UK holiday parks change hands · VanLife Weekly #21

Last week in the motorhome world had it all: Americans sold their UK park chain for $1 billion, Sardinia put up barriers against wild parking, ADAC released 4 ready-made routes through Hesse, and a family from Singapore sold their flat and set off for Turkey in a camper with their kids.

UK caravan parks change hands: what this means for you

American company Sun Communities, which owns the Park Holidays chain — dozens of caravan and camper parks across the UK — has sold its entire British business to European investment fund Aermont for $1.03 billion (£768 million). The Americans are leaving the UK entirely and taking the money home to North America — where, they say, the camping business is growing faster.

Park Holidays isn't a small operation. If you've ever stayed at a British holiday park with a motorhome or caravan, chances are it was one of theirs. Now these parks have a new owner — a European fund that deals in property and makes its money on long-term rentals.

For travellers, the short-term picture stays the same: parks are running, bookings are valid, prices are fixed until the end of the season. But new owners almost always start with the same thing: reviewing rates and deciding which sites to keep for tourists and which to convert for long-term residents — that's more profitable for them.

In brief

• Japan, market: in April's motorhome rankings, 5 of the 10 most popular models are tiny kei-cars. The Japanese are switching to the most compact campers — it's about their parking and taxes, but the trend is interesting.
• USA, industry: Forest River — one of the biggest motorhome makers in the States — is putting Expion360 lithium-ion batteries into its Georgetown and Dynamax models. If you're shopping for a new American Class A — it's now "lithium out of the box."
• Germany, builds: a woman from Spenge converted a former ambulance into a camper called "Sir Ernest". Decommissioned ambulances give you a lot of space for sensible money — a solid alternative to Sprinters on price.
• UK, builds: a maker from Staffordshire built a micro-camper on a written-off Fiat Doblo Maxi and is driving it on a 72-hour round trip to the Nürburgring and back to raise money for NSPCC.
• UK, culture: 16-year-old Venezuela Fury, after her wedding, denied rumours she was moving into a caravan — turns out the newlyweds are living in a static chalet on her parents' plot.
• Switzerland: St. Gallen cantonal police will be in Oberbüren on 6 June weighing motorhomes for free and advising on weight. A real chance to find out if you're overloaded.
• Turkey: Antalya again became the top caravan destination for Eid al-Adha — the Konyaaltı campsite for 70 vehicles is full of tourists from Turkey and abroad.
• Saudi Arabia: on the Mecca–Medina highway mobile caravans have been launched to help pilgrims during Hajj season — free roadside assistance for broken-down vehicles.
• USA, film: on 22 May the horror film "Passenger" by Andre Ovredal was released — about a couple in a camper pursued by a demon on night roads. The perfect "don't watch alone at a campsite" film.
• Spain, economics: a couple from Catalonia shared the real cost of living in a van — the conversion ate the whole budget, and monthly spending hits €1000+. Not really a saving compared to renting.
• UK, opening: Denbighshire county council unanimously approved extending Cae'r Mynydd park from 42 to 60 pitches — despite objections from the local community council over drainage.
• Japan, rentals: over Golden Week in Japan, the top rentals weren't kei-cars but large Robinson cab-overs. Buy compact, rent big — the Japanese formula.

Where to go

Hesse (Germany), June. ADAC and Hessen Tourismus have just rolled out 4 ready-made motorhome routes across the state — from Kassel to Lake Edersee, through Lahn-Dill-Bergland, Rheingau-Taunus and Rheinhessen. It's a rare case of an auto club actually doing the work for you: tracks, stops, recommended campsites. Perfect for short 4–7 day trips in June and July, when southern Germany is packed and Hesse is quiet and green. The Edersee route is particularly good: lake, reservoir, Dambusters-style dam and campsites with direct water access. If you've been wanting to go to Germany but didn't know exactly where — this is your excuse.

Heads up

• Sardinia, summer 2026: Alghero is installing electronic barriers at the port against unauthorised parking + in parallel a "landing tax" and "motorhome passport" are being discussed along the lines of Corsica. Book an official campsite or sosta in advance, don't count on parking "by the port."
• Argentina, Tandil: the municipality banned overnight stays in motorhomes from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and dumping grey/black water in unauthorised places. Latin America is also gradually tightening up.
• Korea, Chungju: authorities asked motorhome owners to clear the stadium car park by 9 June — they're preparing the site for a festival. If you're parked there — move now; after 9 June they'll be towing.
• Spain, Cantabria: environmentalists Salvar Oyambre are demanding a review of the motorhome decree in protected nature areas. New restrictions are possible for Oyambre park and Natura 2000 zones — watch for updates if you're planning northern Spain.

And finally...

Two stories worth forwarding.

Family from Singapore → Turkey. Four people, two kids, sold their flat in Singapore and set off on 3 May in a camper on the Singapore–Turkey route. Six months on the road, the kids learning right in the van. It's the kind of story that lights up Facebook groups: "look, they did it — and we keep putting it off."

A homeless veteran and his dog. Tom Miner, a U.S. Army veteran, lived on the streets of Fort Worth with his dog Jake for nearly two years. Last week, the non-profit Operation Texas Strong gave him a $11,000 motorhome. Before picking up the vehicle, Tom left Jake at a fire station so the dog wouldn't "see the horror of homeless life" — now he hopes to get his dog back.

This week's questions

What exactly did Sun Communities sell in Britain?

The Park Holidays chain — dozens of caravan and motorhome parks across the UK. The buyer is European investment fund Aermont Capital, deal value $1.03 billion (£768 million). It's not individual parks but the entire British side of the business.

Can you go wild with a motorhome at Alghero port in summer 2026?

No. Authorities are installing electronic barriers and tightening control at the port under the "Decor" project. Book a campsite or official sosta in advance. The same tightening applies to all of Sardinia and many tourist coasts in Italy.

Why go to Hesse in a motorhome in June?

ADAC and Hessen Tourismus have just released 4 ready-made routes across the state — from Kassel to Edersee. A quiet, green region with minimal tourist overload and campsites with water access. A good option for a 4–7 day trip if southern Germany is packed.

Forest River is now fitting lithium-ion "out of the box" — on which models?

On the Georgetown and Dynamax Grand Sport model lines (Class A). The battery supplier is Expion360. If you're shopping for a new American-built Class A — ask the dealer about lithium-ion packs; it's now a standard option, not an upgrade.

"Passenger" 2026 — is it about real van life or just a setting?

It's a horror film by Andre Ovredal, in cinemas from 22 May. A couple travels across the U.S. in a camper and faces a demonic pursuit on night roads. Critics note the atmosphere, but there isn't much real van life there — it's a genre horror with the van as a setting, not a documentary.

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