5 Great Novels with CAMPER VANS at their heart

7th August 2026

5 great novels with Camper Vans at their heart. Love a good road trip? We have brought together 5 great reads that will take the reader on the road for campervan capers. Full of adventure and romance, and lots of fun along the way

Escape to Lilacwell by Sasha Morgan

She wanted an adventure. What she found was so much more

Adira Summers has spontaneously quit her high-flying career as a barrister in London. She needs to escape from the rat race and, encouraged by her bohemian gran, has bought a campervan to do so.

Taking off for a tour around Britain, disaster strikes early on when her van breaks down outside the quaint village of Lilacwell. But things look up after she meets handsome Jasper, who is visiting to check on his ailing uncle and his crumbling estate, The Laurels.

As Adira falls for Lilacwell, she is torn between forgoing her travel plans to stay, or continuing with her adventure. Jasper must also choose between returning to his job in Dubai or moving back for his uncle and Adira.

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Daisy’s Vintage Cornish Camper Van by Ali McNamara

When Ana inherits a broken-down camper van from her best friend, she takes the chance for a quick trip to Cornwall – some sea air and fish and chips on the beach is just the tonic she needs.

But St Felix has bigger plans for Ana. She discovers a series of unsent postcards, dating back to the 1950s, hidden in the upholstery of the van. Ana knows that it’s a sign: she’ll make sure that the messages reach the person that they were meant for. And as the broken-down van is restored to gleaming health, so Ana begins to find her way back to happiness.

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Atticus Arnott’s Great Adventure by Caroline James

Escape to sunny Spain in this heartwarming romcom full of romance, self-discovery and the magic of saying yes to adventure.
“A gorgeous story, for all ages, full of heart and hope – sure to inspire a wave of readers to head to Spain in a delightful twist on the Shirley Valentine effect.”

When seventy-year-old Atticus Arnott drives his beloved campervan from the rainy hills of Cumbria to the golden coast of Spain, his village is left reeling. With only his loyal collie, Ness, by his side, Atticus sets out in search of sunshine and serenity—but his journey of travel and self-discovery in Spain soon brings surprises he never imagined.

Back in Ireland, Atticus’s daughter Mary is facing a crisis of her own. As her picture-perfect life starts to crumble, she must find the courage to put herself first for once and rediscover the dreams she set aside long ago.

From a later in life romance to an uplifting women’s fiction story about family, Atticus Arnott’s Great Adventure is a heartwarming travel romance story perfect for fans of escapist holiday read fiction. Proof that it’s never too late to start over, this delightful romcom will inspire readers to embrace the unknown with open arms.

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The Campervan Detectives by Maeve Haran

Fearless, feisty and at the wheel of her bright orange campervan, newly-single Sadie is about to enter a new era… as a detective?!

It’s never too late for a second chance, and when Sadie Sutton’s marriage implodes spectacularly, she jumps into her vintage VW campervan and heads for the twisty cobbled streets and sea views of her childhood in the little seaside town of Winching. But her fresh start comes to an abrupt stop when she trips over a dead body, turning an ordinary walk with her faithful dog Sam Spade into a murder investigation!

Having failed to stop a balaclava-wearing suspect disappearing from the scene into the night, Sadie can’t help but take matters into her own hands. The victim, retired headmistress Charlotte Woolf, was well known around Winching for her sharp tongue – rumours suggest she was particularly disliked by her own husband! But he swears he doesn’t even like killing snails by mistake…

With the enthusiastic help of three women at the campsite who have all embraced Van Life, Sadie starts sleuthing. Who was sending Charlotte anonymous bunches of flowers that had her rattled? Do the members of the local sea swimming club hold a vital clue? Sadie and her friends are on the right track… until their prime suspect ends up dead in his garden shed!

Can Sadie get to the root of the problem and stop the killer before the next person is buried? Or will her fresh new chapter end with her driving her campervan back the way she came?

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Road Trip to the Riviera by Gillian Harvey

When Sarah breaks her leg, her only thought is how on earth she’ll get to the south of France for her beloved son’s wedding. She’s been told not to fly, and the train route involves many changes – not ideal when you can barely walk.

There’s only one person she can turn to. Her son’s father, Hal. The pair were teenage sweethearts when Sarah fell pregnant, and he’s always been in his son’s life. Only his parenting style is more ‘fun uncle’ than serious dad; all the ‘proper parenting’ has been left to Sarah. He’s oblivious. She’s furious.

But she’s out of options. And Hal is happy to drive her, with one proviso: they’re taking the scenic route, in his battered VW camper van.

Now, two people – whose lives have only been intertwined through their child for more than twenty years – are about to find out there is far more of a journey ahead for them than either could possibly anticipate…

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