I read a guide on promobil.de about winter-ready camper vans and learned quite a few things I definitely need to keep in mind while converting my own van. Because once temperatures drop below freezing, it quickly becomes clear what really matters in a camper van.
The most important point is insulation: a winter-ready van is insulated all around, and the windows, rear doors and cab in particular are where the most heat is lost. Thermal mats can make a real difference there. On top of that comes a central hot-water heating system like the Alde Compact 3020 or 4000, which distributes heat evenly via convectors or heating coils - ideally even through the floor.
What I had completely underestimated before: the water tanks. Fresh and grey water tanks need to be insulated and heated, otherwise the onboard systems will quickly be knocked out by frost. Only then can you really stay off-grid continuously in winter.
The article also presents a selection of winter-ready camper vans. For me as a self-builder, it's a great checklist: thick insulation, hot-water heating, heated tanks - and then nothing stands in the way of a winter holiday in the van.
Source: promobil
One of the major dilemmas with compact campervans is the bathroom: you either have to forgo it, or it takes up a significant amount of space. This is why I was intrigued by the arrival of Furgok in Italy, a high-end outfitter based in Navarra, in northern Spain, brought to us by Autoroen, a dealer from Borgo Anaunia in the Trentino region.
The core of the project is called "Dynamic Space." The bathroom is present, but when not needed, it doesn't take up any space: behind the dinette, hidden in a shallow, cabinet-like structure, are a fold-down mineral resin sink and, underneath, a shower base that can be lowered as needed. The door that covers everything can be split in half and used to close off the living area. On the opposite side, beneath the compressor refrigerator, an electromechanical mechanism reveals a dry toilet system without a cassette, using disposable bags.
The design also emphasizes open space at the rear: the rear double bed extends to the ceiling, freeing up space underneath for storage or for changing clothes. A second support for another double bed is attached beneath the mattress, providing a total of four sleeping places. On the compact Xpace 540 Trio, built on a 5.40-meter Fiat Ducato, it's even possible to load a real motorcycle, although it needs to be unloaded to use the camper.
The base vehicles are Fiat Ducato models, 5.40 or 6 meters in length, as well as MAN TGE and Mercedes Sprinter models, including all-wheel drive versions. The layouts include: the Xpace 540 and 600 models with a semi-dinette and a transverse rear bed, and the Family 600+ model on a high-roof Ducato, with a fifth passenger seat and a drop-down bed above the dinette. Features include: a mineral resin kitchen countertop, original sliding windows from the Ducato, diesel heating, an electric water heater, induction cooking (optional with a lithium battery and inverter), and 1.5 cm thick poplar plywood cabinetry.
The limitation? There's limited traditional storage space for clothes and linens, although there is ample space for bags and containers. The prices are in the high-end range, in line with top competitors: this is a vehicle designed for experienced campers who know exactly what they need. For more information:
https://www.autoroen.it
Source: Vita in Camper
If you're planning a van or motorhome electrical system, the question of how long the leisure battery will last comes up almost immediately. MotorhomeFun has a clear guide on it, and the honest answer is that it depends on three things: battery capacity, daily consumption and solar input.
On capacity, the type matters a lot. Lead-acid batteries shouldn't be discharged below roughly 50 percent, so a 100Ah battery gives you about 50Ah, or around 600Wh at 12V. A 100Ah LiFePO4 lithium battery can be used down to about 90 percent, which is nearly 1,080Wh, and it weighs far less.
Consumption is the other half. A compressor fridge draws about 45W but cycles on and off, averaging around 450Wh over 24 hours. Modest use with LED lights, phone charging, a water pump and the fridge typically lands at 200 to 400Wh a day, and laptops, TVs or CPAP machines push that up considerably. With 300Wh a day and no charging, lithium would last about 3.6 days and lead-acid about two.
Solar changes the picture. In the guide's UK example, a 200W panel getting about four good hours in summer makes roughly 800Wh, so the battery slowly tops up. In winter the same panel might only make 200 to 300Wh on a decent day, which is break-even at best, and grey days bring a deficit.
