The Caravan Club provide services and activities for 1 million caravan, motor caravan and trailer tent owners, as well as offering a superb choice of quality caravan parks and caravan sites throughout the UK and Ireland. We also have the largest touring caravan insurance scheme in the UK, so get your insurance online today. Nowadays the caravan is having a surprising recovery. Knights used the caravans in Crusades and the people who afforded to have one used it as tool for moving around. The conquest of Wild West is probably the one who made the caravans famous. What would it have been like to cross the Rocky Mountains without the covered wagons? The alternative was a cold draughty ride on a horse or tramping along in the mud. Only a hundred years ago you could see brightly painted horse-pulled Romany caravans on our roads. But what about now, when you have roads and maps and so many means of getting where you want? What would be now the role of caravans? You can find the answer in the need of freedom people are still having. In the last century motor-car ownership took off but the same thing happened to caravans and soon drivers found themselves queuing behind lines of caravans on the way to the coast. For decades the typical image of motor-caravanners was probably that of a hippy family in an old VW. Nowadays the image of caravans is so much improved and in many cases caravan became a luxury home-from-home with a price to match. By the time more and more people that had money to spend became interested in having their own home from home that could give them the freedom to travel all over the place in good condition, the static caravan took off. These uncool and static caravans located by the sea or by the wild forests are now history. Lately caravanning became one of the country's most popular holidays. Celebrities enjoy this way of traveling or more accurate this way of living. Actresses like Helen Mirren and Tracy Shaw, singers like Mark Owen, Chris Evans and even Sir Jimmy Saville are owners and satisfied users of caravans. And now we can talk about fancy, luxury and styled caravans. The classic old hand built caravans, such as the Stirling and the Carlight, used to be expensive - the top of the market. Back in the fifties, these caravans were bought and run by owners of the Armstrong Siddeley, Lagonda and Rover cars. The owners thought nothing about embarking on overseas trips with them of thousands of miles. The Royal Caravan gets a close inspection from a member of the Caravan Club On display was a small caravan actually owned by the Princess Royal. The van - a third of the size of a regular one - was made especially for the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal as children and given to them in 1955. As youngsters, they would play in the towable caravan, which has its own working sink, cupboards, electricity and two facing seats - but for safety reasons an unconnected hob. The most important thing to remember when looking at used caravans is damp. The walls and floors are especially susceptible to damp and should be checked thoroughly. Another concerns should be the seals around the windows, doors and vents, these should be in good order to prevent leaks. If you see any form of damp or poor sealing walk away and try somewhere else, it will cost a fortune to fix. Throughout the UK the holiday industry relies on Caravans as many of the Holiday parks feature a large selection of new caravans on offer for holiday makers visiting the area. This has been the case since the 1950's and 60's where caravan holidays in the UK became extremely popular. This allowed an entirely new market to appear that meant the sales of caravans across the United Kingdom; this market grew fairly quickly from both private and public sales to private owners and large holiday parks across the country. The popularity of caravans was not expected when the caravan first appeared, but the late 50's and 60's were a time of big music concerts and beach holidays being very popular with people all over the UK. Bands like the Beatles and big beach resorts such as Blackpool meant lots of people travelled to these events and areas and these people needed somewhere to stay. At the big concerts many people used tents to stay in across the field that the concert was being held at. But the other major accommodation that people would have to stay in were caravans and VW campers, the fans that came to see the bands would either have to stay at nearby caravan parks and make the trip to the concert or take their own private caravan to the site. This meant all the while caravan companies were taking in big profits due to the large increase in sales. In today's market the new caravan business is still big but has declined since the early years of mass concerts and beach holidays. This can be down to the weather in the UK in the summer since the turn of the century has changed for the worse. Also the increase in low cost air travel and the internet mean that many of the UK's tourists will travel to mainland Europe to go on holiday with countries such as France and Spain being tourist hot spots in recent years. This is down to the better weather and a different culture. Another example for the change is that society has changed in the UK since the 60's and 70's. The traditional English beach holiday has been in decline due to more people travelling abroad and beach holiday resorts decreasing in quality. Also with new technology being released many people consider the caravan holiday as 'boring' and choose not to go in the great outdoors, this new technology is gadgets such as the Xbox 360 which makes teenagers and young people to want to stay indoors and play rather than go on an outdoors holiday and go hiking and biking for example. The new caravan market has been helped considerably by the caravan transport business as well as these two go hand in hand. Without either of these businesses operating then both markets would not be able to survive. This is because the new caravans would not be able to be transported to the caravan sites throughout the country without the caravan transport business. Overall the new caravan business has changed since its early days and has turned a corner with the business being valued differently on the market in the UK. With more new technologies being made the new caravan business is being forced to enter new sectors of the market other than the holiday business to gain the profit they need. Overall while the last twenty years have not been completely fair to the caravans industry, as economic malaise becomes a reality, the cheaper holidays