Lifestyle

Serbia has approximately 40 registered motorhome campsites, three of which are located in Bela Crkva — two at Vračevgaj Lake and one at Glavno Lake. The town in southern Banat offers a total of 184 well-equipped campsite pitches, making it one of the main centres for camping tourism in Vojvodina. In late September, the Oaza campsite hosted an international gathering of more than 40 motorhome crews from former Yugoslav countries, as well as from Sweden, Germany and Ukraine.

Tim Uhlmann, 43, from Norderstedt has created womoroute.de, a route planning website for motorhomes. The idea came after a camper trip. The portal combines several functions; funding details were not disclosed.

The Japan RV Association's Kuruma Tabi Club has highlighted five RV parks in the Kanto region for autumn gourmet camping trips. The selection includes: Fukuroda Forest RV Park & Auto Campground in Ibaraki Prefecture (renovated in June 2026, 64 pitches, 3,500 yen without power and 4,000 yen with power per night, apple picking and local soba nearby), RV Park Iida Sarukura in Nagano Prefecture (9 pitches, 4,400–7,700 yen per night, fruit picking, soba and yakiniku), RV Park Mochimune in Shizuoka Prefecture (6 pitches, 3,500–4,500 yen, seafood and hot springs), RV Park Utsunomiya IC Kumakuma in Tochigi Prefecture (10 pitches, 3,500 yen on weekdays and 5,500 yen on weekends, gyoza) and RV Park FURI~space Momonosato in Yamanashi Prefecture (11 pitches, 3,300–7,700 yen, solo pitch 2,200–3,300 yen, grape picking and wine). The Kuruma Tabi Club has about 21,000 members as of January 2026.

A Chinese publication presented three 5-day motorhome routes in Shandong province. The routes include stops in Linqu (altitude 876 m, summer temperatures about 8°C lower than the city), Weihai (area of 158,000 sq m) and Rizhao (5C-rated campsite). The budget for a motorhome trip is estimated at 3,000–4,500 yuan for a family of two adults and one child, including campsites, fuel and food. It is noted that on summer weekends, places must be booked 1–2 weeks in advance.

In the village of Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, tourists are increasingly combining hot spring visits with overnight stays in campervans to save on hotel costs. The parking lot at the Hida-Hakusan roadside station, adjacent to the Shiramizu-no-Yu hot spring facility, is open 24 hours, allowing overnight stays. According to hot spring manager Kenji Furuya, most visitors come specifically to enjoy the hot spring, dine, and then sleep in their vehicles. Among the travelers is a couple from Ireland on their honeymoon, touring Japan.

A 1947 Kamp Master teardrop caravan is still being used. The model was produced by King's Trailer Company in Torrance, California, between 1947 and 1950. The body measures 8 feet (about 2.4 m) long and 6 feet (about 1.8 m) wide, with a dry weight of 840 to 870 pounds (about 381 to 395 kg). It features a pop-up roof, a kitchenette with a three-burner stove and icebox, and a slide-out sofa that converts into a double bed. The owner added a battery and a 5-pound (about 2.3 kg) propane tank. At auction, it could fetch at least €23,000.

The author lived 19 months in a Daihatsu Move using an EcoFlow RIVER2 with 256 Wh and 300 W. The small capacity was insufficient for high-drain appliances.

On 16 October 2026, a gastronomic dinner will be held at Clairvaux Abbey in Ville-sous-la-Ferté (Aube) as part of the national wine tourism event Vignobles en Scène, accessible to motorhome users. The programme starts at 18:00 with a masterclass on Rosé des Riceys led by sommelier Philippe Jamesse, followed by a tour of the former Cistercian abbey that later served as a prison, and a dinner at 20:30 by chefs Thomas Valleron and Joël Césari with pairings from five champagne houses. The price is €150 per person, with online booking. The nearest motorhome stopover is in Bar-sur-Aube, about 10 km away, with hourly paid services including electricity, drinking water and waste disposal.

Registrations of motorhomes increased by 13% and caravans by 11%. The average price of a motorhome is 80,000 euros, with 95% of these vehicles purchased entirely on credit over up to 12 years, resulting in monthly payments of 400 to 500 euros. Caravan owners tend to stay in the same spot for several years, while motorhome users are more nomadic. An EU legislation change expected in 2028 may allow category B licence holders to drive motorhomes up to 4,250 kg.

