Huntsman Caravan

[Little Edie]

Hi Guys

Well it seems like it’s been a long time coming but we are finally ready to take our vintage caravan on her first adventure....

We bought our little Huntsman caravan just over a year ago now and it’s been a bit of hard slog getting the exterior up to scratch but we finally have finished.

The interior of this van is in top notch condition and has hardly been touched, even the upholstery is in original condition would you believe, the only thing that we needed to sort out inside was painting the cupboards to this brilliant green we found and making new curtains.

I thought I would hop onto the forum and share a few pics of the van as it is now and hopefully find out some more about its make and model etc. as we are totally in the dark when it comes to its history.

The only thing we do know is that its previous owners were from Taggerty in Victoria and it sat in their hay shed for over 20 years gathering dust....

We have just a few final things to sort out and that is to repaint the original stripe down the side, we have a few ideas what it looks like from paint scrapings and investigation online but any other clues would be great. We also need to repaint the logo back onto the front of the van as we had to remove it when we polished up the roof and finally get some replacement cupboard handles for the kitchen cupboards…. Preferably in chrome but we can’t seem to find any anywhere.

Hope there is someone out there than has a bit more info on the history of this van.....

Luke

[humpyboy]

Nice little van you have there Little Edie.

[shesgotthelook]

Love it. Great little 'barn' find. I'm sure someone will be along to help you out with the history & to show you where to buy chrome handles!

[colnce]

Little Edie like the interior of your van. the green/ grey is a good combination. do those cabinet handles have a push button in them.

colnce

[Little Edie]

Hi Colnce

The cupboard handles I am after look something like this...... I have seen them in kitchens for years but as soon as we started looking they seem to be like hens teeth.

Thanks

[willow5075]

I like your solution for getting a light where you want it. Is it plugged or wired in?

[Roehm3108]

I thought I had seen those knobs in the big green shed

[Franklin1]

G'day Little Edie,

The cupboard handles I am after look something like this......

I have some that look something like the ones you're looking for. Mine were salvaged from a kitchen in a 1960 house that my son bought and renovated.

Give me a couple of days to find them in the shed , and I'll take photos and measurements to see if they are the type/size you could use.

cheers,
Al.

[webrake4bricabrac]

You can buy something very similar in some of the Bunnings stores for $6.50

[webrake4bricabrac]

Your van is very similar to my Coronet...

[hilldweller]

If you get stuck on the handles I have some old ones here you could have (bought 35 out of an old kitchen and don't need that many), but p&p might make it a bit costly. They're available in hardware stores here new though so perhaps also in Aus. You can also buy replacement screws for the back.

[Franklin1]

G'day Little Edie,

I found the handles (Who said ya can't find anything in my shed?!! ).

It's a bit hard to see your handles clearly in your photo above, so I'm not sure that what I've got is the same.

I have 7 handles, 5 of which are branded 'Prestige Australia' with a code number 894L on the back. The other 2 are unbranded. All have a bevelled edge around the handle (it looks like yours don't??). All are grotty from having spent 50 years in a kitchen, and heavy pitting is evident on them all. The outside diameter is 2" and the height is 1"...







---------------------------------------------

Bunnings list a satin chrome handle (Code #1000713) on their website but not the bright chrome version (which has the manufacturing code of 1000703).

Do a Google search for 1000713 (satin chrome) and 1000703 (chrome) and you'll see that itwproline had them listed in a 2009 catalogue on Page 14 (look for "Dish Knobs"), but that doesn't mean they are still available three years later.

If your handles don't have the bevelled edge around them, have a look at (USA) Okatiedid's store on ebay and see if she's got some that match yours... round chrome handles


Let me know if you're desperate for whatever you can find, and want the (crappy) ones I have.

cheers,
Al.

[Little Edie]

Hi Guys

Thanks for all your help on the handles, I am actually after the ones without the bevelled edge and also looking for genuine vintage ones as the ones from Bunnings tend to look a bit cheap or something.

Thanks to Webrake4bricabrac about the Coronet van…. Very similar indeed, I am assuming they were made by the same manufacturer at different times?

Will keep hunting for more info this summer season down at the Mornington peninsular where “Little Edie” will take her first adventure.

[sgray]

Love the green cupboards - what colour is that??

thanks
susan