Italian FG caravan

[robirob]

Susy:

Here's the interior of our trailer. It is 13 feet and was built in 1978. We bought it on ebay last spring and cleaned it up. We made it blue and white to match our 1968 Volkswagen pickup, so we can enter them into Volkswagen car shows. We entered it with our Eurovan (Caravelle) last summer and won our category. The pickup needs to be fixed, though, before it can pull the Burro.
The Burro is parked right now, though, waiting for good weather and some time off. I teach, so we have to wait until I have a break, and my husband can take vacation time.

CindyL

ciao Cindy...
Your trailer is very small... and your car is very big...hehehe
Your Burro is delicius...

bye... Rob

[robirob]

Sorry ...I have a question.
Your caravans are much heavy?
Because I have seen that you have big cars... and I think that they have powerful engines also.

[Brian B-P]

...Your caravans are much heavy?
Because I have seen that you have big cars... and I think that they have powerful engines also.

Most trailers (caravans) in North America are very large and heavy compared to the caravans we have seen from Europe; however, this forum is for owners of lightweight moulded fiberglass trailers, so most of our trailers are much lighter than the average.

While many people in both Canada and the United States drive very large vehicles, and some members of this forum tow their trailers with large trucks, many of us have smaller and lighter vehicles, so we need our trailers to be light. We really are different from most people on this continent.

I think that the most common trailers in this group (the Scamps and Casitas) weigh more than the same size of Lander, but I don't think it is a very large difference. Some people do load them with a lot of extra equipment and cargo!

One difference is that the tongue weight (or nose weight) here is usually high compared to a European caravan; we usually have 10% or more of the trailer weight carried on the hitch. This is why the axle is further back on my Boler 1700 than on a Lander 401, for instance.

My "car" and trailer may not be the best example. My Boler is larger and heavier than most in this forum, and I tow it with a Toyota Sienna, which is a "minivan" or "multipurpose vehicle" larger than any sold by Toyota in Italy. It has a 3.3 litre engine and 3 metre wheelbase, and weighs about 2000 kg. With this vehicle, I could not tow most of the trailers which are sold in Canada, but I could tow most of our fiberglass trailers.

[Patty C.]

Hi Rob. Thanks for the nice compliment about my new Casita. Yes, I have a picture of the interior and am including it with this post.

Have a great weekend!

Patty

[robirob]

Most trailers (caravans) in North America are very large and heavy compared to the caravans we have seen from Europe; however, this forum is for owners of lightweight moulded fiberglass trailers, so most of our trailers are much lighter than the average.

While many people in both Canada and the United States drive very large vehicles, and some members of this forum tow their trailers with large trucks, many of us have smaller and lighter vehicles, so we need our trailers to be light. We really are different from most people on this continent.

I think that the most common trailers in this group (the Scamps and Casitas) weigh more than the same size of Lander, but I don't think it is a very large difference. Some people do load them with a lot of extra equipment and cargo!

One difference is that the tongue weight (or nose weight) here is usually high compared to a European caravan; we usually have 10% or more of the trailer weight carried on the hitch. This is why the axle is further back on my Boler 1700 than on a Lander 401, for instance.

My "car" and trailer may not be the best example. My Boler is larger and heavier than most in this forum, and I tow it with a Toyota Sienna, which is a "minivan" or "multipurpose vehicle" larger than any sold by Toyota in Italy. It has a 3.3 litre engine and 3 metre wheelbase, and weighs about 2000 kg. (4409lbs.) With this vehicle, I could not tow most of the trailers which are sold in Canada, but I could tow most of our fiberglass trailers.

thanks Brian I have understood,
mine caravan is not much heavy one, only 700 Kg. (1543lbs.) and the weight of the tip on the towball is of 40 kg. (88lbs.)




and this is the chassis whit the shock-absorber for a max of 1000 Kg (2204lbs.)




Brian I have not found yours caravan in the photographic album, you have some photo from makes to see me?

[Brian B-P]

My Boler doesn't appear in the Boler Album, but it is just like the other Boler B1700RGH models shown there, such as

• 1-17ftBoler-Brochure
• 1-17ftBoler-Int (this shows the woodgrain-coloured interior, like mine, looking towards the front)
• 1-17ftBoler
• 2-17ftBoler
• 3-17ftBoler (this is an old photo from the time they were made; the car is a typical American coupe of that time, heavier than a comparable car would be now)
• 4-17ftBoler (from a company brochure, probably about 1980)
• 5-17ftBoler-Int (this one has an oven, like mine)
• 5-17ftBoler
• 6-17ftBoler-Int (this is looking towards the rear of the trailer, showing the "gaucho" couch/bed at the back, and the refrigerator on the right)
• 6-17ftBoler (this one has an air conditioner on top; they didn't have them in 1979, but this one has been added; I don't have one)

This is a photo of my own trailer, the same as the one shown in my post in the Show Us Your Rigs topic:




The Boler 1700 is about 1000 kg empty, with 100 kg on the hitch, and when loaded I have 140 kg on the hitch. That's quite different from the Lander's nose weight!
To me, the Lander seems less rounded on the corners. The body of the Boler 1700 extend below the top of the frame (just to hide the frame); the body of the Lander does not, and so it looks lighter, with less body height.

