Caravan body on car chassis?

[mt2man]

I have had this thought for a while, but seeing the recent topic about the Saab 92H it has rekindled my love for the idea!

So whats the legalties on putting a caravan body onto a chassis, say a landrover chassis for example?

I really want a camper, but i also really want a 4x4 or apocalyptic vehicle, i think a 4x4 caravan would be so weird it would be cool! haha

Or even a caravan body on a scimmy chassis or something similar slammed to the ground would be really cool! haha

Anyone done something similar?

If the chassis isnt modified at all then surely it wouldnt need a IVA either?

Surely the front screen would need to be glass and all lights etc fitted properly, window wippers, secure seats with seat belts etc?

Have some pictures to show how cool the idea would be







Looks a normal caravan till you see it has a steering wheel! haha





So, am i crazy or is it a good idea?

[mt2man]

I know you can get 4x4 campers such as Land Rover FC's etc



But I'm cheap and love a project

[LowStandards]

You're going to need something forward control both to maximise space and so you're not sitting 3 feet from the windscreen, a Nissan Cabstar would be a great base.

In my mind to make it work i'd be finding a suitable sized caravan then making up a steel frame inside that closely follows the roofline etc, bring that down to the floor and make a sturdy frame there. Next sack off the caravan chassis and floor and fingers crossed your caravan will still be caravan shaped. Drop it onto your chassis, then enjoy spending many months making a new floor snd interior that fits around the chassis as it will be intrusive unless you want it to look like, err, a caravan on a van chassis...

[markbognor]

T25 Syncro chassis?

[composimmonite]

Only problem is normal caravans aren't very strong as they have a flimsy timber frame that alloy panels are nailed and as such could fall apart if used off road. With that in mind I'd look at a Freedom caravan which is a fibreglass shell on galv chassis.
I think something like a Suzuki (SJ or Vitara) chassis might be better than Land Rover. Lighter so you could then add a "subframe on top to carry the caravan shell. Good old VW Beetle floorpan could be another option and easy to make forward control using a VW bus steering box.


Paul H

[cobblers]

Oct 28, 2012 20:18:15 GMT markbognor said:

T25 Syncro chassis?

They're monocoque like the rest of the T25s (plus scene tax as well!)

[markbognor]

Every day is a school day

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

what you want is a cochbuilt camper.

[waveman1500]

Caravans are not light, especially once you've fitted it out with furniture and loaded it up with food, fridge, cooker, luggage and the family. For this reason you can't really use a car chassis to build anything other than the most basic lightweight camper. You really need to base it on a commercial vehicle of some kind, as you're going to need a minimum payload of about one tonne. So, that leaves you with either a four-wheel-drive, or a pickup truck or van. In other words, a normal camper.

If you start with a 4x4 chassis, preferably forward control, then there is no reason why your suggestion would not work great. A Mitsubishi Delica or any of the Japanese 4x4 cab-over light trucks would be an ideal base. Personally, for off-roading I would prefer something of this sort of style:



Obviously, if you make it look like a standard caravan and then lift it up it will look ridiculous. The low car-less caravan look works great on the Saab campers, but I don't think it could work on an off-roader.

If you want something a bit different, another option would be to make it look like a house, rather than a caravan. Either a steel or timber frame, covered in timber cladding. I've seen photos before of a tiny one built on Mini subframes, which had window boxes with flowers on the front of it and everything. I can't find any pics at the moment though. Imagine this, but self-propelled:



Then of course there is the house-truck concept, as demonstrated brilliantly by yoeddynz in Readers' Rides. I think that's significantly bigger and more expensive than you were thinking about though.

[mt2man]

I have been fascinated by house trucks too! I have often thought about buying a large agriculurtal pickup of somekind and building one on the back! haha, or possibly converting a horse trailer, but I'm not sure of the legalties of driving such vehicles on my license?

So was looking for other possibilities

But yeah i agree the shell would have to be re-inforced some how, once the floor is removed it is likely to just fall to peices haha

[jeepmad]

pm sent

[popuptoaster]

If you want to make it practical I think you'd have more success starting with a coachbuilt, find one that has a full chassis like mine does,



then remove the doors bonnet, front wings etc etc. fill in the resulting gaps and your there.

However that pretty much just gives you an A class motorhome.

If your wanting to do it just for laughs I'd find a cheapish Japanese 4x4 pickup and dump a caravan onto that, caravan is much wider so you should be able to move the controls forwards so you sit next to the engine.

I think you'll have issues off roading it though, it will be to wide for most tracks.

As a fun camper that will pull itself off a wet field though I think it will be great, I reckon you'll need spacers and high offset wheels to make it look good though.

[composimmonite]

Might be easier to find a Ford Transit based hymermobil camper and adapt to 4x4.

Paul H

[mt2man]

It was only a silly idea that came to mind haha, I have a reliant kitten chassis on the drive which would make a cute tiny camper but would only be big enough for a Eriba Puck sized camper or similar haha, would be funny though!

My girlfriends dad has a Commer Highwayman in the garden he maybe selling so I may scrap the idea and just rebuild that! Hmmm anyone ever made a commer 4x4? haha

[MrSpeedy]

Not particularly helpful, but these are rather cool I thought





And who could forget this;

[mt2man]

Haha i have seen that renault turbo one in the past it would be odd seeing a caravan with the front wheel and suspension from a reliant robin so it stays 3 wheels, would keep to the caravan look even more!

I do love housetrucks or converted horseboxes, coaches etc

[stealthstylz]

FT-ultimate-W put the caravan body on the chassis backwards, so to people coming towards you it looks like a caravan is uncontrollably heading towards them.

[mt2man]

Hahaha that would be funny! Not very aerodynamic though!

[bl1300]

Oct 29, 2012 17:52:16 GMT mt2man said:

Hahaha that would be funny! Not very aerodynamic though!

Yes but a caravan is not exactly going to aerodynamic anyway. I agree this is an epic idea and really needs to happen.

[LowStandards]

Oct 29, 2012 13:08:43 GMT mt2man said:

My girlfriends dad has a Commer Highwayman in the garden he maybe selling so I may scrap the idea and just rebuild that! Hmmm anyone ever made a commer 4x4? haha

Uaz did

I give you the 452