Guide camping-car pour débutant

Hi,

How do you manage to charge your battery using a solar panel while keeping your vehicle in the shade so it doesn’t turn into an oven?

I have a Renault Trafic, unfortunately black, and my cooler, battery, and BougeRV solar panel.

My battery is mainly used for my electric cooler.

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0CQ4LFVVR?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3

Thanks in advance! Nath

Hi everyone, I don’t think there’s already a thread on this topic, we’re planning—two or three years from now (I know, it’s a ways off...)—a cross-Canada trip from east to west, meaning Montréal ====> Vancouver, and leaving the RV in Vancouver. First, we’ll spend a few days visiting Québec City, then pick up the RV in Montréal. The trip will likely be around 5 weeks, late August to early September. If you’ve got any route ideas, we’d love to hear them! Banff is probably a must-see stop for us. Thanks in advance! Didier and Nicole

Hi everyone, I recently arrived in Uruguay and I'm currently thinking about the best solution for my South America travel project. I have a 2013 Fiat Ducato camper van that's currently in France. My initial plan was to have it shipped to Uruguay so I could travel across South America for about a year, then sell it here at the end of the trip. But now that I'm here, I have a lot of questions about selling a French-registered vehicle in South America, particularly in Uruguay. So, I'd love to hear from anyone who's been in this situation before:

Is it possible to sell a French-registered vehicle in Uruguay without permanently importing it? Is it common to sell your vehicle to other travelers (French, Europeans, or others) who want to continue traveling with it? Are these kinds of transactions relatively straightforward? What administrative procedures should I expect? What are the risks for the seller and the buyer? Are there any South American countries where this kind of sale is easier than in Uruguay? Based on your experience, would it be wiser to sell my van in France and buy a vehicle locally to travel with?

Any advice, experiences, or recommendations are welcome. Thanks in advance for your help !

Bonjour

Aujourd'hui, nous sommes le 7 janvier, jour de Noël Orthodoxe.

C’est l’occasion de partager sur VF la découverte d'un site religieux qui nous a marqués.

Il y a longtemps que nous admirions sur le Web russe les photos du monastère pour femmes de Makaryevo. Elles sont toujours prises depuis les hydrofoils de croisière qui en saison, partent de Nijni-Novgorod.

D'où l'idée d'un pari fou, découvrir le monastère au cours d'une croisière fluviale, avec notre petit fourgon de plombier qui constitue le fil conducteur de nos balades !

Ce pari n'avait aucune chance d'être gagné.

L’équation était en effet impossible à résoudre 😠

1. Trouver un embarcadère 2. Mettre le fourgon sur un bateau 3. Traverser la Volga 4. Arriver au soleil couchant 5. Longer le monastère 6. Le tout sans aucune info fiable. AUCUNE !

Inexplicablement, tous les obstacles vont se lever les uns après les autres ! Nous offrant des instants inoubliables !

Les photos suivent exactement notre parcours.

1. Nous arrivons sur la rive sud de la Volga à la recherche d'un bac desservant Makaryevo. Première tentative, premier échec, nous sommes beaucoup trop à l'Est. Nous trouvons un second bac, mais là aussi, il dessert une autre localité de la rive nord.



2. Nous continuons et rencontrons des pêcheurs. Mais même eux ne savent pas où embarquer une voiture pour le monastère.



3. Après plusieurs recherches infructueuses un jeune homme parlant quelques mots d'anglais nous indique un débarcadère où l'été, les bateaux desservent peut-être le monastère. Par miracle, au bout d'un chemin défoncé, nous trouvons un vieux bac amarré. Mais, personne à bord et une chaîne interdit l'entrée. Après une heure d'attente, un employé arrive et nous dit que ce soir ils vont bien traverser la Volga mais que la rampe de sortie à Makaryevo n'est pas accessible pour notre véhicule. Le capitaine le rejoint et devant nos mines désolées, ils se concertent, discutent et embarquent des bastaings pour rehausser la descente !

Un autre miracle !

4. Nous embarquons donc, une seule passagère nous accompagne, le Trafic étant l'unique véhicule à bord.



5. La traversée fut magique. Et plus longue qu'imaginée puisque qu'ici la Volga est large de plusieurs km et qu'en plus, nous naviguons entre les nombreuses îles !



