Camping means freedom on vacation. Another relevant point is that a change involves a much lower expense than a hotel or a hostel. These are just some of the reasons why camping activities are gaining more popularity. A tent will soon no longer be enough, and then it is time to choose between a caravan and a motorhome. In this article, you will find out the different types of caravan, their features, how it is maintained, and the legal aspects. So please read below and get detailed info of the caravan vehicles and their usefulness.
Earlier, caravans were minority vehicles. With little attention we pay, it is effortless to find caravan or camper vans on the road or any destination. The possibilities they offer are almost endless in terms of comforts. But these days the market value of these vehicles is growing day by day. You can check caravan parts and accessories online if you click here.
Types of Caravan
Depending on how they are configured both inside and outside, the caravan can be classified into four main types:
Profiled: They have the cabin of a standard van to which the specific motorhome area is added to the rear. They are the most manageable, economical and efficient since they are also the lowest and hardly increase their height.
Capuchinas: Their scheme is very similar to that of the outlined ones, only that, unlike the previous ones, a bulky space is installed above the cabin where a second bed is generally housed, quickly expanding its habitability to four occupants.
Integral: These motorhomes already dispense with the van cabin and have a continuous line to make the most of the space. They usually have large panoramic windshields, and although their habitability is higher, their fuel consumption is increased by having a more prominent front surface.
Extendable: The next step to integral RVs are those that add to their space areas that extend outwards to gain meters. They are only suitable for the wealthiest pockets, but also, due to the increase in weight, they can quickly require the C driving license for exceeding the maximum authorized mass of 3,500 kg.
Main Features of the Caravan
When deciding on one or another caravan, we must weigh several factors. Not always what we would like to have is the caravan that adjusts to the actual needs, so to avoid inappropriate decisions, we will go point by point.
Number of places available
One of the fundamental points when deciding on one or the other model is to see how many seats you are going to need. Taking into account that they are almost exclusively leisure vehicles, a couple without children with a two-seater profiled caravan will have more than enough. In contrast, a married couple with two children would have to go to a nasturtium.
The seats have to be appropriately approved. It is not the same that the caravan has a double seat in the living room than that these two seats can be used while travelling. If we want to carry passengers in these seats, the seats must be reflected in the technical sheet, have seat belts, anchors to the chassis, and appropriately approved.
Interior part of an RV
Related to the above, an RV can have two places to travel and four (or six or eight …) to sleep. Everything depends on the size of the living area, the configuration of the interior, and its owners’ hospitality.
The type of life of the users will also be decisive when choosing a caravan. People with an active life, adventure fans will not appreciate as much the luxury or accessories as those who have a more relaxed pace, perhaps preferring a somewhat more Spartan finish in favour of practicality and more cargo space.
This is precisely a point that a specific customer profile looks at a lot. Those who prioritize comfort opt for a more homely configuration. Simultaneously, a more adventurous family may prefer to have a very generous storage space in the back area, assuming in return that the main bed is relatively high.
The same occurs with the distribution of furniture and storage spaces. Each manufacturer can opt for totally separate environments for the most significant vehicles or modular rooms to take advantage of the available space, such as a bed in the back that becomes a dining table.
Interior equipment
The most basic and affordable models start with the minimum, and it is that a large part of the price of a caravan is determined by the equipment and the type of components used to make a vehicle with wheels a whole home. As in a house, the accessories are endless.
It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended that RVs have a second battery that feeds all the electrical consumables in the rear area associated with a solar panel that recharges said battery (and also the main one for the motor). Besides, for those who want to enjoy their RV in winter or the mountains, static heating connected to the van’s fuel tank, powered by diesel, is essential in case of not having gas heating.
In the kitchen part, it is customary to opt for gas fires fuelled by butane (there are specific glass-ceramics, but they are expensive, and their consumption is still high), an electric or trivalent refrigerator (12V, 220V or gas) and a sink connected to the grey water tank.
In the small area of the bathroom, it is usually integrated into an all-in-one with a shower, an integrated toilet (cassette), a sink that can fold down and a drain at the bottom.
Other RV parts such as microwave, autonomous air conditioning, television with antenna or Wi-Fi is also available in the accessories catalogues. Still, it must be remembered that these vehicles are to get away from home and enjoy the environment as much as possible.
Conclusion: A caravan is, in principle, like a small, fully equipped apartment. Bed, heating, refrigerator, stove, sink, shower, and toilet are usually on board.
