Pathmaster caravans (Shepparton, Vic)

On 2 November 2014, Amac62 posted:

Gidday all,

...We now have a van which we would like to positively identify...here are the details.
This van measures 14'2" not including the draw bar. This van has a name above the front center window of "PATHMASTER"
Having seen quite a few van manufacturers in my time I cannot recall this brand/name. Having looked up the history of this manufacturer on your site ( manufactured in Shepparton)
The draw-bar does have a welded number on it - top RHS behind the jockey wheel - 927 D (no forward slash or high-phone between the 7 & D) very roughly welded number by stick & high amps.
Morphy-Richards Astral gas only fridge - brilliant condition & works like a dream! - keeps my stubbies cold!!
Van does not have a overhang at the roof above the front window - just comes straight down. Have tried to attach a photo -ANDY

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On 2 November 2014, Don Ricardo responded:

...As you have discovered, we don't know very much at all about the history of Pathmaster caravans at this point, but every little bit of info fills in the picture just a bit more. So it is exciting to hear about your Pathmaster.

Looking at the photo of your van, it occurs to me that it appears to look like a Franklin van that you can see by clicking here. Have a look at the photos of the Franklin and tell us what you think.

It may be that by the mid to late 60's Pathmaster were selling re-badged Franklins, or even that it was applying its own badge to any second hand caravans it was selling. We don't know whether that's the case at this point, but it's a possibility. Even if that is what was happening, that doesn't mean that it didn't build its own vans at an earlier point.

Anyway, tell us how your van compares to the Franklin I've pointed you to, and we can discuss further.

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Amac62 replied the same day:

Hi Don,

Thanks for your reply & you are spot on!- even same colour!!

The photo of the Franklin is definitely the same as our van, although ours is a bit longer with a window above the sink.
I do have the fiberglass spats that cover the wheel wells & am in the process of repairing bits & pieces on the van so that we can actually use it.

Are you able to shed any light on the number welded on the draw bar - 972 D ?? ie year of manufacture (97th van made in 1962 ??) don't know what "D" stands for ??
The cupboard sliding doors & table all have this identity number written on them in pencil...

Regards,
Amac62

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To which Don Ricardo responded:

...Well there you go! So maybe that tells us a bit more about Pathmaster. I'll be interested in seeing some photos of your van, including the Pathmaster logo/sticker when you get a chance. The Franklin van I pointed you to was advertised as a 13 footer, so yours is obviously the next size up.

Regarding the serial number, there is a Franklin serial number thread started by Franklin1 in the Down History Lane section here. That tells me that from 1965 onwards, Franklin gave each of their vans a serial number consisting of one to four digits followed by a dash and another digit - xxxx-x. The first one to four digits indicated the number of the van built in a particular year, and the digit after the dash indicated the year. For example van 123-5 would be the 123rd van built in 1965.

As you'll see from Franklin1's post, prior to 1965 the serial number consisted of a number of digits followed by a letter from 'A' to 'E'. Your van is 972D, and based on how Franklin numbered its vans from 1965 onwards, I'm going to make an educated guess that the letter after the numbers may have represented a year. So 'A' would be 1960, 'B' would be 1961, 'C' Would be 1962, 'D' would be 1963, and 'E' would be 1964. Based on that assumption your van would be the 972nd built in 1963.

Now that is only a guess...looking at Franklin1's post indicates that in the case of Franklin the letter D applied to more than one model, and I'm pretty sure that Pathmaster didn't sell 972 vans or else we would have seen more of them. So for the moment, I'm going with the theory that the letter indicates the year...

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Additional photos of Amac62's van posted on 3 November 2014:

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On 5 November 2014, Hughdeani posted:

Hi amac,
I reckon it's a Franklin,an earlier version of the "Premier" model.
If you put a small mirror inside an overhead slider you might find a written date or number,and you will see how agricultural the locks are!
Also the cut out under the wheel spats shout Franklin to me.In a kitchen cupboard is a section lined in aluminium?that is the bread tin.
Cheers
hughdeani

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And Amac62 replied:

...I found the same stove that I have (photo) in your Franklin section in a 65' model, the i.d plate on the back of my stove has 7-64 on it...

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On 6 November 2014, Don Ricardo commented:

Hi Amac62 and Hughdeani,

As noted higher up the thread, the van has a Franklin serial number, so it is good to hear Hughdeani's comment that the van shouts 'Franklin'...

Interesting that the stove is dated July '64. I would have tended to think that the stove date would be pretty close to the date of the van (although only if it was an original fitting of course), so may be the van is a 1964 model, not 1963 as I guessed from the serial number. However there are a couple of other possibilities:

• Maybe Franklin built chassis, numbered them, and stored them until they were ready to be used - possibly some months later?
• If the vans were built for Pathmaster, maybe they were built, sent to Pathmaster who then fitted them out with stoves, etc, when they were ready to be sold, which, being based in a smaller regional centre, might have taken a few months? ...
  

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And Hughdeani replied:

Hi all,
All I seem to remember is Pathmaster was a dealer.
I don't think Franklin would have been able to afford to stockpile chassis back then,but I could be wrong.
Cheers
hughdeani

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This discussion and some further photos of Amac62's caravan can be found here.