Leaves turning golden, an autumn chill in the air, and a need to notch up the dial on the heating system in the motorhome or, for the hardy tent camper, add an extra tog or two to the sleeping bag. It must be that time of year again, when the colourful jamboree of camping, motorhomes and touring caravans swing into town for the Motorhome and Caravan Show, held every October at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
The extensive show – which covered around 20 acres of indoor exhibition space this year – is the flagship event for the leisure vehicle industry where the main campervan, motorhome and touring caravan manufacturers come together to celebrate and display new models, layouts, interior furnishings and more.
The headlines
I mentioned in my show report for the 2025 season that vans seemed to be getting bigger and bulkier. That trend has certainly continued for new models as we head into the 2026 season. I have never seen so many campervans, motorhomes and even touring caravans getting taller and, seemingly wider.
Where once the 8-foot-wide touring caravan was an exclusive variant with only a few models tacked onto the end of an extensive range of the standard 7.2 to 7.5-foot ‘van, the eight-footer has now become a standard size, too.
Meanwhile, where once a 2.5 metre and above height was the reserve of coachbuilt motorhomes, now big and bulky seems to be the order of the day even for van conversions once described as ‘compact leisure vehicles’. However, I considered while wandering around the show, that extra girth and stature didn’t necessarily make for a more efficient layout internally. At the risk of irritating the industry, I did see, in my opinion, some lazy design work not utilising the internal space to best efficiency. In a world that is ever more mindful about the global impact of travel, the industry needs to reflect making leisure vehicles more efficient through design – that is making a smaller vehicle (and, thus, using less materials and fewer resources) feel like a tardis internally.
What’s also noticeable is that there is no such thing as a truly budget vehicle anymore. Most vans – even those with the lowest price tags – now look glossy and made for ‘luxurious’ and tidy living rather than something to genuinely throw some muddy bikes into for a weekend of biking through the forest. There is a concerning trend that camping could become too clean and sanitised.
Nonetheless, word is that some of the 350 exhibitors at the show recorded their ‘best show ever’ for sales, and with attendance up on previous years, north of 96,000 visitors. Clearly campers are looking for big, bold, and beautiful. Here are my top five picks from the show.
For the campervanner that likes a bit of both
Spanish brand Panama launched its first models for the UK market at the Motorhome & Caravan Show in 2024. Now the brand has extended its offer with a new plug-in hybrid campervan, the P/10E. Sold in the UK exclusively by Marquis Leisure, it joins the existing two layouts based upon Ford’s Tourneo Custom with EcoBlue engine, the P/12 and the P/57. The latter is with a hot shower included, a rare thing in a campervan of this size.
But to the new hybrid. It’s built on a Ford Tourneo Custom Active and is powered by a 232 PS/229bhp 2.5l petrol engine combined with a 13kW plug-in hybrid battery (with 11.8kW of usable power). It has an electric-only driving range of up to 52km (or 32 miles) which isn’t going to get you from the UK to the Alps and back on electric, but will get you to the shops to pick up morning croissants from the campsite. It will also get you into London – it is ULEZ compliant – for a camping citybreak, or out of London if you’re looking to escape ‘the big smoke’.
Internally, all-electric compliances, including an induction hob and fridge/freezer in the kitchenette, mean no fiddling with awkward gas bottles. Internal power comes from a 90Ah leisure battery when not using a hook-up attached to an electricity supply at a campsite. A pop-up roof bed offers a panoramic view at night for two sleepers; the vehicle sleeps four, with five belted travelling seats. Note there is no hot shower in the P/10E.
Despite the growth of hybrid vehicles, hybrid campervans remain rare. At £79,995, it is some £12,000 to £20,000 pounds more than the EcoBlue diesel versions, so you really do have to be wedded to the ideology of hybrid vehicles or have an absolute need for one simply to get you in and out of town.
Motorhome adventures for all
Life on the road should be accessible to all. And it is thanks to long-established Midlands-based company Coachbuilt, which specialises in the design and manufacture of wheelchair accessible motorhomes, campervans, and touring caravans.
