If you don't want to use "vardo" or "caravan", Wikipedia offers "living wagon"
. Otherwise, you could always simply describe it, and perhaps give its local name.
edited 3rd Jul '14 3:32:43 PM by ArsThaumaturgis
My Games & Writing
So I should simply describe what it looks like and refer to it as a name of my choosing?
I'm not saying that you should—it's your choice, after all. I was suggesting options, should you decide that you don't want to go with "vardo" or "caravan". No-one has yet given an opinion on the use of either of those words (I don't really have a reference point for the former, since I've had fairly little exposure to any of the European nomadic peoples, I feel).
Of course, it may be that someone else has a better idea for what to call it.
edited 4th Jul '14 8:32:16 AM by ArsThaumaturgis
My Games & Writing
I'd go with calling it a caravan as that is the name of what it sounds like you are describing and then just make sure you describe it early on so people know what you mean.
Two of my characters spend a good amount of time traveling in a horse drawn carriage that has enough room for them to live/sleep comfortably. I was trying to figure out exactly what that type of carriage would be referred to as, someone called it a post chaise
This was something far smaller than what I pictured and I was sure that I had seen something closer to my vision in other media. I managed to eventually find something that matched my vision almost perfectly, a vardo (sans the intricate painting and carving)
The only thing is, these were/are used by Romani people, which there is no Fantasy Counterpart Culture in my setting, very few readers would actually know what the hell a "vardo" is, let alone picture it and then there's the fact that, other than resemblance, it bears very little similarities to an actual "vardo" (which would make it kind of a dick move, as Romani people get a ton of shit already)
Could I get away with simply referring to it as a "caravan" or something like that? Any thoughts/suggestions you have about this would be very much appreciated.