What’s That Coming Over The Hill?

It’s caravanning, Jim, but not as we know it.

Q: How do you turn the old-fashioned caravan into a trendy affair?

A: It’s easy! Simply:

1. Include the word Pod in the blurb
2. Manufacture it in a lurid funky colour
3. Give it a catchy name
4. Market it to ‘urbanites’

And, hey presto, welcome to the brand new world of the ‘Capsule Caravan’:

Okay, that’s not doing justice to this rather clever design from David Tonkinson, who decided it was time that the humble mobile home was towed into the 21 st Century.

And it certainly is well thought out, despite its uncanny resemblance to a giant Tic Tac.  Lightweight and small enough to be parked in a normal sized space, once it’s stationary, the Capsule Caravan expands into two Pods (yay!)

Comfort Pod is your chill-out and sleeping zone, and Service Pod contains all the functional stuff like cleaning gear, storage space and a gazillion power points.

Tonkinson, who came up with the concept of the contemporary caravan for his Final Year Project, claims that the popularity of festivals in recent years has reinforced the appeal of caravans to a younger generation.  A fair point.

But c’mon! I’m a festival fan myself but there’s no way I’d want to turn up at Glasto with what looks like an enormous Jelly Bean trailing behind me - but maybe I’m just not edgy or young enough.

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