Sina published a comparative guide to three-day motorhome camping routes for summer 2026, based on field tests. For the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the recommended route is the Grassland Starry Sky route (Ulanqab) covering 680 km with daily drives under 130 km and summer temperatures of 16-24°C; for the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region, the South Zhejiang Mountain and River loop (500 km, 100-120 km per day, 5-8°C cooler than cities); for Sichuan and Chongqing, the Western Sichuan Tibetan plateau route (750 km, 150 km per day, altitude 3000-4000 m). Beginners and families with children or elderly are advised to choose the Hainan Island loop (400 km, 80-100 km per day). Daily budgets range from 500 to 800 yuan per person, with a minimum of about 300 yuan per person. The article also includes a pre-departure checklist, equipment list and FAQ.

Tryg Forsikring warns that deregistering motorhomes, caravans and classic cars for winter and cancelling insurance can lead to uninsured losses. Deregistration automatically terminates liability insurance and driver/passenger accident coverage, but the road traffic insurance fee to the state remains. The company advises draining water systems, removing food and valuables, ensuring ventilation and conducting regular inspections.

Spain has 372,500 caravanning vehicles: 244,000 caravans, 100,000 motorhomes and 28,500 campervans. To prepare the water system for winter, some owners place an inflated balloon over a tap and squeeze it to blow residual water out of the pipes. The DGT has published Instruction PROT 2026/04 of 11 March 2026, setting technical inspection intervals for camper vehicles based on the category in their registration document: category M motorhomes are inspected like passenger cars, while converted category N vans are inspected annually up to 10 years and then every six months.

The motorhome stopover in Saint-Amand-Magnazeix, Haute-Vienne, is regularly cited by Camping-Car Magazine readers as a contender for stopover of the year. Built on the site of a former municipal campsite, it has ten marked pitches and is open year-round, managed by the Qipéo / Aire Services network. Parking is free, while water and electricity cost two euros; facilities include a waste disposal point, drinking water, electric hook-ups, showers, toilets and washing machines.

In the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture, tourists are increasingly opting for camper van trips with overnight stays in vehicles and visits to hot springs to save on hotel costs. Among the travellers is a couple from abroad on their honeymoon. Autumn foliage began changing colour earlier than the usual mid-October peak.

An Airstream owner replaced his 2018 Chevrolet Colorado diesel with a 2024 Honda Ridgeline after a second fuel-rail failure shut down the truck on the freeway. He traveled 5,853 miles from Morro Bay, California, to Homer, Alaska, towing a 2004 Airstream Bambi 19, reporting approximately 14.5 to 15 mpg versus 15.4 mpg on the dashboard. The trip began May 28, 2024, and included mountain passes where speeds dropped to 40 mph and segments returning 11.3 mpg. The 2024 Ridgeline AWD RTL has a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds with two occupants, per Honda's owner's manual.

A couple in their 60s traveling with car overnight stays found a 500-yen breakfast at the «Ogo» roadside station in Kobe, including toast with jam, salad, an orange, a boiled egg and coffee.

At the Klausenhorn and Litzelstetten-Mainau campsites in Konstanz, activity continues until the season ends on 15 October. According to Sina Kraus, team leader at the Litzelstetten-Mainau nature campsite, about half of the 30 pitches were occupied recently. Some campers cancelled trips to southern Europe because of the mild weather in the region. The campsites will reopen in mid-March.

Used motorhomes and travel trailers can sell for only a few thousand dollars, but repair costs can exceed the vehicle's market value. Complete roof replacement, severe water damage with wall delamination, diesel engine replacement, transmission replacement, full floor replacement, and slide-out structural repairs can run into tens of thousands of dollars on older units. For example, a $6,000 travel trailer with severe water intrusion may need structural work worth more than its resale value, while a $20,000–$30,000 motorhome with engine failure can face a bill approaching or exceeding its market price.

The author visited Hoshimoto Auto Camp in Tsuchitaru, Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture. The opening of the new Mikuni Tunnel in 2022 prompted a drive along National Route 17. On the return, the author visited JR Doai Station, where the downbound platform is 82 meters underground and requires descending 486 steps.

RMC Story will broadcast the 17th episode of season 1 of "La folie du camping-car" on 18 October at 19:20. The episode features three stories: a couple who have travelled the world in a motorhome for ten years and this year are again heading to the Moroccan desert; a couple who have used a traditional motorhome for two years for weekend and holiday trips and are setting off with friends to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer; and a family with three children leaving Charente-Maritime in a converted camper van to discover Spain.