🇫🇮 Finland — OpenVan.camp
Finland
The Caravan 2026 exhibition will be held at the Lahti Exhibition Centre on the last weekend of September. It is Finland's largest four-day specialised event for motorhomes, caravans and campervans, showcasing next season's models, equipment and services. Organisers note a rise in new user groups who use a motorhome, van or caravan as a base for trips, holidays, hobbies and events.
On Sunday in Janakkala, at Leppäkoski, a motorhome caught fire while driving. The driver and a passenger traveling from Tervakoski along Leppäkoskentie noticed that the vehicle began to overheat.
On Sunday shortly before 4 p.m., a motorhome that had just been parked caught fire in Etelänkylä, Kalajoki. According to the North Ostrobothnia rescue service, there was a risk the fire would spread to a nearby detached house and other buildings.
A motorhome caught fire on Sunday morning on Leppäkorventie in Janakkala. The Kanta-Häme rescue service received the alert at 11:00. The driver and one passenger exited the vehicle on their own; no injuries were reported. The motorhome was completely destroyed by the fire.
Finland
The Kaukkila family from Pori and the Laihinen couple made separate motorhome trips to northern Finland. The family of four (parents and children aged 13 and 4) spent two weeks in the North Calotte region, where the sun did not set. Both trips were affected by injuries: Kari Kaukkila was hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing in Pori in early June, breaking his collarbone, while his wife used crutches. The Laihinen couple also faced injuries. Despite this, both trips were successful.
The Caravan 2026 show will be held from 24 to 27 September 2026 at the Lahti Exhibition Centre. The four-day event will present next season's motorhomes, caravans and campervans, along with equipment and services. The theme is 'For All Roads'. Organisers are Eventum Lahti Oy and the Association of Motorhome Importers (MAT) ry. A Vanlife day will take place on Saturday 26 September, and DogFest on Sunday 27 September.
The third season of the Finnish documentary series Van Life premieres on September 20, 2026, on Yle TV2. The series follows a woman named Aino who has lived in an orange van for several years. In the new season, she decides to renovate the vehicle because daily use has revealed impractical solutions. Filming takes place in Norway, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Portugal. In the sixth episode, Aino ends her journey by the Atlantic Ocean.
Finland
At the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, the Finnish Karoo caravan prototype was presented, featuring an aerodynamic design that reduces drag by 50% compared to conventional models. When towed by an electric vehicle, consumption is about 30 kWh per 100 km, and a test trip from Helsinki through Lapland to Norway required a charging stop every 250 km. The caravan features a fully opening side wall, a pull-out kitchen module, a bathroom with shower, and smart home systems. The base price is €37,000, with optional equipment bringing the total to around €45,000. Production is set to begin early next year, with first deliveries before the summer season.
VanSky · index
Finland
Rural associations in Finnish Lapland are building paid parking areas for motorhomes at former wild camping spots to manage uncontrolled overnight stays. In Madetkoski, a former wild parking area was upgraded with Leader programme support, including waste water tanks and a locked firewood store. The renovation cost less than 30,000 euros; last season the association earned about 1,000 euros from overnight fees. A similar site in Tennilä, Rovaniemi, saw visitor numbers rise from 14 to over 30 in a year.
Rural associations in Finnish Lapland are building paid camper parking areas to regulate uncontrolled overnight stays. In Sodankylä, the former informal parking area at Madetkoski has been upgraded with waste tanks and a locked firewood shed. The renovation cost less than €30,000. Last season, the association earned about €1,000 from overnight fees. A similar parking area in Tennilä village attracted over 30 visitors this year.
On Thursday morning, a homemade camper parked just one meter from a garage and storage building on Virvanvägen in Nagu caught fire. The fire started around 7:30 a.m., and the owner, who was inside, managed to escape. The flames also damaged the adjacent building; no injuries were reported.
In Parainen, Finland, a motorhome parked next to a building caught fire on Thursday morning. A person sleeping inside woke up and escaped, sustaining minor injuries. The fire started from a heater connected to the mains. It was extinguished before rescue units arrived.
Finnish startup Karoo presented an almost finished version of its compact caravan at the Caravan Salon 2026 in Düsseldorf. Series production is planned to start in early 2027. Thanks to an aerodynamically optimized design and low weight, Karoo claims energy consumption of the towing vehicle drops by 23% compared with a conventional caravan of similar size, while air resistance is 51% lower. The 5.30-meter caravan features a flexible interior: a folding sofa converts into a 208×140 cm bed, a large side opening, a pull-out kitchen, and a bathroom. The fully equipped version costs around 38,000 euros.
A motorhome caught fire in Parainen on Thursday morning. The sleeping occupant woke up and escaped with minor injuries. The fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived.
Finnish company Karoo has developed a lightweight and aerodynamic camper designed for electric vehicle owners. The interior can be reconfigured for different purposes, but it accommodates no more than two people. Control is via touchscreen or apps. Cooking is done outdoors.
A motorhome was completely destroyed in a fire early Sunday morning on Kabanovintie in Kirkkonummi. The rescue service received the alarm at 5:51 a.m. A nearby boat also suffered fire damage. No injuries were reported, and police are investigating the cause.
The Pirkanmaa District Court on August 12 found a 70-year-old man guilty of embezzlement of a motorhome purchased on an installment plan. The court determined that the man failed to make payments and did not return the vehicle, claiming it was stolen. He was sentenced to three months and 15 days of conditional imprisonment and ordered to pay an 80-euro victim surcharge.
Finnish publication Moottori compared fuel consumption when towing a Kabe caravan (max weight 1570 kg) with two used cars: a diesel Volvo XC90 and a petrol Saab 9-5. The Volvo averaged about 13 l/100 km, costing 29.4 euros per 100 km at a diesel price of 2.264 euros/l. The Saab averaged about 15 l/100 km, costing 31.4 euros per 100 km at a petrol price of 2.093 euros/l. The extra cost compared to driving without the caravan was 12.5 and 10.3 euros per 100 km, respectively. The authors note that aerodynamic drag affects consumption more than weight, and that differences in consumption between cars tend to level out when towing.
Moottori magazine tested a used Saab 9-5 Aero as a tow car for a caravan. In July, the car was hitched to a suitably sized caravan and taken on the road to assess its towing capability and fuel consumption. The rear of the Saab appeared to sag unusually low under the load, although the nose weight was deemed reasonable. During the trip, it became apparent that many other traditional passenger cars towing caravans also had sagging rears.
Finland
2
On 25 August, a motorhome burned down in Rovaniemi's Perunkajärvi. The fire started after a trip; no injuries, no spread.