[robirob]

Brian your esplication is very clear... I understand it perfecly! (I'm surprised )
I'm not used to this kind of weight...
I often pull the hitch my caravan with my hand... hehehe!!!!

okey... thank's very much Brian for the links

grazie


oohps... I'm forgetting
in this link there are new image of the our rally... bye bye

http://epocaravan.forumfree.net/?t=12407790&st=210

[CindyL]

Rob,

My husband and I like Volkswagens. The latest minivan that they sold here is the Eurovan (Caravelle), so we bought a 2003. It is hard to get parts for it. We had part of the bed shipped in from Germany. I won it on German ebay. The headrests were won on Britain's ebay. The Eurovan carries all our gear for camping, golf clubs, fishing poles, suitcases, and next summer, our new canoe. The minivan tends to be larger than others made here. If we take our kids camping, it folds out into a queen-size bed for them. We modified our camper, so it only sleeps two.

But to be honest, if we could afford it, I would like a larger camper, one that has a bathroom. And I drive a VW Beetle. We just don't use it to pull the camper.


CindyL

[robirob]

Ok Cindy, you pull your Burro whit a Minivan Volkswagens that have two addictional bad
...Do I understood right?

[robirob]

Hi all
I would have need of an aid for the translation of these words.
In this way I will be able more simply to understand your explanations...





Thank's very much

Rob

[Nancy in Oregon]

Nancy, I love your trailer! We hope someday to find a good deal on a fixer Scamp 5th wheel so we can set it up very much like your's. The added storage and better bed set up suits us.

Thanks, Lizbeth! You might consider the new Escape Trailers. They have a REALLY nice layout.

Nancy

[CindyL]

Yes, Rob, we have an addional bed in the Eurovan. We first looked at how to make the Eurovan into a camper but decided to buy a trailer instead.

We also have a 1968 Volkswagen pickup (camion) and a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle . The pickup needs repair to run. We hope to pull the camper with the pickup.

Rob, do you know Babelfish? http://babelfish.altavista.com/ You can enter words or web pages and select the language to translate.

CindyL

[Kevin A]

Yes, Rob, we have an addiction . We also have a 1968 Volkswagen pickup (camion) and a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle . The pickup needs repair to run. We hope to pull the camper with the pickup.

Rob, do you know Babelfish? http://babelfish.altavista.com/ You can enter words or web pages and select the language to translate.

CindyL

Rob,
I'm the husband of Cindy L. and thought I would briefly join the conversation. You asked if we pull the trailer with the Eurovan. Yes, we do, and it pulls very well. We had no problems even in the mountains at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. The Eurovan also has a large back seat that folds down into a full size bed with very comfortable foam for the mattress. So, we could sleep two adults in the Burro camper and two adults in the Eurovan. Hope this helps!

Kevin

[Barbara Gardin]

Hi Rob'

I can help you with a few of the translations (or I should say my husband Guido can
telaio - tongue cavo corrente - wiring harness stabilizzatore A-Ko - stabilizer
Occhione - coupler freno a mano - hand brake ruotino - tongue jack gavone - tongue box maniglia - handles. Hope these are right. Forgot a few. finestra - window
serratura - lock luce veranda - porch light cerchione - rims pneumatico - tires
targa - license.

[robirob]

Yes, Rob, we have an addional bed in the Eurovan. We first looked at how to make the Eurovan into a camper but decided to buy a trailer instead.

We also have a 1968 Volkswagen pickup (camion) and a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle . The pickup needs repair to run. We hope to pull the camper with the pickup.

Rob, do you know Babelfish? http://babelfish.altavista.com/ You can enter words or web pages and select the language to translate.

CindyL

Dear Cindy, you are a very fan of the old Volkswagen's car...
The beetle is very beautiful.... The italian's name is "Maggiolone"

You have made much good to buy the caravan, why it is like one house. the minivan alone they do not give the same emotions

...and then the caravan it is the much most comfortable one...

Thank's for the Babelfish's link... but the translation is often "pittoresca"... hehehe!!!

Rob,
I'm the husband of Cindy L. and thought I would briefly join the conversation. You asked if we pull the trailer with the Eurovan. Yes, we do, and it pulls very well. We had no problems even in the mountains at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. The Eurovan also has a large back seat that folds down into a full size bed with very comfortable foam for the mattress. So, we could sleep two adults in the Burro camper and two adults in the Eurovan. Hope this helps!

Kevin

Thank's Kevin I understand.
you have a confortable train...
Can I ask how much is heavy of your Burro?

[robirob]

Hi Rob'

I can help you with a few of the translations (or I should say my husband Guido can
telaio - tongue cavo corrente - wiring harness stabilizzatore A-Ko - stabilizer
Occhione - coupler freno a mano - hand brake ruotino - tongue jack gavone - tongue box maniglia - handles. Hope these are right. Forgot a few. finestra - window
serratura - lock luce veranda - porch light cerchione - rims pneumatico - tires
targa - license.

Thank you very much dear Barbara and Guido!

[Gina D.]

My Burro, which is the same as thiers, is 1450 lbs fully loaded.





This photo was done the day I bought it. I have since painted it red and white.

[Gina D.]

I think I broke thier website! It's down!

[robirob]

Dear Gina,
You have a beautiful caravan... and a car very very big!!!!

I do not know the model of your automobile!

Thank's for the pitures that you have put in the Epocaravan' forum
very interesting
http://epocaravan.forumfree.net/?t=13477617

[robirob]

If Gina put your pictures in Epocaravan... I put my pictures in FiberglassRV.. hehehe
(This English language is difficult for me )

hehehe... ok

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