Caravans
Caravanning is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of holiday-making, particularly as holidaying locally and avoiding unnecessary carbon emissions, such as those put out by short-haul flights becomes more important to everyday people. Modern caravans come in all shapes and sizes and range from the compact budget variety all the way up to large trailer camper-vans or static caravans that can be used as stationary housing. The convenience of having everything you need contained within a transportable unit can be incredibly liberating for holidaymakers, particularly those who are on a budget or who prefer to take each day as it comes rather than booking ahead.
Basic Features
Touring caravans have traditionally been towed by another vehicle, generally a car or pick-up truck capable of pulling heavy loads. Their design depends on their intended use - temporary accommodation, their original intention, sees caravans of a compact and light-weight design; permanent housing however requires a larger, more complex caravan structure. Small designs may come without toilet facilities and with minimal cooking space, whilst larger designs tend to have a toilet and shower as well as a larger kitchen. The number of people using the unit can also make a difference to the design - some caravans have fold-down bunk-beds that slide out of the exterior of the vehicle whilst others are extended in length to encase the bunk-beds on the interior.
Towing Caravans
If the caravan is small and light it may only be a single-axle unit, resting on two wheels only. These caravans may also be vertically compactable, with what is known as a pop-up top that doubles the height of the interior. Such designs are much easier to tow, with lower wind resistance and much less weight. Larger caravans tend to have a twin axle design with four wheels to support the length and weight of the caravan body. Twin axle designs may be easier to control on-road with more wheel-grip to rely upon, but may be difficult to manoeuvre off-road or in camp-sites.
It is also important to remember that caravans can be quite heavy, especially if they are of a larger design, and some small and family-size cars may have difficulty towing them. Consulting the car's towing-limit (advised by the car manufacturer in the car's handbook) and the caravan's nose-weight (the weight placed on the towing connection between the car and the caravan) should help to establish just what size caravan a specific car can tow. Caravanning societies such as the British Caravan Club recommend that the caravan to be towed should be no more than 85% of the weight of the vehicle when empty in order to retain suitable manoeuvrability.
Caravan Regulations
There is much to learn when you start out caravanning, not least deciding which model to purchase or hire. Trusted brands include Winnebago, Hobby, Explorer, Sprite, Compass, Swift, Timberland and Elddis. Other issues to consider include whether you are in fact licensed to drive a car that is towing a caravan - many countries have restrictions on caravan-towing over a certain weight - and whether the caravan you are interested in meets all of the safety standards and requirements set down by law.
In the United Kingdom and Europe, towing-brackets in particular are of concern to safety boards and any car registered after the 1st of August 1998 intending to tow a caravan must be fitted with a towing-bracket that is approved by the EU 94/20 Directive. It is also compulsory to have adequate direction indicators fitted and functional between the car and the caravan so that other motorists can determine the direction or speed at which the caravan is travelling. There are also speed restrictions and regulations about passengers being inside the caravan whilst it is in motion.