🇫🇮 Finland — OpenVan.camp

Finnish company Karoo presented its finished Adventure Camper caravan at the Caravan Salon 2026 show in Düsseldorf. Series production is scheduled to begin in early 2027. According to Karoo, fuel consumption of the towing vehicle falls by 23 per cent and aerodynamic drag is 51 per cent lower than with a conventional caravan of similar size; the figures are based on simulations and tests. The caravan measures 5.30 metres including the drawbar and features a lithium battery of up to 5.1 kWh and a touchscreen for controlling functions. A fully equipped version is priced at around €38,000.

Finnish outlet Moottori tested towing a 1700 kg caravan with a Kia EV9 electric car in eastern Finland. The autumn trip ran from Kiuruvesi to Patvinsuo National Park in Lieksa, an area with few fast-charging stations. The EV9 has a peak charging power of 230 kW, and the range with a trailer was not known in advance. The test aimed to establish charging times and the cost of fast charging.

Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications and Traficom confirmed that the extension of B licence rights to motorhomes up to 4,250 kg is not tied to the vehicle's power source. The new rules apply to diesel, petrol, gas and electric motorhomes. Under EU Directive 2025/2205, driving such vehicles will require additional training of at least seven hours, a driving test or both; Finland plans to apply the rules from 26 November 2029, and the cost of training has not yet been determined.

In Rovaniemi on the evening of 15 October, a motorhome caught fire while driving and was completely destroyed. The driver pulled over and tried to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. No injuries reported.

On Monday evening, a motorhome burned in Alajärvi. The South Ostrobothnia fire service received the call around 17:00. The driver heard a bang while driving along Lapuantie. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

A passenger car and a motorhome collided on Route 9 in Suonenjoki. The accident occurred at about 16:30 approximately 15 km from Suonenjoki towards Jyväskylä. According to preliminary police information, the passenger car traveling from Jyväskylä towards Kuopio is suspected to have drifted into oncoming traffic. Police have not reported any injuries at this stage. The road is closed, with reopening expected around 18:30; a queue of about two kilometers has formed towards Kuopio.

In Helsinki on 2 October, a motorhome belonging to Matias Petäistö, known as a special forces instructor, was towed. The vehicle, registered with Traficom as a motorhome, had been parked in a bus parking area in Katajanokka since late spring. According to Traficom, the periodic inspection was not completed or approved. The towing took several hours due to the need to lift the heavy vehicle. Petäistö has previously received multiple parking fines.

Finnish company Karoo presented at Caravan Salon 2026 a prototype caravan with an aerodynamic design that reduces air resistance by about 50% compared to conventional caravans. When towed by an electric car, consumption is around 30 kWh per 100 km; during a test drive from Helsinki through Lapland to Norway, charging stops were made every 250 km. The caravan is 5.30 m long and 2.09 m wide, with sleeping places for four. Unladen weight is 1050 kg, fully equipped 1300 kg; the team aims to save another 100 kg. The base price is approximately 37,000 euros, with typical options bringing it to around 45,000 euros. Production starts early next year, with first deliveries before the summer season 2027.

Top Camping in Vaasa closes on Sunday, ending a season that began on 15 May. Kenneth Johansson and his partner parked their caravan and pitched a tent on Vasklot; after the closure they return to Kvevlax.

In Finland, owners of motorhomes and caravans are staying longer in one place due to rising costs. From 1 January 2026, the fuel tax rate for diesel motorhomes increased from 0.9 to 5.5 cents per day per each 100 kg of total weight. For caravanner Harri Laisi, the total tax amount rose from about 600 euros last year to 1,400 euros this year. In July 2026, a litre of diesel in Finland cost an average of about 2.10 euros, up 25.1% year-on-year. In Czechia, fuel price increases also raised costs: in August 2026, a litre of diesel averaged 44.98 korunas, and in early September it reached 47.79 korunas. Despite this, over 1,200 new motorhomes were registered in Czechia in the first half of 2026, a quarter more than a year earlier.

Early on Sunday morning, a fire broke out in Lohja, destroying a caravan and a 30-square-metre yard shed. The Western Uusimaa rescue department was called to extinguish the blaze. One person was taken for further examination by emergency services.

On Saturday, Vanlife Day was held at the Caravan fair in Lahti. Jarmo Annunen and Mari Birling converted a truck into a motorhome and plan a round-the-world trip with their dog Penny.

Motorhome owners in Finland are reducing mileage due to higher fuel and usage tax costs. Since the start of the year, a change in the usage tax has increased annual vehicle costs by hundreds of euros, and diesel prices have risen. According to the Association of Motorhome Importers, about 900 motorhomes were first registered in January–August 2025, down 3% from the same period last year. Finland has approximately 130,000 registered motorhomes and caravans.

Kabe expands its semi-integrated motorhome range with the Novum TRAQ 750 LGB on a Mercedes-Benz chassis. It is the manufacturer's first rear-wheel-drive semi-integrated motorhome; the same layout can be ordered with all-wheel drive. The show vehicle at Lahden Caravan 2026 has a stated towing capacity of 2,000 kg. Dimensions are 7.50 m long, 2.39 m wide and 2.90 m high; total mass is 4,100 kg, kerb mass 3,342 kg and payload 758 kg. The base price is 141,600 euros, rising to 164,710 euros with 23,110 euros of options on the show vehicle.

The autumn Caravan show opens in Lahti on 24–27 September amid a stabilising market for new motorhomes and a continued decline in first registrations of caravans. From January to August, Finland registered 896 new motorhomes and 385 caravans, a total of 1,281 vehicles, down 7.6% from 1,387 a year earlier. Motorhome registrations fell by only 3.4% (from 928), while factory-built motorhomes dropped by 1.1% (783 versus 792). According to Mika Jokinen, executive director of the Association of Recreational Vehicle Importers, the motorhome market is at or near the bottom.

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.

On Sunday in Janakkala, a motorhome caught fire. The driver and passenger were unharmed, but the vehicle was completely destroyed by fire.

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.

Caravan 2026 will be held from 24 to 27 September at the Lahti Exhibition Centre. The theme of the year is “For all roads”. The programme includes Vanlife Day and DogFest.

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.