Glossary
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A-CLASS – Motor caravan where cab and habitation area are fully integrated
A-FRAME – Triangular part at the front of a caravan chassis, in between the main body and the coupling
ABS – Type of plastic sometimes used for exterior body panels
ACTUAL LADEN WEIGHT (ALW) – Total weight of a caravan or motor caravan and its contents
APPROVED WORKSHOP – Caravan or motor caravan service agent and repairer who has been assessed and approved under the terms of the Approved Workshop Scheme
AQUAROLL – Proprietary fresh water container whose name is often used as a generic term for such devices
AWNING – Tent-like structure of fabric over a supporting frame, which can be attached to the side of a caravan or motor caravan
AWNING CHANNEL – Slot around the periphery of the caravan side into which the awning is threaded
B + E DRIVING LICENCE – Category of driving licence required to tow large caravans
BASE VEHICLE – Vehicle on which a motor caravan is constructed
BERTH – A sleeping place, usually used in the context of ‘number of berths’ – eg ‘this is a four-berth caravan’
BLOWN-AIR HEATING – Warm air circulated through ducting to all parts of the caravan or motorhome by a fan
BREAKAWAY CABLE – Thin steel cable linking the caravan handbrake to the towbar
BUTANE – Type of Liquefied Petroleum Gas commonly used in caravans and motor caravans
CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE – Largestcirculating caravanning magazine in the UK, supplied free to Caravan Club members as part of their membership subscription
CARAVAN CLUB SITE – Over 200 highquality places to stay, in a wide variety of locations all over the UK
CASSETTE BLIND – Roller blind fitted as part of the window assembly, giving a neat installation
CASSETTE TOILET – Toilet where the waste holding tank can be accessed and removed from outside the caravan, used almost exclusively on modern caravans
CERTIFICATED LOCATION – Low-cost alterrnative to Club sites, limited to a maximum of five caravans or motorhomes at any one time. Most commonly on farms or land belonging to a pub, country house or other rural location
CHASSIS – The structural frame on top of which the habitation area of a caravan or motor caravan is built
CHASSIS CAB – Common type of base vehicle on which a motor caravan habitation area is built
CHEMICAL TOILET – Self-contained toilet, where the waste material is held in a sealed tank for periodic emptying
CL – Commonly-used abbreviation of Certificated Location
COACHBUILT – Motorhome where the habitation area is built on a chassis cab
CORNER STEADY – Jack built into the corner of a caravan chassis, used to stabilise the body of the vehicle once you're set up on a pitch
COUPLING HEAD – See hitch
CRiS – Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme. A voluntary scheme similar to motor vehicle registration
DINETTE – Pair of facing seats with a table in between. Usually convertible to a bed when needed
ELEVATING ROOF – A feature of some smaller motor caravans, providing greater headroom on site but giving a lower profile when travelling. Can make parking easier
ESSENTIAL HABITATION EQUIPMENT – Items required for the safe and proper functioning of the caravan’s equipment – includes things like the leisure battery and gas cylinders, plus water contained in the water heater etc
EX-WORKS WEIGHT – Weight of the caravan or motor caravan as new, with standard fixtures and fittings as stated by the manufacturer. Also known as unladen weight
FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER – Form of caravan which is connected to its towing vehicle by means of a coupling similar to those used on articulated lorries
GAS CYLINDER – Pressurised container for the storage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas
GAS BOTTLE LOCKER – Compartment for the storage of gas cylinders
GREY WATER – See waste water
GROSS TRAIN WEIGHT – Also known as combined weight Maximum permitted weight of the outfit
HABITATION AREA – That part of the caravan which comprises the living space
HARDSTANDING – Pitch that has a hard surface made of gravel, asphalt, concrete etc instead of being grass
HIGHTOP – Motor caravan where the base vehicle manufacturer or converter has added a (fixed) raised-height roof to a panel van
HITCH – Mechanism that allows a caravan to be attached to a towball
