Whenever you set your mind on doing something, no matter how difficult it may be, in the end it is achieved if done with passion.

The idea of a caravan factory has been following me for a long time. I had about 20 years of experience in working in television, when I kept thinking that I wanted to do something else. Every time my first thought was a caravan factory.But the involvement of financing such a project was making me think that it will remain but a dream.

Last year, after seeing a facebook post from Razvan Pascu, I learned about a project financing for 40 new businesses, 25,000 euros each, a project of Ilfov County Council using (mostly) European funding.

I never believed in the possibility of obtaining European funding without being involved in shady activities. I attended, however, the competition with a business plan made only by my mind after the advice given by the Participant Guide. And the first stage the design project and technical design.

The author of the design, the young architect Cristian Silviu Valentin, used some elements of the design of the first model of the van Romanian,the TV.

At first the idea seemed at least a little weird to me. Then after I kept looking at the first sketches I came to the conclusion that it not only looks good but also makes sense.

There are recognizable elements for some generations of people- the logo,the two piece window on the front that became the back window for the caravan, etc. These , stylised and brought to modern day by Valentin look really good! The caravan has a strong identity, something modern caravans and cars struggle to get. If you don’t the logo you can’t recognize the car like you do when you see a Fiat, VW or a …Trabant.

At this stage: based on the design project I’m working on the technical project(almost finished). I’m also working on preparing the documentation for a new financing program.

For the prototype and production line the necessary sum is well over 25.000 euro. I believe that it’s worth fighting for, that there are real good chances in spite of all the problems, that the European funding will be used and that the objective will be met.

The company that I founded especially for this undertaking is Tracia Caravan srl based in Cioragarla, Ilfov. There, in the former Agromec building , will be the factory where the trailer will be born. For now it has become difficult to pay rent for an office because you can’t profit off just a project alone but I hope that this difficult time will be just a chapter and not the end of the story.

After the completion of the technical project follows the production of the prototype(two units), then testing and approval. Then , based on the prototype, production will commence.

Here is the design created by Cristian Silviu Valentin. It was excellent working with him, Vali is extremely passionate about what he does and he treats his work, as he says, like working on a film’s script. In this case the caravan is the main character. Vali learned, studied and sought to find out everything about caravans, of today and of old. And each line, each form, each volume has a justification coming from somewhere and going somewhere.

The design project is public. The model will be manufactured to comply with a design largely determined by Vali. The main points of his concept will be found in the following products, a tourism caravan for young people, small, compact, for two and a trade caravan. But more about all this will come at the appropriate time.

I thank in advance all those who will send us their impressions, opinions, observations about the Romanian caravan project, Tracia Family.

Gabriel Bugnar

entrepreneur Tracia Caravan srl