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In Europe, the origins of
caravans and caravanning can be traced back to travelling
Gypsies and showmen who spent most of their lives in horse drawn
caravans. The world's first leisure caravan was built by the
Bristol Carriage Company in 1880 for Dr. W. Gordon-Stables. It
was an 18 ft design, based upon their Bible Wagons, which the
Doctor named "Wanderer".
Modern European caravans come in a range of sizes, from tiny
two-berth caravans with no toilet and only basic kitchen
facilities, to large, twin-axle, six-berth caravans.
In the UK, 2003 saw a huge increase in the popularity of
caravans and caravanning. This was due to several factors,
including excellent summer weather, fear of travelling abroad
due to worries over terrorism and large increases in house
prices, which provided people with the ability to raise capital
by re-mortgaging their homes.
The only companies that are producing fifth wheel caravans to
European road standards are Calder Leisure based in Central
Scotland UK with their Kountry Lite range, and the Fifth Wheel
Company based in North Wales UK. They have become renowned
within the industry for their luxury, stability and
maneuverability. By being using fifth wheel coupling, the units
become almost impossible to steal and are therefore receive
favourable insurance terms.
Fifth Wheel Caravan and Double Cab Pick Up Truck
The National Caravan Council now estimate that the Caravanning
industry which includes Motorhomes, Touring (caravans designed
to be hitched to a car and towed to a site) and Static Caravans
and Mobile Homes (caravans designed to be transported to a
permanent site, where they are anchored to the ground) is now
worth over £1bn (€1.5bn/US$1.7bn) to the UK economy alone. The
growth in popularity of caravanning has also been enhanced by
the improvements in quality and facilities making caravan
holidays possible at any time of the year not just summer
months. Many of these improvements were suggested and driven by
camping guru, Alan Rogers
In the UK, The Association of Chief Police Officers estimates
that some 4,000 touring caravans are stolen each year, nearly a
quarter of all new caravans sold annually. As a result many
insurers request additional security features to be purchased,
as a general rule at least one wheel lock and one hitch lock.
The cost of insurance from specialist caravan insurers remains
relatively low especially compared with other vehicle insurance
premiums. The CRIS registration service has also helped track
theft, the majority of which crime is of older caravans which
have not been issued with CRIS numbers at manufacture. The
system operates much the same as the Vehicle Registration
Service by the DVLA, but is currently voluntary and subject to a
fee.
Caravans are used by people in all walks of life, although
common traits are the love of outdoor life and a willingness to
help other caravanners. Some make use of their caravans only
during their annual holidays (vacations), whilst others take
regular breaks at the thousands of caravan and camping sites
around the world.
Jeremy Clarkson, host of popular BBC motoring programme Top
Gear, has publicly expressed deep loathing for caravans and has
destroyed over a dozen of them on the show. This culminated in
the team going on a 'caravan holiday' with a Kia Cerato in 2006;
during which they crashed and set fire to their Elddis Shamal XL
caravan, apparently by accident. A caravan is also blown up (by
various means) in most episodes of Brainiac: Science Abuse (this
is usually supported by Host/Presenter Richard Hammond, also a
co-host of Top Gear). This dislike generally arises because
touring caravans travel slower than and so hold up other
traffic; a common sight on UK holiday routes is a single caravan
followed by a long queue of cars. Caravans are particularly
resented, more than other slow vehicles, because unlike tractors
or lorries -- with which they share legal limitations on speed
compared to cars -- they are perceived as lacking any necessary
economic purpose. This attitude in car drivers can lead to
potentially dangerous attempts to overtake a caravan in an
unsuitable part of the road, or in the face of oncoming traffic.
Source: Wikipedia -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_trailer
In North American
English the term recreational vehicle and the acronym, RV,
are generally used to refer to an enclosed piece of equipment
dually used as both a vehicle and a temporary travel home. The
term "Winnebago" is used interchangeable with RV despite it
being a brand name.
RVs are intended for everything from brief leisure activities
such as vacations and camping, to full time living, for which
they are often parked in special trailer parks (however, many
trailer parks are reserved just for Mobile Homes, not to be
confused with RVs/Motorhomes). RVs can also be rented in most
major cities and tourist areas.
Airstream is a brand of recreational vehicle manufactured in
Jackson Center, Ohio. The company is the oldest in the industry
having begun operation in the 1930s. Airstream trailers are well
recognized for their distinctive rounded aluminum bodies. They
are very durable with 60% of all Airstreams ever made still on
the road.
