🇩🇪 Germany — OpenVan.camp

A new motorhome and caravan site with 14 pitches, including three larger ones for caravans, has opened on Am Bollwerk street in Pasewalk. The site features a self-check-in terminal with a barrier system, available 24/7 in German, Polish and English. Facilities include a sanitary container with toilets, showers and a washing-up kitchen, electric pillars, a fresh water station, disposal systems for waste water and chemical toilets, and rubbish containers; access is via a site card. A motorhome staying for a day with water and electricity costs just under 20 euros. According to mayor Danny Rodewald, around 3.9 million euros was invested in the site, 90% funded by the EU and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); 2.85 million euros went on demolishing the old factory. Three to four motorhomes per day are needed for the site to break even.

Ilka and Wolfgang Kilian, both over 70, are developing a project at the Mönchshof estate near Mendhausen, close to Römhild. The project includes camping, shopping and gastronomy. Caravan pitches have been set up and are being watered. The site, a former estate, also keeps goats, chickens, ducks and geese. The Queienfeld exhibition centre is connected to the project.

Dethleffs presented the C.Core concept for a fully self-sufficient motorhome at Caravan Salon 2026, featuring solar modules that unfold like a flower, large batteries, and an onboard water treatment system. Components already on the market can bring current motorhomes close to that level of autonomy: Solara Power S high-voltage solar modules with bypass diodes, the Th Energy Bat Pro 325 US lithium battery with 325 Ah capacity, the modular Ecoflow Power Kit expandable up to 45 kWh, the Ective Solar Shade rollable awning producing up to 4.5 kWh per day, and the WM Aquatec UV-aid+ portable filter that generates about 80 liters of drinking water in 10 minutes.

Almost all campsites and motorhome pitches in the Ortenau region reported good occupancy in recent months. The Schuttern campsite recorded 35,168 overnight stays by 6,803 people, an increase of 9,086 overnight stays compared to last year, when there were 26,082 overnight stays by 7,284 people. Many campers plan their trips in advance. The summer was not pleasant for guests' dogs.

On Wednesday morning, 7 October, police recorded a violation of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act in the Schafwaschener Bucht on Lake Chiemsee, Rosenheim district. A motorhome had been parked in the shore area behind the reeds, leaving tire tracks on sensitive ground; waste was also found in the reed belt. The occupants were ordered to remove the vehicle immediately and clean the site. An investigation was opened against those responsible.

At Caravan Salon 2026 in Düsseldorf, Bürstner will present the updated B66 range, including the B66 690 TD semi-integrated motorhome with matte solid colours and a Vario bathroom, along with the B66 640 and B66 600 camper vans and the new B6644C featuring a rear circular seating area. Also on display are the Papillon, a simple camper van for vanlife enthusiasts, and the Habiton HMX 6.1 4×4 with a wide transverse bed and a side flare. The flagship Signature on a Mercedes-Benz chassis offers a multifunctional kitchen with a large pull-out fridge drawer, a sliding wall, and a bathroom with a sliding shower screen. Prices start at: Papillon from approx. €60,690, Habiton HMX 6.0 (4×4) approx. €119,890, Signature on Mercedes-Benz approx. €116,690, B66 644 approx. €85,866.

FC Troschenreuth plans to build up to 30 motorhome pitches and a swimming pond on its club grounds. The Pegnitz city council has already approved the project. The pitches are to be created on the area where an information sign has been installed.

At the Caravan Salon trade fair in Düsseldorf, motorhomes with glass showers, tumble dryers and a Porsche garage were recently presented. The event took place in early October 2026. According to a report by Süddeutsche Zeitung, such models illustrate increasing luxury in the motorhome segment, contrasting with the traditional idea of camping.

At the Caravan Live show in Freiburg, Hunter@Nature presented the third-generation Raptor XC off-road caravan. The caravan features a slide-out sleeping section that extends the total length from 4.99 to 6.90 m. Inside, there is a double bed, a bathroom with a composting toilet, a kitchen, and an optional electric off-grid system with a 560 Ah lithium battery and a 440 W solar panel. Prices start at €74,000, with the show model offered at €69,000.

The Bad Abbach market council approved amendments to the green space regulations. Overnight stays in motorhomes are allowed in certain cases, and fees will be charged for events on public areas.

German publication Promobil has listed five motorhome pitches at wineries in Württemberg and the Palatinate that host seasonal wine taverns (Besenwirtschaft and Straußwirtschaft). These taverns open for only a few weeks a year, with winemakers serving their own wines. The list includes pitch conditions and 2026 opening hours. The pitch at Weingut Laicher in Obersulm is free, with six spaces, water and electricity; the tavern runs from 10 to 15 November. At Weingut Knauß in Weinstadt, three free spaces, water and electricity, no showers or waste disposal; the tavern is open from 2 to 18 October, Fridays and Saturdays from 14:00, Sundays and holidays from 12:00. At Weingut Winkler in Brackenheim, five spaces on a meadow, water, electricity and grey water disposal; the tavern operates 8–11 October, 15–18 October, 5–8 November and 11–15 November, Thursdays to Saturdays from 12:00, Sundays from 11:00.

