Your dream van.....

[designerrob]

Hi guys i hope this is allowed so here goes!

Im a student at cov uni studying transport and product design and i am now in my fourth and final year, for my final project i have decided on redesigning the caravan, my aim is to "re-invent" the caravan to try and redesign something that doesnt seem to have changed much for many many years and to create a van that will attract people who have never thought about caravans to caravanning!

Im currently researching at the moment and hoping that as experienced caravaners youguys could possibly give me a few minutes of your time to just explain what you would like in your dream caravan? Are there any pet hates of caravaning which irritate you which you think could be improved?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers Rob

(sorry if this is not allowed!)

 

[Parksy]

No problem Rob, ask away.

Caravans outwardly might not seem to have changed much but in terms of equipment they have constantly evolved to the stage where ordinary working families can if they wish afford to buy one of the twin axle, fixed bed end bathroom gin palaces on wheels.

I think that caravans will have to be more lightweight but still with an acceptable level of comfort as well as towing stability and safety.

Another good starting point is to look into the factors that cause most caravans to let in water and become damp after a relatively short period of time considering the initial financial outlay.

Modular caravan design is another avenue to explore.

How would a manufacturer set up a production line to produce the same basic bodyshell but with bespoke interiors to individual customers specifications i.e. shower / no shower

 

[RogerP]

Hi Rob

you could speak to Bailey Caravans as they've just run a competition.

Parkys hit nails on the head.

In todays economic climate;

Lighter but stronger - reduce fuel costs and be less fragile if struck by other objects or when involved in RTAs.

Better insulations , keep valuable heat in so we dont have to use as much gas/electric on site.

Underfloor heating , I hate the blown air vents as the air is only hot near to the outlets and they're never in the right places to ensure full cover of the van.

Alternative fuel sorces built in like solar cells on the roof.

Better security , doors and windows would be stronger if made of chocolate on some vans.

Final thought anything to improve quality control during build process. such as making the caravan and its fixtures less complicated.

Save us lost time in getting things fixed or Dealers / Manufacturers having to repair under warranty.(mind you dealers might not like that one as they'll loose repairing costs!!!)

 

[Robert_374373903]

My thoughts would be for lighter stronger materials and definatley seamless joints plus i would go for "plastic" finishes for outside.

 

[designerrob]

Cheers for the replys guys! Greatly appreciated!

I'd started to think about things like insulation and heating and trying to research what is currently used in caravans at the moment and the weight issue is something i think i will have to look into a lot.

The damp issue is something i did not think about, cheers! Maybe i could look into different ways of constructing it to try and get rid of the sources of the damp.

Thanks again and anything else you may think of please add it! Il try and keep this thread updated with my progress!

Rob

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

Lightweight yet stronger? Seamless joints?

Try the Eriba or Freedom range of caravans. They already make them.

One design feature I would remove from caravans is the stupid place caravan manufacturers place the microwave.

 

[Parksy]

Have a look at this thread Rob :

http://www.practicalcaravan.com/newforums/fm_messages.asp?FO=17&FM=410483
Sorry that links don't work well on this forum so copy into your browser.

Please ignore the arguments near to the beginning of the thread.

Freedom caravans were originally made in Poland I think.

 

[designerrob]

Cheers for that link Parksy!

I will definately look into the very lightweight end of the market to see what methods they use, just one question, when you say seams is that the ridge around the edges of the caravans or are the sides not one piece and so panels seam welded together?

Cheers Rob

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

Seams are where two panel join whether welded or sealed with mastic. Seamless are just that - seamless. A complete injection moulded shell. However, there is one drawback with plastic shells. They crack. Eventually.

Eriba on the other hand use a compressed sheet metal moulded shell which is why they last for years and hold their value.

http://www.eriba-uk.com/whats_so_special.cfm

 

[Parksy]

Hi Rob

Where the roof section joins the sides and then curves down to form the back and front panel there is an aluminium section which is the awning rail.

This covers the join between the roof,sides and ends and it sits on a bed of mastic material.

The mastic is flexible and so towing stresses etc are absorbed and water is kept out.

Problems occur after a few years when the mastic material dries and becomes less flexible.

It can be prone to cracking and so water ingress can happen.

The awning rail itself can be subject to stresses because the awning can become soaked in the rain and it is pulled by high winds so the system presently used is not ideal.

I've heard that some continental ( German) built caravans use a different shaped awning section which is said to reduce the possibility of water ingress through weak points such as seams.

A look through various posts on this and other forums will reveal that many disgruntled caravan owners post on forums to complain of damp and water ingress.

Damp is a killer of caravans and a damp caravan is worthless.

An ideal caravan shape would be the shape of an egg, seamless and streamlined.

It would be made of a lightweight material that had good insulation properties and was inexpensive to produce.

The next problem would be to utilise the available interior space so that no space was wasted. This revolutionary egg shaped modular constructed caravan would need windows and an entrance door that were water tight and it would also need to be thief proof.

I'm off to bed now while you ponder this new design, let me know what you come up with and I'll market it :0)

Tomorrow I'll try and sort some links out for you to see posts and websites that may be of interest to you.

 

[Robert_374373903]

It has been explained in what i meant about seamless and Eriba has been said. However i still stick to "plastic" as it is easier to repair. Whilst i agree that "plastic" does crack it means more research into these compounds to eliminate it.

 

[ShadySadie]

Something that makes all the traffic vanish would be good and a James bond style smoke generator that could be activated when silly motorists follow to closely

Carbon fibre composite combined dual layer floor and chassis doing away with the traditional chassis and incorporating in built water and waste tanks and storage between floor and under side. Independent suspension would do away with the weight of the axles as well.

Carbon and Kevlar composites combined with foam and alloy honecomb panels and modern bonding techniques would give seamless shell, strength, rigidity and more space and insulation. (not my idea, hubby is a race engineer)

 

[Guest]

Take a look here Rob

http://www.davtonkinson.net/CRVNmain.html

 

[ShadySadie]

Round shapes equate always to wasted space. It that was the way caravanning was going le croc I think caravan dealers wouldn't be selling much.

Basic box shape works, logevity of life,good insualation and build quality and reducing weight and running costs should be the way forward.

 

[Rioja]

A pull out bed that is as easy as my M&S bed settee. The mattress appears magically in place and can have the bottom sheet left on it. Then just throw over your duvet.

The space saving versus a fixed bed layout is huge.