Perhaps the most widely known brand of recreational vehicle is
Winnebago, a product of Winnebago Industries, Inc., of Forest
City, Iowa. In fact, many people still refer to recreational
vehicles -- especially motorhomes -- using the generic term,
"Winnebago." The company, under a group of Midwestern investors,
was a pioneer of the RV industry in the early 1960s. Other major
RV manufacturers include Roadtrek of Kitchener, Ontario;
Fleetwood Enterprises of Riverside, Calif; Thor Industries,
Inc., of Jackson Center, Ohio; Newmar Corporation of Nappanee,
Indiana; Monaco Coach Corp., of Coburg, Oregon; Coachmen
Industries, Inc., of Elkhart, Indiana; Starcraft RV, Inc., of
Topeka, Indiana; Jayco, Inc. of Middlebury, Indiana; Carriage
Inc. of Millersburg, Indiana and K-Z, Inc. of Shipshewana,
Indiana.
Historical manufacturers include Avion Coach Corporation, Cayo
RV Corporation of Benton Harbor, Michigan, and for a short while
General Motors whose recreational vehicles still attract a
sizable following of collectors. The most expensive, high end
brands include Newell Coach of Miami, Oklahoma, Fleetwood
Enterprises and Monaco Coach Corp or Holiday Rambler.
In British English the term recreational vehicle is little used;
terms covering some of the vehicles classified as RVs in North
America are camper van and caravan, the term motorhome (see
below) is also used. In other parts of the world, particularly
Australia, the term may be used to refer to a sport utility
vehicle (SUV or 4x4).
In France, the French-made English term "Camping-car" is used,
and term has also spread to Japan. In Spain it is called "Autocaravana".
The word 'caravaning' is also (albeit rarely) used to mean 'traveling
together as a group' in British English, leading to a different
meaning.
There are different classes of vehicles generally labeled as
RVs: [1]
Truck camper
a camper shell unit that is temporarily affixed to the bed or
chassis of a pickup truck.
Folding trailer
also known as a pop-up or tent camper, a light-weight unit with
sides that collapse for towing and storage. Suitable for towing
by many vehicles.
Travel trailer
also known as a caravan, a unit with rigid sides designed to be
towed by some larger vehicles with a bumper or frame hitch.
Teardrop trailer
a compact, lightweight travel trailer that resembles a teardrop
Hybrid trailer
a blend between a travel trailer and a folding (tent) trailer.
One type has rigid sides and pull-out tent sections (usually
beds) while another type's top section of walls and its roof can
be lowered over its bottom section to reduce its height for
towing.
5th wheel trailer
designed to be towed by a pickup or medium duty truck equipped
with a special hitch called a fifth wheel coupling. Part of the
trailer body extends over the truck bed, shortening the total
length of vehicle plus trailer combined.
Park model
This is a standard travel trailer that is not self contained. It
is designed for park camping only, and while it is easily moved
from site to site, as a normal trailer is (this is NOT a mobile
home) it is not capable of "dry camping" as it does not have any
water storage tanks, it must be used with hookups.
Toterhome
an uncommon term indicating a motorhome built around a semi
truck chassis (such as a Freightliner). This type of motor home
allows the pulling of large and heavy trailers.
Toy hauler
a motor home, 5th wheel or travel trailer, it is designed to be
part living space, and part garage for storing things such as
motorcycles and ATV's.
Another set of mainly North American-usage definitions:[2] [3]
Motorhome
Class A Motorcoach
constructed on either a commercial truck chassis, a specially
designed motor vehicle chassis, or a commercial bus chassis.
Class B Campervan
built using a conventional van, to which either a raised roof
has been added or had the back replaced by a low-profile body
(compared to a Class C).
Class C Motorhome
built on a truck chassis with an attached cab section, which is
usually van based, but may also be pickup truck based or even
large truck(freightliner) based. They are characterized by a
distinctive cab-over profile, the 'cab-over' containing a bed or
an 'entertainment' section. Also referred to as "mini-Motorhomes."
The term "Minnie Winnie" sometimes is used in references to
Class C motorhomes, originally coined by one of the founders of
Winnebago Industries, Inc.[citation needed]
A minimal RV typically contains beds, a table, food preparation
and storage areas. Larger models add full bathrooms,
refrigerators, living areas, master bedrooms, etc. Some RVs are
very elaborate, with satellite TV and internet access, slide-out
sections, and awnings, and either storing a small car inside it
or providing the option of towing it behind the RV. RVs can cost
(new) from less than US$10,000 to $1,500,000 or more. Very
high-end Class A motorhomes, for example, can cost between
US$100,000 to $650,000 new. In 2006, Featherlite Luxury Coaches
debuted the Featherlite Vantare Platinum Plus, a motorhome
featuring marble floors, a built-in treadmill and other luxury
features valued at US$2.5 million. [4] Many RVers stay at RV
parks, most of which feature electrical, water and sewer service
(full hookups), as well as cable television and wireless
Internet. One can also get partial hookups in the same parks.
