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If you’ve ever seen a European motorhome, you might have been drawn to its unique looks and smart features. One particularly notable brand of European RVs is Adria Motorhomes, which produces a variety of RVs that are popular all across Europe.
If you’ve heard about Adria, you might even be wondering, are Adria Motorhomes available in the US?
In this article, we’ll answer just that question, while taking a closer look at Adria Motorhomes and how to potentially get your hands on one.
Who Makes Adria Motorhomes?
Adria Motorhomes is a popular brand of European mobile homes made by the Slovenian company Adria Mobil. The company was first founded in 1965 and launched its first motorhome in 1982. Over the years, they’ve built a reputation for quality RVs that are known for durability, functionality, and comfort.
Adria produces a variety of RVs, including travel trailers or caravans for our European readers, and of course, Class A, B, and C motorhomes. These RVs are very popular across Europe, particularly Western Europe.
Where Are Adria Motorhomes Built?
All Adria Motorhomes are built at their Slovenian headquarters. The facility is located in the city of Novo Mesto.
This is the primary manufacturing and assembly site for all of their RVs, and they’ve been based in Novo Mesto since their founding.
Are Adria Motorhomes Available In The US?
Want your own Adria Motorhome? Well, we have bad news, and we have good news (and then some bad news again).
Bad news first: there are no dealers whatsoever in the US for Adria Motorhomes. This is far from unique to Adria; most European RVs are not available in the US. This largely comes down to the difficulty and cost of approving these RVs for the US market, as we have completely different sets of laws.
And this is before considering the cost of tariffs, which could lead to inflated prices for imported RVs.
Good news: If you’re really set on an Adria Motorhome, it is possible to import one from Europe. But, bad news again: the process is neither easy nor cheap.
For one, you’ll pay quite a bit of money for the privilege of importing your motorhome. You’re looking at import duties, customs bonds, shipping fees, brokerage fees, and potentially extra taxes. Not to mention the insurance, licensing, and registration costs.
You’ll also have to determine if the vehicle is even eligible to be imported. It will have to meet all safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It will also have to meet the EPA’s emissions control standards (this requirement is known as the “conformity” requirement).
The process to import a vehicle generally looks something like this:
- Determine eligibility based on NHTSA and EPA rules
- Hire a custom’s broker
- Find a shipping company to ship your car
- Prepare extensive paperwork
- Pay duties and fees
- Insure and register your vehicle.
Of course, even with all this, there’s still one other major thing to keep in mind for importing a European motorhome: the electrical system. We’ll look at this more shortly.
Are Adria Motorhomes A Good Brand?
Wondering if Adria Motorhomes is a good brand?
Overall, the answer is yes. Adria Motorhomes are highly popular in Europe, and thanks to their popularity and build quality, they hold value very well. They’re also well known for being very reliable. They’re similar to what Winnebago and Airstream are to the American market: high-quality, highly popular RVs that are highly reliable.
Adria Motorhomes are notable for their great designs as well, which are sleek and aesthetically pleasing. They often integrate innovative features and technologies into their motorhomes to ensure they’re at the cutting edge.
How Much Are Adria Motorhomes?
Adria Motorhomes, due to their high quality, are far from being the cheapest motorhomes. Converted to dollars, they run from about $80,000 to $225,000.
Add on the cost to get it out of Europe and to your destination and you have a pretty significant investment! But if you want to be different and you got the money it’s a cool option.
Is The Plug On A Euro RV The Same?
No, Euro RVs do not have the same plugs as in the US. They use the so-called “Europlug” is different from an American plug and won’t fit into a US outlet, nor will a US plug fit into a Euro outlet.
The European power grid is set at 230 volts, while the American one is set at 120 volts. This means that the power system of your Adria Motorhome won’t be compatible with the US power grid, or with your electronics.
To get around this, you can use a transformer to bring the voltage down to the appropriate voltage. However, there’s still another issue: Hertz. US electronics are made to work with 60Hz power, but Europe uses 50Hz power.
While smaller electronics won’t generally have trouble here, larger devices like A/C may run hot due to this. While there are solutions to this, they aren’t super common or easy to find, and will likely require some DIY on your part.
Are Euro RVs Better Than US RVs?
“Better” is a hard call to make when it comes to Euro RVs vs US RVs. Each has advantages and disadvantages:
- Euro RVs are usually smaller and more lightweight to accommodate narrow European roads, while US RVs are larger to take advantage of our much wider roads
- Euro RVs rarely have slide-outs, while they’re fairly common for US RVs
- Euro RVs most commonly have cassette toilets or similar, while US RVs more commonly have a full plumbing system with a black tank for wastewater.
- Compared to US RVs, Euro RVs are more likely to have diesel engines and manual transmissions
- Euro RVs tend to have very different aesthetics than US RVs; US RVs are fairly “boxy,” while Euro RVs tend to have a “softer,” more rounded look.
- Due to their smaller size, Euro RVs tend to be more space-efficient in their interiors than US RVs
- Euro RVs frequently have split beds and a single large exterior storage “garage,” while US RVs typically have a larger single walk-around bed and multiple discrete exterior storage departments.
- A/C, generators, and inverters are much less common in Euro RVs than in U.S. RVs
So as you can see, there are some very stark differences between Euro and US RVs. That said, it’s hard to say one is better than the other; the differences largely come down to taste and the different needs of different markets.
Final Thoughts About Adria Motorhomes
Adria Motorhomes are very popular in Europe and for good reason. They have great designs and are well-built using quality materials, meaning they hold their value very well. But when it comes to getting yourself in an Adria Motorhome in the US, it’s not exactly a simple process.
Because there are no Adria dealers stateside, your only option is to import one from Europe. This process requires passing certain requirements, filing extensive paperwork, and paying a variety of fees and taxes, among other steps. But, if you’re dead set on an Adria Motorhome, it might be well worth the trouble.
Related Reading:
– 7 Best Class C RV Brands
– Are Mercedes Chassis Motorhomes Worth It?
– 5 Best Class B RV Manufacturers
– Why Is RV Insurance So Expensive?
Ryan Milejczak – Author and Part-Time RVer
Ryan Milejczak (mill-LAY-check) is a full-time freelancer writer and Florida native with a passion for RVs.
Ryan has been writing about RVing and sustainable living for the past 3 years while traveling.
Currently, he’s saving up to do his own camper van conversion, which he plans to take across the US and Mexico.
When he’s not writing, Ryan loves cooking, hiking, practicing his Spanish, and taking care of his plants (currently at 23 plants and counting!)