6. Sous un ciel qui progressivement s'éclaircit, nous découvrons qu'il existe sur le fleuve un ensemble d'habitations, invisibles des rives, qui constituent de petites communautés, où l'on se déplace en bateau !



7. Et soudain, au détour d'un chenal, le monastère apparaît au loin, sur la rive nord.



8. Au moment précis où notre bateau contourne la bouée et se rapproche du monastère, le soleil perce les nuages !



9. Un sublime spectacle, avec notre bateau qui longe les murs d'enceinte dans un silence absolu.



10. Le ciel devenu azur fait ressortir les couleurs éclatantes des bulbes.



11. Nous longeons lentement le monastère sous une lumière extraordinaire que notre petit compact-photo est incapable de restituer.



12. Comme promis, le capitaine et son second vont aménager la rampe de sortie. On ne le perçoit pas sur la photo, mais même avec les bastaings, ce fut limite, le châssis du fourgon effleurant la rampe. Nous les avons chaleureusement remerciés.



13. En cette fin de journée, le monastère est bien sûr fermé. Mais là encore, un miracle va survenir ! Il s'avère que la passagère qui a traversé avec nous est la femme du maire du village. Quand Sylvie lui a dit que nous venions de France, elle a téléphoné à son mari qui a aussitôt contacté la Mère Supérieure du Monastère. Comme dans un rêve, on fait ouvrir le monastère pour nous. Une religieuse et un gardien viennent nous chercher et nous accompagnent dans les chapelles et jardins !



14. Une visite d'autant plus intime que seules les religieuses silencieuses, recueillies, en prière, sont présentes en ces lieux sacrés.



15. Après le dîner pris dans notre petit fourgon, nous profitons de cette lumière exceptionnelle qui illumine le monastère maintenant fermé. Nous sommes les seuls visiteurs du site qui nous apparaît comme un immense vaisseau posé sur la Volga.



16. Le soleil déclinant donne maintenant de superbes teintes rosées aux murs d'enceinte !



17. Progressivement, la mythique Volga prend elle aussi des couleurs magiques ! Pour la nuit, je me contenterai de reculer le fourgon pour le mettre à niveau. Il nous faudra du temps pour trouver le sommeil après ces moments très intenses.



18. Tout aussi inexplicablement, le lendemain matin, la magie continue d'opérer! Voyant que j'ai du mal à plier le genou, le gardien nous autorise à rouler lentement sur le chemin de ronde du monastère. Nous voilà donc au petit jour, promeneurs solitaires entre Volga et murs d'enceinte.



19. La lumière matinale illumine maintenant la façade orientale du monastère, que nous n'avions pas admiré hier. Un moment exceptionnel.



20. D'autant plus impressionnant que nous réalisons que nous sommes sur le chemin de prières des religieuses. Nous les croisons, longues silhouettes noires, silencieuses, entièrement couvertes !



C'est à regret que nous quitterons Makarievo pour suivre la Volga jusqu'à Kostroma sur l'Anneau d'Or. Voilà, il n’y a pas grand-chose à ajouter.

Nous avons déjà fait trois longs périples en Russie à bord de notre petite camionnette. Les comptes rendus sont partagés dans le lien en signature.

Cordialement Sylvie & Bernard

Hi everyone. We’re planning a two-month trip to Morocco and Mauritania this fall (2026). We’d like to use this trip to get some bodywork and paint done on our VW T4 camper bus. Does anyone have recommendations for trustworthy auto body shops (either personally tested or firsthand recommendations)? Thanks in advance.

"Hey fellow road-trippers! 🚐🔥 After 4 years on the road, I’ve noticed something simple: we’re all looking for the same things. Authentic welcomes, great local eateries, and stops that don’t feel like supermarket parking lots. But it’s always bugged me to see small producers or local guesthouses getting their margins eaten up by big booking platforms. That’s why I created TerraNomad. The concept is straightforward:

The pro (farmer, restaurant, small campsite, guesthouse) pays no commission to be on our map. In return, they offer a special welcome or discount to members.

