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When did TT's become "Campers"

LVJJJ
Explorer
Explorer
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.
1994 GMC Suburban K1500
2005 Trail Cruiser TC26QBC
1965 CHEVY VAN, 292 "Big Block 6" (will still tow)
2008 HHR
L(Larry)V(Vicki)J(Jennifer)J(Jesse)J(Jason)
70 REPLIES 70

atreis
Explorer
Explorer
Heh. I wear "gym shoes".
2021 Four Winds 26B on Chevy 4500

Mike_Up
Explorer
Explorer
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. 🙂
2019 Ford F150 XLT Sport, CC, 4WD, 145" WB, 3.5L Ecoboost, 10 speed, 3.55 9.75" Locking Axle, Max Tow, 1831# Payload, 10700# Tow Rating, pulling a 2020 Rockwood Premier 2716g, with a 14' box. Previous 2012 Jayco Jay Flight 26BH.

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

LVJJJ
Explorer
Explorer
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.
1994 GMC Suburban K1500
2005 Trail Cruiser TC26QBC
1965 CHEVY VAN, 292 "Big Block 6" (will still tow)
2008 HHR
L(Larry)V(Vicki)J(Jennifer)J(Jesse)J(Jason)

atreis
Explorer
Explorer
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".
2021 Four Winds 26B on Chevy 4500

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer
Explorer
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).
FL-Guppie "small fish in a big pond"
2024 Grand Design 22MLE
2018 Ford F150 SuperCrew 3.5L Ecoboost, maxtow

mitchmitchell16
Explorer
Explorer
I always thought vittles was shorted from victuals.

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/33213/why-is-victuals-pronounced-vittles
Jayco Jay Feather Ultra Light X213
Ford F-450 Diesel Pickup
Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch
Weboost Drive 4G-X cellular booster
PentaMetric Battery Monitor
Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C

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

Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

toedtoes
Explorer III
Explorer III
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. 🙂
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)

wnjj
Explorer II
Explorer II
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
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer III
Explorer III
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.
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)