The article also points out that a hair dryer at 1,500 to 2,000W will drain a basic off-grid battery within minutes, so a 12V travel kettle or a gas hob is the smarter choice. I like how practical the numbers are for anyone sizing a build.
Source: MotorhomeFun
Converting an electric van into a campervan no longer sounds like science fiction. EspacioFurgo published a June selection of models that can be turned into plug-in campers, and the numbers are hard to ignore.
According to the article, real-world range exceeds 300 km on several models, V2L lets you power the fridge and induction hob from the battery, and the CERO label makes low-emission zones easier to enter; converting the van to a camper doesn't change that. They recommend deducting 20 to 25 % from the WLTP range for camper use, and watching payload, since furniture can add 300 to 500 kg.
Top of the ranking is the Volkswagen ID. Buzz (from €64,000, 79 kWh usable, around 450 km WLTP), followed by the Ford E-Transit Custom (€52,000, 74 kWh, about 320 km, payload close to 1,000 kg and a factory pop-top roof), the Mercedes eVito Tourer (€58,000, 90 kWh) and the Maxus eDeliver 7 (€45,000, V2L as standard, the most affordable of the mid-size vans). The twins Peugeot e-Expert, Citroën ë-Jumpy, Opel Vivaro Electric and Toyota Proace Electric are around 330 km, and the Renault Trafic E-Tech, with 52 kWh, is for urban or weekend use.
A useful example: a van rated at 330 km would manage between 240 and 260 km with luggage and two people. Note that the article's V2L data isn't entirely consistent between the spec sheet and the FAQ, so it's worth checking before you decide.
Source: EspacioFurgo
While browsing new tech for motorhomes, the BOS battery X caught my eye: a new lithium battery for motorhomes and caravans. It comes from BOS Balance of Storage Systems AG in southern Germany, which says it has been supplying Hymer in series production for eight years.
What sets it apart is the cells. Instead of prismatic or pouch cells, BOS uses cylindrical LiFePO4 cells. According to the manufacturer they are mechanically stable and vibration-resistant, and they keep their shape under heavy load and over the years of aging. Heat is also said to dissipate well, which matters for cycle life and lifespan.
For anyone travelling in winter, the frost charging feature is the interesting part. Before charging in the cold, the cells are heated through their welded contacts all the way to the core. This is supposed to work more evenly than batteries that are only heated from the outside. There is also a smart heating mode: the heating power adjusts to the available charging current, so the battery does not unnecessarily use up its own reserve when solar yield is low.
On safety, temperature sensors on the positive and negative terminals can detect abnormal heating at the connections and shut the battery off in time. It also has protection against overcurrent, short circuit, deep discharge and reverse polarity, and a flame-retardant housing rated IP67. Development and production are in Germany.
The article gives no capacity or price, and most of the claims come from the manufacturer, so they have to be confirmed in everyday use. Still, the approach of heating the core is an interesting one for anyone building a van that can handle winter.
Source: Reisemobil International
Life on the road is great, but the bills are real. MotorhomeFun's 2026 guide to running costs, last updated in July 2026, avoids a single magic number and gives two benchmarks instead. A modestly used van kept at home, with no loan and about 5,000 miles a year on cheap pitches, comes to roughly 3,000 to 4,000 pounds a year. A heavily used, financed van stored off-site and taken on big European trips can reach 14,000 to 18,000.
The fixed costs for a mid-range UK motorhome are listed one by one: insurance of 400 to 900 pounds, road tax of 177 for vans over 3,500kg, an MOT at about 55, a habitation service of 150 to 350, breakdown cover of 80 to 200, and storage of 500 to 1,500 if you can't keep it at home. Fuel typically means 18 to 30 MPG, with a compact coachbuilt on a Fiat Ducato at 26 to 30 and large A-classes at 18 to 22.
On the road, the spread is huge. Full-hook-up commercial sites in high season run about 35 to 100 pounds or more a night, Certificated Locations roughly 10 to 20, and wild camping and many aires are free. Gas adds about 1 to 3 pounds a night.
