🇳🇱 Netherlands — OpenVan.camp

The Court of Appeal in 's-Hertogenbosch ruled on 14 October 2026 that a man who rented a year-round pitch for a static caravan at a campsite in Hilvarenbeek must pay second-home tax for 2022 and 2023. The court classified the caravan as furnished accommodation because it had a kitchen, shower, toilet and sleeping area and was connected to utilities. Hilvarenbeek's second-home tax in 2023 was €382.40 for properties valued under €65,000 and €792.40 for those valued at €65,000 or more. The owner's arguments that he did not rent out the caravan and was not registered in the municipality were rejected.

Carola's daughter Lisa and her husband Lars intend to sell their house and spend four years travelling Europe in a camper van. The departure is planned for the near future, while their daughter Lynn is two and not yet in school. Lars will leave his job, Lisa will continue working remotely, and from the age of four Lynn will be educated in the camper van. Carola says she supports the decision but notes it will significantly change their regular contact.

Joop van Onselen (74) and Diny van Onselen (68) hand in the keys to their rented house in Poeldijk on 30 December and move into a camper van. The couple bought the camper van in 2018 and in recent winters spent up to six months travelling through Spain and Portugal. Diny says the decision was driven by freedom, financial considerations and a reluctance to occupy a home while young families struggle to find one. They have arranged a postal address and health insurance and remain registered in the Netherlands. Some belongings go into storage, the rest to a charity shop, with the proceeds donated to charity.

A camper van caught fire on Ericasestraat in Erica on Saturday afternoon. Firefighters could not save the vehicle, which was completely destroyed. It is not known whether anyone was injured.

At campsite Eijckelenburg in Maarn, dozens of static caravan owners are being forced to dismantle their caravans in the coming weeks. The campsite owner terminated the ground leases to build luxury chalets on the pitches. The caravans are owned by the residents, but they rented the land annually. The campsite was sold in January 2023 to entrepreneurs from Lunteren. Some owners have already sold their caravans, while others are trying to sell before dismantling.

A resident of Oosthuizen, Menno, has won two Carado T338 Pro camper vans through two Premium lottery tickets. One camper van was presented to him in the presence of Winston. The second prize came as a surprise. Menno said he would call his brother, who lives nearby.

Ingrid (58) and her husband bought a second-hand caravan for €12,500 on Marktplaats. On their first holiday in Zeeland, heavy rain exposed serious leaks. A specialist found long-standing moisture damage, including affected wood behind a wall panel. The repair cost another €3,000, and the seller said he was unaware of the problems. Because the buyers could not prove the seller knew, they had no legal claim.

Zwarte Cross festival has increased its camper van and caravan pitches from 600 last year to 1000. Pre-sale for Harder! fan club members starts on 13 November, with general pre-sale on 20 November. In recent years, camper van and caravan tickets sold out immediately.

Prices for used motorhomes in the Netherlands are falling, with many dealers holding excess stock. Most listings are on online platforms Marktplaats, Caravans.nl and Campee, where both dealers and private sellers advertise. Dealers operate in all provinces, with a particularly high number in Gelderland. When buying from a dealer, a used caravan often undergoes a BOVAG inspection, and vehicles from 3,500 euros come with a one-year warranty. Buyers are advised to obtain such guarantees in writing and to check the gas system, maintenance records and the condition of the base vehicle.

From 1 January 2027 the tax fit-out requirements for camper vans are scrapped, and RDW becomes the sole body deciding whether a vehicle is registered as a camper van (category M1/SA). The Tax and Customs Administration will then follow the RDW vehicle register when calculating bpm and mrb. This removes differences in interpretation between RDW and the tax authority, which could previously leave a buyer with a camper van that met RDW's classification but not the tax authority's requirements. A camper van must be a passenger car or bus with a living area containing a table, seats, sleeping accommodation, cooking facilities (a tap is not required) and storage, all fixed in the living area. Existing N1 camper vans keep their status after 1 January 2027 and their owners need take no action.

A camper van and a passenger car collided at about 13:30 on Wednesday at the roundabout where the Noarder Omwei (N355) meets the Rijksstraatweg in Hurdegaryp. The car spun around on impact, while the camper van sustained light damage and was able to continue. Police and an ambulance attended, and no one was injured. One lane heading from Leeuwarden was temporarily closed, with traffic directed by police and a provincial road inspector. The heavily damaged car was recovered by a breakdown service.

Dreamer has unveiled the Cap Easy camper van based on a Renault Trafic with a 130 hp engine. The model measures 5.48 metres long, 1.95 metres wide and 1.99 metres high. It was first shown at Caravan Salon 2026 in Düsseldorf. The height below 2 metres allows access to most car parks and avoids higher toll rates. The interior has four berths, a two-burner gas hob, a 51-litre compressor fridge, a 50-litre fresh water tank and a 40-litre waste water tank.

The Limburg court upheld a neighbour's appeal and annulled the municipality of Beekdaelen's decision not to act against a motorhome parked partly on the street. Local rules prohibit parking vehicles longer than 6 metres or higher than 2.4 metres on public roads, and the motorhome exceeded both dimensions. The court ruled that partial presence on the public road constitutes a violation and gave the municipality six weeks to issue a new decision. The municipality must reimburse the neighbour's court fee of 187 euro and pay 1,868 euro in legal costs.

In October the average price of a used motorhome fell by 6.3%, to €59,950. Some 1,636 motorhomes were offered for sale that month, but only 370 were sold.

BOVAG has released sales figures for new and used caravans and campers up to October 2026. The data can be downloaded via a link and is available exclusively to members. The page was last updated on 2 November 2026.

Lume Traveler has introduced the Ranger, a compact caravan designed to be towed by electric cars. The caravan has an unladen weight of 1,150 kg, a maximum permissible weight of 1,500 kg, a length of 5.19 m including the drawbar and a width of 2.04 m. It features a pop-up roof and aluminium sandwich panels that serve a load-bearing function. This year the Ranger was named ANWB Caravan of the Year. Prices start at €49,950. The jury noted the small entrance door, limited storage space and the fact that cooking is only possible outside.

The Dutch motorhome tax doubled on 1 January 2026. Taking a motorhome off the road with the RDW for five winter months can save owners up to €875.

A gas explosion in a caravan at a campsite near Jachthaven de Domp in Sneek on Sunday evening injured a man, who was taken to hospital. The caravan was badly damaged.

The Gelderland court upheld a Dutch tax authority decision requiring a man to pay €201 in motor vehicle tax and a €67 fine after he sold his defective motorhome in Spain in August 2024. The vehicle remained registered in his name in the RDW vehicle register until 28 October 2025 because he did not obtain a certificate of release. The tax authority levied the tax for the period from 10 January to 9 April 2025. The €67 fine equals 1 per cent of the maximum penalty of €6,709, applied because the man had previously paid the tax late. The court ruled that his wife's illness and the sale in Spain did not justify reducing the fine.

A caravan on a field at the Pleinpaed in Twijzelerheide burned out in the night from Saturday to Sunday. Police suspect arson, and it is the second such fire at the spot in a few weeks.