What Are The Best RV Brands? – Camp Addict
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Here Are The 26 Best Quality RV Brands You Need To Know About
(Camp Addict does NOT accept payment from any company to review or endorse their products.)
Buying a new RV can be overwhelming.
There are so many RV brands out there, how do you figure out which ones are the best?
Additionally, which RV brands should you be sure to avoid?
If you do what most people do and try to find the answer via Google, you will be faced with a lot of bad information (and I’m being kind here).
Everyone seems to have an opinion about which is the best RV manufacturer with little to no reasoning to back it up.
On this page, I will not only tell you which (I feel) are the best RV brands, but I’ll back my choices up with facts and reasoning.
I’ll discuss what makes a quality RV.
Not All Types Included!
No, we don’t include all RV types here.
We only mention RVs that are hard-sided and don’t require any setup. This means we don’t include hybrid trailer or pop up camper trailer types.
The RV Consumer Group does rate some of these types of RVs, so join them (as you all should anyhow) and see what they feel are good brands in the different categories if these interest you.
Lastly, I’ll inform you where you can educate yourself on how to identify top RV brands and which RV brands to avoid.
In other words, this isn’t just me throwing darts at a list of RV brands or telling you who has the prettiest paint schemes.
Here you will find information that will help you spend your hard-earned money correctly, with less chance of buyer’s remorse.
More importantly, I’ll give you the tools to learn how to figure out who are the best RV manufacturers on your own.
Ultimate Guide To RV Types
Confused about the different classes of campers? Read our guide that explains the differences between the types.
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We published the most comprehensive list of RV manufacturers on the Internet. Here you will find all North American RV brands (with exceptions noted on that page).
Is Marshall An ‘Expert’?
What makes me an ‘expert’ on what are the best RV brands and what are the worst RV brands? First off, I don’t claim to be an expert.
But I do know a thing or two about what makes a good RV and what RV brands I’d never buy.
I’ve been looking at RVs for years – over 20 now (crap, where has the time gone?).
I didn’t purchase my first RV until 2014, but by the time I made the purchase, I had looked at hundreds of RVs.
Honestly, I never convinced my late wife that we should sell everything and hit the road. But we did shop for RVs. A lot.
When I found myself in a situation where I was suddenly alone, I decided it was now or never.
So in 2014, I purchased my current RV (which I’ve been living in full-time ever since).
I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew which RV brands were best. And I knew which RV brands to avoid.
Years of research made the buying process easy. Also, my background as an aircraft mechanic didn’t hurt.
It allowed me to identify good construction compared to junk (though a lot of this is just common sense). On this page, I share some of my knowledge with you.
And more importantly, you get the tools that teach you how to tell the difference between the best RV manufacturers and poor quality RV manufacturers.
Poor Quality RV Manufacturers Are The Norm
The truth of the matter is that there are more junk RVs available than quality RVs.
If you walk into an RV dealership not knowing what you are looking at, chances are you will buy a piece of crap.
Why?
Because the vast majority of what’s out there is poor quality. Also, RV manufacturers expect you to not know what you are looking at.
Instead, they expect you to step into a unit and fall in love with the floor plan or slide.
They know you’ll likely covet the big fireplace and the fantastic kitchen island. Manufacturers sell fantasies.
They know you want to hit the road in your very own home on wheels, exploring the country in style with your family.
What they aren’t telling you is that the ‘dream’ RV you buy without being educated about the best RV brands will probably end up giving you nothing but grief.
Why?
Because of the crappy workmanship and junk materials used to make it.
Built To Last A Few Weeks
Think about this – most RVs come with a one-year warranty. Also, most buyers use their RV just a few weeks a year.
An RV manufacturer only needs your RV to hold up for a short period – as little as just a few weeks of use.
Then, once it’s out of warranty, it’s your problem.
The manufacturer wipes their hands clean. It’s a sneaky business plan. But it works.
Full-Time Use? Think Again
Want to live in your RV full-time? You’d better read your warranty VERY carefully!
Many (most?) RV manufacturers will put a statement in the owner’s manual to the effect of “not suitable for full-time habitation.”
Many RV warranties don’t cover full-time living. There are only a few brands that stand behind the products they build.
Think about this for a second. Why would they fear full-time living?
It sounds to me like they know if you use it every day, you’re likely to realize issues and glitches in far less than a year.
That would mean more repairs for them to fix under warranty.
It might hurt their bottom line if they didn’t ‘disallow’ you to full-time in it, eh? Or worse, it might require them to build an RV that could stand at least a year of full-time use.
Gasp, the horror!
Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better
The RV market is controlled by very few large companies. This is not a good thing.
Quality suffers when the bottom line is the most important part of RV manufacturing.