It’s direct, local, and human. We’re starting in France, then heading together toward Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. Quick question: Does this kind of "no-middleman" network speak to you? I’m opening the first 100 Founding Member spots this Friday night (special launch price at 12 € for the year—just 1 € per month). Can’t wait to read your thoughts and see if you’d be up for this adventure! 🌍✋"

Is it complicated to rent a car and drive in Morocco? Also, is an international driver’s permit mandatory? Thanks

hi where can you park a camper van in Trieste to sightsee and sleep? thanks

Hi there, Does anyone have a good agency recommendation for renting a camper van in Morocco (Marrakech or Essaouira) for about two weeks in March 2026? Thanks for your tips!

Hi everyone,

We’re a family of four—two adults with two kids aged 4 and 7—about to embark on a year-long round-the-world trip in a camper van. I’m currently planning the Asia leg, which should last about 6 months. We’ll arrive in Thailand in January, head north, then move on to Laos. Ideally, we’d continue to Vietnam, Cambodia, and then return to Thailand to head south into Malaysia. If the budget allows, we’d love to include China and Japan. The big question after lots of research is: how easy is it to temporarily import a vehicle into these countries? The info I’ve found is outdated (2019–2020), and given how quickly regulations change, I’d love to hear from anyone currently (or recently) traveling in these countries with their vehicle. I’ve read that you need a local guide in Vietnam, local license plates in China, and that importing a vehicle into China is quite complicated—are these rules still in place? More generally, is there a recommended route for this part of the world with a camper van?

Thanks in advance!

hello fellow travelers For my golden years, I'd like to drive to India in my 508. I want to avoid Iran and Pakistan. Instead, I’m thinking of going through Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, then taking the ferry from Baku to Türkmenbaşy in Turkmenistan, followed by the Silk Road through Central Asia—Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

After that, China? I’ve seen that some travelers manage to drive through China with their own vehicle... Then Tibet, Nepal, and India... But things get tricky with the Himalayan crossing. I’ve checked on Google—it looks tough.

Any tips or info on these routes? Thanks

Hi, It seems that vans and campervans aren't allowed on Hurtigruten ferries? We have a California van with a bike rack—length: 5.70 m / height: 2.20 m / width: 1.95 m. We'd like to take the ferry from Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands this coming September. Thanks for sharing any info!

regions Brittany, Rhône-Alpes, and Massif Central (Auvergne Limousin)

Hi fellow travelers, We’re planning our first trip to Iceland. We’re considering renting a 4x4 where we could sleep from time to time. My question is: What’s the current regulation in Iceland? Which areas allow sleeping in your vehicle, and where is it prohibited (requiring you to stay in campgrounds)? In June, is it possible to find spots without having booked in advance? Sergio

Hi there,

We’re traveling in our camper van from Haute-Savoie.

We’ve got 2 weeks in April and want to explore northern Portugal.

We’re thinking of:

- Peneda-Gerês National Park - the Douro Valley - Porto

We love nature, hiking, and culture (and also good food and wine).😉

Do you have an itinerary to suggest?

Thanks in advance for your replies

Hi there,

We're planning a full week in Iceland in April. Given the short timeframe to prepare, I’m asking for some help on the forum.

We’re considering renting a camper van to be more independent with our travel. - Is this really a good idea at this time of year due to weather conditions (cold nights, poor road conditions, etc.)? - Can we just "park" anywhere for the night to sleep, or do we absolutely have to go to a campsite? What are the approximate rates for a van with 2 people? Do we need to book in advance? - If this mode of transport is recommended, do you have any good places to rent one?

Iceland is still a big island with lots of points of interest, so I think it’ll be tough to see everything in 8 days. - Are there parts of the island we should prioritize in April? We like hiking (nothing too long—6 or 7 hours is out of the question) and unique landscapes. - Are some sites inaccessible at this time of year? - Is Reykjavik worth stopping for a day or two?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Jeff

Hi there,

Most of the time when I travel, I tow a trailer with an ATV for my local trips... I’d love to hear from anyone who’s traveled with a trailer and a second vehicle of any kind—especially the downsides of towing a trailer in Norway, aside from ferry costs.

