AMONG the best ambassadors for T-Line are the thousands of British owners who tow their caravans to the far corners of Europe and beyond. But the Thomson group has been exporting caravans for more than 20 years, the main link being from the local port at Grangemouth to Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, Switzerland and German are among the customers more recently joined by Finland.
Caravans for use above the Arctic Circle have to be "winterised," with floor insulation, double glazing and gas heaters. Each country has its own specification, such as Sweden which requires chassis reinforcement, higher tyre capacity, and brakes that will operate at 30 degrees below freezing point.
Canada wants the caravan festooned with driving lights, fine mesh for the windows, and a refrigerator is essential.
Even with freight charges of £40 to Amsterdam , with import duty and tariffs, the British caravan made good business on the Continent in earlier years, as lighter and less expensive than local products. Germany and some other countries are now competing with lower-priced caravans.
At the same time T-Line has intensified its export drive, so that David Thomson was able to report in a recent chairman's statement that export business had been doubled in the previous year.
Ever the search goes on for new markets. The Canadian operation is costlier, but the prize is greater.

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