Caravan (trailer)
A caravan, travel trailer, camper, tourer or camper trailer is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent. It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places where none is available. However, in some countries campers are restricted to designated sites for which fees are payable.
Caravans vary from basic models which may be little more than a tent on wheels to those containing several rooms with all the furniture and furnishings and equipment of a home. Construction of the solid-wall trailers can be made of metal or fiberglass. Travel trailers are used principally in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The word caravan is regional to Great Britain, while in North America they are called travel trailers or camper trailer; different parts of the anglosphere may use further variations on either of these. This has led to further variations, such as in New Zealand a motor caravan is typically called a motorhome in North America. In North America, caravans are included under the umbrella term recreational vehicle, or RV for short - though they do not have to be for recreation, and the term includes travel trailers and many other types. Types of travel trailers in the US include teardrop trailer, fifth-wheel, hybrid, and pop-up. To further clarify, in North America mobile home and trailer parks are generally not caravans or caravan park, those are actually a prefabricated home fixed in place, though sometimes they can be. In general, a caravan park there is more like an RV park, which might have temporary hookups for sewage, power, and/water for a caravan but usually allows other types such as motorhomes or campervans. Australian English calls both RV parks and trailer parks, caravan parks. Tiny homes that are mobile can have much in common with a caravan; however, going RVing and the tiny home movement are different trends. One is more about living mobile and/or vacationing, and the other is more about living in a small house mostly in one location. In North America a fifth-wheel is like a bigger caravan that mounts into the bed of a truck rather than a trailer hitch.
A caravan fits in the range of vehicles in that has more fixed structures then a camper trailer, but lack an engine like a campervan or motorhome. In the United States and Canada, most caravans would be called an RV of the subtype, ''travel trailer.''
History
In Europe, the origins of travel trailers and caravanning can be traced back to the travelling Romani people, and showmen who spent most of their lives in horse-drawn caravans.Samuel White Baker purchased an actual Gypsy caravan in Britain and shipped it to Cyprus for his tour in 1879. The world's first leisure trailer was built by the Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works in 1880 for William Gordon Stables, a popular author of teenage adventure fiction, who ordered a "gentleman's caravan". It was an design, based upon their Bible Wagons, used by travelling preachers in America's Wild West. Stables named it Wanderer. He travelled around the British countryside in it and later wrote a book documenting his travels in 1885 called The Gentleman Gypsy. This moved the Duke of Newcastle to commission his own caravan, The Bohemian.
By the turn of the century, caravanning for leisure had become an increasingly popular activity. In 1901, the first dedicated caravanning club was established. The Camping and Caravanning Club was founded by Thomas Hiram Holding, the father of modern camping. The Caravan Club was founded in 1907 with Stables as its vice president. Its stated aim was to "... bring together those interested in van life as a pastime... to improve and supply suitable vans and other appliances... and to arrange camping grounds". Caravanning gained popularity in North America in the 1920s.
Modern travel trailers come in a range of sizes, from very small two-berth trailers with no toilet and only basic kitchen facilities, to large, triple-axle, six-berth types.
Romani caravan
Caravans, particularly the vardo, have served both as a significant cultural icon and symbol of the nomadic Romani people. Until the early 19th century, Romani caravans served primarily as a means of transport and not as a domicile. At the beginning of the 19th century, more Romani people began to live in their caravans instead of sleeping in tents. The caravan offered greater protection from weather conditions and could be outfitted with modern amenities such as wood-burning stoves. Often, caravans were commissioned to be built at the request of newlywed couples and their families. The small-scale, pre-industrial methods of the builders and the labour-intensive nature of the building process meant that a family's caravan could take up to a year to build.Standards
Trailer caravan is defined in ISO Standard 3833:1977, Road vehicles – Types – Terms and definitions, term No 3.2.1.3.North America
In North America, the term caravan is obscure. A caravan is an RV, and going RVing would be caravanning. Most caravan designs would probably be called a travel trailer, or in some cases a fifth wheel or camper trailer. Caravans can go to RV parks or some camp sites not trailer parks, which usually communities of semi-permanent structures called mobile homes. However, sometimes they can be actual collections of trailers with wheels that are very mobile.Travel trailer
In the United States and Canada, the history of travel trailers can be traced back to the early 1920s, when those who enjoyed their use were often referred to as 'tin can tourists'. As time progressed, trailers became more liveable and earned a new name in the 1930s and 1940s, which was the house trailer. In the 1950s and 1960s, the industry seemed to split, creating the two types that are seen today, that of the recreational vehicle industry and mobile home industry. Travel trailers are classified as a type of RV along with motorhomes, fifth-wheel trailers, pop-up trailers, and truck campers.Smaller travel trailers and pop-ups are still made with touring in mind. These generally are less than long and contain simple amenities. By design, they are lightweight and quick to set up or prepare for travel. Most weigh less than and can be towed with a large car or small truck depending upon its towing capacity. Lightweight pop-up trailers weighing less than, such as the Combi-camper and Kamparoo can be towed even by small economy cars. Some exceptionally-light travel trailers can be pulled by a motorcycle or even bicycle. Fiberglass body construction entered the U.S. scene in 1971 with the introduction of the first U.S.-produced mini travel trailer, called the Playpac. Since then, moulded fiberglass trailers have gained more popularity due to many factors including durability, lightweight design, modern features and a modern nod to retro chic design.
