A CAMPERVAN HISTORY

You have to look back to the early 1900s to see when the idea of a motorised caravan was first mooted – with some rather bizarre designs. But by 1919, using the principle of coachbuilt bodies, the Eccles Motor Transport Company had begun to produce these on a commercial scale.

By the end of the 1920s, however, the car-pulled caravan took the lead and the motorhome rather faded away. Only a few examples were built and after World War II, the idea seemed to be finished.

But now fast-forward to the early 1950s, when the birth of the commercial pressed-steel van – especially the VW Microbus – gave a kickstart to the camper market. In 1952, German caravan maker Westfalia spotted the potential, and started selling a conversion kit for the Microbus.

Known as the Camping Box, the kit converted the side-windowed VW for basic camping, but could then easily be removed if it was sold on.

The VW was seen as the ideal basis for conversion