Caravans: When bus becomes home

A kitchen, a toilet and trendy interiors make life on the road comfortable for movie stars, writes Nina C George

Caravans have been around for a while, but never have they been as comfortable and luxurious as they are now.

The new fleet offers fully-functional kitchens, leather sofas, false ceiling, dropdown lighting, marble flooring, and space for 10 people, making them a go-to choice for film shoots, weddings, and political rallies.

It takes a great deal of creativity and engineering to make a ‘home on wheels’. The obvious challenge is to fit the familiar amenities of everyday living inside a vehicle space. A regular caravan is 35 ft long with a built-up area of about 200 sq ft.

We spoke to caravan owners about the dos and don’ts of designing one.

‘Use every inch creatively’

Dinesh Channarayapattana from Bengaluru has been in the business for a decade and owns 10 caravans. “The biggest challenge is to use every inch of space,” says the businessman.

Most of his caravans feature a living room, two bedrooms, a fully-functional kitchen and a toilet. A shower with hot and cold running water, a microwave, mini-fridge, and an induction cooker can be found in some. “I want to replicate the comfort and warmth of a home inside a caravan,” he explains.

His designs are also inspired by luxury hotels and the books he reads. Flooring, furniture and lighting give a caravan its unique identity and Dinesh sticks to the rule. “Wooden floors, vitrified tiles, and marbles are top choices for flooring,” he says.

“Lighting should preferably be a warm tone as it has a soothing effect on the mind. When big mirrors are used, bright lighting can be used. False roofing requires extra lighting,” he adds. The furniture should be classy but also one that requires minimum maintenance, he emphasises.

His caravans are hired by Kannada actors like Yash, Sudeep and Shivarajkumar and are customised to their needs. “While most caravans are partitioned to accommodate two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a washroom, some actors like to have just one large room, a washroom and a kitchen. The latter gives more space to move around,” explains Dinesh.

However, interior designing starts only after the wiring stage, when wires are encased in pipes and insulated to prevent short circuits.

All his caravans come with air-conditioning and a generator but windows and fans are also provided in case the power backup fails.

‘Maintain routinely’

Pavan P Gowda, caravan owner and proprietor of Sandal Chariot Enterprises, Bengaluru, spends between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 1 crore on the interiors of each of his caravans. His clients are actors such as Rachita Ram and Rakshit Shetty. The late Puneeth Rajkumar would also hire his services regularly. “I also lend the caravan to weddings and political rallies,” says Pavan.

He says the design philosophy behind a caravan is similar to that of a house. “Right from plumbing and wiring to flooring and painting, everything is replicated inside a caravan.”

He insists on getting the basics right, especially wiring. “We provide separate lines for rooms and they are doubly insulated to prevent any hazards,” he says. He prefers marble flooring as it is easy to maintain. Interiors must be cleaned daily and a shampoo wash should be done once a month, he says. “Most caravans have two bedrooms and a living room. I prefer to have one large hall where I can play around with the design, lighting and furniture. I make sure the room is not cramped. Furniture fixed to the wall always saves space,” says Pavan.

Inside his fleet of caravans, you can find restrooms, a kitchen with cupboards made of lightweight ply, an induction stove, basic cutlery and a fridge. The furniture includes carved beds, wall-to-wall leather sofas and drop- down lighting from the false ceiling.

Pavan has been in the caravan business for 11 years. He decided to start his own after seeing its success in Mumbai and Hyderabad. “We procured sleeper coaches and changed the interiors,” he recalls.

What’s inside a caravan?

Living room

Two bedrooms

Fully-functional kitchen

Washroom

Wall-mounted television

Makeup mirror

Wi-fi and air conditioning

Refrigerator

Wallet factor

Caravans can be rented for Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 a day. Depending on the customisation and amenities you need, interiors can cost from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 2 crore. Basic maintenance can come for Rs 20,000 and less.