Joined: Aug 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 3,344 Location: Camden nsw
"Airlite" Caravans « Thread Started on Mar 6, 2009, 2:15pm »
Airlite Caravans
There have been only two references to “Airlite” caravans on this forum so far.
One was to an “Airlite” being used in the Hire fleet of John Walsh of “Newcastle Caravans” and the other was in this photo provided by one of the kids in the photo who said the caravan in the background was an “Airlite” made in S.A.
“Airlite” was a brand manufactured in the UK during the 1930's.
Does anybody have information regarding “Airlite” in Australia.
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 3,225 Location: Doreen, Vic
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #1 on Mar 7, 2009, 10:21pm »
Hi Cobber,
Interesting photo. The dogs seem to be resigned to being dressed up!
Pity we don't know the date the photo was taken. Do you think it could be as early as the 30's, based on the vehicle in the background, or do you think it may have been later? I gather the provider of the photo didn't give any hints as to when and where?
I wonder if the lantern roof on the van indicates that it may be an English Airlite? Some early Australian vans had lantern roofs, eg. Furness, but not too many I think.
What are your thoughts?
Don Ricardo
« Last Edit: Mar 7, 2009, 10:22pm by Don Ricardo »
Joined: Aug 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 3,344 Location: Camden nsw
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #2 on Mar 8, 2009, 7:37am »
G'day Don R.
The photo would have been taken in the very early '40's I think. The youngster on the left is the younger version of the old chap who gave me all the information regarding “Sundowner” caravans... see http://vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/i....lay&thread=2018
Now that I've heard from a second source that “Airlite” was a brand known to exist in Oz I'll see if I can get an opinion from a mate in the UK as to whether it thinks the 'van in the photo is an English “Airlight” or not.
I don't think “Airlite” survived after the war in the UK, which leaves us with the question 'where did the “Airlite “ John Walsh hired out come from ? ”.... Did Purdon Bros make an “Airlite” ?
Joined: Aug 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 3,344 Location: Camden nsw
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #3 on Mar 10, 2009, 9:47am »
My friend in the UK confirms that “Airlite” in the UK ceased production after WW 11 and only had one or two models prior to the war, and this photo is not of one of them.
So.... we need to find out a bit more on “Airlite” in Australia. If this photo is of one taken in the 1940's and they were still supplying John Walsh's hire fleet into the late 1950's there should be a bit of information about them out there.
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 3,225 Location: Doreen, Vic
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #5 on Feb 10, 2010, 7:58pm »
Hi all,
Reading through a 1955 Winser manual today, I saw that Arrow Caravans had a 10 ft 6 in 'Airlite' model at that time. It appears that the 'Airlite' name may have been used by several different manufacturers over time.
So.... we need to find out a bit more on “Airlite” in Australia. If this photo is of one taken in the 1940's and they were still supplying John Walsh's hire fleet into the late 1950's there should be a bit of information about them out there.
Cobber.
Hi Cobber,
Looks like we might have a lead, at long last.
Following is an advertisement from The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, 5 March 1938 (p 28):
Joined: Aug 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 3,344 Location: Camden nsw
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #7 on Jun 26, 2011, 8:03pm »
Here we have proof positive that the van this thread was started with is an English “Airlite” designed “Expressly for Australian conditions”.....( but then again maybe that is just a smart sales pitch ) I found the add. in an antique/old wares shop today.... sad to say that what you see is what I got.... no date or indication what magazine it was in, the paper is better quality than newspaper stuff.
Interesting to see the Airlite catalogue was available from “CARAVANS (A'SIA) PTY. LTD.” who were the same company (at a different address) who were responsible for the Charlavan pop-up caravan.
I can't find an English “Airlite” that looks exactly like this one so it is hard to put a date to it but the earliest advertisement Trove turns up for “Airlite” is in the S.M.H of November 1937 and the last one I found is this one from the S M H of 22nd December 1941...... don't know how Oliver and Gilbert got into the act
My guess is that the first add. above is dated in the 1940's because of the price and the information I was given up there in reply # 2
I sometimes get palpitations when I look at this Airlite assembly line (March 1936) in the UK and see a resemblance to Ol' 36
But I calm down when I see the interior has no resemblance to that in Ol' 36.
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 3,225 Location: Doreen, Vic
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #8 on Jun 26, 2011, 9:16pm »
Hi Cobber,
What a great find! No, let's go the whole hog...
The advert provides definite confirmation regarding the identity of the van in the photo in the post that starts the thread, which is very exciting.
I've just read through the whole thread very carefully (I think), and I have one question: Do we have evidence that the Oz "Airlite" was based on an English design, apart from our own speculation in the posts above? Since the first posts were written we've now come across a number of early Australian caravan manufacturers who were producing lantern rooved vans, so the lantern roof does not seem so unusual now.
Have I missed something somewhere? The "designed for Australian conditions" may just have been a smart advertising line, perhaps...
Maybe we just should write away for the free illustrated catalogue?
Don Ricardo
« Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 9:19pm by Don Ricardo »
Joined: Aug 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 3,344 Location: Camden nsw
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #9 on Jun 27, 2011, 3:47pm »
G'day Don R,
No we don't have proof that the English "Airlite" and the Aussie "Airlite " are in any way connected.... or that the English one had any influence on how the Oz one was build. In fact........... going through the English magazines "The Caravan" for 1935/6/7 I can find no evidence that "Airlite" had any interest in Australia
I wonder if the bloke who is/has written the book on the S.A caravan industry knows anything about Airlite..(I'm trusting my friend in the first photo who said " Airlite... built in South Australia"
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 3,225 Location: Doreen, Vic
Re: "Airlite" Caravans « Reply #10 on Jun 27, 2011, 9:33pm »
Hi Cobber,
With all due respect to your friend, it seems to me that the evidence is beginning to point to the Airlite being a NSW van, rather than an SA one:
The main adverts we've seen for the Airlite are over the name of Caravans (A'sia) Pty Ltd, which was based in Ultimo. There is no suggestion in the adverts that the van was not built by Caravans (A'sia). We know that Caravans (A'sia) sold vans under names other than 'Caravans (A'sia)' - as you would if you gave your company that fairly generic name... The only other adverts we've seen to date for Airlites are in NSW newspapers. I can't find any reference or adverts mentioning Airlite in the South Australian press using Trove. We know that caravan manufacturers from the early days right up to the mid to late 60's were pretty parochial and for the most part (with some notable exceptions) only sold vans in their own state of residence.
So my guess is that Airlites came from Sydney.
The good news is that it's close to home for you, and any Airlite that's hidden away in a shed somewhere (we can only hope) is likely to be closer to be you than almost any of the other intrepid caravan huntersout there!
Don Ricardo
« Last Edit: Jun 27, 2011, 9:40pm by Don Ricardo »
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