Kia PV5 crashed Korea's camper market · VanLife Weekly #31

Plenty happened in the motorhome world last week: in South Korea the market for new campers collapsed by 81% after the cheap electric Kia PV5 arrived; on Bulgaria's Karadere beach the authorities gave the owners of a thousand caravans until 7 August to move them; from 4 August trailers are barred from part of the Regina road on Lake Como; and the Fiat Ducatoⓘ turned 45 with 3.5 million vehicles built.

A cheap electric van collapsed South Korea's camper market

South Korea was one of the fastest-growing motorhome markets in Asia: during the pandemic, when borders shut and hotels stood empty, the country moved into campers within a couple of years. Now that market has folded. New registrations of campers and caravans fell from 7,300 vehicles in 2021 to 1,361 in 2024 — a drop of 81.4% — and the market's value shrank by 78%. For an industry that had only just finished building factories and dealer networks, that is a crash, not a correction.

There are two reasons, and they work together. The first: people went back to cheap holidays — a tent, the boot of an ordinary car, a night in the back seat instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle. The second, and more interesting one, is the arrival of the Kia PV5, an affordable electric van that covers most camper scenarios on its own, with no paid conversion. Over three years, sales of new campers and caravans in the country dropped 75%, used prices halved, and the big models simply stopped selling: a buyer who once chose between a heavy motorhome and a trailer now takes an all-purpose van and drives it every day.

For the rest of the world this isn't a Korean curiosity, it's a rehearsal. The PV5 is on sale in Europe too, and an ecosystem of removable camper kits is already forming around it — a bed, a kitchen and a tent that go in and out without modifying the vehicle. If the same thing plays out in Germany, Italy or Spain, the first segment to sag will be expensive large motorhomes, and used prices right after. Worth noting: the Korean crash coincided with rising campsite prices (in North Rhine-Westphalia a night will cost 18% more in 2026) — so it isn't that people stopped loving travel, it's that they're recalculating how much vehicle they actually need for it.

In brief

• Germany, new models: Mercedes-Benz has updated the Marco Polo camper van — a twin-layer aluminium pop-top adds 100 mm of inside height, there are three diesels up to 174 kW and a 9-speed automatic; European orders open on 5 August.
• Italy, anniversary: the Fiat Ducato marked 45 years in production — over 3.5 million vehicles, around 1.6 million chassis under motorhomes, 31,370 new leisure registrations in Germany in 2025. The practical point: parts and servicing for this chassis can be found in almost any European workshop.
• USA, electric: Pebble has delivered more than 100 electric Flow trailers, owners have covered over 250,000 miles between them, and a recent over-the-air update added an off-grid camping mode and surround-view cameras.
• Japan, an unexpected use: since 28 July, Camper Co. has been renting out campers with household air conditioning as mobile rest rooms for building sites — the service runs from about 40 bases across the country.
• Indonesia, debuts: at GIIAS 2026, Isuzu showed a camper based on the Elf NLR and a mobile salon on the Traga chassis — Southeast Asia is taking to this format through commercial chassis rather than passenger cars.
• Italy, infrastructure: in Sanremo, the 96-pitch Green Park motorhome area is finished, with a public park, playgrounds, a dog area and a restaurant; the investment is put at 3.2–4 million euros.
• Italy, the south: Lamezia Terme has put out a tender for a 50-pitch motorhome stop at Capizzaglie with a budget of 400,000 euros — Calabria is slowly getting what the north of the country has had for years.
• Netherlands, servicing: from 1 August, Broekhuis became the country's exclusive Volkswagen California dealer: sales and servicing move to Barneveld, where a new showroom opens by the end of 2026.
• Italy, conversions: the Tailgate Gear workshop has shown a modular camper kit for the Toyota Land Cruiser 78 priced from 5,990 to 9,664 euros — the 4x4 becomes a camper with nothing done that can't be undone.
• Germany, prices: a night at a campsite in North Rhine-Westphalia will cost 18% more in 2026 — up to 40 euros for a family of three; the region still stays slightly below the national average.
• Spain, Tenerife: the opposition has accused the island government of stalling a plan for 350 motorhome pitches — the 10-million-euro project with six areas was drawn up back in May 2023 and never built. The Canaries are still badly short of places to spend the night.
• South Korea, openings: in Donghae, the second Mangsang auto campsite has opened by the beach: 40 pitches (20 available at the start), 45,000 won a night in high season, 22,000 on weekdays.

Where to go

The Lake District and the Cotswolds (UK), late summer to September. Britain rarely makes anyone's motorhome list: narrow roads, driving on the left and the weather put people off. But right now is a good moment. The Campsites.co.uk site published its ranking of the best family campsites for 2026, and 13 Cumbrian sites made it in, including Park Cliffe by Lake Windermere, plus Wildings Holidays in the Cotswolds. That's a ready-made two-week route: a week among the lakes and mountains, a week taking it slow through the stone villages of the Cotswolds, with about four hours of driving in between. Go after mid-August: the English school holidays end, campsites empty out, and September in the north gives the best views of the year while the lakes are still warm. It works for a family with children and for a couple in a compact van alike — on Cumbria's narrow roads a long vehicle turns into an ordeal. If you've been eyeing Britain for a while without knowing where to start, this is your excuse.

