Writing the last article I realised that I should tell you a little about different kinds of recreational vehicles.
Imi propun sa detaliez in cate un articol fiecare din categoriile de RV. Si, evident, voi incepe cu remorca-cort.
I want to detail each one of the recreational vehicles’ categories in several articles. Obviously, I will start with the tent-trailer.
Atunci cand cortul din panza a devenit prea mare si prea greu pentru a-l transporta cu masina, cineva a avut ideea de a-l pune pe o remorca de bagaje. Nu exista o data exacta la care a aparut prima remorca-cort si nici o persoana anume care sa fie “parintele” remorcii-cort, totusi se pare ca inceputurile au fost pe la 1900. Asa arata o remorca-cort fabricata in 1925 in S.U.A. pentru Fordul T:
When the canvas tent became too big and too heavy to be transported with a car, somebody had the idea of putting it on a luggage trailer. There isn’t a precise date when the first tent-trailer was manufactured and there isn’t one person to be “the father” of the tent-trailer. Still, it appears that it began somewhere around 1900. This is how a tent-trailer manufactured in 1925 in the States for the Ford T looks like:
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"Model T1925b" by Terry Bone - Flickr: ModelT1925b.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ModelT1925b.jpg#mediaviewer/File:ModelT1925b.jpg
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Si europenii au construit astfel de vehicule, un bun exemplu fiind aceasta remorca-cort fabricata in 1935 in Germania, de catre producatorul de articole sportive Hans Berger:
The Europeans also built this kind of vehicles, this tent-trailer made in 1935 in Germany by the sports manufacturer Hans Berger being a good example:
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"Sportberger Hausdabei" by Bene16 - Own work.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sportberger_Hausdabei.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Sportberger_Hausdabei.jpg
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Folosita si in cel de-al doilea razboi mondial, aceasta remorca-cort a fost denumita de militarii germani “Blitz-zelt”, adica “Cortul-fulger” datorita rapiditatii cu care cortul devenea functional.
Used in the second world war, this tent-trailer was named by the German soldiers the “Blitz-zelt”, meaning the “Flash-tent”, thanks to the small amount of time it took for the tent to become fully functional.
Dupa al doilea razboi mondial, nevoia de mobilitate si performantele tehnice sporite ale automobilelor au dus la aparitia mai multor constructori de astfel de remorci. Unul dintre acesti constructori a functionat in fosta R.D.G., facand parte din structura care fabrica autoturismele Trabant si Wartburg, dar si autovhiculele utilitare IFA, Barkas si Robur. Gama de remorci-cort a purtat denumirea Campturist, primul prototip aparand in 1958. Primul model comercial, din care face parte si cel de mai jos fabricat in 1964, arata astfel:
After the second world war, the need for mobility and high technical performances of the automobiles led to the birth of more tent-trailer manufacturers. One of these manufacturers emerged in East Germany, as a part of the group that built the Trabant and Watburg cars, but also the IFA utility vehicles, Barkas and Robur. This range of tent-trailers was called Campturist, the first prototype was built in 1958. This is a photograph of a tent-trailer made in 1964, part of the first commercial model:
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Its mechanics were taken from the Tabant , while everything else was manufactured within the factory. A good part of the production was exported to Western europe, as “Oase” in West Germany, “Nimrod” in Great Britain and “Alpenkreuzer” in The Netherlands. The most wanted models were the one belonging to the 6th series, manufactured from mid-’70s to the ‘90s. Having 2 or up to 6 sleeping places, these tent-trailers were very well received by the market, many of them being in a very good condition even today. The tent-trailer we bought in the summer of 2007, manufactured in 1986, was in perfect shape:
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| Arhiva personala |
After setting up the tent you would get an area of almost 24 sqm, home to two bedroom fro three people, a large living room, a complete kitchen and room for a chemical toilet:
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| Arhiva personala |
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| Arhiva personala |
The Maximum Allowed Mass (MAM) of a such trailer is generally of approximatively 500 kg.
Dupa caderea Zidului Berlinului, productia a continuat, cu modele noi, adaptate perioadei, insa folosind acelasi principiu: componente mecanice preluate din productia Trabant, restul elementelor fabricate local sau de catre furnizori. Dupa incetarea productiei autoturismelor Trabant si Wartburg, toate componentele ramase au fost cumparate de firma Aplenkreuzer din Olanda care a continuat productia indragitelor remorci-cort. Ultimul model de remorca-cort Alpenkreuzer arata astfel:
After the fall of the Berlin wall, the production continued, with new models, adapted to the period of time, but all of them using the same principle: mechanical components taken from Trabant and the rest of the components made locally or by suppliers. After the production of the Trabant and the Watburg cars ended, all the remaining components were bought by the Dutch company Alpenkreuzer who continued the production of the beloved tent-trailer. The last model of the Alpenkreuzer looked like this:
In 2006 din pacate compania Alpenkreuzer a dat faliment si astfel a disparut unul dintre producatori. Insa, pe langa Alpenkreuzer au existat si inca exista si alti producatori de remorci-cort. Unul dintre acestia este Trigano, care de-a lungul timpului a devenit un adevarat colos industrial in domeniul RV-urilor. Modelul Galleon fabricat de Trigano arata asa:
Unfortunately, in 2006 the Alpenkreuzer company went bankrupt and so one of the manufacuturer was gone. But there other tent-trailer manufacturers. One of them is Trigano, who with time became a true giant within the RV world. Trigano’s Galleon looked like this:
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| www.trigano-trailertents.com |
Another tent-trailer manufacturer is Camp-Let, having a history in production of over 40 years, run even today by descendants of its founder, in Denmark. The Clasic model, with four sleeping places and an area of 18 sqm, looks like this:
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| www.camp-let.com |
I have to mention other manufacturers whose products I have admired at the Caravan Salon, in Dusseldorf, like Holtkamper, with this model:
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| Arhiva personala |
or the completely special model coming from the Dutch company Ysin, reminding us of the famous design of the Sidney Opera:
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| Arhiva personala |
Since I have mentioned the Sidney Opera, I must say that also in Australia there are tent-trailer, build according to their landscape and climate. Most of these tent-trailers are used for trips in places only off-road cars can reach. This is why the tent-trailers made in Australia are also off-road, so they can bear the torture of the Australian routes:
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| www.conqueroraustralia.com.au |
Unfolded, this tent-trailer offers sleeping space for two, numerous storage spaces, a fridge, a stove, fresh water tanks, battery, battery charger, all on an extremely stiff chassis, with an independet suspension and large ground clearance:
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| www.conqueroraustralia.com.au |
As you can see, things have evolved a lot in about 100 years, but the fundamental requests from a tent-trailer have remained the same: reduced weight and volume on the road, space acoording to the necessities, a certain amount of comfort and the possibility to spend free time very close to nature.
Va urma...
To be continued...
