Campervan, RV & Vanlife News

Japanese company OMC Camper has unveiled the Galaxy camper van based on the Toyota Hiace commercial van. The premiere took place at a camper show in Nagoya. The interior features a bunk bed, a table and seats that convert into a third sleeping place. Power is supplied by a 200 Ah lithium-ion battery and an additional 105 Ah battery, and equipment includes a microwave, a 40-litre fridge and air conditioning. A separate toilet area at the rear can be used as a storage room. The Galaxy will be priced at 7 million 350 thousand yen on the Japanese market.

Two approaches to motorhomes built on the Niva are on the Russian market: the compact Lux Form module at 1.6 to 2.1 million roubles and the Avtokemper Prom project on a VIS-2346 chassis.

Small wheeled living modules are being presented as a practical solution for trips to garden plots and outdoor holidays. The single-person QTvan measures 2 metres long and 75 cm wide and includes heating, a solar panel, a 19-inch television and a power socket. The aluminium Teardrop trailer from Australian company Teardrop Camper weighs 330 kg, sleeps two on a 1.4-metre-wide bed and costs from 13,000 dollars. The Japanese Gaiki RV camper based on the Suzuki Every offers a 1.25-metre-wide sleeping area and all-wheel drive for less than three million yen. A sliding living module on a Piaggio Ape chassis from Danish company Shirokaya Tropa costs 9,700 euros, with the module alone priced at 4,000 euros.

Russian law permits sleeping in a privately owned car or motorhome in an authorised parking area for an unlimited time, provided parking rules are observed. However, registering a residence in a vehicle is prohibited because cars are classified as movable property and are not recognised as residential premises. Living in a vehicle without registration may result in a fine of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles. Owners are required to have registration at another address, while travellers can register at hotels, tourist camps or specialised motorhome campsites. Overnight parking on lawns, pavements and children's playgrounds is prohibited, and in residential areas the engine must not be left running for more than five minutes.

Russia's Interior Ministry has clarified that sleeping in a private car or travelling in a motorhome is not prohibited, provided parking rules and sanitary requirements are met. However, it is impossible to register a residence at the address of a car or caravan: under Article 15 of the Housing Code, only immovable property qualifies as housing. Living without registration carries a fine of 2,000 to 3,000 roubles under Article 19.15.1 of the Administrative Code, and 3,000 to 5,000 roubles in Moscow and St Petersburg. Temporary registration can be arranged at a hotel, hostel, sanatorium, campsite or tourist centre, or by renting a flat. Parking on pavements, lawns and children's playgrounds is prohibited, as is idling for more than five minutes in residential areas and discharging waste water into storm drains.

The owner of a 2013 Lada Largus has converted the vehicle into a compact motorhome while keeping the bodywork intact. The rear seats were removed, and the living module frame attaches to factory mounting points and can be detached without drilling. The build uses an OUKITEL portable power station priced at 110,000 ₽ with a capacity of 2000 Wh and a 5 kW FDIK diesel heater. The sleeping area measures about 200 × 65 cm and folds into a sofa during the day, and the water supply totals 60 litres. Before the first trip the owner replaced the engine oil, timing belt, brake fluid and coolant.

In the US, a motorhome built on a 1990 BMY M931A2 military truck failed to sell at the Bring a Trailer auction. The conversion was carried out by Plan B Trucks from Utah in 2017. An 8.2-metre living module is mounted behind the cab, bringing the vehicle's total length to about 11 metres. The motorhome features an 8.3-litre Cummins turbodiesel rated at about 243 hp and more than 1000 Nm of torque, along with nine solar panels and a 140 Ah lithium battery. The highest bid reached $30,750, but the seller's reserve price was not met.

The Bikal camper, built on the UAZ Bukhanka chassis, has received Russian type approval and is offered through the official UAZ dealer network. The layout includes a 40-litre fridge, a chemical toilet and a pop-up fibreglass roof with two 190×130 cm berths. The full cost of the vehicle with modifications was calculated at about 1.7 million roubles, while promotional materials state a price of around two million roubles. Production is planned in Ulyanovsk on leased factory premises. Ready-made Bukhanka campers remain rare on the Russian market.

A community member described a project to convert a 2008 Gazelle cargo van into a camper. By 1 November 2026, he had removed rusty body sections and applied protective coatings, but did not complete the work due to the end of his holiday and a change in the weather. Tyres aged 20 years were replaced with new all-season and winter sets, and diagnostics of the technical part are underway with defective components being replaced. With the onset of cold weather, he plans to work on the exterior and interior design, and to restore a motorcycle for loading into the cargo area.

A US company has unveiled a motorhome that attaches to a motorcycle like a sidecar. It contains a double mattress, air conditioning and underfloor storage, with a kitchen at the rear. Through windows provide visibility and do not obstruct the camper. Published on 2 November 2026.

Four countries on one motorhome trip: Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia. How to choose an eSIM for the route, why a detour into Kosovo needs a separate plan, and what to save offline so a weak signal near the campsite does not leave you without maps or arrival instructions.

In Germany you can now fill a motorhome's refillable gas bottle at an autogas pump. Also: the Canary Islands' stopover decree and Alpine winter campsites.

A Russian workshop has built an affordable motorhome on a four-wheel-drive UAZ Profi chassis from 2018. It sleeps five and has a shower room and kitchen, with the project priced at 2,699,000 roubles.

Coachmen RV has announced the RVEX electric camper van, built on the BrightDrop 600 chassis and the GM Ultium platform. The model has an indicative price of $150,000 and a claimed range of up to 435 km. Its powertrain consists of two electric motors with a combined output of 300 hp and a 172–173 kWh traction battery, with all-wheel drive. Fast charging for about an hour adds up to 258 km of range, but the actual result depends on the charging station output, which is most often 120 kW. For off-grid stays the RVEX is equipped with 1,000 W roof solar panels and an additional 48 V battery with a capacity of 1,000 Ah.

Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant has presented a motorhome concept based on its Profi commercial chassis. The living module has a shower, a toilet, a kitchen, a convertible sofa and a lifting bed. Price and launch date are unknown.

Camping-1, the country's first specialist motorhome complex, is for sale on Lake Selyava in the Minsk region. The asking price for the ready business by the water is 412,500 roubles.

UAZ has presented a self-contained motorhome built on the four-wheel-drive Patriot chassis. It has four berths, a shower and toilet, a 95-litre fridge and 600 W of solar panels.

A resident of Kemerovo district paid 5,049,795.45 roubles for a Keystone Bullet Crossfire 2290ВН caravan but never received it. The court awarded him 5,657,941.90 roubles from the seller.

Japanese brand RecVee has presented the Country Club motorhome based on the Toyota Hiace. A waterproof area with a shower and portable toilet sits behind the rear door.

A crew travelling in a Ural-based motorhome with a caravan and a buggy left Mozhaysk in late March heading for the Altai, but changed route to Kalmykia and Astrakhan because of snow. They covered 2,100 km in the first ten days. Diesel cost 42,000 roubles, and there were no utility bills. The trip included a broken throttle cable and an attempt to modify a pot lid with a screwdriver.