Amenities often include swimming pools, gamerooms and even
destination-resort activities such as horseback riding. Others
prefer staying at locations in remote rural areas (called
boondocking), and still others at public campgrounds with
minimal facilities.
Also many RVers stay at city parks, county parks, state parks
[5] and national parks.[6] The United States Forest Service and
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also offer camping, often at no
cost to the camper.
Advantages of RVs include not having to move ones things in and
out of motel rooms, not having to rent multiple motel rooms,
sleeping in a bed one is comfortable with and the fact that
preparing food saves money compared to eating in restaurants and
better meets any dietary restrictions or preferences. At the
same time, an RV provides more organized living space and better
protection from the weather than a tent.
Disadvantages of RVs include low fuel economy for the motorized
RV or tow vehicle, lack of maid service as experienced in motels
(maid service is available at a few high-end resorts), and
larger RV models can be hard for the novice to drive or tow.
There is a stereotype that people who live in RVs full-time do
so because they are poor and cannot afford more conventional
housing. However, an increasing number of people are opting to
sell their homes and live in their RVs, which can cost as much
as their home did. Some return to home ownership after several
years while some few bounce back and forth between owning a home
and going RVing full time. For these, mostly retirees, RVing is
a life style choice not a financial decision.
Similarly, RVs – specifically, trailers which strongly resemble
travel trailers, but usually with fewer amenities – have been
used to temporarily house victims of natural disasters. A
notable example is Hurricane Katrina; the federal disaster
relief agency FEMA has ordered large numbers of such trailers to
house victims of the storm in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Some people craft their own RVs out of cars, vans, school buses,
and buses.
References for these terms [7]
Blackwater
Wastewater from the RV toilet. Body waste. Called blackwater
because if left in the blackwater tank long enough, turns black.
Grey water
Waste water from the sinks and showers. It is not truly 'clean',
but it is not as 'dirty' as 'blackwater'. It is called graywater
because it looks gray from detergents in the water.
white water
This is the fresh water directly taken from a clean-water
source. It may or may not be potable water, i.e., drinking
water.
pink water
This would be water to which 'pink' antifreeze, pink being a
color added to imply that it is not toxic, is added. Normal
antifreeze is colored green or blue to show that it is a toxic
chemical.
Chemicals (for wastewater tanks)
A variety of commercially produced chemicals that are added to
the blackwater and graywater tanks to control odors. These
chemicals may or may not kill the bacteria in the tanks and may
or may not have an adverse affect on septic systems. Some
wastewater tank chemicals contain enzymes that are supposed to
control odors and help breakdown the organic materials in the
wastewater.
Converter
An electrical device that is usually supplied built-in the RV by
the manufacturer. The converter takes 120 volt AC power from a
campground electrical hookup (shore power) or generator and
converts that power to 12 volts DC and puts it into the house 12
volt DC circuits. Converters also take the 120 volt AC power and
charge the house battery(s). In effect, converters are battery
chargers.
Dry camping (boondocking)
Is camping in a campground or any area without water,
electricity and sewage hookups, including parking lots or
driveways. In the USA, most campgrounds operated by the US
Department of the Interior (BLM, National Park Service, National
Monuments, National Wildlife Areas, National Forests) and most
state and county campgrounds do not have full hookups for water,
sewage or electricity. Dry camping is made more livable by
having:
a supply of potable water storage within the RV
having enough house-battery(s) power to supply basic camping
needs (low voltage lights, water pump, control portion of
refrigerator, etc.)
having a means of recharging the house battery(s) such as solar
panels or generators
having enough wastewater tank capacity to contain the wastewater
for several days of camping
Dump Station
A place where RV waste-water tanks is emptied. Usually a small
concrete pad with a 3 to 4-inch brass fitting embedded into the
concrete. The fitting accepts a sewer hose from the RV. Sewage
dumped into the station goes into a sewer or a septic system.
The brass fitting usually has a pivoting cover to keep rocks and
other objects out of the dump station piping. Dump stations are
usually situated so that an RV can be driven next to the
receptacle. Dump stations often have running water for rinsing
the RV's sanitary pipes and for cleaning up the dump station
pad. This water should not be used to fill an RV's potable water
tank. RV etiquette demands that when using an RV dump station,
you clean up any spills.
Dumping or Dumping tanks
The act of emptying the waste tanks.