Thanks!

hi, I’m planning a trip to Albania in a camper van, most likely between May, June, and early July (2027), for about 60 days. On the way down, I’ll go as far as Bari (or Brindisi) and cross by ferry, and on the way back, I’ll go through the former Yugoslavia (or maybe take the return ferry?). Has anyone been there recently? What are the roads like, the must-see spots, and any general tips you can share? There’ll probably be two of us traveling together. Thanks

Hi there, During our last trip to Greece in 2021, we used Anek Lines' open deck offer, which allowed us to spend the night in our van on an open deck by the sea with access to the ferry's bars, restaurant, and showers (on the Ancona-Igoumenitsa route). From my initial research, it seems this service no longer exists—can anyone confirm this? Any alternatives? Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m planning to drive my camper van to southern Spain in autumn 2026. Ideally, I’d like to find a ferry leaving from France (Marseille or Toulon, doesn’t matter) that drops me off as far south in Spain as possible. I’ve done some research but haven’t had any luck. Thanks for your tips! Vanouk

nous désirons partir 15 jours en aout visiter la Normandie en partant de lyon est ce quelqu'un a un itinéraire à me proposer pour visiter la Normandie

nous voudrions aller dans le calvados visiter cote fleurie, honfleurs , cabourg, deauville, plages du débarquement

mont saint michel

cote d'albatre , falaises d'Etretat et peut être rouen fabienne

Hi there, I have a bit of a crazy dream... I'd love to drop everything and hit the road with my wife and kids in a camper van. I want to visit villages to learn, immerse ourselves in other cultures, and see different perspectives on the world. To teach my kids different values.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a campervan road trip and would love some tips from those who know these countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia again. At the moment, nothing’s set in stone, but for example, is it better to visit Slovenia or Bosnia? My preferences lean toward landscapes (rivers, sea, lakes)—basically anywhere there’s water! :) Wild camping, cheap or even free spots, and a *very* tight budget—it’s the discovery, curiosity, and meeting locals that drive me. I’ll visit cities and sites only if access is easy (by bike, for example, or by train from an affordable campsite) and if visitors aren’t treated like cash cows. Just reasonable stuff, really. So, any advice is welcome—like swimming spots or easy hikes along coasts or rivers. I love caves and offbeat visits (salt mines in Poland, La Roque Saint-Christophe in France, etc.). Castles and old ruins? Not really my thing... Thanks for your help! Sylvia

Hi, I’m planning to pick up a camper van in Dubai and drive it back to France... is this even possible? What’s the best route? What are the main challenges? Are there secure parking areas along the way? Is diesel fuel available for the whole trip? ... So many questions... Thanks for your help! See you soon!

I'm planning to drive to the UAE by road, going through Iraq. Has anyone done this and can give me some info? Specifically about the border crossings Turkey/Iraq and Iraq/Kuwait.

Hi there, I’d love to hear your thoughts on a trip to New Zealand in a campervan. Is it a good idea to mix hotels and a car on the North Island and a campervan on the South Island? Or should I do the whole trip in a campervan—though visiting big cities seems trickier that way. Other questions: which companies do you recommend, and what are the least tiring or most sensible routes? 😄 Thanks for sharing your experiences and ideas!

Hi there, We’re planning to tour Scandinavia by camper van—Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway (in that order)—for 5 weeks from late May to late June 2026. I’ve done it before, but that was way back in 1980 😎 and by hitchhiking! We’d love to hear from anyone who’s done this trip about the best routes, great tips, must-know advice, and what to do or avoid (ferries, campsites, etc.). Thanks in advance!

bonjour,

Nous partons cet été faire un tour dans le sud de l'Angleterre en camping car, avec notamment un passage par Londres.

Qui aurait une bonne expérience dans un camping autour de Londres avec un accès aisé aux transports publics pour rejoindre le centre-ville? L'idéal serait de laisser le camping car au camping...

merci beaucoup d'avance pour votre aide!

Hi everyone, I’m planning a trip with my camper van in autumn 2026 to head to southern Italy from Genoa by ferry. Ideally, I’d like to leave from Genoa for southern Italy (like Messina) or another city in the boot. I’ve done some research online but haven’t had any luck. Can you help or give me some advice? Thanks in advance! Vanouk

Hi there, we’ll be in Portugal from March 9 to April 14, 2026. We’ve booked our first five days in Lisbon for sightseeing. After that, we’d like to rent a campervan (RV), but we’re having trouble finding a good site for the rental. The rental would be for about three weeks. Do you have any suggestions for us? We think it’s best to book the campervan before we arrive. And since we’re not mechanics, we need a vehicle in good condition...

Thanks so much for your suggestions. We’re open to everything—even route ideas and places to visit! Pierrette