The Playpac, invented by Steven Whysel, was the answer to the needs of the growing horde of VW "Bug" and other small-car owners who wanted a hard-shelled camper, light enough to be pulled by a small car. It came with a private water closet, shower, and the ability to sleep six. Its ultramodern aerodynamic styling and domed skylight by the modernist industrial designer Toshihiko Sakow made it an instant hit. It was short-lived, however, as the first Arab Oil Embargo and the ensuing major slow-down of RV sales caused it to cease operations. The Boler travel trailer was developed in Canada in 1968, soon joining the Playpac in the U.S. fiberglass light-weight class. The Hunter and Amerigo travel trailers were also available at that time. As moulded fiberglass technology advanced, more companies entered into the market. Key moulded fiberglass innovations made the travel trailers more durable but also lighter which allowed for more luxury amenities.
Mid-range travel trailers are long, can weigh or more, and are generally towed with compact pickup trucks and SUVs. They have most of the amenities of the larger travel trailers, but sleep fewer people.
Image:AirstreamTrailer.jpg|thumb|An Airstream travel trailer
Larger travel trailers are made with seasonal or full-time users in mind. These generally range from long and contain all the comforts of a luxury condominium. These amenity-laden models can reach or more, requiring a purpose-built tow vehicle, highway tractor or large truck or SUV. While trailers may weigh in even above that, most long-bed pickups have a maximum tow-weight of. Multiple televisions and air conditioners are common in units of this size. Slide-out rooms and screen porches add to livability. By law, travel trailers are limited to of living area, and many models offer exactly that plus any optional slide-outs.
Image:KZHybridTrailer-2009-12-08.JPG|thumb|left|A hybrid travel trailer
With all of the disincentives inherent in local government zoning regulations and building codes to affordable, ecological and compact housing solutions, travel-trailers offer a possibility for those considering an ecological full-time home or seasonal cottage. Travel-trailers are often acceptable on flood-plains, areas outside of urban growth limits, et cetera, where regular buildings are not allowed. Among the virtues of a trailer park are its light infrastructure, low ecological footprint, minimal land disturbance, abundant permeable surfaces, and ease of site restoration.
Some specialized brands of the trailer, such as the hi-lo trailer, have an upper half that can be folded down over the lower half to a total height of about five feet for reduced wind resistance during travel; these otherwise contain everything other travel trailers have.
Innovation in travel trailers is the hybrid travel trailer, combining the features of a pop-up and a hard-sided trailer. In its camping configuration, one or more bunks fold down from the side with canvas tent covers. When travelling, the bunks fold up, leaving four hard sides. Larger models allow the hybrid travel trailer to be used while "turtled"meaning with the sides up. The primary advantage of a hybrid travel trailer is it offers a greater space-to-weight ratio. A disadvantage is the tent ends are not insulated and are subject to heat loss and condensation.
In the United States, it is generally illegal for passengers to ride in a travel trailer, while in motion, unlike horse-drawn trailers and coaches. Triple towing is not allowed in some U.S. states, such as California, Alabama, Florida, or New York; however, triple towing is permitted in Texas if the combined length does not exceed.