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If you’re hoping to see SmartRV at the Hamilton Motorhome Show held at Mystery Creek in September, we wanted to let you know that we won’t be exhibiting there, but our Auckland Sales Centre (near Auckland Airport) will be open the whole weekend of the show (21-23 September) to welcome those keen to see our range of motorhome for sale.

We made the decision several years ago to support just one major North Island motorhome show each year and that’s the Covi Supershow held in Auckland in March. We also have our own special Oktoberfest event coming up on Saturday 13 October, so save the date and we’ll share more details soon.

So, although we won’t see you in Hamilton, our Auckland Sales Centre will be open right across that weekend, so do pop in for a coffee and a chat and to walk through our range of HYMER, Bürstner and Carado motorhomes. We look forward to seeing you!

For Wilma and Grant McGregor, it’s the little luxuries that make their HYMER Starline B680 such a pleasure to spend time in. “It’s a bit like a yacht,” says Grant. “There’s a lot of woodgrain inside and the quality is amazing. We took it for our first drive and it was like driving a luxury tour coach.”

Motorhome writer Bill Savidan took the four-berth Bürstner Ixeo I 729 out on the road and was very impressed with what he discovered.

In his review for Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations magazine, he noted its stylish integrated exterior and the use of a softer colour palette to create a feeling of light and space inside.

Savidan also highlighted the clever use of storage, the flat Thermo Floor throughout to keep cold at bay, and the compact but well-equipped kitchen that is ideal for Kiwi cooks on the road.

For couples or friends travelling together, the new HYMER Duomobil 634 is the ultimate home on the road. Tailor-made for two, it is packed with clever features to ensure you have everything you need at your fingertips for a comfortable and relaxing journey.

Keen travellers Heidi and Lothar Schleinkofer came up with the Duomobil concept after seeing a gap in the market for a motorhome that addressed the specific needs of couples travelling. Their plan for the specialised premium integrated motorhome was brought to life by German motorhome brand HYMER and has found countless fans since its launch in 2014.

Motorhome expert Malcolm Street has reviewed the Carado T348 for the June 2018 issue of iMotorhome magazine and finds it is a great value four-berth vehicle from the German brand.

In his review, he highlights the motorhome’s clean exterior lines, practical two-bed layout and use of natural light. Malcolm Street was also impressed with the ‘dry’ bathroom, thanks to a closed off shower cubicle and the cleverly designed kitchen with good sized fridge and comfortable seating/dining area.

If you’re thinking about buying an RV, there are two important questions to consider early on. The first is what sort of lifestyle you want on the road, and the second is whether you want to tow a vehicle. There is a lot of terminology around the various kinds of RVs (A-Class, fifth wheeler, pop-top), but they essentially break down into two categories – motorised and towed – with each offering different benefits.

Motorised vehicles offer maximum mobility and are ideal for those who want the freedom of moving from place to place easily, or getting into more out of the way areas that might be less suitable for towed vehicles.

Towed vehicles are perfect for those planning to stay in one place for an extended period, and who want to set up and explore an area thoroughly.

Motorhome writer Bill Savidan reviews the HYMER Starline B680 and B690 for Motorhome Caravans & Destinations magazine and he’s impressed by the understated luxury and features of these top-of-the-line four-berth motorhomes, which are available exclusively from Wilderness.

In his review, Bill highlights the beautifully designed and well-appointed kitchen and spacious garage storage of these luxury motorhomes, alongside other clever features for living and comfort that make travelling in a HYMER motorhome such a pleasure.

View more details about the HYMER Starline B680 or HYMER Starline B690 motorhomes for sale at Wilderness.

There are so many considerations when it comes to choosing a motorhome – from the number of people you need to sleep, to storage requirements, your preferred layout, and even the upholstery and finish. But the less visible parts are just as important, especially when it comes to on-road performance and safety. It’s reassuring to know that when you buy from Wilderness you don’t need to wonder whether you’ve got the right chassis as well, because most of the motorhomes for sale through Wilderness use the industry-leading Fiat Ducato base.

The Italian-made base has just been voted ‘Best Camper Base 2018’ by specialist magazine Promobil, taking the award for the 11th year in a row. The leading German publication has been a respected voice in the recreational vehicle sector for more than 25 years and its recognition confirms Fiat Ducato as the ideal leisure vehicle base.

Our SmartRV sales centres in Auckland and Christchurch will be closed on Easter Friday, Sunday and Monday.

If you’d like to view our motorhomes this Easter weekend, please come and visit the team this Saturday 31 March between 9 and 3pm, or we'll be back to business as usual from Tuesday 3 April.

Have a happy Easter and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Visit our ‘contact us’ page for more details on our locations and normal opening hours.

We can all picture it. A classic VW Kombi van parked up by an idyllic New Zealand beach, a long haired surfer untying his surfboard from the roof and heading into the water to catch the first waves of the day. That’s surely one of the most iconic Kiwiana images around. But while that VW camper has been a familiar sight for a long time, most other German motorhomes have only arrived on New Zealand shores in the last decade or so.

Locally manufactured motorhomes have dominated the New Zealand market since motorhoming became a thing after WWII. 

While a limited range of motorhomes were imported from Australia and the UK in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it wasn’t until around 2010 that the growing popularity of touring by motorhome prompted Kiwis to look to European alternatives.

The German motorhome industry’s reputation for quality, reliability, efficiency and innovation is globally unparalleled – just as it is for its world leading car brands. The country’s leading R&D infrastructure, end-to-end value-chain integration and highly skilled workforce together create an undefeatable international automotive domain. That’s why German motorhomes have quickly become highly sought after in New Zealand.

In the article about the difference between German and New Zealand made motorhomes, we looked at some of the key factors that separate those made in Germany and those made locally. In this article, we will give you an overview of the German motorhome brands available at New Zealand dealerships and the parts of the market that they target.

When the CEO of German motorhome brand Bürstner visited New Zealand for the first time earlier this year, a motorhome trip was high on the agenda. And for Jens Kromer and his wife Virginie, it was also a chance to catch up with 19-year-old daughter Eva, who has been living in New Zealand since last July and working at Wilderness Motorhomes in Auckland.

Bürstner motorhomes make up the majority of the premium fleet at Wilderness Motorhomes, and are renowned for their innovative features and clever designs. It was only natural that the Kromers would embark on their New Zealand adventure behind the wheel of a Bürstner.

The Kromers arrived in February, escaping a chilly German winter, with Eva’s grandmother and a family friend. With everything packed into two Wilderness motorhomes, the Lyseo T690G and the Ixeo Time IT726G, they set off on a trip that would stretch as far north as Cape Reinga, across to the Coromandel Peninsula, down to Taupo and back up to Auckland.

Our SmartRV Auckland sales centre will be relocating to the Covi SuperShow at the ASB Showgrounds from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 March 2018. As a consequence, we will not have any motorhomes available to view at the Auckland sales centre from Wednesday 14 to Sunday 18 March as they will be moving to our show display for this time. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

If you’d like to see our team and our motorhomes for sale then do come and visit the SmartRV pavilion at the show, which runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 March 2018. We’ll have 25 new and used motorhomes on display from our portfolio of Bürstner, Carado and HYMER, along with some very special pricing.

If you’re unable to come to the Covi SuperShow, we will be back in business as usual at our SmartRV Auckland sales centre from Monday 19 March. You can pop in, or call 0800 007 627 to arrange a time that suits you to come in and chat to one of the team. We look forward to seeing you soon.