Generator
A gasoline, diesel or propane-powered device for generating 120
or 240 volts AC electrical power for use when boondocking or dry
camping. Generators are rated by their electrical output,
usually in watts. A minimum generator size for a small RV would
be 1500 to 2000 watts. To run an RV air conditioner, a minimum
of 3000 watts is usually needed. Larger RV's with multiple air
conditioners require generators with 6000 and more watts of
capacity. Generators also charge the house battery(s).
House batteries
The batteries, usually 12 volt DC, that are installed on or
within an RV. Usually there are multiple batteries combined in a
parallel circuit, but there may be a single house battery on
some RV's. Separate and isolated electrically from the vehicle
battery(s) that are used to start and operate the motor vehicle
part of the RV (motor of a motorhome, car or truck for tow
vehicles or campers). RV batteries differ from car or truck
batteries in that they are 'deep cycle' batteries. This means
that RV batteries can be drawn down further before recharging
than car or truck batteries. For best RV battery life, do not
draw down the charge below 50% before recharging. Deep cycle
batteries that are well maintained and cared for can last 10+
years. RV batteries that are poorly maintained and abused will
last only a year or two. Batteries are rated in amp-hours;
multiplying this figure by the battery voltage yields
watt-hours, which indicates the length of time a known load can
be run.
Inverter
An inverter takes the 12 volt DC house power from the house
battery(s) and inverts that to AC power at the standard
household voltage for one's country. Inverters are not usually
supplied in RV's by the manufacturer. Inverters are rated by the
output, in watts. There are two categories of inverters. The
least expensive are called 'modified sine-wave' or 'quasi-sine
wave' inverters. The more expensive versions are 'sine-wave' or
'full sine-wave' inverters. The modified- or quasi-sine wave
inverters work well for most RV uses, but most inverter
manufacturers recommend the use of full sine wave inverters to
power televisions, VCR players and recorders, DVD players,
computers, printers, fax machines and other electronic devices.
Like a generator, inverters must be sized to accommodate the
anticipated electrical load. Most inverters in RVs are rated at
1500-2000 watts. This is enough power to run a microwave oven or
run a TV, DVD and computer but not at the same time as the
microwave. The number of watt-hours that can be provided; how
long a given load can be run; depends on the battery, after
allowing for the slight inefficiency of the inverter.
Low voltage - high voltage electrical systems
In US RVs there are two types of electricity used in the unit.
Low voltage refers to electricity from the house battery(s),
typically 12 volts DC. This electricity is used to run lights,
water pump, the control portion of a refrigerator, the igniters
for cooktops, smoke and gas detectors, fans, jack and slide-out
motors and often the blower and control circuits of a built-in
propane furnace.
High voltage refers to shore power, generator power or power
from an inverter, which is AC at the standard household voltage
of one's country, used to run air conditioners, television and
stereo systems, microwave ovens, electrical refrigerators,
electric heaters, and electric water heaters. It also powers AC
outlets in the RV for electrical devices such as toasters, hair
dryers, computers, printers etc. (Strictly, "AC" only means that
the polarity reverses many times per second, but in an RV it may
be assumed to mean high voltage.)
Refrigerator - dual fuel
An RV refrigerator that runs on both propane and electricity.
Newer models can switch automatically from propane to shore
power when the RV is connected to a source of 120 volts AC. RV
refrigerators draw too many amps to be powered by the house
batter(s). Refrigerators powered by propane often do not
function unless the RV is parked level, side to side and front
to back. Newer RV refrigerators are less sensitive to being run
out of level.
RV shower
Is a method of showering that conserves water, wastewater
tankage and battery power in a motorhome, trailer or camper
while dry camping. The steps in a basic RV shower are:
turn on the water
wet the body
turn off the water
shampoo hair
soap up and scrub body
turn the water back on and rinse off the soap and shampoo
The total time for the water being on is typically under 2
minutes and often less. The RV shower is similar to a Navy
shower.
Shore power
Electricity that is available to an RV from a power company. The
basic service in USA campgrounds is a standard 2-prong w/ground
120 volt AC outlet with 15-20 amps. Most newer USA campgrounds
with electrical hookups offer three outlets in the connection
box: 2-prong w/ground 120 volt AC 20 amp; 3-prong RV 120 volt AC
30 amp; and a 4-prong RV 120/240 volt AC 50 amp (which can power
120 volt loads and the large 240 volt loads at the same time). A
variety of plug converters are available from RV supply houses
to convert from one type of plug to another. (High voltage can
kill when wired wrong, and the fact that appliances work does
not mean that it's wired right.)
Tow vehicle
The car or truck that is used to tow an RV trailer.
Towed vehicle or 'Toad'
A car or other vehicle that is towed behind motorhomes for use
when the motorhome is set up in a campground and connected to
utilities. Also called a 'dinghy'.
Source: Wikipedia -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_vehicle
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