Campervan, RV & Vanlife News

From 1 October, a motorhome in Spain counts as parked only if it stands on its wheels with no awning out. Also: Choice Hotels has bought Harvest Hosts.

Escape has presented the updated eVista XL Limited Edition, a 7.9 m long two-axle trailer. The base version has an area of about 20.4 m² and includes a kitchen with a sink, two-burner induction hob, convection microwave and fridge with freezer, a separate bedroom with sliding door and full double bed, and a bathroom with shower, sink and flush toilet. The Limited Edition features additional equipment and enhanced insulation, including closed-cell spray foam, upgraded electrical system, USB sockets and Smart TV. The shown variant is offered ready-made, with no production wait.

Japanese company Direct Cars has unveiled the Retreat Anniversary II camper based on the wide-body Toyota Hiace DX. The vehicle features a living space with natural wood trim, a U-shaped sofa bed and a pull-out kitchen sink, plus a 12-volt cooling system and a 200 Ah lithium-ion battery. The camper seats five while driving and provides two sleeping places. The base price for the two-wheel-drive version is 6,590,000 yen, and the all-wheel-drive version costs 6,890,000 yen. An optional front-end kit with square dual headlights starts at 580,000 yen, a navigation system is 330,000 yen, a set of aluminium wheels and tyres starts at 174,000 yen, a front wheel heater is 220,000 yen, and a protective film for the rear five windows is 55,000 yen.

In the new season of the travel programme, Vita Chikovani travelled by motorhome through Yaroslavl Oblast. The route includes Rybinsk with filming locations from The Twelve Chairs, Yaroslavl with Kirova Street, Strelka Park and the Music and Time museum, Pereslavl-Zalessky with Lake Pleshcheyevo and the Blue Stone, and Rostov Veliky with the Rostov Kremlin, used in Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession. An overnight stay in the motorhome by a river is included.

The Chinese motorhome Wuling New Energy RV features a lithium iron phosphate battery with a capacity of 13.26 kWh, a 300-liter water tank, and a starting price from 200,000 yuan. The hybrid powertrain includes a 163 hp internal combustion engine and a 120 kW electric motor, with an electric range of 51 km. The motorhome is nearly 6 meters long and 2.93 meters high, with two sleeping areas and a kitchen in the living module. Its appearance on the Russian market is unlikely due to a possible price of 7–8 million rubles and the absence of mass supplies.

Frankia has unveiled the Noctra Liner 8.3 L, a flagship motorhome measuring 8.45 metres and weighing 5.5 tonnes, built on a three-axle Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis with Alko suspension. The model features a 150 hp four-cylinder engine paired with a 9-speed automatic, a 180-litre fresh water tank, a 150-litre waste water tank and a 92-litre fuel tank. The interior includes a lounge with two facing sofas, a kitchen with a compressor fridge and artificial stone worktop, a bathroom with a floor-level shower tray, and an optional drop-down bed increasing sleeping capacity to four. The base price starts at 164,000 euros.

A new motorhome called NOCTI, built on the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 platform, has been introduced in Japan. It features a 600 Ah lithium-ion battery, a convertible interior with two facing sofas and a folding table, and the S-AWC all-wheel-drive system. The price on the Japanese market is 6,044,500 yen. A new generation of the Mitsubishi Delica is expected in 2027.

A couple from St Petersburg have been living in their motorhome for two years and arrived in Atyrau on Monday, parking near the central bridge. They have travelled through Kalmykia, the Caucasus, Sochi, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Udmurtia, Bashkortostan and the Urals. They entered Kazakhstan via Uralsk, visited the Mangystau region and Lake Inder, and are heading to Astrakhan, then Georgia and Turkey. Maksim works remotely in IT, while Stasya does photography, painting and video editing.

Japanese camper brand JP Star will premiere its Discovery1 model at the Tohoku Camper Show 2026, opening on October 10. Built on a Toyota Camroad chassis, the motorhome measures 4990×2000×2800 mm and features a lounge with an L-shaped sofa that converts into a double bed, an additional sleeping space, a kitchen and a shower room with a sink. The base version is priced at 9,500,000 yen.

Japanese brand Santa Rosa has unveiled the Sedona Sunrise camper based on the Toyota Hiace DX. The vehicle seats six and features a natural pine interior, with second-row REVO ST seats 1400 mm wide that use a butterfly mechanism to slide and face forward or backward, folding flat to form a bed for two adults alongside the rear sleeping area. Equipment includes an auxiliary battery charged by the engine and external source, a 350 W sine-wave inverter with two 100 V outlets, USB ports and 12 V sockets. Engine options are a 2.8-litre diesel with two- or four-wheel drive and a 2.0-litre petrol with rear-wheel drive. Conversion cost is not disclosed.

The annual Pilgrim Expo ABUNAFEST Avtodomfest festival took place from September 25 to 27 at the Grebnevo estate in the Moscow region. A total of 812 crews of motorhomes and caravans participated. The event was held in an expanded format for the first time, bringing together equipment manufacturers, auto tourists and bloggers. The festival was founded by Archpriest Vladimir GerChenov.