This results in you, the end-user, having to spend an excessive amount of time dealing with problems if you purchase one of the worst RV brands.
Of the 26 best RV brands listed on this page, only nine are publicly held RV manufacturers.
That means roughly only 1/3 of the best RV manufacturers are owned by companies with a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to maximize profit.
Considering that only 4 RV manufacturers control over 90% of the North American RV market, you’d hope they would represent a larger share of the best RV brands.
Privately held companies tend to give you the best RV for the money from a quality standpoint.
Additionally, you may find that you have an easier time getting things fixed when dealing with a smaller company.
What Makes A Top RV Brand?
The best RV brands have one t in common – a company willing to put quality over the bottom line.
They possess the willingness to manufacture an RV that will last for many camping seasons (and possibly survive the rigors of full-time use).
Yes, all companies exist to make money.
That said, it sure seems like RV manufacturers aim to please their shareholders over their customers.
They do everything possible to make the most profit.
This means you, the consumer, are at the bottom of their ‘let’s make them happy’ list.
Quality Materials
If you look at most RVs, it’s quickly apparent that one of the first places inferior quality RV manufacturers cut corners is on the materials they use to build the rigs.
‘The cheaper, the better’ is the mantra for many companies.
You should poke walls. Open cabinets and look inside. Lift up the bed.
Peer into the exterior storage compartments.
If an RV manufacturer uses junk material right out in the open, imagine the ‘quality’ materials they are using in the places you cannot see or aren’t looking.
Are All Appliances Created Equal?
When it comes to appliances and fixtures in an RV, there are very few suppliers a manufacturer can use.
Stoves, water heaters, furnaces, and air conditioners are examples of what goes in almost every RV.
Even so, there are just two or three suppliers of these components that all manufacturers buy from.
The difference is in the quality (or grade) of the individual component.
The worst RV brands cut corners wherever possible, so they purchase the cheapest appliances from the supplier.
Alternately, the best RV brands will spend a few extra dollars and put in better-built appliances, ones that have better materials or a few more bells and whistles.
For example, Kelly has a two-burner stove that requires her to ignite the flame using a lighter.
My three-burner stove has an electronic ignitor. The difference is probably a $10 manufacturing cost to add an ignitor.
But money is money, and it all adds up when you are buying appliances by the thousands.
DO NOT Buy An RV Without This!
The smartest decision you can make during the RV buying process is to utilize the resources of the RV Consumer Group to learn who the best RV manufacturer is for you.
The RV Consumer Group is a non-profit, completely independent organization that has been rating RVs since 1990.
I purchased my first RV rating guide from them well over ten years ago and used them extensively when I bought my current rig over five years ago.
As I have been recently searching for a new rig (for me, a very long process), I’ve been once again using their up-to-date RV rating guides.
It’s interesting to see how the best RV brands have changed over the years.
RV manufacturers that once made top-rated RVs are now among the RV brands to avoid (mainly because many of these brands are now owned by large corporations).
The RV Consumer Group publishes annual RV rating guides for towables and motorhomes.
They also publish a less comprehensive guide to truck camper brands. (Past year issues are also available.)
In addition to the rating guides, the RV Consumer Group publishes books on how to inspect RVs and how to purchase one properly. (Learn what to look for when buying a used RV.)
No Longer Updating
Due to health reasons (they are a tiny business) the RV Consumer Group had to make the hard decision to stop publishing new annual guides. They just are no longer able to personally inspect recreational vehicles in the future.
What does this mean to you, the RV consumer? If you are in the market for a used rig, then consider buying a prior year annual guide to see what brands made the best new rigs as these are going to be the best used rigs as well.
If you are shopping new, the guides will still give you an idea what brands were the best in the past. Just keep in mind that past performance does not necessarily predict future performance (like so many things in life).
Indispensable Source of RV Purchase Information
If you are going to spend from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on an RV, then you MUST first purchase the appropriate RV rating guide from the RV Consumer Group.
For under $100, you can purchase an RV rating guide, plus a 3-book set that shows you most of what you need to make an informed RV purchase decision.
It would be foolish not to properly educate yourself before making an RV purchase.
Utilizing RV Consumer Group resources is one of the best ways to quickly learn which RV manufacturers are rated best and what to look at when shopping for RVs.
Quality Control
One of the highest costs in making RVs is labor.
If an RV manufacturer can reduce the number of labor hours that go into building an RV, then it’s money in their pocket.
How do they reduce the number of labor hours?
They take less care in what employees are doing. By demanding their employees produce ‘Z’ number of parts in an hour when they should be only making ‘X’ in an hour, to build a quality RV.
They cut back on the number of inspection points because quality control inspectors cost money.
The end-user is never going to see what’s behind that wall anyhow, right?
