A lot happened in the motorhome world last week: China registered a third more motorhomes in six months than a year earlier, and the Chinese brand Lidu RV is getting its caravans ready for sale in Europe; diesel got cheaper in 18 of the 27 EU countries; a tornado near Florence flipped a camper in a motorway rest area; and a Brazilian couple drove their motorhome all the way to Alaska and went for a run on the frozen Arctic Ocean.
Last week's highlights
- In the first half of 2026, China registered more than 12,000 motorhomes, 32.6% more than a year earlier, and Chinese manufacturer Lidu RV is putting its Aquila 360 and Veteran 350 caravans through European certification via the Dutch company Starlight.
- In Hesse (Germany), almost 100 more motorhome pitches have been found for the Landesgartenschau Oberhessen garden show, which runs from 23 April to 3 October 2027, and in Alsfeld the motorhome stopover already accounts for one in four overnight stays in town.
- In Tuscany, a tornado on the Siena–Florence motorway flipped a camper in the San Casciano Ovest rest area; firefighters pulled two injured people out of the vehicle.
- In Belgium, a caravan can be left on the street for no more than 24 hours in a row (article 27.5.1 of the Highway Code), and the new rules taking effect on 1 June 2027 keep that limit.
- Elizete Ribeiro and João Mansilla from Campo Grande, Brazil, spent 11 months driving their motorhome through 21 countries to Alaska, saw the northern lights and went for a run on the frozen Arctic Ocean.
China buys a third more motorhomes, and Chinese caravans are heading to Europe
While motorhome sales in Germany are falling for the third year in a row, in China they are growing. In 2025, China sold more than 20,000 motorhomes in a year for the first time, and in the first half of 2026 it registered more than 12,000 vehicles, 32.6% more than a year earlier. Almost one in five new motorhomes (18.4%) is electric or hybrid. The main buyers are young families with parents born in the 1990s. Popular models have dropped in price from about 600,000 to 400,000 yuan, because almost everything that goes into them is now made in China itself. In September, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with nine other agencies, issued nine support measures, including building new campsites: by the end of 2025 there were more than 3,100 of them.
The "Golden Week" holiday from 1 to 7 October showed what this looks like in practice. Rental motorhomes were booked for the whole week, and the campsite by West Lake in Hangzhou was booked beyond expectations, even though a pitch costs 180 yuan a night. The authorities extended the permitted service life of rental motorhomes from 15 to 25 years to make it more worthwhile for rental companies to keep their vehicles. The flip side of the boom: experts warn that sleeping in an ordinary car with the seats folded down is dangerous in a crash, and a DIY interior conversion can bring a 500-yuan fine and an insurer refusing to pay.
For Europe, something else matters more: Chinese manufacturers are starting to enter our market. The Lidu RV brand sells caravans through the Dutch company Starlight in Hengelo. The Cube 450 (1,630 kg empty, up to 1,800 kg loaded, two to four berths, from 169,800 yuan in China) is already in series production. Two more caravans, the Aquila 360 and Veteran 350, are going through European certification, without which they cannot be registered in EU countries. And in January, at the CMT show in Stuttgart, Lidu will show the Cube 800, 8.84 m long and weighing 4.7 tonnes — essentially a mobile home for living long-term in one place.
What this means for you
If you are looking at a caravan for 2027, Chinese models will start showing up at shows and dealers, most likely priced below their European counterparts. Before the price wins you over, ask three things: does the vehicle have European type approval, so it can be registered without a struggle; where is the nearest service centre and how long do spare parts take; and who handles the warranty in your country. Don't convert the yuan price straight into a European one: delivery, duties, certification and the dealer's margin will push it up noticeably. If you plan to travel around China by motorhome, book your rental and campsites in advance and avoid the national holidays in early October, when the whole country is on the road. In the coming years, Chinese brands will most likely put pressure on European manufacturers' prices too, and that is good news for buyers.
Number of the week: diesel got cheaper in 18 of 27 EU countries
According to our weekly measurements from 3 to 11 October, diesel became cheaper in 18 of the 27 EU countries and more expensive in nine, with a median change across the EU of minus 0.83%. Prices fell most where they had risen most in September. In Germany a litre of diesel costs 2.26 euros, down from 2.38 a week earlier: that is the second week of decline in a row, and over two weeks the price has dropped almost 10% from the September peak of 2.50. In Poland diesel fell from 8.85 to 8.29 zloty (−6.4%), in Austria from 2.20 to 2.13 euros (−3%), and in Greece from 2.13 to 2.07 euros (−2.8%). Prices rose slightly in the west: in Ireland a litre costs 2.07 euros instead of 2.04, in Belgium 2.45 instead of 2.43.
On an 80-litre tank in Germany, that is about 10 euros saved compared with last week and about 19 euros compared with the end of September. If you are driving east from the Netherlands (2.62 euros a litre) or Belgium, hold out until a German filling station: the difference from the Netherlands is almost 29 euros on a full tank. We update prices for every country each weekend on the Fuel prices page.
In brief
- Bulgaria, insurance · planned: the parliamentary economic committee approved compulsory third-party liability policies for periods from 30 days for camper vans, caravans and motorcycles, and insurers will be required to sell them. Owners who only travel in summer will no longer have to pay for a whole year.
- Denmark, road charge · proposal: the threshold for the road toll is set to drop from 12 tonnes to 3,501 kg, but only for lorries, not for motorhomes. The rumours circulating among owners turned out to be false; comments on the draft are accepted until 14 October, and the rule is meant to apply from 5 January 2027.
