Romanian engineers open their yard to caravans

Volkswagen brought the ID. Buzz back to the United States — complete with a mattress and curtains. A wildfire in Arizona burned down a dozen motorhomes, and Lake Tekir in Turkey flooded just as many. While Ibiza fines illegal campers up to €30,000, a retired couple from Mallorca has been living in 10 m² for five years and saving €1,400 a month. Plus: the largest campsite in the US at 607 pitches, a closed naturist beach on the North Sea, and Dolby Atmos in a trailer — all in this edition.

European authorities are preparing changes to category B driving licenses that will affect drivers of electric cars, motorhomes, and those towing trailers. The new directive proposes increasing the weight limit for certain vehicles that can be driven with a category B license. Motorhome drivers may be required to pass an additional exam or undergo special training. In Romania, an extended category B (code 96) already exists, allowing driving of combinations with a maximum authorized mass of up to 4250 kg after 7 hours of practical training.

Earlier this week, a partnership agreement was signed between Timiș County Council and Tomești Commune to develop recreational and camping areas for caravans and tents. The project aims to boost local tourism infrastructure and is expected to attract visitors and create jobs in related sectors.

After almost 70 years, Bürstner has stopped making caravans — and nobody was particularly surprised once sales had fallen by a third. Sweden registered 62% more motorhomes and is preparing to let them drive faster. Chet Hanks moved into a retirees' trailer park in Nashville — for the country music career, not the savings. Plus a Korean workation site for 100 motorhomes, an unmanned trailer hotel on Hokkaido, and a gyrocopter pilot who landed on a highway and clipped an oncoming motorhome — all in this issue.

The Dacia Sandman motorhome concept, invented by British publication Autocar in 2019, went viral online due to thousands of AI-generated images and videos. Despite its popularity, Dacia has no plans to produce this model. Online discussions feature fictional specifications, including a Hybrid-G 150 4×4 system and a speculated price of €40,000, but none of this reflects actual company plans.

Hidroelectrica stated that setting up caravans on the banks of the Olt River reservoirs is illegal. Caravan owners repeatedly break locks on barriers to access dams, which constitutes vandalism. The company cooperates with gendarmerie and police to stop violations, and offenders face fines and criminal liability.