How safe is my motorhome or caravan in Europe?

1.1 Overview: Motorhome and Caravan Theft in Europe

Motorhome and caravan theft remains a serious concern for leisure vehicle owners across Europe. Having your vehicle stolen can have significant financial consequences, as well as resulting in the loss of personal belongings and precious holiday memories. However, it is difficult to determine exactly how many motorhomes and caravans are stolen across the European Union each year. Registration systems and statistical categories vary between countries. Some countries record motorhomes separately from passenger cars, while others include them in broader vehicle categories. Nevertheless, the available statistics show that vehicle theft remains a significant problem. The methods used by thieves are also constantly evolving. Organised criminal networks use electronic techniques to steal vehicles without leaving visible signs of forced entry. Stolen vehicles may then be transported abroad and sold or dismantled for spare parts. This means that your motorhome or caravan could be at risk of theft at home, in a car park, on a motorhome stopover site or whilst you are on holiday. To better understand the risks, let’s take a look at the latest available statistics from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

1.2 Key Figures by Country

Important: These figures are not directly comparable. Only the German figures relate specifically to motorhomes. The statistics for the other countries cover broader vehicle categories.

1.3 Germany: Motorhome Theft Remains a Concern

Germany provides relatively detailed statistics on motorhome theft. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) report Bundeslagebild Kfz-Kriminalität 2025, a total of 470 motorhomes were recorded as permanently missing in 2025, compared with 473 in 2024. This represents a slight decrease, despite the continued growth in the number of registered motorhomes. In 2025, Germany had 1,046,383 registered motorhomes, an increase of 6.7% compared with the previous year. The rate of motorhomes permanently reported missing therefore fell to approximately 4.5 per 10,000 registered motorhomes. This is an encouraging development. Nevertheless, motorhomes remain attractive targets for organised criminal networks because of their high value. Some stolen vehicles are transported abroad or dismantled so that their components can be sold separately.

1.4 The Netherlands: Vehicle Theft Increased in 2025

In the Netherlands, statistics published by the Stichting Verzekeringsbureau Voertuigcriminaliteit (VbV), the Dutch vehicle crime insurance bureau, show an increase in passenger car theft. In 2025, a total of 7,497 passenger cars were stolen, representing an increase of 12% compared with 2024. The total financial losses associated with these thefts exceeded €127 million, an increase of 38%. The recovery rate for stolen passenger cars remained relatively stable at approximately 55%. These figures relate specifically to passenger cars and cannot be used to determine the number of motorhomes or caravans stolen. Meanwhile, camping continues to grow in popularity in the Netherlands. As of 1 December 2025, the Netherlands had a record 634,660 registered motorhomes and caravans. With such a large number of leisure vehicles, theft prevention remains an important consideration for their owners.

1.5 Belgium: Thousands of Vehicles Stolen Every Year

In Belgium, statistics published by the Federal Police show that vehicle theft remains a serious concern. In 2025, 6,228 passenger car thefts were recorded, compared with 5,758 in 2024. This represents an increase of approximately 8.2%. The statistics also recorded a total of 240,890 incidents of theft and extortion across all categories in 2025. However, these figures do not relate specifically to motorhomes and caravans. Recent national statistics distinguishing these two categories remain difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, the number of motorhomes in Belgium continues to grow. At the end of 2024, Belgium had 77,107 registered motorhomes, representing an increase of 30.6% over five years. This growth highlights the importance of raising awareness of theft risks and encouraging owners to consider appropriate security solutions for their leisure vehicles.

1.6 France: Theft Figures Fall, but Methods Become More Sophisticated

In France, figures published in February 2026 by France Assureurs and GIE Argos show a decrease in vehicle theft. In 2025, 64,088 vehicles across all categories were reported stolen to insurance companies, compared with 70,459 in 2024. This represents a decrease of 9%. The reduction follows several years of increasing theft figures. However, criminal organisations continue to develop increasingly sophisticated methods, including electronic techniques that allow certain vehicles to be stolen without visible signs of forced entry. Vehicle theft is also concentrated in particular regions.

In 2025, 18% of all reported vehicle thefts occurred in just three French departments: Bouches-du-Rhône, Nord and Rhône. Almost 40% of stolen passenger cars are eventually recovered with the assistance of law enforcement agencies and Argos. These statistics cover all vehicle categories insured against theft and do not provide a precise figure for the number of stolen motorhomes and caravans. Nevertheless, they demonstrate that vehicle theft remains a concern, even in a country as popular with camping enthusiasts as France.

1.7 Conclusion: How Can You Better Protect Your Motorhome or Caravan?

European statistics show that the risk of vehicle theft remains, although trends vary from country to country. In Germany, the number of motorhomes permanently reported missing decreased slightly in 2025. France also recorded a reduction in the total number of vehicles reported stolen. In contrast, passenger car theft increased in both the Netherlands and Belgium. It is therefore important to consider not only the number of thefts, but also the methods used by criminals and the chances of recovering a stolen vehicle.

Effective theft protection ideally involves several complementary security measures:

With its modular security system, E-Trailer allows you to combine solutions such as E-Movement, E-Switch, E-Alarm and E-Track&Trace to provide better protection for your motorhome or caravan. After all, holidays are meant for relaxing, not worrying about the security of your vehicle!