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Rémi Boukli, a 35-year-old building energy efficiency engineer, bought a used Renault Trafic and spent about eight months converting it into a camper for travel without booking accommodation. The project, including the van purchase, cost around €20,000. Work included removing tile adhesive, installing windows, insulation, furniture, solar panels, and obtaining French VASP certification.
Traffic was interrupted for several hours on Wednesday evening on the A28 towards Abbeville after an accident involving a motorhome. The highway was closed from junction 6 at Callengeville, with drivers diverted via RD920 and RD928 to Blangy-sur-Bresle. Traffic resumed around 10:30 p.m.; no details on casualties were provided.
Farmers Laëtitia and Pascal Dehosse from Grigneuseville, Seine-Maritime, have started renting out camper vans. They acquired two vehicles equipped with a kitchen, hot water shower, solar panels, and options such as a toilet and bike rack. According to the owners, the vans are no larger than a big car, making parking easy and avoiding extra toll costs. Rentals are available for couples, friends, and families.
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Around 1,200 people were evacuated from a beachside campsite in Pas-de-Calais, northern France, due to two wildfires. One fire is under control, the other not yet stabilized.
On Wednesday afternoon, a collision involving a motorhome occurred on the A10 motorway near Sainville. Four people were injured and taken to Dourdan hospital. Around ten firefighters responded to the incident.
In Albi (Tarn), tensions remain high around the Jarlard traveller site. Following an order from the local authority to vacate part of the area for renovation work, around fifteen caravans parked along Rue des Agriculteurs left on Monday. The remaining caravans on the site continue to occupy spaces reserved for transit visitors. The authority denies any possibility of relocating these caravans to other sites, stating that their occupation was illegal.
On August 12, an accident involving a motorhome occurred on the A10 motorway. Emergency services are on site, and traffic is slowed in the Province-Paris direction. According to preliminary reports, four people sustained minor injuries. Eleven firefighters and three vehicles were dispatched to the scene.
The new motorhome parking area in Bourcefranc-le-Chapus, managed by Camping-Car Park, has been well received. Mayor Guy Proteau expressed satisfaction with the decision to use a private operator. Further details are available in the full article, which requires a subscription.
On Wednesday, August 12, at around 3 p.m., firefighters were alerted to a caravan fire with a gas cylinder explosion in the commune of Savignac-Mona (Gers department). A 78-year-old man sustained burns. The fire spread to a house, vegetation, and a wooded area. A total of 19 firefighters were deployed, along with three pump engines, one large-capacity tanker truck, and one rescue vehicle.
Ants often enter motorhomes through the door threshold, step, and gaps. A diluted vinegar solution applied to these areas disrupts the pheromone trails ants use to locate food. Research from the Universities of Minnesota and Nebraska supports this method. However, vinegar does not eliminate the colony, only temporarily disorients the ants, so it should be combined with sealing gaps and maintaining cleanliness.
Camping-Car Magazine has selected several events and festivals scheduled for September in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Highlights include the exhibition 'Tropical Touraine' in Le Grand-Pressigny until September 30 (full price €7.5), the Tomato and Flavors Festival at the Château de la Bourdaisière in Montlouis-sur-Loire on September 12–13, the pyrotechnic show 'Terre de feux' in Lamotte-Beuvron on September 4–5, and the plant festival 'Les Botaniques' in Chaumont-sur-Loire on September 19–20 (motorhome parking allowed from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
Developer Gautier Chamoulaud has released an update to Gabary, a GPS app designed for motorhomes and camper vans. The app is now compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing it to be displayed on the vehicle's screen. It uses vehicle dimensions (height, width, weight) to suggest suitable routes and warns about low bridges, narrow roads, and other obstacles using Street View imagery. The update also includes real-time traffic information and the option to avoid highways and tolls.
The commune of Lamballe-Armor in the Côtes-d’Armor department has banned overnight parking of motorhomes on six beachside lots from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Mayor Stéphane de Sallier-Dupin said the aim is to prevent permanent overnight parking. Holidaymakers called the measure discriminatory, saying they are forced to use designated areas.
In Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Hérault, a plan to build a motorhome area on part of the former football stadium has sparked opposition. Residents launched a petition, citing loss of communal space and flood risk. The mayor defends the project, citing potential revenue of up to 178,000 euros per season.
In the Mayenne department, which is under an orange heatwave alert, holidaymakers at campsites are suffering from high temperatures. Visitors to a campsite in Évron report 38 degrees Celsius inside caravans, while occupancy for tent and motorhome pitches is only around 20%. The campsite management has installed a misting system and plans to focus on the shoulder season.
Erwan Delsaut, mayor of Plouharnel in Morbihan, said the presence of caravans in Quiberon is unacceptable, as the area is a protected natural site. He stressed that it is impossible to accommodate such a large population on protected land.
An American couple bought a used motorhome for retirement travel but quickly regretted the purchase and sold it. The reasons included cramped conditions, hidden defects, and the realization that this type of travel was not suitable for them. According to the UNI VDL syndicate, motorhome sales continue to grow, with interest shifting toward a younger audience.
The motorhome parking area on chemin de la Grande-Prairie in Auxonne, open since February, has attracted over 3,600 people in five months. According to operator Camping-Car Park, 1,500 pitches have been booked, with reservations expected for August, September, and December.
Chausson has unveiled the V697, a camper van based on the Fiat Ducato with a 2.2-liter diesel engine producing 140 hp. It features two permanent rear beds (195×80 cm and 186×80 cm) and an occasional child's berth (156×95/50 cm). The washroom includes a window for better ventilation. Dimensions are 6.36 m long, 2.05 m wide, and 2.65 m high. The price is not officially confirmed; the source mentions €57,490 for the V696 model.
Due to the increasing number of motorhomes and camper vans in Lamballe-Armor (Côtes-d'Armor), especially on the coast at Planguenoual, the mayor has issued a decree regulating their parking. The site at Planguenoual has 50 spaces with a dump station, drinking water, waste containers, and electrical hookups.
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