The costs people forget are worth noting: setting aside 1 to 2 percent of the van's value yearly for repairs, a return Dover to Calais ferry at 150 to 350 pounds, and French tolls adding 60 to 120 pounds a week. The author suggests focusing on cost per night away, which I think is a much more honest way to compare the lifestyle with ordinary holidays.
Source: MotorhomeFun
L'Itinéraire's guide, updated at the end of March 2026, is a good starting point for anyone dreaming of converting their own van. It makes a point I like: think about compliance from the design stage.
For the base vehicle, it compares the Renault Master (plenty of used examples), the Fiat Ducato and its cousins the Boxer and Jumper (the easiest to convert), and the Mercedes Sprinter (pleasant but pricier). The L2H2 is the most common compromise, and a 3.5-tonne GVW lets you keep a category B licence. On purchase, budget €12,000 to €25,000 for an 8- to 12-year-old van, and €25,000 to €45,000 for one under 6 years old.
Conversion costs, excluding the van itself, run from €3,000 to €12,000 for a DIY job and €15,000 to €35,000 with a professional. For electrics, the article assumes 50 to 90 Ah a day for a frugal lifestyle, aims for 150 to 200 Ah of usable capacity for two days of autonomy, and suggests LiFePO4 batteries, charging from the alternator and around 200 W of solar as a good start. For water, plan 50 to 100 litres of clean water for one or two people; at 8 to 12 litres a day per person, a 60-litre tank lasts two to three days for two people.
VASP approval goes through an individual vehicle inspection (réception à titre isolé) with the DREAL. Common blockers are non-compliant gas installations, electrics without proper protection and furniture that isn't fixed down. The closing advice: a dimensioned plan, a weigh-in of your equipment, then a few short test trips. These are market ranges, not official prices.
Source: L'Itinéraire
At the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, Cubivan showed its Camping System (CCS), and the idea deserves a closer look. The system turns an L2H2 delivery van into a camper with an extendable rear unit and a hardshell pop-top roof.
When folded, the rear unit measures roughly 1.05 m long, 1.20 m wide and 1.10 m high, and weighs about 300 kg fully fitted out. The hardshell roof with its frame weighs around 130 kg, so the total is about 430 kg. Once the unit is extended you can stand upright inside (about 1.90 m). It has a kitchen with gas or electric cooking, a 25-litre fresh water tank and a shower room measuring 90 x 95 cm. The toilet is also in the module, so the van interior does not need its own bathroom. The pop-top provides a 200 x 200 cm sleeping area.
The best thing about the concept is that the rear unit can be removed after a trip while the roof stays on the vehicle. That way the van is a van again afterwards.
As an indication, New Atlas gives a total price of 22,000 to 25,000 euros, of which 16,000 to 17,000 is for the lower module and 7,000 to 8,000 for the roof. The manufacturer itself has not yet published prices. The official ordering period is supposed to open in early summer 2027. Reservations are possible now, but they are explicitly not orders. A prototype based on the VW ID. Buzz is still waiting for homologation of the roof.
Source: Campersite.nl
In a camper conversion, space is almost always the scarcest resource, which is why the news about the Pundmann heatJET caught my attention. The unit handles both hot water and air heating in one device, replacing two separate appliances. That saves space, simplifies installation and reduces the work involved in fitting it.
The key figures from the report: hot water is ready after about 6 to 7 minutes, and it is shower-ready after 15 to 20 minutes. The tank holds 6 or 9 litres depending on the variant. It runs on 12 V or 24 V, and some versions also on 230 V. Dimensions are 390 x 228 x 200 mm, and the price starts at 780 euros.
The water is mixed evenly so that no cold zones form in the tank, which means the stored supply is used efficiently. The article names vans, motorhomes, boats and off-grid projects as target applications.
For me this is especially appealing for small panel-van builds, where there is little room for both a separate boiler and a second heater. How it holds up in long-term use will only become clear from real experience reports, but as a concept it makes sense.
