🇳🇴 Norway — OpenVan.camp

Eivind Løberg, who became famous in 1971 with the song «Ratiti», released the album «EIVIND» in October. For the past 20 years he has lived in a 30-year-old motorhome, which is insulated on the outside and has 116 horsepower. Producer Kim Ofstad selected 10 tracks from more than 3000 songs Løberg had written. Løberg also studied at Berklee College of Music, where his student debt of 200,000 kroner grew to 1 million kroner.

In November and December, motorhome life has its own pattern: evenings are spent in warmth while days can be used for seasonal activities. The article compiles a guide to Christmas markets in Norway, Sweden and the rest of Europe. In Norway, dates and venues include the Maihaugen market in Lillehammer on 28–29 November and the Norwegian Folk Museum market in Oslo on 5–6 and 12–13 December. In Sweden, markets include Huseby in Småland and Skansen in Stockholm, which has held Christmas markets since 1903. Elsewhere in Europe, the guide lists markets in Vienna, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Budapest, Salzburg and Munich with their opening dates.

A motorhome was blown off county road 82 in Andøy, Norway, on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred at Kjølhågen, where the road had been closed due to strong wind. The road reopened later in the morning but was closed again shortly after 11:30 because of the wind. Police said they were notified but did not attend; the fire service responded and no injuries were reported. According to Bladet Vesterålen, the vehicle was foreign-registered.

Police were alerted on Sunday afternoon to a fire in a caravan on Route 92 near Lake Láhpujávri in Kautokeino municipality. The caravan is fully ablaze. Neither the fire service nor the police attended because the distance to the burning vehicle is too great. There is no danger to life, buildings or other vehicles. No one was injured.

A caravan caught fire at a campsite in Vrådal in Kviteseid. A man in his 70s who had been reported missing was found dead at the scene.

Statens vegvesen sent its first proposals for legal changes under the fourth driving licence directive to consultation on 20 October. The current package does not include the provision motorhome owners are waiting for: the right to drive a 4,250 kg motorhome with a category B licence and code 96.02. The authority proposed extending the higher weight limit for vehicles running on alternative fuels to drivers with at least two years of experience, but motorhomes are explicitly excluded. It also asked for input on the next stage, including code 96.02 for fossil-fuelled motorhomes, and considers training sufficient without a test. According to the publication, the Progress Party proposal to introduce 4,250 kg from 1 January 2027 remains in the Storting transport committee.

An old motorhome was destroyed by fire overnight into Tuesday while parked in central Vanse, next to Skollevollgården and the Coop Extra shop. The vehicle was written off in the blaze. No further details were given.

Norwegian motorhome and caravan retailer Ferda is scaling back and withdrawing from Trondheim, seeking new owners for its local branch. The branch employs seven people, who have been offered the chance to buy the business; if that fails, Ferda will try to sell it to an external buyer. If no new owners are found, the company may wind down operations there. The sales agency previously part of the Trondheim business will be closed regardless. Ferda expects to have a decision on the branch by the end of October.

Motorhome and caravan retailer Ferda is closing its site in Tønsberg. The company bought Askjems Camping Center AS in Sem five years ago. Ferda described the decision to leave Tønsberg as difficult. Further details are unavailable because the article is subscriber-only.

Motorhome dealer Ibobil in Tromsø has gone bankrupt. 21 employees have lost their jobs and the company leaves NOK 26 million in debt. Only one motorhome dealer remains in northern Norway.

On Monday, a motorhome carrying two tourists was blown off the road by wind in Børra on Andøya. The tourists had been driving from Andenes when the vehicle was taken by the wind. Several people stopped to help, including retrieving items from the motorhome. No injuries were reported; the tourists were offered accommodation in Nordmela while waiting for a replacement rental car the next day.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) is opening a new rest area at Røyrnes along County Road 5627 in Lærdal. The facility, part of the National Tourist Routes programme, includes parking for five motorhomes and eleven cars, including one accessible space, as well as a modern service building with one accessible toilet, two unisex toilets and a technical room. It opens on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

Norway has tightened parking rules for motorhomes at roadside rest areas. In August 2024, Statens vegvesen counted 365 motorhomes overnighting along the E10 road in the Lofoten Islands. In summer 2025, two- or four-hour parking limits were introduced at eight or nine rest areas along the E10; at twelve designated areas, including Kalle and Rørvika, overnight parking for motorhomes and caravans is prohibited from midnight to 6 a.m. Overnight stays are banned at the Nordkapphallen visitor centre area, where only temporary stops are allowed. At the Stegastein viewpoint, a one-hour parking limit was in place in summer 2025; in June 2026 the limit was cut to 30 minutes and a fee was introduced. Fines for exceeding the time limit are typically 660 NOK, and for ignoring a general parking ban, 900 NOK. Overnight stays with electricity at Hellesylt Camping cost 470 NOK, and at Voss Camping 500 NOK.

The Norwegian road administration Statens vegvesen has introduced parking and overnight restrictions for motorhomes and caravans on popular tourist routes. In August 2024, 365 motorhomes were counted in one night on the E10 between Reine and Kabelvåg in the Lofoten Islands, while nearby campsites were not full. Since summer 2025, time limits have applied at nine rest areas along the E10, and at twelve designated parking locations in Lofoten, including Kalle and Rørvika, parking of motorhomes and caravans is prohibited between midnight and 06:00. Overnight stays are banned at the Nordkapphallen car park; at Stegastein, the maximum stay is 30 minutes and a fee applies. The fine for exceeding parking time is 660 Norwegian kroner, and for violating general parking bans it is 900 kroner. Campsite fees include 470 kroner at Hellesylt Camping and 500 kroner at Voss Camping for a motorhome with electricity.

Northern Norway is introducing restrictions for motorhomes due to a surge in tourist traffic. At the North Cape, maximum parking time is limited to five hours at a cost of about 15 euros. Places on the last evening ferry are now reserved for local residents. According to a resident of an island north of the Lofoten Islands, the number of motorhomes in summer has nearly doubled in recent years. Narrow roads without centre lines are overloaded, queues form at ferry crossings, and popular beaches lack parking spaces. The growth in motorhome tourism began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Norwegians increasingly travelled domestically. Local authorities promoted tourism to support remote economies, but infrastructure is not designed for the increased load.

Tryg Forsikring warns that deregistering motorhomes, caravans and classic cars for winter and cancelling insurance can lead to uninsured losses. Deregistration automatically terminates liability insurance and driver/passenger accident coverage, but the road traffic insurance fee to the state remains. The company advises draining water systems, removing food and valuables, ensuring ventilation and conducting regular inspections.

The motorhome parking at Tollbodgata in Horten will be closed when the next phase of the Havneparken development begins. The parking area has been relocated several times before.

Færder municipality has ordered a landowner at Mågerø to remove a caravan and cushions placed in the shoreline zone. According to the municipality, the caravan was acquired during the coronavirus epidemic, and its placement was neither applied for nor approved, making it illegal. Landowner Morten Sandaker said he considers the action harassment of owners of valuable properties.

A landowner in Alvdal has proposed establishing a motorhome parking area by the Folla river. The application is under consideration by local authorities.

A caravan burned down in Mindevegen on the night of 5 October. The owner was unable to save the vehicle but kept the flames away from the house wall until emergency services arrived. No injuries were reported.