Why would you want a Mercedes-Benz when you could buy a whole new lifestyle? The day that I have a backyard to park it in, mark my words, I’ll buy a gypsy caravan and turn it into my mobile MessyNessyChic clubhouse. And I found just the company to get it from…
We’ve found each other by chance, my future caravan and I, while I was doing my daily browse through Pinterest. I was feeling a little restless in my desk chair when I stumbled upon a photo of this cozy lair ↓
It had me at hello. So I clicked the link which luckily landed me exactly where I wanted to be, at Greg’s Gypsy Bowtop Caravans.
Greg’s a small Bristol-based company specialising in selling and hiring beautiful handmade car towable caravans made by, you guessed it, Greg. He started the business after the unprecedented interest he received in a towbow Wagon he had built for his own leisurely pursuits. A towbow wagon by the way is another word for his designs, which are also commonly known as ‘Bowtops’, ‘Gypsy Wagons’, ‘Whoopie Wagons’, ‘Towbows’, ‘Romany Caravans’ or ‘Vardo’ to name a few.
‘Whoopie Wagons’ first became a thing in the 1950‘s when increased road traffic finally saw the disappearance of horse drawn travel outside of cities and even the Romany were switching to motor vehicles. But Greg realised you didn’t have to be a nomad by heritage to enjoy these timeless wagons and decided to dedicate all his time to keeping their tradition alive…
Ever since, Greg’s caravans have been a favourite fixture on the festival circuit. He has up to four wagons available to rent and there’s a full list of the festivals you can expect to be able to book your stay here.
But if like me, your interest goes a little deeper, here’s some information to get you started…
First things first, the basic structure price is £15,000.
That doesn’t include the bespoke furniture and paint job, but you can find a full list of price specifications here.
The wagons take approximately 5 months to build, made from quality seasoned pine surrounded by insulation, a waterproof membrane and treated cotton canvas which is tightly tensioned around a poplar tunnel. They’re built on 15ft trailers and because the caravans are comparatively light, they are stable and well balance on a single axle trailer.
The built in double bunk bed at the end sleeps two on top and two below. They can be used as a spare bedroom, office, studio or even a home.
For those interested overseas, an example of one of Greg’s wagons shipped to California cost £2450 including insurance and import duties in a 20 ft container taking 29 days at sea with 7 days frequency of sailing.
One day, I plan to be writing to you from inside one of these…
