 |
| Sid G. Hedges (Editor). The Universal Book of Hobbies. London: Odhams Press Limited, 1935. |
"Motor Caravaning" had become a popular pastime in England in the 1930's. According to the source for this photo, the advice was to choose a caravan's weight depending on the power of your car's engine, the rule of thumb being one hundredweight per horsepower. Thus, a 12 h.p. car could pull a 12 cwt. caravan. There were even caravans available for 7 h.p. engines for pulling behind an Austin Seven or even a motorcycle combination! Under British road laws of the time, maximum speed whilst towing a caravan was 30 mph with a 2-wheel rig, and 20 with a 4-wheel one. It must have been really irritating when out on your Velocette to get stuck behind such a combination on the twisty British roads of the day.
For those who want to know more, I've uploaded the full article here.
2 comments:
There are several excellent books on this topic, for those who want to know more:
Across the Continent by the Lincoln Highway by Effie Price Gladding, unknown publisher, 1914
By Motor to the Golden Gate by Emily Post (yes, the etiquette lady), D. Appleton & Co., 1916
West Broadway by Nina Wilcox Putnam, George H. Doran Co., 1921
Americans on the Road: From Autocamp to Motel, 1910-1945 by Warren James Belasco, The MIT Press, 1979
Tinkering: Consumers Reinvent the Early Automobile by Kathleen Franz, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005
The first three titles are available as reprints. Note that West Broadway is a fictionalized account of a transcontinental journey, but filled with details about early automotive travel, and a lot of fun to read. In fact, all five titles, even the most 'scholarly', were enjoyable reads. I found all five titles on-line at very reasonable prices.
You might also enjoy Living High: An Unconventional Autobiography by June Burn, San Juan Publishing, in six editions between 1941 and 2011. A fascinating story about a family on the road, traveling from Maryland to Alaska and all around the lower 48, homesteading the San Juan Islands and more. I read the original 1941 edition, and then passed it on to a nephew. I currently own the 2011 edition.
Post a Comment