They do things differently in America. Take this caravan, part of a range that arrived in the UK for the current model year. Lightweight and competitively priced, they are produced by Forest River, which was founded in 1996 and is now one of the largest RV makers in the US.

Forest River has distributors around Europe and hopes to carve out a niche in Britain with its R-pod range. It is built to current UK standards but sports a profile that dates from the 1950s. These tourers also have a trick up their sleeve: a slide-out, which makes them extra spacious.

We have reviewed the R-pod RP-176, a four-berth compact caravan that importer American Caravans Direct expects will sell well. It features a rear U-shaped lounge, the nearside sliding section that contains the kitchen, a washroom opposite and fixed bunks at the front.