Take care

• Italy and Spain, motorways, peak season: on the border of Umbria and Lazio a coach collided with a motorhome and three cars — six people died and around 30 were injured; on the AP-7 near Benicàssim a lorry hit a motorhome stopped on the hard shoulder with a puncture, killing a 16-year-old girl. If you get a puncture on a motorway, don't stay in the vehicle and don't change the wheel on the traffic side: get everyone behind the barrier, put out a warning triangle and call recovery — the hard shoulder of a motorway is one of the most dangerous places in Europe.
• Bulgaria, Karadere beach, until 7 August: an inspection found around 1,000 illegally parked tents, caravans and campers; owners have been given time to move them voluntarily, after which comes forced removal and fines of 500 to 30,000 leva. If you're planning the Bulgarian coast in August, move off the dunes and onto official sites; "everyone parks here" has stopped working here too.
• Italy, Lake Como, from 4 August: on the stretch of the SS 340 "Regina" between Colonno, Sala Comacina and Tremezzina, traffic becomes one-way towards Menaggio, and from 6:30 to 21:00 the direction towards Como is closed to vehicles towing trailers. If your route runs along the western shore of the lake, rework it in advance: the detour through the mountains is long and narrow, and there's nowhere to turn around with a trailer on that road.
• Switzerland, Italy, Czechia, heat and fire: in a single week a caravan burned to the ground at a campsite in Möhlin, at a gas station in Pisa a camper caught fire and a man suffered facial burns, and at the Buňkov campsite in Czechia fire destroyed two caravans and part of a building. Switch off the fridge and all gas appliances before refuelling with gas, and keep the extinguisher by the door rather than in the back of the garage locker — you have less than a minute to get out of a burning caravan.

Something good to finish

Two stories worth forwarding.

A motorhome designed around a cat. In Japan, a motorhome rental service called "Nyanping Car" launched on 1 August — the vehicles are set up specifically for travelling with cats: partitions, double doors at the exit so your pet can't dart out, carriers and cameras to watch the interior. Travelling with a cat is usually a compromise and a constant worry; here, for once, someone built a vehicle where the cat isn't extra luggage but the whole point.

Five people in a motorhome from Barnaul to Turkey. A family from Barnaul has set off on a long trip in their own motorhome with three children: the route runs through several Russian regions, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia and Kazakhstan. This isn't a move or emigration — they plan to come home. At some point they simply decided that the road with the kids was worth several months, not a two-week holiday.

This week's questions

Why did the camper market in South Korea fall so sharply?

Two things came together. The pandemic boom ended and some buyers went back to cheap holidays — a tent and a night in an ordinary car. At the same time the affordable electric Kia PV5 appeared, covering most camper scenarios on its own with no separate vehicle to buy. As a result, registrations of new campers and caravans fell from 7,300 in 2021 to 1,361 in 2024, used prices halved, and large models effectively stopped selling.

What should you do if you get a puncture on a motorway?

Under no circumstances stay in the vehicle or change the wheel on the traffic side. Pull over as far right as you can, put on the hazard lights, get all passengers behind the barrier, place the warning triangle at the required distance and call for help. The crash near Benicàssim on the AP-7, where a lorry hit a motorhome stopped on the hard shoulder and a 16-year-old passenger died, is the typical scenario: a heavy motorhome on the shoulder is hard to spot, and traffic alongside is still moving fast.

When is the best time to take a motorhome to Britain?

From the second half of August through September. The English school holidays are over by then, Lake District campsites free up, and September weather in the north is often better than July. Ready-made options include the Cumbrian sites from the fresh ranking of the best family campsites for 2026, including Park Cliffe by Lake Windermere, and Wildings Holidays in the Cotswolds. Just pick something compact: Cumbrian roads are narrow, with stone walls on both sides.

What's changed in the updated Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo?

The main thing is the new twin-layer aluminium pop-top, which adds 100 mm of inside height: it's easier to stand up and get dressed under it. Beyond that there are three diesel engines up to 174 kW, a 9-speed automatic and updated interior equipment. European orders open on 5 August; the maker hasn't named a price yet.

Can you travel in a motorhome with a cat?

You can, but it takes preparation, and the Japanese "Nyanping Car" service shows what that consists of: a partition separating the cat's area from the driver, a second door in the entryway so the animal can't dart out as you leave, a carrier secured while you're moving, and a camera so you can see inside when you've stepped out. Add the same litter tray and the usual food: cats handle the road far better when the smells and the routine stay the same.

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