# Coachman Pastiche Caravan — Reference Sheet ## Core concept The family caravan in **The Kiwi Caravan Chronicles** is a **Coachman Pastiche** caravan used as the family’s mobile base during road trips across New Zealand. It should feel: - lived-in - practical - slightly cramped in a believable family-holiday way - warm and familiar by night - mildly chaotic when everyone is using it at once - important enough to the series that it reads almost like a recurring character This is not a luxury palace on wheels and not a generic camper blob. It is a real-feeling family caravan: cosy, useful, sometimes crowded, sometimes messy, and increasingly tied to the Lantern Roads as the series progresses. --- ## Canon lock Keep these details consistent unless deliberately changed in-story: - **Model:** Coachman Pastiche - **Berth:** **5-berth** - **Axle:** **single axle** - **Tow vehicle:** **2025 Toyota RAV4** - **Function in story:** family holiday caravan, moving base camp, clue-table, shelter, and occasionally a threshold-sensitive space --- ## External visual anchor Use the attached exterior reference as the main visual basis. ### Exterior appearance - streamlined white caravan body - curved aerodynamic front - dark tinted front window cluster - side entry door on the right-hand side - rectangular side windows with curtains visible inside - subtle pale blue / teal side striping - rear window and rear light cluster - detachable hitch at the front - front locker / gas bottle storage area - **single axle with one wheel per side** - stabiliser legs when parked ### Exterior feel The caravan should read as: - tidy but used - reliable - holiday-practical - believable in real NZ campgrounds and roadside stops - familiar enough that it becomes emotionally important once strange things start happening around it It should never feel futuristic, oversized, or bus-like. --- ## Interior visual anchor Use the attached interior layout references as the main basis. The caravan has two main presentation states: - **day layout** - **night / bed layout** The family use the same physical space differently depending on time of day. --- ## Interior layout overview From the front lounge end through to the rear sleeping area, the caravan includes: 1. **front lounge / dinette area** 2. **central kitchen** 3. **small washroom / toilet space** 4. **mid lounge / side dinette seating area** 5. **rear sleeping zone with bunks and fixed bed** This means the caravan is not one long open room. It has a natural progression from shared daytime living space toward more private sleeping space. --- ## Day layout ### Front lounge / main seating area At the front of the caravan is the main lounge: - wraparound bench seating - pale blue patterned cushions - central table - space for maps, mugs, snacks, books, and clue-spreading - front windows that bring in light during the day ### Story use This is the best space for: - breakfast chaos - family clue discussions - rainy-day card games - route planning - tense late-night whispering after the kids should be asleep - the Lantern Compass, maps, postcards, and odd objects being laid out together This is the social heart of the caravan during the day. --- ## Kitchen Just behind the front lounge is the compact central kitchen. ### Visible features - stovetop / hob - sink - bench space - lower cabinetry - small storage areas for food and utensils - overhead cupboards / shelves ### Feel The kitchen should feel: - compact - functional - slightly cramped when more than one person is trying to use it - full of holiday essentials like mugs, cereal, bread, noodles, tea gear, and packets shoved where they barely fit ### Story use Good for: - Mum making drinks while still monitoring everyone - Dad trying to operate in a space built for one careful person, not a whole family - someone hunting for scissors, batteries, or the good biscuits - practical domestic beats during magical tension --- ## Washroom / toilet Beside the kitchen is a compact washroom area. ### Visible features - toilet - small basin / wash area - narrow shelving / storage - very limited movement room ### Feel It should feel exactly like a caravan washroom: - useful - cramped - unavoidable - prone to awkward queue timing This is not a roomy bathroom. It is a tiny practical necessity. --- ## Mid seating area / side dinette Opposite or just beyond the kitchen is a smaller seating / dinette space. ### Visible features - bench seating on both sides - small central table - nearby storage compartments - easy reach from the kitchen and main living zone ### Story use This space works well for: - one or two kids colouring, reading, or fiddling with things - a smaller clue table when the front lounge is full - someone sitting apart after an argument - compact everyday family moments It should feel secondary to the front lounge, but still well-used. --- ## Rear sleeping area The rear of the caravan is the main sleeping zone. This is the most continuity-sensitive part of the layout. ### Canon sleeping configuration This caravan is a **5-berth**. Keep the night setup as follows: - **Amber and Oakley sleep in the bunk beds** - **Oakley has