Remember, this RV only needs to last a few weeks’ worth of use before it’s out of warranty and is no longer the manufacturer’s problem.
There are a lot of ways to reduce the number of hours it takes people to build RVs. Most practices result in a low-quality RV.
The best RV manufacturers understand that you can only ask so much of a human if you want quality work.
And that quality control inspection procedures result in a better end product.
RV Manufacturer Customer Support
How well does a manufacturer stand behind their product? This is one of the best tests of how good an RV manufacturer is.
When you have a problem with your new rig (and you likely will, even with the most reliable RV brands), you want the issue resolved fast and with the least amount of fuss.
There are plenty of horror stories of manufacturers jerking owners around when it comes time to get something resolved under warranty.
And there are stories of how easy it was to get something fixed because the best RV manufacturers wanted to get your rig back on the road.
The best camper brands will have a process in place to help their customers when an issue arises.
RV brands to avoid sometimes make you jump through hoops, and they drag their feet, even with clear-cut, valid warranty issues.
Best RV For The Money
Unless you love frustration and aggravation, do your research and buy the best RV your money can buy.
Do everything in your power to purchase a rig that will spend more time on the road and less time at the dealership.
Hundreds of thousands of new RVs sell each year, from a finite number of dealers.
The number of dealers isn’t increasing drastically. Additionally, the number of RV service bays isn’t growing drastically.
What is increasing is the amount of time some people have to wait to get their RV worked on.
RV service wait times can be outrageous. As in waiting months just to been seen, then more months to get the issue fixed.
Therefore, do yourself a favor and learn what makes a top RV brand. Then, buy one of those rigs.
This will stack the deck in your favor and will allow you to enjoy your RV as intended.
My Opinion Only! Your Mileage May Vary
The following listings of the best RV manufacturers for each type of RV is just my opinion, based upon my experience and research.
I’m sure some will disagree for one reason or another, but that’s one of the things that’s great about life – the ability to have your own opinion.
I’m confident that owners of RV brands I don’t list that are perfectly happy with their rigs. If that’s you, great!
I’m also confident that owners of the brands listed below have had a miserable experience with their rig. This doesn’t surprise me.
RVs are made 100% by humans (unlike automobiles which have large processes automated via robots, yet lemons are still produced), which means even with the best RV brands, there will be units that display more than the usual number of problems.
This is just the case when you have humans building things.
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Thinking of buying one of the top brands used? Learn about private party RV value so you know what you should be paying.
Best Tear Drop Trailer Manufacturers
Tear drop campers are shaped like, well, a teardrop. (Shocked?)
This shape makes for an aerodynamic trailer with a very distinctive look.
While there are a rather large number of teardrop manufacturers out there, very few of these manufacturers offer a trailer that is little more than a bed on wheels.
Below, we ONLY focus on teardrop trailer manufacturers that make fully-contained rigs.
This means in addition to an RV mattress, the trailer will have full kitchen facilities and a bathroom with indoor shower.
This greatly reduces the number of available candidates.
If you are curious about other options without all the bells and whistles, check out our page on the best teardrop trailer.
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We published a list of North American teardrop manufacturers in case you are curious what other brands are available.
Not All Models Are Top Rated
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Be aware that just because a manufacturer is listed here as being one of the best RV brands, not every model/type they make may be worthy of a top rated designation. Some of the best RV manufacturers make models that have reliability/quality issues. Educate yourself so you know which model from a top manufacturer is worthy of your money.
The following are the best teardrop trailer manufacturers, in no particular order:
nüCamp RV
nüCamp RV builds the TAB teardrop trailer in Ohio.
They are known for their high quality construction.
Little Guy Trailers
Little Guy Trailers are manufactured in Pennsylvania and offer fully contained trailers with the classic teardrop shape.
Best Class A Motorhome Manufacturers
Class A RVs are the traditional motorhomes that you think of when you picture the category.
They are the boxes on wheels traveling down the Interstates.
A Class A RV starts life as a bare chassis (nothing more than a powertrain) mostly purchased from a very small number of suppliers.
On top of this bare chassis, coach manufacturers build their version of a house on wheels.
Everything from the floor, roof, all four walls, and interior finishings.
Some do an excellent job. Others, a decent job.
Then, some such a poor job, I wouldn’t want to be in it moving at 60 miles an hour.
I consider five manufacturers to offer top-rated fifth wheels out of the 13 North American manufacturers we list.
Therefore, roughly 38% of the manufacturers are considered to make top-rated Class A motorhomes.
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We published a list of North American Class A motorhome manufacturers in case you are curious what other brands are available.
