🇧🇪 Belgium — OpenVan.camp

A motorhome with German plates overturned on the E313 at Geel-Oost. The only occupant, an 81-year-old Dutch woman, died and the motorway towards Antwerp was closed for a long time.

The Walloon government has put the Claire-Fontaine tourist estate up for sale. The association Voies d'Eau du Hainaut, which managed the site, ceased operations, and a plan to take over the campsite with the municipality of Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont was rejected over financial risks. A call for expressions of interest was launched in July, and several operators showed interest in developing new tourism or leisure activities across the whole site. The campers' agreement ends on 30 November, but they have until 15 April 2027 to remove their caravans because no 2027 tourist season can be organised. From 1 December, access to the site will be limited to work needed to remove the caravans.

Antwerp police placed a Palestinian activist under administrative detention for disturbing public order after his camper van, bearing pro-Palestinian slogans, drove through the Jewish neighbourhood several times. The incident occurred on Belgiëlei in the early hours of Thursday. Omar Almaani, who lives in Norway, said he was unfamiliar with the area and was following his sat-nav. Police seized the camper van; under administrative law the seizure can last up to six months. Almaani and three cousins spent a night in a cell.

Visitors to the Mobicar show in Brussels chose winners in twelve categories. Adria Mobil took five prizes, two of them for models from its sister brand Sun Living.

A motorhome was completely destroyed by fire on Oude Eik street in Ravels-Eel on Tuesday evening. The fire service of the Taxandria emergency zone received a call shortly before 9 pm. A man inside the vehicle noticed a smell of smoke and tried to extinguish the fire but failed. By the time firefighters arrived, the vehicle was fully ablaze and explosions from gas cylinders were heard. Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to the adjacent house, but windows of the house were damaged and several trees were slightly scorched. The man managed to escape in time and was not injured. The cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Björn Rotsaert, a 46-year-old Belgian, bought a used 1992 Peugeot J5 camper van for €4,000 in 2025 and spent two weeks refurbishing the interior. After several trips he took the vehicle to Carrec Technocenter for an in-depth inspection. Specialists found missing timing belt covers, electrical wires rubbing against the belt, oil leaks, worn engine mounts and a heavily rusted brake pipe. The front tyres were sixteen years old and the spare dated from 1998. Although the van had passed a Belgian roadworthiness test before registration, the owner decided to sell it and buy another camper van.

Mooveo has presented the semi-integrated TEI-70 DH motorhome for the 2027 model year, built on a Fiat Ducato. It is aimed at couples and solo travellers, with prices starting at €74,713.

In its second year of operation, the Camping-Car Park motorhome stopover in Hamoir, Belgium, recorded 7,545 overnight stays, up 20% from 6,253 in the first year. In September 2026, occupancy rose 42% year-on-year, with all 48 pitches full on 33 days. The site is open year-round and charges €14.25 per 24 hours. Belgians make up 28% of visitors, Dutch 25%, Germans 22%, French 14%, and British 6%. If double-digit growth continues, the stopover could exceed 10,000 overnight stays per year before 2030.

Registrations of motorhomes increased by 13% and caravans by 11%. The average price of a motorhome is 80,000 euros, with 95% of these vehicles purchased entirely on credit over up to 12 years, resulting in monthly payments of 400 to 500 euros. Caravan owners tend to stay in the same spot for several years, while motorhome users are more nomadic. An EU legislation change expected in 2028 may allow category B licence holders to drive motorhomes up to 4,250 kg.

Dicar Motorhomes, a motorhome specialist from the Belgian city of Geel, has won the Etion Kempenaar 2026 award at the annual ceremony in Turnhout. The family business beat fellow nominees Bobbejaanland and DAF Trucks. The award recognises companies that grow while paying attention to employees, environment and values. Founded in 1988, the company sells, rents and maintains motorhomes and campervans, and also offers accessories and after-sales service. The jury praised the vision of CEO Dirk Van Eyck and his son Karl, the rapid growth and the human approach, as well as the company's trajectory, which included both highs and lows.

The 59th Mobicar exhibition has opened at Brussels Expo. In the first seven months of 2026, Belgium registered 4,754 new motorhomes and caravans, up 9.9%.

In Belgium, a caravan (trailer) cannot remain parked on public roads for more than 24 consecutive hours under Article 27.5.1 of the road code. In the Netherlands, municipalities often allow up to three days, but rules vary locally. Motorhomes (self-propelled vehicles) are not subject to this limit unless they are immobile. The new Belgian road code, effective June 1, 2027, maintains the restriction.

New concessionaire Westend Resort Group requires the RACB campsite in Middelkerke to be vacated by 31 December 2026. Leases will not be renewed and no exceptions will be made.

On 3 October 2026 at around 16:30, a collision between a Jeep and a motorhome occurred on Chaussée Verte in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse. The motorhome came to rest in a field below the road. Two ambulances attended the scene; one driver was treated for a cut above the eyebrow.

On 21 July in Italy, hail damaged a rented motorhome used by Belgian Nicolas from Wanze and his 9-year-old daughter. Touring assistance refused to help, stating that damage from natural events was not covered; later the insurer and rental agency became involved. After 14 hours, the client was moved to a scrapyard 30 km away, where he spent the night with the child. The return to Belgium was arranged by rental company Evasion Motorhome as a goodwill gesture; the total delay was four days. Touring and the insurance broker did not respond to journalists' inquiries, while AG Insurance said it was reviewing the case.

A motorhome ended up in a ditch on Monday around 9 p.m. on Netelzeepstraat in Bekkevoort. The driver briefly lost control of the vehicle while attending to a newly collected puppy that had slid off the seat. No one was injured. A tow service removed the motorhome from the ditch and returned it to the road.

The Weser-Göhl police zone released its report on incidents from 15–16 September 2026. Overnight on 14–15 September, unknown persons entered a property on Totleger street in Lichtenbusch, smashed the rear window of a parked car, released its handbrake and pushed it aside to steal a caravan parked behind it. On the same day in Hergenrath, a delivery van with a trailer struck one of two cyclists riding electric fatbikes during an overtaking manoeuvre; the injured cyclist was taken to hospital in Eupen, and the van driver fled the scene.

East Flanders province will start personal guidance for 240 owners of permanent pitches at De Gavers campsite from 2027. The decision to scrap the pitches remains in force.

Residents and users of the caravan park at the Domaine provincial de Chevetogne in Belgium have launched a petition against an annual fee increase from €1,594.32 excluding VAT to €2,152.00 excluding VAT, effective January 1, 2027. They argue the hike of over 35% is unjustified given deteriorating infrastructure and services. Demands include freezing the increase, formal consultations, and a renovation plan.

According to the Belgian Caravan-Camping and Motorhome Association, registrations of new caravans increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2025. This growth outpaces the 9.4% rise in motorhome registrations. A total of 732 new caravans were registered, with 15% of buyers purchasing a caravan for the first time. In comparison, 4,022 motorhomes were registered during the same period, with 40% of buyers being new to the segment.