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The season for caravanning is near

'Britsh Caravans, Volume I', book review by Michael E. Ware:  In Britain our event and rally fields are now being enlivened by owners bringing  vintage and classic caravans, usually complete with period interiors and equipment.  Frederick Alcock is credited with making the first trailer caravan for cars in 1914, but caravans for sale became available in 1919.  The period before WWII was one of great experimentation .  In  this time many companies came and went.  Of those companies 177 of them are described in this book with those that continued after the war being written up in full, so giving a feel for post- war caravanning as well. Volume 2, covering this period in detail, is being written at present.  There is an interesting introduction from which we learn that the speed limit for towing a caravan was 30 mph (until1963) and four wheelers were restricted to 20mph.  I would have liked to have read a bit more on the social side here, what motivated motorists to buy a caravan, and how  camp sites developed for example, the latter having an impact on the requirement for the caravan itself.

 

The contents are an A - Y by make  from Abbey  to Yorkshire. The way they differed in that short period is fascinating.   Early caravans often followed the general look of the showman’s van with lantern roof.  Art deco was to influence exterior design not only in the streamlined shape, but also on fixtures and fitting.   Airlite of Coventry illustrate this point very well and are featured in a great illustration used on the books front cover.  Like today, there were many versions of the folding caravan, popular because the driver could see over the trailer in his rear view mirror.  There were versions of the camping trailer which would open outwards and upwards.   There was a one wheeled caravan,  the Laycock, which took the form of a one wheeled camping trailer mounted onto the boot of the car, and which opened out rather like a piano accordion.  There was one, the Weathershields, which had no wheels.  It mounted on the car boot and opened out to provide a tented double bed, but with no side tents for dressing and undressing ! For motorcylclists, the Rudge  of 1927, built by Rudge Whitworth, was light enough to tow behind a motorcycle and side car. The Bowser  from Leeds in 1929  was built in the form  of a side car and could be converted into two six foot berths, food cupboard and toilet cabin.  Talking of toilets, manufacturers were not sure whether to incorporate them or  to suggest they went in a separate tent.  One or two manufacturers incorporated them but put the door to them on the outside!

The variety of caravans in this period in make, shape and  fit-out is almost mind-boggling.  Even if you are not a devotee of the caravan, I think you will find this book very interesting, I  certainly did.



“British Caravans. Volume 1. Makes founded before World War II” by Roger Elllesmere

160 pages.   280 mainly black and white illustrations

Price £30.  Published by Herridge and Sons in association with the Caravan Club.        www.herridgeandsons.com

ISBN: 978-1-906133-46-7

Sunday, 17 March 2013

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