HITCH HEAD STABILISER – Form of stabiliser built into the caravan hitch, and which works by applying friction directly to the towball
HITCH LOCK – Security device which prevents the caravan hitch being connected to (or in some cases, removed from) a towball
HOOK-UP – A facility on pitch to connect a caravan or motor caravan to the mains electric supply
JOCKEY WHEEL – Small wheel at the front of a caravan used to support the forward end while it is not hitched up
KERBWEIGHT – The empty weight of a motor vehicle as defined by its manufacturer
LAYOUT – The arrangement of furniture and fittings within the habitation area
LEISURE BATTERY – A 12V battery which powers the 12V lighting, water pump(s) etc in the caravan
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS – Fuel used to power the fridge, water heater and space heater in most caravans, when mains electricity is not available. Two types are commonly used – butane and propane. Usually abbreviated to LPG
LOW-PROFILE – A form of coachbuilt motor caravan which does not have an overcab bed
LUTON – Term sometimes used to describe motor caravan area which includes a bed above the cab
MASS IN RUNNING ORDER – Mass of the caravan or motor caravan equipped to the manufacturer’s standard specification
MAXIMUM AUTHORISED WEIGHT (MAW) – The maximum weight for which the caravan or motor caravan is designed for normal use when being used on a road fully laden
MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT – See Maximum Authorised Weight
MAXIMUM TECHNICALLYPERMISSIBLE LADEN MASS (MTPLM) – Takes into account specific operating conditions including factors such as the strength of materials, loading capacity of the tyres etc. The heaviest condition at which the vehicle should ever be operated
MOT – Caravans do not currently require an MoT. Motor caravans require the same MoT as a cars
MOTOR MOVER – Trade name of a particular type of electric device for caravan manoeuvring
NOSEWEIGHT – That part of the weight of the caravan which is supported by the rear of the towing vehicle via the towball
NOSEWEIGHT GAUGE – Device for measuring noseweight
NOSEWEIGHT LIMIT – Value of noseweight which must not be exceeded. Towing vehicles, towbars and caravan hitches all have noseweight limits
OUTFIT – The caravan and its towing vehicle considered as a unit
PITCH – A designated area of a caravan site allocated for the use of one outfit
REGULATOR – Safety device fitted between the gas cylinder and the gas system of a caravan or motor caravan, which controls the pressure of gas being released from the cylinder
ROAD TAX – Caravans do not currently pay Road Tax. Motor caravans below 3500kg gross vehicle weight are taxed at the same rates as cars, while those over 3500kg are taxed as private heavy goods vehicles
SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION – Method of making caravan body panels where the inner and outer skins are bonded to a core of insulating foam. Used for most side and floor panels on caravans and coachbuilt motor caravans
SPACE HEATER – A (usually) gas-powered appliance to heat the habitation area of a caravan or motor caravan
SPARE WHEEL – Motor caravans are supplied with a spare wheel as standard, but for caravans this is often an optional extra, although strongly recommended
STABILISER – A safety device which helps prevent instability by controlling the ease with which the caravan hitch can pivot about the towball
TOWBALL – That part of the towbar to which the hitch attaches
TOWBAR – The framework added to a towing vehicle to support the towball
TOWING BRACKET – See towbar
TOWING MIRRORS – Additional rear vision mirrors added to a towing vehicle to provide a greater width of view to see past a caravan
USER PAYLOAD – Difference between the maximum technically permissible laden mass and the mass in running order. Payload includes essential habitation equipment, personal effects and optional equipment
VAN – An abbreviation of caravan. Often used to refer to both caravans and motor caravans
VAN CONVERSION – A type of motor caravan based on a panel van rather than a chassis cab
VEHICLE EXCISE DUTY – See Road Tax
WARDEN – Caravan Club employee (and Club member!) who is in charge of a Caravan Club Site
WASTE WATER – Water which has been used in the kitchen or bathroom area. This should be collected in an internal tank or external container for later disposal at a designated emptying point