Polish romance with caravanning

There are countries in which caravans have become so adopted that they still serve as homes for many residents. However, the Polish car by Drzymała did not ignite the imagination of our countrymen, and we had to wait a long time for further attempts to combine the possibility of moving with the opportunity for comfortable accommodation.

We can start the Polish history of caravanning in 1930 . This does not mean, however, that a caravan was produced in Poland at that time. Oh no! According to the portal Oldtimery.pl, it was the first time that the caravan was shown in Warsaw. The show of Buick pulling a house on wheels was an attraction to diversify the beauty contest, which was organized in Skaryszewski Park.

Works of DIY enthusiasts

Polish caravans began to appear only in the 1950s, mainly as the so-called "SAMs" , i.e. structures created by DIY enthusiasts. The first was a vehicle created by a mysterious couple B. "Motor" described the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. B., who in 1956 built a trailer to travel around Europe with it.

It was probably then that the topic of caravans found fertile ground in Poland. One can only guess that many people, under the influence of articles in "Motor", dreamed of their own house on wheels. The more ambitious ones decided to make this dream come true. Krzysztof Koss built a small trailer that could be pulled by a Victoria motorcycle! The walls were made of plywood based on a frame made of old pipes, and the floor was made of steel sheet. Inside, there was a folding table and chairs, rubber mattresses and a radio called "Szarotka". The trailer weighed only 105 kg.

A glimmer of hope

The first two professional prototypes of Polish caravans are Biedronka and Tramp . Both models were shown at the Poznań International Fair in 1958. The tramp was bought by a customer from Denmark during the fair. The Truck Factory (FSC) in Lublin, perhaps encouraged by this success, produced 30 units of this model. Ladybug remained in one copy. However, there was no further production, because, as the manufacturer recognized, nobody wanted to buy the caravans.

Both models were identical in terms of construction - metal frame, wooden frame, waterproof plywood cover. Ladybug weighed 380 kg and Tramp 550 kg. The equipment included: a folding couch, a table, cabinets, a washbasin, a water tank and a stove (gas or alcohol).

In the same year, FSC also prepared the first Polish motorhome - Nysa became the base for it. Unfortunately, the car in the camping version was not put into production, and there is practically no trace of the prototype today.

The wonderful years of the '60s

In the 1960s, many SAM trailers were built, perhaps because professional trailers were still not available for sale, and even when they did appear, their prices were not acceptable to most of the Kowalskis.

A curiosity is the trailer of Michał Niemcewicz , which not only drove, but also ... swam! The boat-trailer had two highly raised flaps, which made it easier to use. In the middle there is a folding couch with dimensions of 1900 x 1650 mm, a washbasin (with a water tank) and a stove. The constructor also took care of numerous compartments. The vehicle weighed approximately 550 kg.

However, the real beginning of caravanning in Poland should be considered 1965 . It was then that the Tramp-66 foldable tent trailer was put into production in Niewiadów. Contrary to its predecessors, it found much more, as many as 920 buyers. The next ones were the Tramp-68 models (285 were produced) and the Romni 23 (570 copies).

In the "meantime" (in the years 1956-1969) Zakłady Metalowe Skarżysko Kamienna produced 173 copies of the Malwa caravan, which apparently was especially liked by the Gypsies. It was largely due to its large dimensions - 300x1700x1850 mm. The Mallow was equipped with an overrun brake, lighting, gas heating and a "Polar" refrigerator.