Campervan, RV & Vanlife News

In spring 2020, Daiana and Daniel Pavel went to the mountains with a caravan for a weekend to record exercises for a fitness app and stayed for three months due to the pandemic. They then sold their belongings and continued travelling with the caravan before buying an uninhabitable house in the countryside. They are now renovating the house while still living in the caravan and posting videos that receive about 45,000 views each. The article also cites other urban-to-rural movers, including Răzvan Rusu, whose factory produces over 300,000 jars a year with a turnover of more than 2.2 million euros.

Residents of an apartment building on Via Friuli 7 in Montecatini Terme, Tuscany, have sent a complaint to Pistoia prefect Angelo Gallo Carrabba about Romanian Michael Tudor, who they say has occupied owners' parking spaces without authorisation for three years with a caravan lacking water, sewage and electricity connections. Marco Lucarelli, responsible for the neighbourhood watch programme "Controllo di vicinato" and signatory of the complaint, cited rubbish, wastewater and buckets of excrement around the caravan, as well as randomly left gas cylinders; residents are requesting checks and coordination of law enforcement.

Chris and Marianne Fisher from Shropshire have begun a new journey from New Zealand to the UK, planning to visit at least 50 countries in six years.

In Montecatini Terme, a man named Michael Tudor (or Tudor, according to another source) has lived in a caravan on a private parking lot for three years. Residents complain of noise and poor hygiene; the mayor says police are investigating.

American couple Taylor and Zoey have converted a 2021 InTech Discover trailer into a permanent 9.1-square-meter home. A second trailer serves as a mobile garage for six motorcycles. The trailer was bought new for $27,000, and the interior conversion cost another $15,000, bringing the total investment to about $42,000. The interior features a drop-down bed, sliding bathroom, kitchen with stove, stainless steel sink and 12-volt refrigerator, plus a 1,800-watt solar system and a wood stove.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles presented its updated California range, including the fully electric ID. Buzz with a Good Night package, at a pre-IAA event in Berlin. The company claims to be the only European manufacturer that builds its entire motorhome family in-house. The Caddy California is available with 122 hp TDI or 116 hp TSI engines and a seven-speed DSG, featuring a 1.98×1.07 m bed. The ID. Buzz with the Good Night package includes a 2.03×1.2 m bed, Vehicle-to-Load function up to 2,000 W, and an Overnight mode that maintains climate control for up to 48 hours. The California model received a plug-in hybrid eHybrid 4MOTION with 180 kW (245 hp) and a 19.7 kWh battery, plus an inflatable kitchen and inflatable bed. The Grand California based on the Crafter is offered in 600 and 680 versions with a 163 hp TDI engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

In Gura Vadului on DJ102R, the first motorhome park in the Dealu Mare area has opened. The initiative is private and parking is currently free.

V.S. Domeniile Dealu Mare has opened the first caravan park in Gura Vadului on DJ 102R. At this stage, parking is free; the project is planned for further development.

The Hajoș family from Cluj arrived in Beijing by motorhome with three children and a dog. Foreigners need a five-day permit, unavailable online, only at certain police stations.

On the A2 Bucharest–Constanța motorway at kilometre 91, in the direction of Bucharest near the village of Dragoș Vodă, Călărași County, a motorhome overturned on the roadway between lanes 1 and 2. According to the INFOTRAFIC Centre of the Romanian General Police Inspectorate, the incident resulted only in material damage. Traffic is stopped on lanes 1 and 2 and is moving with difficulty on the emergency lane towards the capital. Normal traffic flow is expected to resume after 13:00.

Erling Haaland purchased an Airstream caravan in collaboration with Supreme for £67,000 (€78,000). He announced the purchase in his YouTube video.

The motorhome site at Solimare in Moers is often fully booked. To meet more requests, Enni is redeveloping the area and has revealed initial details. The site currently accommodates eleven motorhomes; after the conversion, capacity will increase significantly.

In the Sa Joveria area near Can Misses hospital in Ibiza, an informal settlement of motorhomes and tents has formed, where local workers live because they cannot afford housing. The average price of housing in the Balearic Islands exceeds 4,000 euros per square meter, and rents are high and scarce due to tourist demand. The settlement was evicted in 2023, but by 2026 more than 100 people had returned, and authorities intervened again in April. Among the residents are single mothers, cleaners, and pensioners; electrician Gabriel, 50, lives in a truck because renting an apartment is impossible.

The article compares owning a motorhome to renting one, noting that renting eliminates maintenance, insurance, and tax costs. Rental motorhomes are typically newer and inspected before each rental, while buying is only justified for full-time living.

German company First Camper, based near Hildesheim, has introduced a range of mini caravans with a gross weight of up to 750 kg, towable with a standard B-class driving license. The lineup includes six models, from the tiny Nano Camper to the 4.61-meter Medi Camper. All models can be rented before purchase and are also available as empty shells for self-conversion. Prices start at 4,899 euros for an empty trailer and reach approximately 15,000 euros for a fully equipped Medi Camper.

Romanian vloggers Gabriela Dinu and Ștefan Enache, known online as 'Rătăciți prin lume', converted a Volkswagen T5.1 van into a mobile home. They replaced the ceiling, repainted the furniture from cream to light green, installed acoustic panels, and added a pull-out drawer under the sofa. The work took less than a week. The couple plans to travel around Romania.

Video blogger Gigi Cristea sold his motorhome and moved with his family to Ireland. The 1999 motorhome with about 175,000 km was sold for 8,600 euros after several price reductions. The family spent 481 nights in the motorhome. In Ireland, they are temporarily staying in a room at acquaintances' place and plan to find their own housing.

Romanian actress Ada Dumitru shared a video of her grandmother giving a tour of the caravan they are traveling in. The grandmother shows the kitchen, fridge, air conditioning, and solar panels, and mentions that she is driving the caravan. The video went viral, with users complimenting the grandmother.

At the Düsseldorf trade fair, motorhomes range from a few thousand euros to over two million. Social media drives demand, especially among young families. A budget option is roof tents starting at 2,000 euros.

Volkswagen has unveiled the ID. California Cruise, the first fully electric version of its California camper, based on the ID. Buzz. The new model offers sleeping space for two, a Vehicle-to-Load function with up to 3.6 kW of power, and a climate control system that can maintain a comfortable temperature for up to 48 hours. The company says this is just the beginning, with the electric lineup set to expand by 2028. The full California range will be presented at CARAVAN SALON 2026 in Düsseldorf.