When did TT's become "Campers"

[LVJJJ]

Having been on the planet over 7 decades, I must be falling behind. When I started RV'ing in the '80's, a "Camper" was a unit that slid into the bed of a pickup, a unit that was bumper hitch towed behind a vehicle was a "travel trailer", a unit that hitched to the middle of a pickup bed was a "fiver." So, I guess now everything you can camp in is a "camper?"

Just wondering.

[atreis]

Heh. I wear "gym shoes".

[Mike_Up]

Sneakers, what's that? We wear tennis shoes which can be cross trainers, basketball shoes, or running shoes. They are Tennis shoes, period. 🙂 You say travel trailer, everyone thinks you're talking about a mobile home or trailer. If you go to a campground in it, it's a camper except when it's a tent. If it's a travel trailer its a regular trailer, if it's a folding trailer, it's a pop up, if it has a motor, it's a motorhome. If it's on a truck, it's a truck topper camper.

Guess different parts of the country have their own language. 🙂

[Chainwright]

LOL. Before your Time it was called Caravanning now it's called RV'ing. Why is that?

[LVJJJ]

Here's another thing that time changed. When I am RV'ing near a swimming pool or beach, I take my sneakers off while in my travel trailer, put on my bathing suit and thongs and head for the water.

[atreis]

That's exactly the image that "caravan" puts in my head too, but I'm also a midwesterner. 🙂 I left "motorhome" off my list - that's another generic term for any self-propelled camper. PUPs were "tent campers".

[DutchmenSport]

jimlj wrote:

2oldman wrote:

mike-s wrote:
Are you talking about caravans?

I don't know. What's that?

When I was in England, the English called a travel trailer a caravan.

Since my dad bought a 16' Shasta trailer new in 1966, it was always called a camper. I have owned several "campers" over the year. Most of the time when I get to go camping, I'm a happy camper.

Maybe England and Australia have it "right" after all. This from Wikipedia:

"Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together"

After all, isn't that what we (as camping people) are doing. Aren't we all journeying (in a sense, yes .... we are "all" really together in this lifestyle, journeying somewhere?).

But when I think of "Caravan", coming from the USA Mid-West, I grew up with the usage of "Caravan" like this:

Click here Maybe this goes back to early childhood teachings about "Christmas"....

[FLGup]

I’m so confused,

Do I RV or camp?
Am I an Old Coot or an Old Geezer?

Sigh

I think I’ll go have some vittles and a pop
(well, that didn't sound right at all).

[mitchmitchell16]

I always thought vittles was shorted from victuals.

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/33213/why-is-victuals-pronounced-vittles

[jaycocreek]

Even back when Ford made the "Super" camper special,specifically made for the 10-12 ft campers.No mention of truck camper,just camper.

[toedtoes]

wnjj wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
I agree with the regional explanation.

In the west, we had:

Campers - trucks campers like the 6 pak
Shells - those were the short covers over the truck bed (no inside guts)
Trailers - tow behinds
Motorhomes - self propelled.

A trailer was never called a camper unless someone from another region was talking.

We wore tennies not sneakers too.

Same, except 'shells' were 'canopies'.

Canopies were something we ate.... Or a tarp. 🙂

[wnjj]

toedtoes wrote:
I agree with the regional explanation.

In the west, we had:

Campers - trucks campers like the 6 pak
Shells - those were the short covers over the truck bed (no inside guts)
Trailers - tow behinds
Motorhomes - self propelled.

A trailer was never called a camper unless someone from another region was talking.

We wore tennies not sneakers too.

Same, except 'shells' were 'canopies'.

[TomG2]

I belong to Loners on Wheels, a single's camping group with a huge variety of vehicles. Whether it is a $500 tent trailer or a $500,000 motorhome, we call them all "Rigs". As in, "I am going back to my rig to get ready for the dance". It is all about having fun, not how how much our rigs cost.

[edd210]

I don't know when you started camping. But I was camping when I was 12, 52 years ago and yes anything you could stay in at a campground was a camper here in Florida.

[toedtoes]

I agree with the regional explanation.

In the west, we had:

Campers - trucks campers like the 6 pak
Shells - those were the short covers over the truck bed (no inside guts)
Trailers - tow behinds
Motorhomes - self propelled.

A trailer was never called a camper unless someone from another region was talking.

We wore tennies not sneakers too.