Search blog.co.uk

The names caravans call themselves
by loiswakeman @ 20 Aug. 2007 - 17:14:26

Part II in an occasional series onthe names of things, inspired by Gary Larson. Part I: Staplers

A few weeks ago, I spent a lot of time in traffic jams on the M6, and to pass the time, collected some names of caravans. Since then, I have added some more to my collection, and have found it quite an interesting exercise in branding.

Without going through the whole list, they seem to fall into several groups:

  • The aspirational: Corniche, Stellar, Quasar
  • The constitutional: Jubilee, Senator, Heritage, Pageant, Festival
  • The butch and manly: Pioneer, Discovery, Challenger, Patriot
  • The rural: Cheviot, Dalesman, Countryman, Highlander *
  • The downright dangerous and asking for retribution: Firestorm, Tornado, Hurricane, [edited]: and another new one: Meteorite
  • And to finish up: the frankly ludicrous: Pastiche. (Named after a Greek and Italian dish (pastitsio) made of leftovers, and basically meaning a mish-mash). And Avanté - what’s that?
(* or in this case, silly 1990's film!)

Do you have a favourite name for a caravan? Polite suggestions only please.

16 comments | Permalink | Recommend this post
Tags: branding, caravans, names of things,

Comments: Hide subcomments

kevinwilsonkevinwilson pro
20/08/07 @ 18:09

i've never heard of a caravan spotter!

| Show subcomments
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
21/08/07 @ 08:21

Yes - I was a bit worried when I had this terrible urge to buy a clipboard and anorak - but have managed to fight it off at last.

|
deleted user [Visitor]

20/08/07 @ 18:32

Does 'Get off my planet' count as I try to overtake the damn things.

litstudentlitstudent [Member]
21/08/07 @ 14:23

'Tin-on-wheels'? Why not just call it what it is ;0)

| Show subcomments
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
21/08/07 @ 17:01

Not nearly as much fun though!

| Show subcomments |
MichaelStMarkMichaelStMark pro
22/08/07 @ 15:20

If I gave my VW camper a name it would be High Plains Drifter.
As it is I merely brandish a tailor-made rear window sticker stating;
" Don't push me - I've left the rat race behind !"

I like to amble along enjoying the country scenery from my high perch. Too many Lewis Hamilton wannabe chavs in souped-up beat-up Vauxhalls giving aggro' via horn and flash from behind to GET A MOVE ON!

They're in a hurry to go nowhere fast you see ;)

| Show subcomments |
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
22/08/07 @ 16:04

Nothing like being able to see over the hedges - is there?

| Show subcomments |
MichaelStMarkMichaelStMark pro
22/08/07 @ 16:23

Yes, it's another world altogether, Lois.

You get so used to driving at four feet higher than before, that when you occasionally revert back to dropping down into the bucket seat of a hatchback - as I did recently when I took my old dad's Fiesta to the car wash - it feels strangely akin to how I would imagine scraping one's bum along the road at 30mph under local anesthetic would feel.

But it's the looking up to pedestrians as if I was a seven year-old that I miss the least.

| Show subcomments |
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
22/08/07 @ 17:45

I feel the same lack of view switching from the LR to the old banger. But my son's Mini is even worse - like sitting in a hole in the road!

Is it your Pa or his car that is old (or both) ?

| Show subcomments |
MichaelStMarkMichaelStMark pro
22/08/07 @ 17:52

Yes both. Each time I go visit my parents, I notice an incremental increase in the additional bumps dents and scrapes on the Fiesta.

Sad in so many ways old age, isn't it?

| Show subcomments |
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
22/08/07 @ 17:59

I am glad to hear the damage isn't on your parents anyway!

Our ancient Escort was already bumped and scraped when we had it - first an old lady, then my son learning to drive took their toll. The good thing is, I can menace people in shiny new cars down our lane: they probably think: 'Good grief, look at the state of that car - we'd better make sure it can get past' - and then back up incompetently into a hedge! Tee hee.

| Show subcomments |
MichaelStMarkMichaelStMark pro
22/08/07 @ 18:11

Not to worry Lois, I'm sure they can afford the re-spray :)

There's a lot to be said for driving around in a shed, actually.
Firstly there's no need to bother with the panel-beaters and paint shop con-artists to put right the minor bumps & scrapes every car inevitably suffers in due course of time, because there will be next to no depreciation in value anyway.... and second, although there's the downside of people tending to put you down on garage forecourts etc; at least the neighbors won't be jealous or suspicious of that £multi-million tax-free nest egg you're really sitting on.

That's the old Irish builders' speciality, so I've heard.
They all drive around in rust buckets, but with big yachts moored-up at Cannes.

| Show subcomments |
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
23/08/07 @ 09:15

"£multi-million tax-free nest egg" - I wish! We drive an older car from necessity (as well as to provoke the green police - who don't seem to understand that replacing your car with a new one costs far more in CO2 than driving a modest old wreck locally).

OTOH, if I did come into the money, I still wouldn't want a shiny new one. A bit more reliable would be nice....

| Show subcomments |
MichaelStMarkMichaelStMark pro
23/08/07 @ 12:23

Move up from a Landy to a Range Rover, right? :)
For myself, I'd buy a pooled villa high in the Sierra Nevadas, with a triple garage and ample driveway; and cram it with a dozen cars ranging from a collectors' Bentley through stretch limo and Merc SLK to a couple o' Porkers and a scarlet Ferrari. Plus upgrade the camper to a brand spanking new TOTR VW factory-fitted T5.
All on the greener than green principle that I can only drive one of them at a time and therefore keeping the others off the road and out of pollution harms way.

I got that idea from my multi-millionaire writer friend Ian Banks BTW :)

|
marcpaullphotographymarcpaullphotography pro
22/08/07 @ 15:36

How about another category:

Contradictory: For which there is already one that I can list "Swift".

| Show subcomments
loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
22/08/07 @ 16:04

A good one!

|

Leave a comment :

Your email address will not be displayed on this site.
Your URL will be displayed.
Allowed XHTML tags: <!, p, ul, ol, li, dl, dt, dd, address, blockquote, ins, del, a, span, bdo, br, em, strong, dfn, code, samp, kdb, var, cite, abbr, acronym, q, sub, sup, tt, i, b, big, small, img>
URLs, email, AIM and ICQs will be converted automatically.
Options:
 
(Line breaks become <br />)
(Set cookies for name, email & url)
Validation code:
Please enter the above code here:
For protection from spambots (case-sensitive).

Recent Posts

  1. Elegant variation
    by loiswakeman on 02 May. 2008
  2. You *must* try this product - not
    by loiswakeman on 01 May. 2008
  3. Discrete and discreet
    by loiswakeman on 23 Apr. 2008
  4. You are [insert random words here]
    by loiswakeman on 15 Apr. 2008
  5. Rein and reign
    by loiswakeman on 07 Apr. 2008
  6. Flying penguins
    by loiswakeman on 02 Apr. 2008
  7. Exasperate and exacerbate
    by loiswakeman on 01 Apr. 2008
  8. Amount and number
    by loiswakeman on 21 Mar. 2008
  9. Compliment and complement
    by loiswakeman on 21 Mar. 2008
  10. Extol and exhort
    by loiswakeman on 17 Mar. 2008