Weekly Digest #19 · May 4–10

We've gathered the top motorhome, camper van and vanlife stories from May 4–10, 2026. This issue: the end of an era for Bürstner as the legendary German maker exits the caravan business; Winnebago rolls out a $331,000 expedition beast; Sweden's motorhome market jumps 62%; and an unmanned trailer hotel opens on Hokkaido.

The week brought structural shifts: the camper market is overheating in Sweden and the Netherlands, while traditional caravans are losing buyers across Europe. Cities on both sides of the Atlantic — Bristol, Ibiza, San Francisco — are tightening control over van parking. In parallel, Asia is building new infrastructure: Korea is creating workation campsites worth 30 billion won, and Japan is launching unmanned trailer hotels.

Industry

Germany: Bürstner is discontinuing caravan production from the 2027 season — after nearly 70 years. The reason: European sales fell 11% in 2025 and a third in Germany. Erwin Hymer Group will focus on motorhomes.

USA: Winnebago has unveiled the ARKA expedition motorhome on a Ram 5500 chassis with a 6.7L Cummins diesel — the largest in the Backcountry Adventure lineup. Fully loaded price: $331,901, pre-orders open.

USA: LCI Industries and Patrick Industries have ended merger talks: the two largest RV component suppliers couldn't agree on terms. LCI separately reported a 25% rise in net profit for the first quarter.

Netherlands: new caravan sales are up 18% — driven mostly by young families — while the rest of Europe loses ground. Meanwhile in Assen, Holtkamper is back — the "Rolls-Royce" of premium folding caravans.

Germany: Sunlight has put the all-wheel-drive Ibex 4x4 camper van into production, based on the Volkswagen Crafter — 163 hp, 8-speed automatic, off-road package. Orders open in August.

Laws and bans

Spain (Ibiza): island authorities have evicted around 200 people from illegal van and camper settlements. Most were tourism workers who couldn't afford rents starting at 1,000 euros for a single room.

UK (Bristol): a five-year campaign to evict van dwellers has ended — the "camper city" stands empty after a court ruling. A few dozen abandoned vehicles remain on the streets.

UK (North Yorkshire): nine coastal locations are banning wild camping — offenders face fines of up to £1,000 by court order.

Sweden: the government is reviewing a bill that would allow car-trailer combinations to drive at 100 km/h instead of the current 80. Parliament will take up the issue this autumn.

Openings and closures

Turkey (Adana): in the Sarıçam district, the city's first caravan park has opened by the Yörük forest — with concerts and camping entertainment on May 10.

Spain (Sagunto): a campsite for caravans and motorhomes has finally received approval — after 20 years of negotiations. The 20,000 m² project sits in the Almarda area, rated three stars.

Japan (Hokkaido): construction firm Nagai Construction will open the unmanned five-story Trail Inn hotel in late May in Shimizu. The rooms are trailer homes; there is no staff.

Lifestyle

Korea: IT firm Younglimwon has invested up to 30 billion won in the YSPACE workation complex in Paju: 100 motorhomes, a campsite, yoga rooms and sports facilities for employees and freelancers.

USA: Chet Hanks — son of Tom Hanks — has moved into a Nashville trailer park alongside retirees to focus on his country music career.

Germany (Upper Franconia): a gyrocopter pilot made an emergency landing directly on the B4 federal highway, and the spinning rotors struck an oncoming motorhome — 7,000 euros in damage, no injuries.

By region

Europe: Bürstner closes its 70-year caravan story, Sweden posts a 62% jump in motorhome registrations, and Eurostat's record — 413 million camping nights in 2025 — confirms that life on wheels is no longer a niche. Asia: Japan launches its first unmanned trailer hotel, Korea builds a 100-motorhome workation campsite, the Toyota Sienta gets a camper kit with a nearly 2-meter bed. Globally: Ibiza, Bristol and San Francisco are simultaneously tightening rules on van living — some fighting an affordable-housing crisis for workers, others fighting homelessness.

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