Author
Martha writes about interiors, ownership stories, and the everyday realities of campervan life, with a focus on comfort, cost, and how vans are used over time.
Latest storyMotorhome Buying Guides
Auto-Trail's new Adventure coachbuilt puts a permanent bed over the cab of a Peugeot Boxer and prices the long models at £71,000 ex-works. Here is why that layout suits a family of four, and the weight, licence and payload questions to settle before you sign.
Martha12 min read
Campervan Buying Guides
Martha12 min readA fair look at the new 2027 campervans listed under £60,000 ahead of the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC, with each price given as its maker words it, and the differences between ex-works, delivered and German-retail-based figures explained so you can compare real on-the-road totals.
Motorhome Buying Guides
Martha9 min readThe October 2026 NEC show offers from Auto-Sleepers, Auto-Trail dealers and Marquis Leisure, decoded: what each free pack is worth to you, what it weighs, what a heavier plate means for your licence and tax, and the questions to settle before you sign.
Motorhome Buying Guides
Martha15 min readThe Coachman Sportivo 565 TRAQ puts a 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter under a Swedish-built, winter-ready coachbuilt at £146,500. We weigh what four-wheel drive adds on wet grass, gravel and snow against the £25,669 premium, the 4,100 kg weight and the C1 licence many drivers will need.
Motorhome Safety, Weight & Licensing
Martha12 min readEura Mobil's new short Xtura pairs a four-wheel-drive Mercedes base with an electrically raised roof tent and insulated inner tent. We go through the beds, the weights, the C1 licence question, speed limits, the 3.21 m height and what is still unconfirmed for the UK.
Campervan Buying Guides
Martha37 min readA long, honest look at the Volkswagen Grand California 600 Dune for UK buyers: the dated price, the engine and real-world economy, the size, the payload sums that catch people out, the 3.88-tonne fix and its licence cost, the over-cab bed, how it copes with a British winter, and a viewing checklist.
Campervan Buying Guides
Martha11 min readMalibu has added an electric drop-down bed layout to its RELAX campervan range for 2027, while the Sprinter-based Genius gets new interior finishes. We unpick the naming confusion, explain how the bed works, weigh the payload and headroom trade-offs, and ask whether this is the sensible first Malibu.
Costs, Running & Reality
Martha26 min readAn honest, detailed guide to spending less on motorhome life without staying home, from cheaper park-ups and smarter fuel use to insurance, maintenance and clever kit choices.
Campervan Kit & Gear
Martha25 min readThermal screens keep a campervan warm on a frosty night, cool in summer, and free of streaming condensation, and the cab and the pop-top are where you win or lose that battle. Here's the full guide to internal, external and magnetic thermal blinds, with honest pros, cons and prices.
Design, Layout & Living Space
Martha25 min readSprayed cork like Corkon is having a moment in van builds, and for good reason. But it's not the insulation a lot of people think it is. Here's the honest guide to what cork does brilliantly, what it doesn't, and how to use it well.
Design, Layout & Living Space
Martha15 min readCarpet, felt or wood? Your campervan's lining shapes how it looks, sounds and copes with damp, and the best choice isn't the one most people assume. An honest, practical comparison.
Campervan Reviews
Martha15 min readHillside's Hopton 600RS is a beautifully built, fully type-approved 6m camper on the modern VW Crafter and MAN base. We review Britain's sensible take on the family adventure van.
Campervan Tech & Electrics
Martha20 min readA Starlink Mini Kit costs £179. The monthly plan is £50 for 100 gigabytes, and you can pause it the moment you get home. The hardware is often free in the UK. For less than the price of a decent campsite awning, you get broadband speed internet anywhere with a clear view of the sky. Mobile data routers in campervans are finished. Here is why.
Campervan Buying Guides
Martha10 min readThe VW Grand California has brilliant bones but baffling decisions. The 600 nails interior living with its headroom and pull-out bed, while the 680 wastes its extra length on a different bed orientation instead of a bigger lounge. At £84,000 plus, with metallic paint costing £1,518 extra, it looks expensive next to the Eriba Car on the same Crafter platform at £71,120. VW needs to remember what made the campervan famous in the first place.
Motorhome Reviews
Martha20 min readThe Hymer GT S is a new Mercedes Sprinter based motorhome that starts just over £92,000 in the UK. It is expensive, but it delivers a genuinely premium driving and living experience without feeling over done. In this review, we look closely at the layouts, winter capability, Hymer Connect tech, real world storage, and why the GT S can be strong value compared with other Mercedes based Hymer motorhomes.
Motorhome Tech, Heating & Systems
Martha10 min readTruma’s CombiNeo 4 E is a new style of combined heater that aims to make motorhome hot water feel far more normal, with hot water in minutes and a shower experience that does not run out after one person. It looks like a real step forward for comfort, especially in UK touring where wet weather, family routines, and site hook up all shape how you use heating.
That's every story. The first one went up in November 2025.
