Retired Couple Lives in 7 m² Motorhome for 5 Years

Mallorca's first motorhome area in Son Serra de Marina recorded about 600 overnight stays in June–August, roughly 65% of the annual total. The site opened in 2025, has 21 pitches expandable to 23, and offers drinking water, grey water disposal and electricity. Average occupancy is 6.22 pitches per day, average stay is 2.09 days, with a maximum of 10 consecutive nights. Visitors came from 24 nationalities: 74% Spanish, 13% German, with others from Australia, the US and Canada. It is managed by Asturian company TripStop via a mobile app.

The Castrillón City Council has begun drafting a new ordinance to regulate parking of long vehicles, motorhomes and overnight stays in the municipality. The measure aims to address road saturation, traffic safety issues and coexistence problems during the summer season, particularly in the urban core and coastal front of Salinas. Proposed measures include daytime parking restrictions for vehicles over 5.5 metres in Salinas, a 24-hour ban on wild camping throughout the municipality, development of a network of areas such as El Agüil and a planned one on Avenida de Raíces, permits for registered residents, and specific time slots for commercial loading and unloading. The goal is not to ban itinerant tourism but to manage a scarce public resource: parking in an area that receives peaks of over 40,000 daily visitors against a population of just over 4,000.

Spanish manufacturer Benimar has launched the Amphitryon A981, an integrated motorhome measuring 5.98 m long, 2.34 m wide and 2.95 m high. Maximum authorised weight is 3,500 kg, with a towing capacity of 2,000 kg. It is based on a Fiat Ducato with a 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 140 hp and a six-speed manual gearbox; 160 hp and 180 hp versions are optional, the latter with an automatic transmission. Instead of a fixed rear bed, it features an L-shaped lounge that converts into a sleeping area up to 206 x 150/121 cm, plus a manual drop-down bed over the cab measuring 190 x 140 cm. The kitchen includes a two-burner hob, sink, extendable tap and a 150-litre compressor fridge. The bathroom has a separate shower. Water tanks hold 100 litres fresh and 105 litres grey. Heating and hot water come from a 4,000 W diesel Truma Combi with altitude kit, controlled via iNet X. Prices range from 80,000 to 90,000 euros depending on selected packs.

Fernando and Ana gave up their house, car and ongoing commitments and moved into a seven-metre Fiat Ducato Maxi motorhome from 1998, which they call “La Vaca”. The renovation took five months and cost 1,631 euros, including the exterior paint. According to the couple, the move eliminated fixed costs for electricity, water, municipal fees, garage and internet; ongoing expenses now depend on how much they travel. In Germany, according to ADAC, long-term living in a camper van is in a legal grey area: a fixed address is required, and overnight stays on public parking areas are permitted for a maximum of ten hours to restore driving ability.

Galician group Yakart, which sells motorhomes and caravans, is approaching its 20th anniversary. The company operates four own centers and 11 franchises, with an annual turnover of 20 million euros. The manager of Yakart Caravanas in A Coruña is Sandra Jul, 30.

In 2025, more than one hundred motorhomes were registered in Extremadura, and the region now has over fifty dedicated areas whose overnight parking conditions were recently regulated by a Royal Decree. According to the preamble of the latest amendment to the Traffic Regulations, adopted by Royal Decree 518/2026 and published in June, over ten years annual registrations in Spain increased from 3,000 to 9,000 units, and the number of specialised areas grew from 150 to more than 1,000.