Eriba Touring

The last generation of touring caravans?

I was recently involved in a discussion with fellow Eribarist on the future of the car. This discussion was prompted by the announcement by the UK Government that it plans to bring the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars forward to 2030. That is only 10 years away, not long at all! Of course for us with Eriba Tourers it asks the question of how will be able to tow our vans in the future? I fully appreciate that we have 10 years to consider this problem and decide at an individual level how we intend to resolve the issue. The ban is on the sales of new vehicles with petrol or diesel engines, not taking those in existence off the road. In my personal case by 2030 I will be 72 and questioning how much longer I will be able to tour, though I do hope to be able to do so through my 70’s at least. However, I do believe that if you take personal circumstances out of the equation that there is a bigger question, what will happen to the touring caravaner? 

The Problem?

There is no getting away from the fact that the internal combustion engine which runs on diesel or petrol has been classified as ‘persona non Grata’ when it comes to climate control. Legislation is already being brought into effect to change our use of these types of vehicles. Our transport infrastructure is going to dramatically change over the next 10 – 30  years forced by the climate change debate, as are our attitudes to car ownership and use. The BBC has produced a very good report on how they see the problem and the current solutions for the future of transport by 2050. I would certainly recommend spending 10 minutes watching the report. 

Click to view the BBC Report 

Currently, the major shift is towards the electric car. Battery technology is such that there are two hurdles that stand in the way of electric propulsion being suitable for use as a towing or touring vehicle. Firstly distance travelable is quite short, secondly, weight is a major issue. The heavier the load the less distance it can travel, the lighter the vehicle the less weight it can tow.    

Electric Cars of the future
What will electric cars of the future look like?

If you have viewed the BBC report you will be aware that for transport in the future, the real problem currently identified (for the majority) is the short distance from a person’s work or home to a major transport hub. This means that researchers and problem solvers are looking to tackle this question. So light electric vehicles of some description will easily fulfill those requirements. Today’s car market is not only about transport but also about status and the car is one of the major status symbols, this concept will rapidly decline as the manufacturing industries gear up for the ‘Brave New World’ where individual car ownership will be an outdated concept.      

Personal Electric Vehicle
Personal Electric Vehicles of the future?

If you go into any of the big cities in the world you will see the young generation have already accepted a plethora of green personal transport modes to get themselves about the city. Segways, scooters, conventional and electric bikes. More are being developed as we move forward. I  Acknowledge the fact that the legal status of some of these options varies across the world and even from city to city, but I think it is invetable that it will become commonplace. Especially so if the researchers are right about the major problem is getting a person to and from home or office to a transport hub. 

The other concept worth bearing in mind when we are specifically thinking about the future of the touring caravan is that today, to tow one is the automatic preserve of the older generations. Our children/grandchildren, have to consider their current driving license as to what they can or can not tow. 

 

Anyone with a driving license issued before 1st Jan 1997 can drive a vehicle and trailer up to a MAM (Maximum authorised mass) 0f 8, 250 Kg (8.25 Metric tonnes). 

 

If your license is issued after 1st Jan 1997 the maxium weight of a car or van you can drive is 3,500 Kg and you can tow a trailer of up to 750kg. Not many touring caravans come in at that weight. If you want to tow a heavier trailer then your vehicle and trailer are limited to a MAM of 3,500 Kg. Of course, you have the option of tacking additional tests that authorise you to drive heavier combinations. 

This licensing issue does not give the car of the future any real problems as weight is a key issue and they will become lighter as a matter of course. Having said this as all caravaners know the weight of your towing vehicle is key to the weight you can tow. To enable the next generation of touring caravan to be successful and have a take up the weight issue has to be addressed in relation to the weight of the towing vehicle and power available to tow and practical range the vehicle can travel. Today’s suitable towing vehicles appear to have only a short-range on electric propulsion which is not suitable if you want to take off on a grand tour of Europe or even make it to a mini-meet in Dorset.    

Conculsion

Looking at the above problems I see that the future of touring with a caravan is somewhat facing troubles, especially with the new concept of personal transport that is likely to evolve. These are my opinions on what I have read to date. I would be interested in the views and opinions of others and I am interested in the proposed future for the touring caravan. We already see the development of the smaller touring units such as the basecamp, and other teardrop styled caravans, but as far as the large conventional caravan and the twin axel units are concerned I believe that these are somewhat dead ducks in a future that will rely upon personal transport being small and light. In the immediate future the rise in popularity of motor homes especially those under 3,500 Kg will take over from caravans. However, to be honest I see the concept of vehicle ownership being outdated by the middle of the 21st century.  

As stated these are my opinions and I invite you to record yours. I do not intend to leave the subject here and in future articles, I will explore what caravaning might look like over the next generation (20-30 years). 

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