The municipal council of Hergatz in the Lindau district (Allgäu) approved the creation of three motorhome pitches on a hill near the Engelitz viewpoint. The vote passed by a narrow margin after controversial debate. The pitches are to be arranged around an existing barn.

The city of Coesfeld plans to expand the motorhome site on Osterwicker Strasse from 12 to 18 pitches. This would require redesigning the adjacent car park, where 122 spaces are permanently tied to the Konzert Theater. Two variants are under consideration: one increases car spaces from 132 to 169, the other results in a net loss of 10 to 20 car spaces. A decision has been postponed to the next main and finance committee meeting.

SpaceCamper marked its 20th anniversary by presenting three new conversion solutions based on Ford Tourneo, VW Caravelle, and VW Multivan at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. The Classic+ Bike system allows two bicycles to be transported inside on a pull-out tray while retaining three sleeping places. The Classic+ Dog solution features a dedicated dog room with a ramp, climate control, and video monitoring. A foldable toilet is integrated into the center console, using bio-degradable bags for disposal.

HYMER has introduced the ML-T 580 4×4 2022 model, a four-wheel-drive motorhome based on the Mercedes Sprinter 414 CDI chassis with a 2143 cc diesel engine producing 143 hp. Maximum permissible mass is 3500 kg, payload 590 kg. Dimensions: length nearly 7 metres, width 2220 mm, height 2900 mm. The interior accommodates two adults and one additional passenger, with two single beds (1900×800 and 1840×800 mm) and a front additional bed (175×79 cm). Fresh water tank holds 120 litres, waste water 100 litres, both insulated and heated as part of the winter package. A 142-litre refrigerator, three gas burners, and a separate shower cabin are included. Safety features comprise ABS, ASR, EBD, ESP, crosswind and hill-start assist, and airbags. The rear platform supports up to 350 kg (optionally up to 450 kg). Thermal insulation uses 35 mm sandwich panels and 46 mm floors.

Volkswagen has launched the updated Grand California campervan in the UK, based on the Crafter commercial vehicle. The model gains bamboo trim, wood-effect flooring, extra storage and a flexible folding table, plus a toilet and shower. It comes with a 177 hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel and 8-speed automatic, with all-wheel drive optional. Pricing starts at £84,208.

In the documentary series "Wir werden Camper", the Boldt family from Osterholz-Scharmbeck, who bought a caravan a year ago without camping experience, embarks on their first long journey to the family campsite Union Lido Mare in Cavallino-Treporti near Venice, with a stopover at Seecamping Berghof on Lake Ossiach. The four-part series shows checks of the loaded caravan's weight, manoeuvring with a mover, overheating brakes and a waterfall stop en route, as well as excursions including Holger Boldt as a stand-in pizza baker, a water taxi to a glassblowing workshop on Murano and a gondola ride in Venice.

The city of Bad Rodach announced a restructuring of the Waldbad campsite, under which permanent tenants have been served with termination notices. According to Neue Presse Coburg, clearing the pitches will cost tenants several thousand euros. Tenants say their livelihoods are threatened and do not intend to accept the notices without challenge.

Dethleffs has unveiled the Graneo A 6823-2, the first model in its new Graneo series, featuring two separate single beds in the alcove above the cab. This layout eliminates the need for a fixed rear bedroom, freeing space for a large panoramic lounge. The motorhome is designed for two people and includes a 325 Ah lithium battery (expandable to 650 Ah), a 232-litre fresh water tank and a 222-litre waste water tank. It measures 7.98 metres long and has a permissible total weight of 5,500 kg, based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 519 with a 190 hp diesel engine and a nine-speed automatic. In Germany, prices start at 169,999 euros; availability in the Netherlands has not been confirmed.

Police in Zeven (Rotenburg district) are reviewing information submitted through a public tip portal following three fires over the weekend. Investigators said many residents had used the portal, which went live on Monday; on Tuesday officers distributed leaflets and spoke to residents to increase the sense of security. In the night to Monday, three motorhomes burned out at a vehicle dealer's premises, two others were affected by heat radiation, and the roof of an adjacent house was damaged; damage is estimated at around 650,000 euros. In the night to Sunday, a major fire destroyed a carport, ten cars and a house, leaving two people seriously injured, with damage of around 750,000 euros; in the night from Friday to Saturday an electric Porsche burned out completely. Police do not rule out arson in all three cases but have not identified a suspect; a possible link to earlier incidents this year is being investigated.