I spent 24 hours in a bizarre foldable caravan from the 1980s… it was not what I expected
A VINTAGE motorist who spent 24 hours in a bizarre caravan from the 1980s was baffled by some of its whacky features.
Self-professed “camping enthusiast” Will was left vowing “never ever again” after trying out the unique vehicle.
Will documented the unusual experience on his YouTube channel, giving viewers a look inside the French-made caravan.
What made it quite so odd was that it was a “folding caravan“, which have had a cult following since the late ’80s.
When disassembled, it looks like a large covered trailer hooked up to the back of your car.
However, that cover is actually the roof, with the walls folding out from underneath and locking into place to create a tiny but cozy motorhome.
In the video, Will said: “We’ve driven up today to Bedfordshire to meet a lovely lady called Mary, who’s got a 1986 folding caravan.
“I did a little bit of research into folding caravans, I believe they originated back in either 1959 or 1969.
“They started as actually a folding ‘mini motel‘.
“It’s definitely not your usual car camping set up…but that’s why I like it.”
Will hooked the caravan up to the back of his grandfather’s classic 1989 Jaguar XJ40 to give him the proper vintage experience.
Unfortunately, the issues started when the time came to assemble the vehicle.
Confused by the “weird set up”, Will found himself in a bit of a muddle and even ripped his favourite puffer jacket.
He added: “You would not want to be doing this if it was hammering down with rain that’s for sure.
“This type of camping set up is only suitable when you’ve got glorious sunshine.”
Nonetheless, the camper did come with some mod cons, including table, single bed, curtains and a gas range, though the latter didn’t work and had never been used.
Thankfully for Will, he had a support van with him where he could cook up his spag bol for the evening.
And that was possibly a good thing given that the van had no mains connection, so electricity was limited.
What they did have, they used for a single lightbulb and the stylish little electric fire, which sadly ran out of battery meaning will had to use a sleeping bag.
Similarly, there was no running water in the van, so Will had to go old school when brushing his teeth and washing up, using bottled water instead.
He concluded: “You know when you question what you’re doing in life?
“This is one of those moments.”
Ultimately, he was left “exhausted” and vowing “never ever again”, though he did say that the “weird and wonderful” world of folding caravans had kept him more than entertained overnight.