the top bunk** - **Amber has the lower bunk** - **Ivy sleeps in the single bed on the opposite side** - the **fixed double bed** remains for the parents That layout matches the attached night reference and should be treated as the default sleeping arrangement. ### Rear fixed double bed On one side of the rear zone is the fixed double bed. #### Use - **Dad and Mum** sleep here - pink bedding / duvet in the reference image - feels like the only properly adult-sized stable bed in the caravan #### Story feel This bed area should feel: - the closest thing the adults get to privacy - still not truly private, because it is a caravan and everyone is five feet away - practical, slightly crowded, and unmistakably holiday-specific --- ### Opposite single bed On the opposite side from the bunks is a single bed. #### Use - **Ivy sleeps here** #### Feel This bed should feel: - slightly more separate than the bunks - suitable for the oldest child - a spot where Ivy can stash headphones, clothes, a torch, and things she does not want Oakley touching --- ### Bunk beds The bunk area is on the opposite side from Ivy’s single bed. #### Use - **top bunk: Oakley** - **bottom bunk: Amber** #### Feel This zone should read as: - compact - kid-specific - cosy in a caravan way - a little nest-like at night The bunks are great for visual storytelling because they immediately show age difference and personality. Possible details: - Oakley’s top bunk can collect rocket toys, torchlight, and very serious bedtime nonsense - Amber’s lower bunk can hold books, sketches, soft things, and hidden-feeling moments --- ## Day-to-night conversion logic The caravan changes meaning between day and night. ### By day It feels like: - a tiny travelling lounge - snack station - planning room - weather shelter - family argument box - mobile clue den ### By night It feels like: - soft-lit - close-packed - muffled - full of little sounds - comforting until it is suddenly not That contrast is important for story atmosphere. --- ## Storage and practical spaces Based on the references, the caravan includes or strongly implies: - front external locker / gas storage - under-seat storage - overhead cupboards - kitchen cupboards and drawers - small shelves near the washroom - bedside cubbies / shelf spaces in the rear zone - hidden pockets where family clutter naturally collects ### Likely recurring stored items Useful continuity items to keep plausibly inside the caravan: - mugs - plates and bowls - tea, coffee, Milo, snacks - cereal boxes and bread squashed somewhere annoying - road maps and brochures - jandals and spare shoes - chargers and cables - colouring stuff - books - torches - spare blankets - towels that are never quite dry enough - basic toiletries - first-aid bits - random batteries --- ## Interior colour and material feel From the references, the caravan interior should generally read as: - pale timber cabinetry - light neutral flooring and walls - soft cream / beige surfaces - pale blue seating upholstery - warm, slightly golden domestic light at night - tidy in structure, but easily cluttered by real family use The visual effect is: - soft - practical - calm in daylight - cosy at night - easy to disrupt with one wrong sound, shadow, or knock --- ## Emotional / story role The caravan is more than transport. It functions as: - a family nest on the road - a mobile safe room - a pressure cooker for family dynamics - a place where clues are gathered and compared - a believable source of comedy, exhaustion, and tenderness - eventually, a vehicle the Lantern Roads begin to recognise As the series grows, the caravan can feel increasingly like: - a moving threshold - a protected-but-not-perfect shelter - a place small house-spirits or travel magic might notice - part of the family’s identity on the roads --- ## Best scene uses The caravan is strongest in scenes involving: - rainy campground mornings - awkward bed shuffles and sleepy arguments - late-night knocks and wrong voices outside - cramped breakfast strategy meetings - children whispering after lights-out - Mum and Dad trying to discuss something serious without the kids hearing everything - clue objects spread across the table under warm lighting - the false sense of safety that makes strange events land harder --- ## Continuity rules Keep these points stable unless a specific chapter deliberately changes them: - The caravan is a **Coachman Pastiche**. - It is a **5-berth** caravan. - It has **one axle only**. - **Dad and Mum** use the fixed double bed. - **Ivy** sleeps in the single bed opposite the bunks. - **Amber** sleeps in the **lower bunk**. - **Oakley** sleeps in the **top bunk**. - The front lounge is the main daytime family gathering area. - The caravan should feel usable, slightly cramped, and lived-in rather than magically spacious. - It should remain grounded and believable even when magical events press against it. --- ## One-line vibe **The caravan was not big enough for privacy, secrets, or graceful movement, but it was just big enough for five people, wet towels, road snacks, and the dangerous family habit of facing weird things together at one table.**