The caravan started out as an ordinary wagon, but has had a few alterations done, that make it much more comfortable to live in

The basic wagon is 12 feet long a about 6 feet wide, it  has a small step at the front and then a long 'bench' that covers the whole width of the van, where the driver and his companions sit.  They lean up against the front of the van, which is  made of wood panelling and has a door that leads into the van itself.  The  rear wall of the van is also mad of wood panes and there are  big supports in each corner  which support a wooden roof.  The sides are  half wood, but the upper half is  just  canvas  stretched down tight, so that on fine days the travellers can open the sides and enjoy the breeze.

As you enter the van there are  two long bench seats that can accommodate 4 people each, with  cupboards and drawers  for  storage under each.  Over night each bench seat can be used as a single bed by one member of the travelling party.  After the Benches there are two ceiling high wooden cupboards, that  act as  extra support  for the roof and give somewhere to keep all of the travellers possessions that is  safe and secure.  It is the only part of the side of the van that  is  wood from floor to ceiling.  behind the cupboards there are  two single bunks that run across the back of the van -  Just under 6 feet long they are not ideal  for tall people  although anyone under 5-10  should be  fairly  comfortable there.  The area under the bottom bunk is  empty and can be used to  store trunks, chests or travelling bags.

These two images  give you  some idea of  how I imagine 'The Van' looks and the ideas behind it.

This picture  shows a modern caravan used for holidaying in Ireland, and you can get all sorts of information about horse drawn Irish holidays here.  It also very good for a quick understanding of the basics of  harness, driving  etc.  I  saw a marvellous picture of two guys just  sitting on the front of the van driving,  which was the inspiration for the 'bench' driving seat along the front of the van.  Unfortunately, I  cant  find it now, all the pictures I can find  have little seats for the drivers.

This picture shows a  modern wagon with a steel roof.  If  you think of  this  type of  roof and  sides, with canvas stretched down from the roof to meet the sides.   Add the front part front the  caravan above - and that's  how I imagine 'The Van'  looks.