Caravan food truck: can you convert a caravan?
Thinking of turning a caravan or a horsebox into a food truck? What the papers, hygiene rules and weight limits require in each country, and the alternative.
Romain BarreauFounder of Food Truck Store · 5 min readA caravan food truck is an appealing idea: rounded lines, a serving hatch in the side, a queue outside. So plenty of people go looking for a touring caravan or a horsebox to turn into a crêpe, burger or coffee business. Before you buy one, here is what the rules say, what the conversion really involves, and the alternative: a trailer designed for selling food.
Start with the papers.
In Ireland, a light trailer of up to 3,500 kg is neither registered nor taxed, but every new light trailer sold since 29 October 2012 must be plated and type-approved and come with a certificate of conformity (RSA). Elsewhere, the papers also state what kind of vehicle it is: Italy’s highway code, for example, puts a caravan, equipped for living in when parked, in a separate class from special-use trailers (Codice della strada, art. 56). With any converted caravan for sale, read the papers first, then check the rest with our guide Second hand or new food truck.
- The papersRegistration where your country requires it; in Ireland, the plate and the certificate of conformity.
- The maximum authorised massIncluding the kitchen, water, stock and gas.
- The conversionInspected or approved where your country requires it, and declared to your insurer.
Conversions need approval first.
In several countries, a conversion that changes the vehicle must be inspected or approved before it goes back on the road: a registration inspection in Denmark when the vehicle type changes (BEK 1685/2025, §§ 5 and 6), a muutoskatsastus in Finland (Traficom), approval after conversion in Norway (Statens vegvesen), a visita e prova in Italy (art. 78), a reforma with an ITV inspection in Spain (Royal Decree 866/2010) and an authorised transformação in Portugal (Highway Code, art. 115). Your insurer will not treat a kitchen with gas and customers like a holiday caravan, so tell them before you convert.
- Ask first
Run your plans past your registration authority before you buy.
- Convert, then have it inspected
Where required, the inspection or approval comes after the work.
- Update the papers
If the trailer is registered, its papers must match what it has become.
- Tell your insurer
In writing, before you take it on the road or serve anyone.
A caravan is not a kitchen.
A touring caravan is made for holidays, not for a busy lunchtime service. Where necessary, a mobile food outlet needs hand-washing facilities, drinking water, smooth washable surfaces, and a way to deal with waste and keep food at the right temperature (Regulation (EC) 852/2004, annex II, chapter III). In Ireland, the FSAI expects a food trailer to be purpose built or properly converted, with a canopy over the cooking appliances (FSAI, Guidance Note 16, 5.2).
Stainless steel, water and extraction: a kitchen designed for service.
Gas must be refitted and inspected.
EU law covers the gas appliances; the installation and its checks are up to each country (Regulation (EU) 2016/426, art. 3(3)). In Ireland, non-domestic gas work, LPG included, is reserved for Registered Gas Installers from 1 September 2026 (CRU); in Finland, only an approved gas installation company may repair fixed gas pipework (Tukes). Have the gas installation for your appliances redone and inspected by a qualified professional in your country.
Horseboxes follow the same rules.
Turning a horsebox into a catering trailer is popular too, and the same rules apply: the papers, any approval after conversion, and a kitchen that meets the hygiene rules. A horsebox is made for animals: the floor, walls and vents have to give way to washable surfaces, water, refrigeration and a serving hatch. And the kitchen, water and stock all count towards the maximum authorised mass, which also decides the licence you need (Directive 2006/126/EC, art. 4(4)).
- 750 kgtrailer or less: category B, if your car is rated to tow it
- 3,500 kgcar and trailer combined: the category B limit above 750 kg
- 4,250 kgwith code 96, depending on your country; above that, a BE licence
All the charm, none of the rebuild.
A converted caravan’s charm is really its shape and colours. Every one of our models comes in five colours, and a professional wrap does the rest; underneath, you have an Essentiel AIR 220 at 750 kg, towed on a category B licence and delivered with a European Certificate of Conformity.
The budget, item by item.
We won’t put a price on a conversion: it depends too much on the caravan you start with and on the tradespeople you use. Get a written quote for each item, then compare the total with a new base such as the Essentiel AIR 220, from €11,500 excl. VAT.
- The caravanThe purchase, then the chassis, axle, tyres, brakes and watertightness.
- The kitchenStainless steel worktops, water, tanks, refrigeration, the hood and its outlet.
- Power and gasElectrical and gas installations, each with its own paperwork.
- The papersApproval or inspection, updated papers, insurance.
Choosing with your eyes open.
A good caravan food truck is possible, but it takes approval where your country requires it, papers that match, and a kitchen that meets the rules. If it is the look you are after, a trailer designed for selling food gives you that without the rebuild: browse our food truck trailers, find your layout with the Academy quiz, or read what an empty food trailer still needs.
Designed for service from day one.
Your questions answered.
Got another question? Just ask us ›Yes, as long as the paperwork keeps up: where your country requires it, the conversion must be inspected or approved before you take it on the road. The kitchen must also meet the hygiene rules for mobile food outlets, and the loaded caravan must stay within its maximum authorised mass.
It depends on your country: in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Italy, Spain and Portugal, a conversion must be inspected or approved before it goes on the road. In Ireland, a light trailer is not registered, but the FSAI expects a food trailer to be purpose built or properly converted.
The papers and the maximum authorised mass, the approval of the conversion where your country requires one, the gas and electrical installations, the hood if you cook, and the condition of the chassis and the body.
Yes, with the same steps as a caravan: approval of the conversion where required, a kitchen that meets the hygiene rules, and gas installed by a qualified professional in your country.
Yes, up to 750 kg, or if the car and caravan together come to no more than 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass, as long as your car is rated to tow it. Above that, you need code 96 or a BE licence, depending on your country.
By Romain, founder 
