A Life on the Open Road: Campers, Caravans, Motorhomes and other ‘live-aboards’

[GrahamB]

Finally there is one live-aboard which doesn’t go on the roads (unless there has been some serious flooding!)- the 1978 Houseboat from set 3540.



Inside the boat are orange seats and a table, plus green shelf units. There is a strong resemblance here to the first caravans, the houseboat even has the same orange-yellow colour for its roof as 3152x.



The set includes 3 klickies, all with fishing rods, 3 green loungers and 2 suitcases. The red and blue pots and pans are reminiscent of the first camper from 1979.


   
And that concludes my review of the PM liveaboards!


Sets featured:
3258v1 camper 1979
3258v2 camper 1987
3148 camper 1990
3945 camper 1997
4074 camper 2005
3647 camper 2005
4859 camper 2010
5928 camper 2011
6671 camper 2015

3152x caravan 1977
3249x caravan 1977
3588 caravan 1983
3728 circus caravan 1991
3236 caravan 2002
5434 caravan 2013

3540 houseboat 1978

[tahra]

That is an awesome list

I too spent many many holidays as a cub in the "roulotte" (that's what we call them), those to be towed by a car...

And, I do have a soft spot for them, though it's been ages since we got a playmo one...  that small one you id as 2002..  I suppose the new funpark one will be the same as that last one? I hope so, it is very nice!

Thank you for the detailed details of so many sets

[Raven]

Really interesting - and I loved all the comments too, Graham.  My favourite:

a small touring caravan, small enough to be towed behind a car at VERY slow speeds on roads where it is impossible for anyone else to overtake.

[playmofire]

Many thanks, Graham, for a comprehensive and amusing review of the Playmobil mobile home etc. through the ages.  It does, I think, pretty well reflect the real world history, too, apart from the lack of one of those trailers which fold out into a tent or caravan.

It's an interesting and unusual theme you have there.

With the sets with four klickies and three beds, the problem can be solved by "topping and tailing" the children.

[Luftgaengerin]

Hi Graham, what wonderful sets you have! Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful pics 

[Tiermann]

Wonderful overview of these Graham, thanks for all your hard work putting this together!

[Hadoque]

Thanks for the elaborate overview!

Is it possible you have Dutch ancestry or blood? 
Every year, Belgium is invaded during the summer by hoards of Dutch folks in campers & caravans travelling south to France. 

As a kid, I had the 3152x caravan with the orange-yellow roof and the houseboat. Seeing your pics brings back fond memories!

[tahra]

I forgot to say earlier - the brazilian knife trailer is very much like the strongman's (though not the exact same mold, seems to me..)

[Macruran]

Amazing, informative and highly entertaining work! Thank you Professor Graham, PhD!   

[GrahamB]

Glad you enjoyed my camper collection. I am not Dutch, Hadoque! But glad I brought back some fond memories. I think the Roulotte in 9502 will be like the 2013 one (5434), Tahra- it has those side storage drawers I see. No idea about the brazilian knife trailer, though, never heard of that one!

...apart from the lack of one of those trailers which fold out into a tent or caravan.

Funny you should say that...





Mind you, this is not PM....


The other thing that's missing is the roof which lifts up vertically, or on one side, revealing a candy-stripe fabric piece. Our first caravette had one of those (vertical take-off).

"topping and tailing" the children.

Not with my brother's feet, please!