In the USA, new caravans from reputable manufacturers cost between $25,000 and $40,000; the more you pay, the more features you will get. Costs are comparable in the UK, where a good quality caravan starts at around £15,000, rising to about £25,000 for the most luxurious models. You can save money by purchasing a used caravan, though it’s important to examine it carefully; get some information about caravanning from a specialist organisation such as the Caravan Club first.

How can I fit wifi in a caravan?

Caravans’ bodies are, unfortunately, good shields against wifi signals. One cheap solution is to fit an external antenna to your caravan. Use a high quality coaxial cable to link the antenna to your computer, and keep the length short to avoid signal degradation. One snag is that many laptops don’t have connectors for these antennas, so a simple alternative is to use a dongle from a 3G phone network. Data charges can mount up, but provided you have a network connection, they should work with no fuss.

What restrictions are there bringing caravans around the world?

Although very few countries ban caravans completely, most have caravan specific some limits and rules on where exactly you can take them. Many smaller islands restrict their use, as do a number of ferry companies. Speed limits are often lower than at home: Denmark restricts caravans to just 80 km/h. Make sure you check your satnav, as if it incorporates any form of radar detector it will be illegal in some parts of Europe, including France. Information about caravanning can be hard to dig out, but persevere.

Case studies

Many people have successfully travelled round the world with a caravan. George Seal was a pioneer, writing “By Caravan Round the World” after his five-year journey in a self-built caravan in the late 1960s saw him meet the King of Morocco and be threatend by flooding in Australia. More recently, British couple Emma Smart and Andy Smith set off from Weymouth in June 2012, intending to spend 800 days on the road in a converted 1994 Toyota Hilux (not quite a caravan but close enough says this author).