Two innovations for RV travel: electric bike lift and folding caravan

Malibu is promoting its new Relax 640 LE R camper van based on the Fiat Ducato with a starting price of €57,200, but this price does not include a mandatory equipment package. With one of three packages (Active, Ambition or Exclusive), the minimum price is €65,040. In the base Active configuration, the vehicle comes in white with a 140 hp engine and manual transmission.

Professional driver Tobias Wagner, known online as Elektrotrucker, will depart from IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, Germany, on Sept. 20 in a converted Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 truck with a Bliss Mobil living module. The roughly 28,000-mile route will cross more than 30 countries on five continents over about a year, with a target of no more than 80 charging stops. The vehicle aims for a 621-mile range per charge, about double the eActros 600's normal fully loaded long-haul range. The expedition vehicle is priced at approximately $796,600 including tax.

LMC has introduced the e:dero 350 D, a travel trailer designed to be towed by electric vehicles. The 2027 model measures 4.79 m long, 2.23 m wide and 2.53 m high, with an empty weight of 613 kg and a maximum permissible weight of 1,100 kg, downratable to 750 kg. It lacks a bathroom and kitchen but includes provisions for adding them. Prices start at €13,490, and the unit displayed at the 2026 Dusseldorf Caravan Salon was priced at €15,580.

On Saturday afternoon, a vintage motorhome caught fire on the A952 autobahn near the Starnberg interchange. A 37-year-old driver from Munich noticed a burning smell and pulled into an emergency bay, after which heavy smoke came from the engine compartment and the vehicle burst into flames. Firefighters extinguished the fire, but only the frame remained. According to police, damage is estimated at around 40,000 euros, and the A952 was closed for half an hour.

In the German caravan trade, several well-known dealerships have recently filed for insolvency, creating risks for buyers regarding service and warranties. According to DCHV, the main problem is not a lack of customers but high inventory levels, price pressure, and financing. CIVD describes the industry as robust overall, citing stable registrations and growing camping tourism.

On Saturday afternoon on the A7 near Memmingen, a motorhome with a trailer lost control. The trailer overturned and detached, damaging the motorcycles and bicycle it carried.