offered by caravanning companies will undoubtedly become more popular. Another of the iconic camper vans were those created by Wally Byam of the Airstream company. Airstream started off in 1936 with a trailer called "the Clipper". Using aircraft technology to reduce wind resistance and provide optimal strength to weight ratio, the Airstream has become a true American icon. The first Airstream branded camper van called "the Classic" made its debut in 1979. The company continues to innovate and produce camper vans to this day and has a 10,000 strong international membership of the Wally Byam Caravan Club. Over 1000 rallies are held each year by the club. Camper vans have evolved into what we call motorhomes. As the name suggests, the objective is to create a "mobile home from home". Motorhomes come in all shapes and sizes and are generally classed by the distance between the front axle to the rear axle . This measurement is called the "wheelbase length" and is termed as short, medium and long. Fuel costs are a definite consideration for many when deciding to hire a camper van. This problem has been taken on board by the rental companies and manufacturers. Many camper van hire companies now offer vans with conversions to LPG. This should at least half your fuel costs. One thing I should mention is that insurance cover for camper van hire can be expensive and you should know up front exactly what you are covered for. Take time to review the policy. Remember to comply with most hiring insurance policies you should carry out the daily maintenance tasks on the camper as specified by your rental agent. Don't overstretch your budget on the camper van hire cost. Part of the enjoyment of a camper van is being able to visit and enjoy new places. If you are a couple, a medium wheelbase camper should provide you with a good overall comfort levels and ease of use. When hiring or even buying a camper van you should try and arrange a test drive first so that you can decide which style best fits your needs. My personal preference is to use medium wheelbase vans as they tend to offer the best compromise between size and comfort. Whatever van you choose it's sure to be an adventure. The Caravan Motor Mover is something that is used everyday at the caravan showrooms but is seldom mentioned when your buying your new or used caravan. Now I don't think it's an intentional ommission by the caravan sales staff but with so many add extra features I guess its not put on the importabce list. For many however a caravan motor mover can be the difference of having a great holiday or worrying about how they will start and end the holiday. There's a few different manufacturers of caravan motor movers, Powrline, Truma, Reich, Rhyno to name a couple of them, but in theory they all have the equivalent function, to move your caravan for you. There are models that will move double axel caravans weighing up to 2500kg just every bit as easy as moving single axle caravans weighing a great deal less. Contemporary caravan motor movers all include some type of smooth stop and start to preclude your caravan pitching forward or backwards. They function with efficiency and all ground types even snow, grit, gravel and even the muddy grass of your caravan site, you should never find yourself in a position were you can not move your caravan. They'll pull your caravan up slopes and easy them gently down hills just equally as safe. Running off a 12v battery, caravan motor movers operate by compressing a rough roller against the caravan tyres and slowly (30cm/min) turning. The rollers can be controlled at the same time on each tyre to pull in a straight line or independently to permit the caravan to turn. All single and most double axel caravan motor movers will revolve the caravan on its own axes, cutting back the space needed to manoeuvre the caravan. A caravan motor mover is such a good addition to your caravan they should be equipped as standard in my opinion. Regrettably they're not but it's something I advocate you invest in as soon as you buy your caravan.

The Camping and Caravanning Club exists to help campers and caravanners make the most of their hobby by providing over 4000 places to camp across the UK  and worldwide. Gypsy trailer caravans The Romany language is spoken by Romany Gypsies in different forms throughout the world. Irish Travellers have their own language called Cant or Gammon. It is important for families and children to keep their language alive and for it to be valued and supported. Gypsies and Travellers have special hygiene rules, which are in some ways stricter than those of settled people but are not well understood by people outside their community. Gypsy Anna Lee from Bristol explains: “We never wash in a sink. If we have a sink in the trailer it’s always got a dish inside, ’cos we have separate bowls for everything... for washing up ... for washing our hands and face ... and for wiping around. We never get ’em mixed up. When we are doing our laundry we won’t wash our tea towels in with all the rest of our clothes, ’cos we think that’s very unclean.” Many take great pride in cleaning their caravans daily, even when getting moved on, and sometimes have gleaming displays of china and glass. “It’s very important to keep your trailer clean but when you’re travelling it can be very awkward ... Sometimes you haven’t got enough water ... And it’s getting the water, because they won’t let you have it. So you learn to use maybe one dish of water to clean your trailer – you’ll wipe all around first, and then do your floor with it. I clean my trailer every day” Again the public perception can be the opposite. Homeless Gypsies and Travellers who have to stop on unauthorised sites may have uncollected rubbish because public refuse collection sometimes do not cover these sites, or because of health and safety issues preventing waste collection contractors from entering sites. Sometimes the presence of Gypsies and Travellers on an unauthorised site is used as an excuse for fly-tipping by other people in the area, but the Travellers will get the blame. Another important aspect of Gypsy and Traveller culture is the ability to earn a living in many different ways. Many are self-employed small businesses people who fill gaps in the British economy by providing a wide variety of goods and services and adapting to new economic needs. The tradition of nomadism or travelling is significant, and allows gypsies and travellers to travel to take up work opportunities, and to meet with family on special occasions such as horsefairs, religious festivals, christenings, weddings, illness and