🇬🇧 United Kingdom — OpenVan.camp
United Kingdom
The A361 remains closed in both directions between Pilton Hill and Glastonbury after a fire completely destroyed a campervan. Fire crews from Shepton Mallet and Wells arrived at 12:23 pm and extinguished the blaze using a compressed air foam system; no injuries were reported. Hedgerows on both sides of the road were damaged, and police said repairs to the road surface are expected to take some time.
A UK resident named Tony converted a former Dragoman tour truck on a Mercedes-Benz Atego chassis, designed for 24 passengers, into a fully off-grid motorhome. The purchase cost £5,000, and the conversion took about a month. The roof-mounted solar panels produce 2,000 W and charge a 16 kWh battery; water capacity is 610 litres, with a backup generator. The interior includes a kitchen with an induction hob and Ninja oven, a bathroom with a shower, and a lounge that converts into a sleeping area. The project is not finished: additional cabinets and a wardrobe are planned.
United Kingdom
Daniel Bald was jailed for 20 months after leading police on a 20-minute pursuit in a stolen campervan with its pop-up roof bed fully extended. The incident began on 28 July when an officer stopped to assist what appeared to be a broken-down vehicle on the A614 near Clumber Park, shortly after 11pm. Bald drove off at speed, joined the A1, and made repeated evasive manoeuvres, causing an HGV driver to take action. A stinger device ended the chase. Bald pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified and without insurance. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on 17 September.
United Kingdom
Ford has discontinued the Transit Nugget campervan in the UK due to slow sales. The model, built with Westfalia, continues to be sold in left-hand-drive markets on the continent. It is still listed on Ford's website from £63,150 excluding VAT but no longer appears in the configurator, and orders are subject to available stock.
Heathside Holidays in Wenhaston, Suffolk, has been sold for £2,995,000 to Patrick O'Donoghue of O'Donoghue Caravan Parks Limited. The sale was managed by Colliers on behalf of owners Jim and Karen Wright, who developed the site from an agricultural holding. The park covers approximately 19.5 acres and features 20 Scandinavian-style lodges, nine glamping pods, six shepherd huts and 16 touring pitches. Heathside Holidays won the 2023 Hoseasons Diamond Award for Best Small Lodge Escape in the East of England and a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has granted planning permission for 28 static caravans for year-round holiday use in Hemsby. The extension to Seafield Caravan Park, submitted by Hemsby Estates Limited, includes access, parking, and landscaping works; caravans will be restricted to holiday use only, with one parking space and EV charging points per plot.
A caravan was stolen from New Ground car park on Portland at around 3:20am Sunday. A white Ford Transit panel van towed it towards Weymouth.
British company Wellhouse Leisure has completed its first Kia iCamper electric camper based on the PV5. The first batch of 30 units is sold out, priced at £59,995 (US$80,225).
Haven Leisure Limited has applied to East Devon District Council to extend the permitted season at Devon Cliffs Holiday Centre in Sandy Bay, Exmouth, by 28 days, allowing occupation from February 1 to January 14 inclusive. Exmouth Town Council's planning committee voted to object on September 14, citing traffic congestion, noise, pressure on services and the risk of permanent residential occupation. The district council's economic development officer supported the application, saying it would extend the tourist season and support jobs; the application is awaiting a decision by East Devon District Council.
The Pemberton Elite is the only model in the Pemberton range built to EN 1647 holiday caravan standard; all others are built to residential standard. Buyers can upgrade an Elite to residential specification BS 3632, which includes enhanced insulation and soundproofing. The caravan is available in nine sizes, from 28ft x 12ft to 42ft x 14ft, with three models having three bedrooms. Prices start from £58,995. The review model is a 38ft x 12ft two-bedroom unit sleeping six, including a sofa bed.
Auto Express and Caravan and Motorhome Club tested 42 new cars with caravans at Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK. The overall winner was the Skoda Superb Estate with a 193 hp 2.0-litre diesel, all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The BMW iX3 was the best electric car and won the heaviest caravan class over two tonnes. The Volvo XC60 T6 was the best plug-in hybrid, the Volvo XC90 T8 the best large family car, and the Volvo XC40 won the 1,400–1,500 kg caravan class. The Volkswagen Touareg won the 1,800–1,900 kg class. Tests assessed stability with a trailer, acceleration, braking, hill starts, low-speed manoeuvring, visibility and load space.
Moray Council granted planning permission to extend Riverview Country Park in Mundole, Forres, adding 57 static caravan pitches, despite numerous objections from local residents.
While traveling in Scotland, Min Ji-young's campervan displayed an ABS warning light. Diagnostics revealed a faulty wheel speed sensor with a melted cable. Kim PD replaced the sensor himself; Min Ji-young promised to pay him 100 pounds for the labor.
Dorset Police have released an image of a caravan stolen on Portland. The caravan was taken at around 3:20am on Sunday 20 September 2026 from New Ground car park. A white Ford Transit panel van reportedly towed it towards Weymouth. The caravan is described as a white Bailey Pursuit with three blue horizontal stripes on each side, a TRUMA air-conditioning unit on top, and a missing front left indicator light. Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
A campervan overturned on the eastbound carriageway of the M3 in Surrey on September 19 at around 12:25pm. A female passenger was taken to hospital; her condition has not been released. The carriageway was temporarily blocked, with two lanes closed before Junction 2 where the M3 meets the M25 at Junction 12. Traffic queued for about eight miles, with delays stretching back to Junction 3. The road was cleared by 3:16pm.
UK-based Runaway Conversions has converted a Volkswagen Crafter 4Motion into the Quest camper van. The vehicle features a 20mm Altvan lift kit, all-terrain tires, a bullbar with two light pods, and a Mule roof rack with 600W solar panels and a StarLink antenna. The interior includes bamboo finishes, a kitchen with a 110-liter fridge and induction cooktop, a bathroom with shower and toilet, and a transverse bed. The 24V power system comprises two 460Ah Fogstar batteries and a 5,000W inverter; water tanks are 100 liters fresh and 60 liters grey. A Truma Combi heater enables year-round use.
Councillor Cai Larsen will propose regulating overnight stays in inappropriate locations. Issues reported at Llyn Padarn, Hirael Bay and other areas.
Show all (4) Show less
The Hanrahan family has submitted a planning application for six caravans (three static and three touring) on a plot in Barham, near Canterbury, within the Kent Downs National Landscape. Villagers object, citing the site's location in a flood plain and its designation as unsuitable for development in the Local Plan. The applicant argues that the district has a shortage of traveller pitches and that the family will be responsible residents. The city council must weigh the objections against the family's personal circumstances; no decision date has been set.
Auto Express and the Caravan and Motorhome Club have named the Skoda Superb Estate as the overall Towcar of the Year 2026. The tests took place at UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, with 42 entries ranging from superminis to pick-up trucks and luxury SUVs, powered by petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric drivetrains. Winners were awarded in six classes and eight towing weights; the BMW iX3 won best electric tow car and the Volvo XC60 best plug-in hybrid.
Kings Down Tail Ltd has submitted plans to East Devon District Council to install 59 static caravan bases and create a spa and gym at Kings Down Tail Caravan and Camping Park in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth. The scheme includes demolishing an existing shower block, converting a building with a swimming pool into a spa, gym and relocated reception, and adding new access roads, parking, drainage and landscaping (143 new trees, around 463m of native hedgerow, over 3,000sq m of meadow planting). Of the 59 bases, 43 are on land with existing static caravan permission, eight are new in the north-west field, and retrospective permission is sought for eight existing bases. The applicant says all caravans would be for holiday use only and would accept a planning condition.