! Quite nice to drive as well for a biggish' van.

 

[Guffy60]

Kraftwerk are good.
And I loved Xmas Deutschland.

Wait! BRANDS? Sorry. I hoped it was a bands discussion.
OK, being part of Elddis group, I think my compass is British so I’ve nothing sensible to add.

You forgot Nena and her 99 red balloons

 

[two]

I’d suggest to CanvasCampFan that they use their own judgment to decide what ‘quality’ means to them.
You can get a duff van from any manufacturer, although there’s less chance from a premium brand.

They should plan to change after a couple of years. There’s a lot to learn and discover, so they will not get everything right from the start. On that basis, I’d look at other vans that are 2yrs or so older than the one they plan to settle on to see how it ‘wears’. Germany does not have a monopoly on quality and some ‘German’ vans are not made in Germany. There are plenty of other countries making good vans and, if you’re buying a 2 or 3 year old, you should be able to filter out the ‘lemons’.

Look at payload first, with the layout you fancy, then worry about the finish. You can learn and do just as much in a cheap van as you can in a premium one. Treat the first years as a learning experience. The less you invest at this stage, the less you are likely to lose when you upgrade.

 

[PeterCarole29]

Looking for our first MH and accepted wisdom seems to be start with a barely used premium brand

But which brands are these?

Hymer, Burstner, Knaus have cropped up - but I assume there are others

Hi just wondered what your budget is as that reflects any recomendations

 

[Grianan]

Kraftwerk are good.
And I loved Xmas Deutschland.

Wait! BRANDS? Sorry. I hoped it was a bands discussion.
OK, being part of Elddis group, I think my compass is British so I’ve nothing sensible to add.

But you missed out The Scorpions !!

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[riversidejoe]

Hymer on a mercedes chassis takes some beating

 

[bigtree]

Hymer on a mercedes chassis takes some beating

There speaks a man who knows what he is talking about.

 

[Neilfg]

Need to be careful if getting pedantic about ownership as

Autotrail, was owned by Italian Group CI 1999, but now owned by Trigano French

Eldiss, is owned by Erwin Hymer Group 2017, and apparently shares techniques and processes with Hymer, N+B, etc...

Cannot judge premium just by manufacturer as Burstner, Dethleffs seem to make premium and low cost vans under the same brand, whereas others seem to use a different branding Rapido/Itineo,

 

[jongood]

And usually Italian Fiat engines and chassis

Actually the majority of the high end motorhomes have Italian running gear, either Fiat or Iveco. i.e. Concorde I think you have to get up to a Liner before you have another choice.

 

[jongood]

Hymer on a mercedes chassis takes some beating

IMO the V6 merc is a lovely engine but not without its issues, and while Fiats can be a bit hard Mercs can be a very bouncy ride.

Of course we will wait and see what the new FWD Merc is like as it will probably benefit from the wider track on the ALKO chassis.

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[Pausim]

Hymer on a mercedes chassis takes some beating

I had a Hymer on a Mercedes chassis, it was good. I now have a Carthago on a Fiat/ALKO chassis and it is even better. Not only is the finish better but it is much nicer to drive, I no longer feel I am bouncing along in a truck.

 

[jezport]

I wouldn't class any of those as premium brands and I'm a Hymer owner, they are all good for mid range vans.

Look at N&B, Carthago, Frankie.

Not sure about Carthago unless you go for the top range models they are pretty much re-badged Burstners

 

[Pausim]

Not sure about Carthago unless you go for the top range models they are pretty much re-badged Burstners

Where does Burstner come into it? Burstner is owned by Hymer/THOR. Carthago is a family owned and run company with construction facilities in Germany and Slovenia. My Carthago was built in Slovenia and I am very happy with the quality of construction and finish.

 

[jezport]

Where does Burstner come into it? Burstner is owned by Hymer/THOR. Carthago is a family owned and run company with construction facilities in Germany and Slovenia. My Carthago was built in Slovenia and I am very happy with the quality of construction and finish.

What I meant was the lower range models look exactly the same build and styling as a Burstner. I loved the old style built like a bus Carthagos and love the higher range models. But to me the lower range models may as well have a Burstner badge on them and nobody would be much wiser. Thats my opinion from a family of generations of cabinet makers.

 

[Lenny HB]

Not sure about Carthago unless you go for the top range models they are pretty much re-badged Burstners

Worlds apart in build quality.

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[SpeedyDux]

What I meant was the lower range models look exactly the same build and styling as a Burstner. I loved the old style built like a bus Carthagos and love the higher range models. But to me the lower range models may as well have a Burstner badge on them and nobody would be much wiser. Thats my opinion from a family of generations of cabinet makers.

Worlds apart in build quality.

I was reminded of my previous MFI self-assembly flat pack home office desk.

(on entering a Burstner at the NEC)