funerals. “Rites of passage” are very important events which all extended family members join. Although opportunities for travelling are now more restricted, and the gypsy and traveller community in Epping Forest District is unusually settled, nomadism today is as much about the possibility of travelling as about travelling itself, often more a state of mind than an actual situation. ROMANY GYPSY TRAILERS A brief history of trailers and Romany life after 'waggon time' For those about to embark on their first caravan experience there is a few pointers to ensure your holidays are stress free and as enjoyable as possible. Whether looking at used or new caravans there are vital elements to remember. If you do not go through a logical checklist you may find yourself stuck with a caravan you cannot tow or will resemble a colander rather than a shelter. The first concern when considering a used or new caravan is the power of your towing vehicle. There is little point in obtaining a caravan that your vehicle will not be able to pull; it will also do your car's engine no good at all. Finding you cannot pull your caravan up a hill will be an awful start to your holiday and the train of cars behind will not thank you for travelling at a snails pace. When heading to you local dealer to have a look at either used or new caravans, make sure to take an experienced caravanner with you. Things they will know to look for, considerations such as the quality of the brakes and wheel bearings, as well as the state of the electronics. Although these can be considered relatively minor problems that are quite cheap to remedy, you do not want a used caravan that has a history of faults. Before you begin your caravanning experience there are a number of things that must be sorted out that are totally devoid of the actual used or new caravan. One of these is the tow bar that must be fitted to your car. Getting a tow bar specialist to assist is advisable. Not only will a professional be able to fix a tow bar securely, they will also be able to ensure the electronic connection is correct, meaning your fridge will not defrost while you are en route. Another factor devoid of your new or used caravan is your current driving license. Those who passed their test before 1997 will have no problems as restrictions do not apply. If you passed after this date there are various weight and towing restrictions placed upon you. There may also be restrictions placed upon your license if you suffer from a variety of illnesses. Once you have made it home with your new or used caravan take your time before you embark on your first caravan holiday. Use your driveway to ensure everything is working properly. Make sure water, waste and electric systems are all working correctly and you understand how everything works. It may even be worth spending a night or two staying in your caravan whilst at home, this will allow you to iron out any problems before you travel. Just like cars, caravans need regular servicing, with used caravans this should be completed by the dealer, but is always worth checking. A good rule of thumb is to service your caravan every one or two years if it has been used on a regular basis. It is possible to do this yourself although the use of professional services is always advisable. If you follow these helpful tips your caravanning experience should always be a pleasurable one. Whether looking at a used or new caravan for your first journey this advise will ensure you do not 'get stung' and walk away with a caravan that will bring you years of unbridled enjoyment. It's obvious that caravans are again cool. The Caravan Club statistics confirm it; last month they had more new members than ever. Although it's usual to have 5,600 new members, last month there were 7,210. This is a record for the 100-year history of the Caravan Club. There many reasons for this recent popularity of caravanning. Nikki Nichol of the Caravan Club thinks that among them are the high temperature in July and the security crisis at UK airports in August. She also said that the new members were influenced to join the Club by the presence of many popular persons like Margaret Beckett, Mark Owen of Take That and Lorraine Kelly. There's also a younger generation of fans like Kate Moss, Jenson Button, Sean Penn, Nicole Richie, Jamie Oliver and Lenny Kravitz who made caravans popular, as they chose to buy a luxury caravan that can sometimes cost almost £500,000. Caravanning has become very fashionable. Young couples who want to go surfing or travelling are trying it, as are families and retirees, and it's been made stylish by the revival of the VW Campervan and designer Airstream caravans, which were recently adapted for narrow European roads.' Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay is the owner of a very fancy caravan that looks like luxury car, with leather seats, alloy wheels and metallic body. Sam North, manager of the International Caravan and Motorhome Show declared: 'It's new launches like the C-Liner or the Airstream that are helping change the perception of motorhomes and opening up a whole new audience. It is no longer Carry on Camping, bad cabarets and tin boxes on wheels.' At the moment, caravanning is the most popular UK holiday hobby, as it represents 17 per cent of all holiday trips taken in Britain and the Caravan Club has 936,000 members. When she presented the advantages of caravanning, Nikki Nichol said: 'More people are realising that you have total freedom on a caravan holiday: you don't need to worry about hand luggage and airport security, and the good weather this summer has certainly encouraged people to enjoy their holidays in the UK.' You have purchased the touring caravan, you have spent weeks looking over the route on your maps, the car's jammed full of everything your family might need on a two week holiday, the cats been given to granny to look after, the open road is calling you. All that has been left to do at the last minute is attach the car to the caravan, who hard can it be? It is typically at this point in the caravan holiday that everybody realises the weight of stuff they've packed into the caravan to go on holiday. “It was a lot easier in the showroom” is what you can hear most people say the first time they try and hitch up their new caravan after filling it with holiday clothes for a family of four. If you think that’s heavy wait until the return journey home when you’ve bought half of Europe’s beer and wine and a souvenir from every town you visited. Kabe's Royal Tower: $153,648 caravan the tallest ever

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