- Wales, visitor levy · planned: the Welsh finance secretary confirmed that the levy will apply to babies too if the family stays in a caravan rather than a tent: 1.56 pounds per child per night. For a family with two toddlers and an older child, a week in a caravan will cost about 54 pounds more.
- Switzerland, farm stopovers · proposal: MP Ernst Wandfluh proposed making it easier to set up motorhome stopovers on existing sites at farms, alpine pastures and cable cars — with registration, rubbish collection and a fee of a few francs a night. The trigger was the litter left on pastures by people who camp wherever they please.
- Switzerland, record: campsites run by the TCS motoring club will pass a million overnight stays this season — only the second time ever, with growth reaching 30% at some sites. Five TCS campsites stay open in winter, so you can head to the Alps by motorhome after October too.
- Volkswagen, new model: the updated Grand California camper van based on the Crafter gets an off-grid package with solar panels and two 40 Ah lithium batteries (40% more usable capacity), plus a special Dune edition. Orders are already open in Britain, priced from 69,000 pounds excluding VAT.
- USA, electrics · from model year 2028: new American motorhomes will get a ground monitoring device: if a campsite hookup has poor grounding, the vehicle will simply refuse the power. If you travel around the US in a new motorhome, keep in mind that old hookups at some campsites may not work.
- Russia, new model: UAZ announced an all-wheel-drive motorhome based on the Profi truck with a kitchen, shower, toilet and heating, and a 2.7-litre 150 hp engine. UAZ previously made Baikal motorhomes based on the Bukhanka and sold them in Germany, among other places.
Where to go
Rheingau and Upper Hesse (Germany), October. Towns in Hesse have decided that motorhome owners are profitable guests: they don't stay in hotels, but they spend money in restaurants, shops and wineries. In Alsfeld, with its old town of half-timbered houses, the motorhome stopover accounts for one in four overnight stays in town, and it is being expanded. The wine village of Kiedrich in the Rheingau has just opened three new pitches, and October is harvest time there, with new wine to go with it. For the 2027 Landesgartenschau Oberhessen garden show, 11 municipalities have found room for almost 100 more pitches, mainly in the spa town of Nidda-Bad Salzhausen, Gedern and Büdingen. In autumn there are few tourists here, and thermal baths and parks are often a few minutes' walk from the stopover. If you have long wanted to go to Germany but didn't know where exactly, this is your reason.
Watch out
- Italy, Tuscany · autumn storms: a tornado on the Siena–Florence motorway flipped a camper in the San Casciano Ovest rest area, and two injured people were taken for medical care. When an orange weather warning is issued, don't spend the night in open rest areas by motorways or on high ground; wait out the storm somewhere the vehicle is sheltered by buildings or by trees without dead branches.
- France, the south · after downpours and tornadoes: after the storm in Hérault, Gard and Le Grau-du-Roi, lawyers point out that insurers only pay out under the "storm" cover if you can prove the wind strength. Photograph the damage and keep the Météo-France report, links to news coverage and witnesses' contact details.
- Belgium, caravans on the street · rule in force: a caravan can be left on a public road for no more than 24 hours in a row, and the new rules from 1 June 2027 keep this. The limit does not apply to motorhomes as long as they are roadworthy. If you are travelling with a caravan, look for a stopover or campsite rather than leaving the trailer outside a friend's house for a week.
- Netherlands, winter storage · rule in force: a mouse can get into a caravan or camper van through a 5 mm gap, and rodent damage is often not covered by insurance, even comprehensive cover. Before putting the vehicle away for winter, seal the gaps around cables and pipes, remove all food and check inside once a month.
This week's calendar: 12–18 October
- 13–18 October, Birmingham (UK): Britain's main motorhome and caravan show at the NEC, more than 1,000 vehicles, tickets from 14.95 pounds including parking, under-16s free.
- 14–18 October, Wels (Austria): Caravan Salon Austria, the country's main motorhome show, day ticket 15.50 euros, under-14s free.
- 15–18 October, Poznań (Poland): Caravans Salon Poland, more than 600 motorhomes and trailers across eight halls; next door is the Przystanek_Targi meet-up with space to stay overnight.
- 15–18 October, Clermont-Ferrand (France): a motorhome show, free entry with an invitation, 2 euros without one.
- 16–18 October, Walchsee (Austria): Kaiserwinkl Camper Van Days, an end-of-season gathering on a lakeshore in Tyrol with workshops and talks.
- 16–18 October, Rivas-Vaciamadrid (Spain): a sustainable transport fair, which for the first time will have a motorhome and camper van area for sales and rentals.
- 16–19 October, Beijing (China): the 45th Beijing RV and Camping Expo — a live illustration of the Chinese boom from our main story.
Something good to finish
Two stories you'll want to pass on.
To Alaska by motorhome. Elizete Ribeiro (52) and João Mansilla (57) from Campo Grande, Brazil, drove north for 11 months and crossed 21 countries. In Canada they saw the northern lights, and at the very edge of the continent Elizete went for a run on the frozen Arctic Ocean, and it's on video. Their next route is already planned: down to Bocas del Toro in Panama. It is never too late to dream of a big journey.
A service among the motorhomes. In Worms (Germany), right at the Mondscheinweg motorhome stopover, the first church service for travellers took place. About 50 people came, and the service was led by Dean Jutta Herbert and Safiullah Jabarkhail. For an hour, a stopover where people usually talk about waste dumps and power hookups became a place where everyone simply wished each other a safe journey.