Travel trailer
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A travel trailer, or caravan, is a small trailer in which people can live and travel simultaneously. Travel trailers in general as well as other types of camping accommodations have had a long and varied history.
In the USA, this history can be traced back to the early days in the 1920s, in which the people of the time called it Tin Can Tourists. As time progressed, trailers became more livable and earned a new name in the 1930s and 1940s which was the House Trailer. In the 1950s and 1960s, the industry seemed to split, creating the two distinctly different entities that we see today, that of the recreational vehicle (RV) industry and Mobile home industry. Today travel trailers are classified as a type of RV along with motorhomes, teardrop trailers, and truck campers.
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-birth caravans with all the luxuries of a four-star hotel.
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.
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.
A typical mid-range, modern caravan will contain the following features:
- Gas/Electric powered refrigerator
- Gas/Electric powered stove, oven and grill
- Gas/Electric powered water heater
- One or more beds, some of which double-up as daytime seating
- Electricity supplied by battery or external hookup
- Toilet with removable disposal tank and flush-water tank
- Shower
- Radio
- TV aerial/satellite dish
Caravans may also contain the following:
- Air conditioning
- External barbecue points
- Tow-hitch stabilisers
- CD players