The first ever custom built for leisure caravan, The Wanderer, receives an Engineering Heritage Listed Status award

The Caravan and Motorhome Club is the proud custodian of The Wanderer, the first ever custom built for leisure caravan, and is delighted to announce it has been awarded Engineering Heritage Listed Status by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

The Engineering Heritage Awards were established in 1984, the awards recognise pioneering engineering artefacts, locations, collections and landmarks.

The iconic Wanderer provides a continuity from the earliest origins of the pastime through to today. While technology has progressed and caravanning has become a far more socially-inclusive activity, the essence of what Wanderer was able to facilitate – access to the great outdoors for leisure, in comfort and in safety – is as true of a modern caravan as it is of this 1885 one. Today’s caravan owner would still recognise many aspects of the fundamental design as being as relevant today as they were 130+ years ago.

Although periodic restorations have been carried out, The Wanderer remains fundamentally as originally built, and largely original in terms of structure, fixtures and fittings. Where parts have had to be repaired or replaced, this has been done sensitively, with original components being reused (e.g. original wheel hubs were used in rebuilt wheels). As such, the look and feel of the original design has been carefully retained, and continues to give a faithful impression of the concept when new.