Source: Reisemobil International
A news item for anyone fitting a roof air conditioner to their camper or motorhome: Teleco now also offers Steril-Air Pro, its integrated air purification system, as an option on four more Telair roof air conditioners: the Silent 3 5900H, Silent 3 8100H, DualClima 8400H and DualClima 12500H. The new Ultra Comfort 9000M can also be ordered with it. Until now the system was reserved for the Ultra Comfort series, with which it was introduced in 2025.
The system uses UV-A LEDs and photocatalysis via ceramic elements with a titanium dioxide coating. As the cabin air circulates through the air conditioner, the UV-A light activates that coating. According to the manufacturer's laboratory tests, this can reduce bacteria, viruses, volatile organic compounds and odours. In a test with SARS-CoV-2, the viral load fell by 99.998 percent after 30 minutes. Campersite rightly points out that this only applies under test conditions and does not automatically give the same result in every camper.
For now it is only an option when ordering a new unit. The announcement does not say whether existing Silent 3 or DualClima units can be retrofitted later, and nothing has been said about other models yet. For anyone planning a DIY conversion with a roof air conditioner, it is a detail worth keeping an eye on.
Source: Campersite.nl
Correio Braziliense has published a report with figures that help bring would-be road dwellers back down to earth. According to the article, the final cost of converting a van into a mobile home can range from R$40,000 to more than R$400,000, depending on the model, the finish and whether it is made legal.
For the base vehicle, the most sought-after models are the Fiat Ducato, Renault Master, Peugeot Boxer and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A van over ten years old sells for between R$25,000 and R$60,000; newer models cost between R$80,000 and R$150,000. The report insists on a full mechanical inspection before starting, because engine or suspension problems can sink the whole project.
For the conversion, a basic build with insulation, a fixed bed, simple carpentry and simple wiring starts at around R$15,000. Those who want independence, with solar panels, lithium batteries, an inverter, a 12V fridge and a diesel heater, add between R$20,000 and R$50,000. Some items: thermal and acoustic insulation R$2,000 to R$3,500; a 200 W solar panel with a stationary battery R$3,000 to R$5,000; a complete electrical system R$2,500 to R$4,000. Custom carpentry often takes around 30% of the conversion budget.
What many people forget is legalisation: authorisation from DETRAN, a modification report from a company accredited by INMETRO, and a vehicle safety inspection to obtain the CSV, totalling R$2,500 to R$4,000. Driving without this can bring fines, impoundment and insurance problems.
In the end, the report puts lean projects built on older vehicles at R$40,000 to R$100,000, and a professional finish at R$150,000 to R$250,000. I found the piece useful precisely because it shows that the electrical work and the paperwork weigh as much as the decoration.
Source: Correio Braziliense
How long the fresh water tank will last is one of the first questions in a vanlife conversion. The magazine Vanlife Mag has published a water consumption calculator, and the reference figures in the accompanying text were worth reading.
According to the article, campers typically use 20 to 40 litres per person per day, compared with 120 to 150 litres at home. Minimalists get by on about 15 litres, and full-time vanlifers sometimes manage just 12 to 15. A 100-litre tank would theoretically last two people 2.5 days, but in practice it often lasts only two.
The biggest lever is the shower. Five minutes under a normal shower head uses 30 to 40 litres, a water-saving camping shower uses 10 to 15, and a so-called marine shower, where you turn the water off in between, uses only 8 to 10. For washing up, a two-bowl system uses 5 to 8 litres, compared with 15 to 20 litres under running water.
The article also gives a sense of tank sizes: 30 to 50 litres in compact campers for one to two days, 80 to 100 litres in vans for three to four days, and up to a week in larger motorhomes. One litre weighs one kilogram, which belongs in payload planning. Fresh water in the tank should also not sit for more than about a week.
Some of the figures in the text contradict each other slightly, and all of them are estimates. In the end the editors recommend simply measuring your own consumption. I can only agree.
Source: Vanlife Mag