Base vehicles are motorhomes or tourers, whether new or pre-owned, from renowned manufacturers. But each leisure vehicle comes bespoke according to your personal requirements; Coachbuilt design it to include the integrated access and healthcare equipment you or your family need. Everything from height adjustable beds, wet rooms and shower tables, ceiling track hoists, wheelchair restraint systems, changing tables and entrance doors with wheelchair lifts.
Caravans in which to cook up a storm
There was a new name from a well-established (60 years, as it happens) brand that stormed into the consciousness of visitors, with Elddis showcasing its all-new entry-level range, the Whirlwind.
All new, that is, except for the six layouts that have stood the test of time from one model range to another and continue to prove popular with caravanners. Those six layouts will sleep from two to six people. Internal design is attractive, using neutral tones in both the soft furnishings and the light wood furniture throughout that make the units feel spacious, enhanced by a splash of colour from scatter cushions. Body construction uses Elddis’ SoLiD fully bonded technology, a process that’s also used in Formula 1, aircraft and marine construction. A Whale CompleteHeat system is installed that allows for cosy all-year-round use.
My pick of the six layouts is the four-berth Whirlwind 860, an eight-foot-wide tourer with a transverse double bedroom at the rear, and twin sofas (transformed to a double bed or two singles) at the front that creates a truly spacious living area behind the large, panoramic window. The shower and separate toilet/washroom is central to the ‘van between the front lounge and rear bedroom, ensuring there’s no disturbance to fellow sleepers on a late-night trip to the loo. There’s also a fabulous, spacious kitchen for cooking up a storm. On-the-road prices begin at £24,749 for the two-berth Whirlwind 520. The Whirlwind 860 is priced at £30,749.
For extra spec, the same six layouts are available in the Whirlwind Evolve range, offering premium touring features such as a solar panel, wi-fi system, external shower and sockets, a barbecue connection point, and more.
Between the sheets
There’s always so much more to the Caravan and Motorhome Show than stepping in and out of leisure vehicles. There is, of course, all the gear to personalise your dream ‘van and obtain just the comfort that appeals to you. And what caught my eye as I perused the many stands of gadgets and accessories was the company Jonic, not least for all the staff dressed in pyjamas!
Eye-catching, yes, but with purpose. For the Lancashire-based company was launching its new range of motorhome and caravan bedding, handmade in the seaside town of Morecambe. And you could say that beach holidays and being beside the sea has inspired the new range that had only just been launched a few hours earlier.
You might think it’s easy enough to nip down to your local haberdashers (is there still such a thing?) to pick up standard-sized bedsheets for your ‘van, but Jonic specialise in making bedding for all those irregular-shaped mattresses used in leisure vehicles. Indeed, they even hand make mattresses, too. There were candy stripes and floral prints coupled with designer patterns and duo-toned plain sheets for a mix and match that gives your new ‘van a splash of extra elegance or your well-loved vehicle a makeover.
Video hasn’t killed the radio star
It was the campervan strapped in bold lettering ‘Outside Broadcasting Unit’ that lured me over. Inside, in luminous lettering ‘On Air’. Caravan Radio is the brainchild of radio veteran Mike Osborne. Mike spent over 40 years in commercial radio helping develop some of the UK’s most popular brands including Capital Radio, Heart, Smooth and Classic FM, working alongside some of the industry’s biggest names including Chris Tarrant, Stephen Mulhern and Paul McKenna.
In 2024, Mike decided to set up Caravan Radio, the UK’s only radio station dedicated to serving the UK’s caravan and motorhome community.
The radio station plays great music, together with tips, inspiration, and stories from the world of caravans and motorhomes. Caravan Radio is available 24 hours a day across all major digital players and online at caravanradio.co.uk. Listening numbers and audience engagement are growing rapidly – I tuned in on my way to Kent soon after the show, which set me up nicely for a campervan road trip to France.
But speaking to me at the Show, Mike said “This is the first show for Caravan Radio at the NEC. We have been overwhelmed by the brilliant reaction we’ve had from visitors. It’s been brilliant to meet lots of our listeners and commercial partners. We’re looking forward to an even bigger 2026!”
Hear, hear to that. Roll on the 2026 camping and caravanning season and dreams of adventures big and small. But happy travels for the remainder of 2025.
