Newsletter July 2025
A Message from Steve and Jaye
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re all enjoying your summer adventures, wherever they’re taking you.
We’ve got some exciting news to share this month, our brand new AWD Rebellion configurator is now live.
This means you now have complete control over your build, right down to exactly what you do (and don’t) want on your dream motorhome. The RWD Rebellion and Rebel configurators will follow soon, so watch this space.
I also want to say how wonderful it was to see so many of you at our recent Owners Forum. The weather played its part and ensured we had a brilliant weekend. It’s always great to see so many RP vans together and share a few days with our extended RP family. Of course it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and hospitality of Matthew and Pauline, so a special thanks to them for hosting us once again.
On a practical front, with the temperatures climbing, don’t forget to keep your motorhome as cool as possible. Keep your blinds shut when you’re parked up and remember to use your MaxxFan to draw that warm air out. Small things make a big difference.
Lastly, if you haven’t yet, do take a moment to read our new Meet the Owners feature, we love sharing your stories and seeing the places your RP takes you.
Wishing you all safe travels and sunny days over the summer months.
Steve & Jaye Young
Owners' Forum
What a weekend we had for this year’s Owners Forum.
Over twenty RP vans came together, some older, some brand new, but all proudly part of our ever-growing RP family.
It’s always such a joy to see everyone reconnecting with familiar faces, making friends with new faces and swapping stories and ideas of travels past and planned.
Friday evening set the tone perfectly, the simple pleasure of sitting together around the campfire, laughter and good conversation drifting into the night.
As ever, Matthew and Pauline were the most wonderful hosts, and the historical tour of their house - once a medieval hunting lodge - was a real highlight.
Saturday brought out everyone’s playful side with boat building and racing and candle making, all rounded off with a wonderful hog roast in the evening.
And then of course there was the boat race on the Sunday morning, which with no wind was proving to be an interesting affair until Steve stepped in with the leaf blower to move things along.
What I’ll remember most is the shared passion for adventure, hearing you talk about the trips you’ve taken and the journeys still to come is what makes our community so special.
Thank you to all of those there for being a part of it. We look forward to doing it all again next year.
Steve and Jaye
Meet the Owners: Mike and Emma
It was Michael J. Fox who said “family is not an important thing, it is everything.” And so to lose such a large part of your family at a relatively young age could be seen as rather devastating, or perhaps as the catalyst for ensuring you make the most of every day of life.
Just ask Mike and Emma O’Callaghan. Having already lost her Dad when she was twelve, Emma lost her Mum, along with both of Mike’s parents when they were in their early thirties. However, out of their considerable grief came a shared life philosophy that has guided them ever since. The philosophy? Make the most of every opportunity.
“Emma and I lost our parents, both of our parents on both sides, by the time we were in our early thirties,” Mike said. “That made us realise that we can’t take anything for granted. Carpe diem, right? Seize the day. Take the opportunity.”
By that stage of life they had already known each other for over twenty years, having first met as dance partners aged just twelve and eleven respectively. They would eventually go on to become British Amateur Ballroom Champions before deciding to give it up to focus on careers and family life.
It was their seize the day mentality that saw them move to Luxembourg with Mike’s work in the global technology industry, a period of life that opened their eyes to not only a different culture but a different way of living, one that has had a lasting impression on them.
“We started to realise that the way of life that they've preserved in Luxembourg and Germany and France is so important,” Mike explained. “Sundays are sacrosanct. No supermarkets were open. There's still a boulangerie and boucherie in each little hamlet. We were part of a commune, literally, that's what they call it, a commune.
“I think we started to realise then actually that maybe in the UK we'd sold out a bit, like the US, and everything was always available, always on demand. All the shops are open every single day.”
For all of the travel that came as part and parcel of Mike’s work, there was always that feeling that it would have been better had they been seeing the world together, which has been one of the main reasons for fully embracing the latest chapter of their lives.
“We haven’t really been extensive travellers in the past,” Mike said. “We've usually had a reason to go somewhere. For work I’ve had to travel everywhere you can imagine. The regret is waking up in places like Rajasthan to the most beautiful sunrise and not having Emma there with me to share it.”
“You realise what’s important,” Emma added, speaking of their more recent travels. “It’s the time and the connection you have with each other, the shared experiences you have along the road, that's what life's about.”
It was this ever-evolving desire to create more travel memories together that saw them buy their first motorhome, a Swift Bolero, which for a long period was the perfect vehicle for them. However, as the years went by they both realised they wanted to become more adventurous with their travels, they wanted to get ‘off the beaten track’ and for that they would need a different vehicle.
“We started looking at exploring places like Scandinavia, the Faroe Islands and the Outer Hebrides,” Mike said. “We’re very social people, but what we’ve learned is that travel is also about us, about what we want, which is peace, space and being away from others. That means finding places where we could stay legally, leave no footprint and be self-sufficient.
“There were only so many vehicles that offered proper off-road capability with the spec and comfort we wanted. We came very close to buying a Hymer, just based on the brochures, but when we saw it in person at the NEC we changed our minds. We were shocked by how bad the build quality was. And that’s when we came across RP.”
For Mike and Emma it wasn’t just the van that impressed them, but also Steve and Jaye and the constant work they do to keep developing their vehicles.
“Talking to Steve, hearing their story and his R&D ideas it was clear that we’d found the right company and vehicle,” Mike explained. “We didn’t just want to buy a van, we wanted to partner with someone to build our van.
“We realised they were moving toward full-electric, no gas, with advanced power systems, inverters and solar, which tied in with us wanting to be as eco-conscious as possible. We loved the biodegradable toilet. The APM (advanced power management) system meant we could be self-sufficient, leave the lightest touch wherever we were.”
To say that Mike and Emma have fully embraced their Rebellion would be something of an understatement. They rented a small van to drive from Kent to RP HQ on handover day with no intention of heading home. Instead they took everything they thought they would need, and more, for five weeks on the road and simply continued heading north.
“Over the next five weeks we covered more than 2,000 miles, taking in the Northumberland coast, Edinburgh, the NC500 and a wealth of Scottish highlights, from Ben Nevis to the Mull of Kintyre,” Emma said. “The British Isles have so much to offer, and the Scottish Highlands are absolutely breathtaking.
“Your life becomes very simple when you’re operating in the confines of a van which has everything you need for day-to-day life. It becomes uncomplicated and that’s what we love about it.”
2026 RP Adventure Tours
We are delighted to be able to share dates with you for next year’s tours. Not only will we be heading back to the Balkans, but we will be launching a brand new trip in the UK, as well as adding a third date for Morocco. As always with these tours, it’s first come, first booked and all are available to book now.
Wild Wales: June 2nd to June 8th
Balkans: September 16th to October 1st
Morocco: October 26th to November 13th
Keep an eye out for more details on all of these trips in the coming weeks. To reserve your place on any of these tours please contact either Marcus or Jaye