Caravan Manufacturers and Related Information

There are two main types of caravan:

The first is a touring caravan, which as it's name suggests is towed by a vehicle. The folding caravan is a variant of this group and is very specialised.

The second is a static caravan, also known as a holiday home or leisure home. This market has become more sophisticated and now includes log cabins and other more upmarket forms of holiday home.

Touring Caravans

A caravan has a chassis with either one or two axles and is designed for recreational living. It is traditionally built on a wooden frame with an aluminium shell. Although caravans are still built this way, there is more use of moulded fibreglass and plastics in addition to the aluminium panels. There are also some manufacturers who use fibreglass and plastic panels to the exclusion of aluminium.

Touring Caravan Safety

Before purchasing a caravan it is your legal resonsibility to ensure that the towing vehicle is suitable to tow the caravan. One aspect that should be investigated is wether the towing vehicle has the power and weight to tow the caravan legally and easily. Your caravan dealer can help you with information or you could use Towsafe.

It is essential that attention is concentrated on the coupling and uncoupling of the caravan from the towing vehicle and that a procedure is developed to ensure safe use. This is a separate issue from routine maintenance which should be entrusted to your caravan dealer.

The main British Touring Caravan manufacturers are:

	The Swift Group - the largest caravan manufacturer in the UK - was founded in 1964 and is now one of the world's leading manufacturers of touring caravans. The company's products are sold under the Abbey, Ace, Bessacarr, Sprite, Sterling and Swift brand names. It also produces special edition caravans for individual Dealers.
	The Explorer Group - the 2nd largest UK caravan manufacturer - was formed in 1998 with Elddis, Buccaneer and Compass. These caravan brands were already well established. They are now produced in Consett, County Durham, close to the original Elddis factory at Delves Lane. They also produce Dealer's Specials.
	Avondale Caravans - was formed by the Ball family in 1970. It has remained a family concern with Christopher Ball today heading Avondale caravans into its 37th year.
	Bailey of Bristol - was started by Martin Bailey in 1948 and due to expansion moved to its present address at South Liberty Lane in 1960. The Howard family purchased the company in 1977 and it became Bailey Caravans Ltd.
	Coachman Caravan Co - is headed by Jim Hibbs and his wife Verle. Coachman caravans have just extended their factory to cope with the increased production of these quality caravans.
	Fleetwood Caravan Co - are manufactured in Long Melford, Suffolk, Fleetwood caravans have 40 years caravan manufacturing experience.
	Lunar Caravan Co - manufacture some of the lightest caravans, Lunar also manufacture Chateau caravans.

The main Continental touring caravan manufacturers are :

	Adria Caravans - are imported into the UK by the Fleetwood Caravan Co. Adria caravans are originally Yugoslavian.
	Burstner Caravans - have a network of UK Agents. Burstner caravans are manufactured in Germany.
	Geist Caravans is a UK Company based in the North East of England with a nationwide network of dealers. The new Geist ranges (built by LMC in Germany) to English standards and specifications, combine innovative features with continental floor plans.
Folding Caravans Folding caravans fold to reduce their height for easier and safer towing. They are usually lighter and easier to handle. There are two main types: the first is where the top panels fold such as the Trigano Silver range and the Eriba Touring range, both from France and the half folding caravan Gobur Carousel, which is built in Norfolk. Static Caravans Also known as a caravan holiday home, holiday caravan, holiday home or a leisure home. It is designed to be sited and remain on that pitch until it is replaced., It is therefore essential to organise the purchase of a holiday home in conjunction with its location, which is normally a holiday park. As most holiday parks can obtain a caravan holiday home from any manufacturer or dealer, it makes sense to find the holiday home that you like and then find the holiday park where you would want to have it sited. The main caravan holiday home manufacturers are :
	ABI ( Ace Belmont International ) was formed in 1972 as a result of a merger between Ace touring caravans and Belmont caravans (leisure homes). In 2001 Mel Copper took the reins and immediately withdrew from the Touring caravan market to concentrate solely on caravan holiday homes. In 2004 the management team headed by Mel Copper and Andrew Allwood successfully completed a management buyout of ABI thus ensuring it's continued success.
	Arronbrook Caravans have been manufacturing caravan holiday homes since 1987. The company is based in Hull.
	Atlas Caravans are based in Hull and won the caravan industry Caravan Holiday Home of the Year 2006.
	BK and Bluebird names have been associated with top quality caravans since 1947. Today BK Bluebird are the foremost builder of caravan holiday homes on the south coast.
	Brentmere and Omar are based in Suffolk. Brentmere is the caravan holiday home division of Omar's 4 companies.
	Carnaby Caravans is based in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Carnaby Caravans have a range of 4 caravan holiday homes.
	Cosalt Holiday Homes is based in Hull. Cosalt is another example of a manufacturer withdrawing from the touring caravan market to concentrate on holiday homes.
	Delta Caravans were established in 1983. The Delta caravan website will shortly be completed.
	Heritage Homes (Wales) Ltd was founded in 1988 in Blaenau Ffestiniog, N.Wales. In 1991 the Company moved Dolgellau, N.Wales, and in 1996 to its current location in Porthmadog.
	Kingston Holiday Homes is based in Hull. Kingston produce the Kingswood model of holiday home.
	Normandy Caravans was founded in 1981 mainly dealing with customers in Belgium and Holland. Due to a change in ownership and increased production, Normandy Caravans will manufacture holiday homes for sale throughout the UK.
	Pemberton Caravans started manufacturing holiday caravans in the Pemberton district of Wigan in the late 1940's. Pemberton moved to the Springfield district of Wigan in 1955 from which site they still operate.
	Tingdene Homes was set up in 1969 by its founder and present Chairman Jim Gibbard, Tingdene started out as a Park Homes manufacturer, building to customers' specifications, by a six-man workforce. They now employ about 430 people. Tingdene Homes manufacture Log Cabins.
	Willerby Caravans was founded in Hull in 1944 by Walter Allen. Within six months they had built almost 800 steel framed, canvassed walled and roofed small caravans. This marked the birth of the first mass-produced caravans. In 1996, the Willerby Caravan Company Limited became Willerby Holiday Homes.