Motorhome and caravan research help

MCole2
MCole2 Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited November 2012 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

Hello,

My name is Matt. I'm a student at Loughborough University studying Engineering. I'm currently involved in a group project for Vehicle Design. Our group has chosen to design a vehicle that is a cross between a caravan and a motorhome. The vehicle that we're
designing is a car and a trailer that connect together rigidly rather than by an articulated joint like a caravan. The car and trailer will be designed together, so will be much more aerodynamic than a standard car-caravan combination. The idea is that the
vehicle is as fuel efficient as a motorhome (as the car and caravan will be designed to be low drag together) but has the advantages of a caravan that the  trailer can be left behind at a campsite while you drive out to see some local sights, giving the fuel
economy benefits of a caravan in this situation.

The other advantages are that unlike a motorhome the car will be usable all year round as a day-to-day car.

As part of this project we are required to research the industry, specifically the likely end users. I would be extremely grateful if anyone is willing to help by answering the following questions:

What features are considered standard in today's caravan's and/or motorhomes? (e.g. TV, toilet, shower, oven, etc)

How many berths is your caravan/motorhome?

What fuel consumption is typical for your motorhome?

How much is your car's fuel consumption affected when towing a caravan?

Approximately what mileage does your motorhome/caravan do per year?

Roughly how long does it take to attach/detach your caravan?

Thank you very much for your time, any responses are greatly appreciated.

Best regards

Matt.