My Van

[JOhns van]

This is my Viscount Ambassador, I am wanting to know how old it is because it has no compliance plates.




Its' a Ten footer and is only six foot six wide, i use it as a bedroom but when I am old enough i plan to take it around Australia, any other knowledge you have on the van i would like to hear.
I will post more photo's later on, thanks- John

[allumvan]

I am in the same boat as Wayferer, i would love a comment- even if it's not all that helpful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[humpty2]

You can "google" Viscount and seek information from them.........get the chassis number and give it a go!!

[allumvan]

any comments on the van at all would be appreciated

[Jim]

jailbarjuice said:

Hi guys,


One of the main reasons no one comments on some of these vans is they know nothing about that particular van, as is the case with this one with me. I once recently tried chasing records of Millard vans through their parent company, & was told that the only person who knew anything about pre 1980 vans had recently died, & they had throw out his stuff when they cleaned up after him.

If that was true, imagine that probably most caravan makers have had the same attitude to old records & history. I believe most have done the same thing over the years, so any details of a particular van could only be supplied by someone who has specific records or memory.

So you can see, its not that no one likes the specific van or not, its that the silence is most likely a result of no information being readily available.

But dont give up, just keep looking in different places, like old caravan mags, etc,of the 60's & 70's. You might find some info.

Jailbarjuice

The.. 'throw the stuff out'.. happens too often.

A while ago I was talking to someone in the industry and that same story came up..
'So and So died.. he was the bloke who knew all about some particular van, so all the knowledge about it has now gone.

I suggested to the Caravan Industry Association (CIA) that with all their connections someone might interview all the old timers and get their memories on tape.

Imagine what an hour or so of conversation and thoughts from the old timers could reveal with regard to the history of the industry in years to come..


Regarding your little Amassador, I've seen many of them but I cannot tell you anything about it other than it was built in Sydney
The 'J' reg plate indictates the year when registered.. (quite a while ago)
Whether it's still registered or not doesn't matter, the plate probably belongs to the van.

I can't find a 'J' reference just right now but I will.. on the year that is.. Mid to late 70's at a guess.

Check inside for electrical or gas safety certificates..
Although not accrurate.. check the date on the gas bottle.

It will have a chassis number on it..

[earlee]

Hi John,

The 60's vans had pushout windows and weren't painted other than a maybe colour stripe down the side.
They also had the older style dimple aluminium finish whereas the 70's vans had the flat colourbond look aluminium.
Your van is from the early 70's if it has push out windows or from the mid to late 70's if it has the windout windows.
Another method of identification is the roof hatch. Usually the early ones had a push-up type hatch, and then came the wind-up hatch and then the " 4 seasons hatch"
hope this helps

earlee ;D ;D

[richy8]

Hi guys,
The van in question is in fact 69/70 s model ambassador being the cheaper ormore basic model of the viscount range. Also about the first with acrylic aluminium sheets(white aluminium) Model before were all silver aluminium.
richy8