The freedom that comes from hooking up a touring caravan and setting out on holiday is a feeling enjoyed by many, many British families. But what is the definition of a touring caravan? What’s the difference between a motorhome and a touring caravan? And when did our obsession first take hold? Read on to find out!
What is a touring caravan?
Look upon a touring caravan as a home from home on wheels, that is towed by another vehicle such as a car. With no engine or driveshaft, a touring caravan cannot function independently, without being towed.
The history of the touring caravan movement
Dating back as far as the early 19th century, the first caravans had a functional purpose rather than a leisure purpose, and were used to provide shelter for farm workers as well as transport and storage for travelling showmen. They were drawn by horses and by the mid-19th century, travelling Romanies had swapped their tent shelters for these transportable caravans. It wasn’t until 1885 that an advocate of outdoor activities for better health, Dr. William Stables, took a caravan from Berkshire to Scotland, for leisure. And the rest, as they say, is history. Today, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is the biggest caravan club in the UK, with nearly 1 million members.
The difference between a motorhome and a touring caravan
As mentioned above, a touring caravan offers living accommodation in an individual trailer that has to be towed by a separate vehicle. By comparison, a motorhome, is a completely self-contained vehicle that can be driven without being towed.
Features of a touring caravan
Touring caravans have come a long way since the days of Dr. Stables design for his ‘Land Yacht’, which was made from mahogany and lined with maple. Today’s caravans are largely constructed from lightweight composites with an outer skin of aluminium on a steel chassis, and insulation against cold weather. Modern touring caravans will accommodate from two people to more than 4 and will have a small kitchen area as well as heating and toilet/washing facilities which need to be connected to a gas supply.
Touring caravan accessories from BEC Ingoldmells
At BEC Ingoldmells, our family has been involved with the tourism industry in Ingoldmells since the 1950s and has been selling touring caravan spares & accessories for the past forty years. We now supply the visitors to touring caravan parks on the east coast from our shops in Ingoldmells all year round, and in Mablethorpe from March to October. For anyone unable to visit us in person, we supply an extensive range of touring caravan equipment and touring caravan homeware, and touring caravan electrical accessories online. Our online touring caravan blog is also packed with lots of useful articles to help both the novice and the experienced caravanner, with practical advice on what you need to kit out your touring caravan kitchen and how to pack a caravan for towing, plus much more.
For help and advice on any aspect of your touring caravan, our friendly and knowledgeable staff can be contacted via email or phone on 01754 871152