Not All Models Are Top Rated
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Be aware that just because a manufacturer is listed here as being one of the best RV brands, not every model/type they make may be worthy of a top rated designation. Some of the best RV manufacturers make models that have reliability/quality issues. Educate yourself so you know which model from a top manufacturer is worthy of your money.
Following are the best Class A motorhome manufacturers, in no particular order:
Newmar Corporation
Newmar has been making RVs since the late ’60s and knows what they are doing.
They make a quality Class A motorhome, both gas and diesel coaches.
In September 2019, Winnebago announced it purchased this formerly privately held company.
Tiffin Motorhomes
Tiffin Motorhomes started in 1972 as a family-owned business based out of Alabama. Thor Industries purchased Tiffin in late 2020
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at Tiffins back in the day and really wanted one of these.
Then I decided a Class A wasn’t the right type of RV for me.
Entegra Coach
Entegra Coach is part Thor Industries and makes some of the best Class A diesel motorhomes, as well as gas coaches.
Their top of the line Class A diesel model is one of the best-rated coaches available, but be prepared to pay a hefty entry price.
American Coach
American Coach is part of the REV Group and formerly part of Fleetwood (pre-bankruptcy).
They make higher-end Class A diesel pushers.
Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries is a publicly-traded company and is what many people think of when they think ‘motorhome’.
Building RVs since the early 1960s, Winnebago makes everything from relatively simple gas Class A’s to fancy (and pricey) diesel motorhomes.
Best Class C Motorhome Manufacturers
An RV class C is generally smaller than a Class A, being built on a cutaway truck or full-sized van chassis.
Manufacturers will then build the box (living quarters) on the rear portion of the chassis.
A Class C has the characteristic overhang above the driving area (cab), which is often an additional sleeping area (overhead bunk).
Additionally, the Class C+ (or Super C) is built on a medium-duty truck chassis, giving it the ability to tow an impressive amount of weight, have a larger living area, and greater cargo-carrying capacity.
The Super C RV is a ‘regular’ Class C on steroids.
I consider five manufacturers to offer top-rated Class C motorhomes out of the 12 North American manufacturers we list.
So roughly only 42% of the manufacturers can be considered to make the best Class C RV brands – the highest percentage of all RV types.
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We published a list of North American Class C motorhome manufacturers in case you are curious what other brands are available.
Not All Models Are Top Rated
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Be aware that just because a manufacturer is listed here as being one of the best RV brands, not every model/type they make may be worthy of a top rated designation. Some of the best RV manufacturers make models that have reliability/quality issues. Educate yourself so you know which model from a top manufacturer is worthy of your money.
Following are the top rated Class C motorhome manufacturers, in no particular order:
Lazy Daze
Lazy Daze is, to some, the best Class C RV you can buy.
They are incredibly well built, top-rated, and offer good bang for the buck.
Sure, they aren’t the sexiest coaches out there (not by any stretch of the imagination), but they are quite possibly the best Class C RV for the money.
Unfortunately, Lazy Daze went out of business in 2022, so they are now only available on the used marketplace.
Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries makes a wide range of Class C motorhomes, ranging from smaller rigs built on the Sprinter and Transit diesel chassis, up to larger coaches built on the Ford E-450 gas chassis.
Dynamax
Dynamax is the only Forest River RV brand to make this best RV brands list.
They make a number of different Class C models, ranging from gas rigs, up to Super C diesel RVs built on Freightliner medium-duty chassis.
Entegra Coach
Entegra Coach is part of Thor Industries and makes both gas and diesel Class C motorhomes.
Renegade RV
Renegade RV is part of the REV Group and has an impressive lineup of Super C motorhomes, in addition to more traditional Class C coaches.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap!
Through my own knowledge, my extensive RV research, using RV Consumer Group, and through input from numerous friends’ experiences, these are currently the best RV manufacturer brands money can buy.
Even the best brands will have lemons.
But buying a good brand increases your chances of NOT getting a lemon. Also, it increases your chances of a speedy fix if there’s an issue.
There you have it! That’s the list.
Lastly, I will be updating this list regularly to keep it up to date.
Author: Marshall Wendler
As the co-founder of Camp Addict, Marshall Wendler is a seasoned expert in the world of RVing, with years of hands-on experience living the full-time RV life in his travel trailer. From 2014 to 2020, Marshall learned the ins and outs of the lifestyle and has enjoyed sharing his knowledge and expertise with others. After a brief hiatus as a part-time RVer in 2021 and 2022, Marshall is back on the road full-time, embracing the vanlife and all the exciting possibilities it brings. He particularly enjoys the freedom and flexibility of boondocking and is excited to share his technical insights with the Camp Addict community. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the RV world, Marshall has valuable insights and information to share, and is here to help you navigate the exciting world of RVing with confidence and ease.
