The best modern and retro campervans and RVs ever made

Slide of Home on the road. Over the years, there’s been an array of exceptional motorhome designs such as those wrapped in shiny aluminium, those with chunky tyres to tackle harsh deserts and those that are so huge that they should have their own postcode. Here’s our pick of the best: Slide of Volkswagen Splitscreen It was 1950 and Dutch businessman Ben Pon was visiting the Volkswagen factory where he witnessed staff lug parts around on a small van that used a Beetle chassis and from this experience the T1 was soon born. German coachbuilder, Westfalia, worked closely with Volkswagen in 1951 to create what would be one of the world’s first and most famous campervans.  Inside, it had a clock and a radio on the dashboard, a kitted-out kitchen with a fridge and an extending roof. In 1960, the booming hippy movement saw the T1 being the camper of choice due to its low running costs. Slide of Alfa Romeo 35 AR8 Ravello We’re more used to Alfa Romeo giving us B-road-munching sports cars like the Spider or GTV but in 1979, the then-new Fiat Daily van was also marketed as an Alfa Romeo AR8 Ravello; Alfa pinned their iconic V-shield to the front to differentiate it. Inside, two captain’s swivel chairs sat upfront which could be rotated to face the rear two seats, a table could then be clipped into place giving travellers a fine dining experience. At night, the table would simply be stowed away, and the front and rear seats would fold flat creating two single beds. Slide of Dodge Sportsman A100 Although originally offered in a van, if you approached Dodge in 1969 with an A100 or A108, which was the longer wheelbase model, they would offer a full camper conversion. As standard, they would throw in full foam, all-vinyl front bucket seats but buyers could spec a kitchen with a hob and oven, vinyl floor with a square pattern, a dining area, and the ability to sleep three with its fold-out beds. Topping off the exterior was two-tone paint, large round headlights, a mass of chrome touches and a split windshield. Slide of Volkswagen Bay Window After Volkswagen had produced 1,477,330 buses, the T1 bowed out in 1967 to make way for the new Bay Window camper. Its shape was squarer than that of the T1, its flat face now had different headlights and a vent just below the single windscreen and its suspension now had a stabilising bar at the rear.  Campers had a water-cooled fridge, a fold-out gas cooker, tables and beds that could sleep four. The roof popped up like that of the T1 to provide more space and the side door could be slid open so passengers could enjoy the country air. Slide of Dodge Travco There’s just something nostalgic about vintage RVs with their overabundance of chrome, two-tone paint and quirky design features that are often lost in newer RVs today. Dodge gave buyers the choice of two layouts for the 26.5ft length on offer: one option was to have a larger wardrobe in place of a seat that turned into a single bed, with a longer seat at the back that transformed into a double bed, and the next option was a separate bedroom at the rear with a double bed.  With the Travco weighing in at just over six tonnes, the 200bhp 5.2-litre V8 was enough to shove it to a reasonably  impressive 70mph top speed. Slide of Jeep Gladiator It’s the 1970s and you’ve just purchased a new Jeep Gladiator pickup truck, it’s several months down the line and you have a deep regret that you never bought a camper. Instead of selling your pickup, you could opt for a camper attachment that would be secured to the pickup’s bed.  Inside was an excess of wood, 70s patterned wallpaper, a separate shower/toilet and a dinette that converted to a 50in bed. Buyers could choose from three series options: Matador, Toreador and Chassis. Slide of GlamperRV Business line When the world halted due to the dreaded Covid-19, offices around the world closed and the new norm of home-working began; GlamperRV grabbed the opportunity and created their new business line RV. Essentially, it was intended to be an office away from the home office, giving people the option to work from anywhere. It was equipped with a large central work desk, USB charge points, 5G mobile WiFi, a Nespresso coffee machine to get you through those long meetings, and a large garage space for bikes. Buyers could opt for either a 140bhp or 160bhp diesel powerplant that was mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Slide of Chevrolet Vogue The Winnebago was on top of the RV world, and it was time it was shoved aside according to Los Angeles RV visionary, Ottie Alburn. A new company rose to the challenge, Vogue, and all Vogue RVs would be custom-built and manufactured from 1974 to 1999. Sizes varied but started at 24ft (288in), spanning to a lengthy 45ft with a rear double axle.  There was a range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from, but the 7.4-litre Chevrolet e