American folding camper manufacturer Aliner has resumed production of the Alite model, which had been absent from its lineup for about ten years. The updated 2027 model year version was shown at the America's Largest RV Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The trailer's dry weight is less than 672 pounds (about 305 kg), gross vehicle weight rating is 1,100 pounds (499 kg), payload is approximately 194 kg, tongue weight is 114 pounds (52 kg), and length is 11 feet (3.35 m). The frame is aluminum without wooden elements; walls and roof are sandwich panels with fiberglass, expanded polystyrene, and Azdel composite panels. When folded, the trailer is a flat box; the roof raises via gas struts into an A-frame with hard walls in about 30 seconds. When set up, interior height from floor to roof peak is 203 cm (80 inches), and the sleeping area measures 147 x 193 cm for two people.

Polish company Everest Camp produces the lightweight Minicamp trailer for 2–3 people, designed for dual use: as a camper in warm season and as a cargo van the rest of the year. The maximum permissible weight is 750 to 1300 kg, the body weight is 430 kg, and the EVO version weighs 500 kg. The trailer falls into the light category, does not require technical inspection in Europe, is approved for registration in all European countries, and has a maximum homologated speed of 100 km/h. The base configuration comes without furniture; an optional furniture set includes a 147 x 195 cm sleeping area that folds into two sofas with a folding table.

Minimaliste has introduced the Nomad 30, a 9.1 m long wheeled home designed for year-round use and off-grid travel. The two-axle chassis allows the home to be transported, and axle positions can be adjusted for even weight distribution. The 23.7 m² layout includes a separate bedroom with a queen bed, a living room with a sofa bed, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Power comes from a standard camper connection or roof-mounted solar panels with a battery system, while a mini-split system and heat-recovery ventilation manage the climate. The home can be used stationary by removing the adjustable axles.

Japanese company Tipi Outdoor Design has introduced the Travoy FC200N camper based on the Toyota Hiace S-GL low-roof minivan. The vehicle is designed for family travel for seven people: the cabin has three rows of seats, and in sleep mode it accommodates two adults and two children. The body length is 4695 mm, width 1695 mm, height 1980 mm, and the minimum turning radius is 5 meters. Engine options include a 2.0-liter petrol or 2.8-liter diesel, with two- or four-wheel drive. Production takes place in Higashimatsuyama, with conversion prices starting from 6 million yen; a demonstration four-wheel-drive diesel model is offered at 7.9 million yen.

Students from Eindhoven have unveiled a prototype motorhome called Stella Vita that runs entirely on solar energy. Its roof-mounted solar panels can be unfolded to cover up to 17.5 square meters, providing a range of up to 730 km in clear weather and about 600 km in cloudy conditions. A full recharge takes roughly two sunny days. The interior includes cooking facilities, a shower, and power outlets for a laptop and TV. The team planned a trip from Eindhoven to Andalusia but did not complete it due to the technical complexity of the route.

In 2018, Japanese company Little Monster unveiled the Next Life concept motorhome at the Cartra Japan show, based on a 3.4-metre Suzuki Every. The project combined off-road modifications — lifted suspension, all-terrain tyres, metal bumper guards, auxiliary roof lights and a large expedition roof rack — with living equipment for two, including a fold-out bed and a compact kitchen. It never reached series production, and the company behind it later went bankrupt.

American motorhomes and travel trailers are almost absent from the European market due to differences in design, weight and dimensions. European models are engineered for towing by compact cars, while American ones require a heavy-duty tow vehicle and are built for extended off-grid use. Slide-outs, larger tanks and automation typical of US-built RVs are rare in Europe because they increase weight and cost. According to the author, American models could shift buyer expectations, but a mass displacement of European manufacturers is unlikely.

Dutch company Campanero has presented a camping trailer whose living module attaches to the base with a long zipper and can be replaced without tools. The system comprises three versions: Pah-Pah weighing 320 kg for two people, Eck-Oh weighing 370 kg for two to four people, and Char-Lee weighing 375 kg for up to six people. All three use the same base; the weight difference between the lightest and the most spacious is 55 kg. The trailer's permissible weight is 750 kg, expandable to 1300 kg, with a 1507-litre luggage compartment and interior height from 1.85 to 2.4 m. The design is also intended for electric vehicles.

Dragon Tiny Homes has updated its Vista 24 model, a 7.3 m trailer designed for permanent living. The 19 m² interior includes two sleeping lofts, a living area, a full kitchen with refrigerator, oven and induction cooktop, a bathroom with shower and flush toilet, and a washer-dryer. The main bedroom with a double bed is located above the living room, while the second loft is smaller and can serve as an extra sleeping space or storage. A mini-split system with an electric fireplace provides heating and cooling. The trailer is dual-axle and requires a heavy-duty pickup such as a Ford F-350 for towing. The displayed unit weighs at least 6.35 t and is priced at $66,750 in the US.