Don Find Build 657

[enidb]

Hello,

I thought I would write in to tell you that my friend from our Draught Horse Club purchased a Don last November in fantastic original condition and bought it to an event we held last weekend. It is adorable. It is safe to say that he does not enjoy using computers so I am helping him. I wonder If anyone might know what Build Number 657 means and how old it might be. This Don van sold in country Victoria last November. I hope someone might know some history about it. It is in marvellous original condition with the original canvas annex so SOMEONE has looked after her very well indeed in the past. I'll bet even that someone on this forum would know about this particular caravan.

I was very excited that he bought it to our draught horse event last weekend. Here are some photos…

Cheers

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Enidb,

Great to see some pics of your friend's Don, and to know that it has found a good home. I presume that he didn't tow it to the draught horse event by draught horse though!

Some of us saw the van when it was on Ebay or mentioned on the forum.

Don Caravans identified their vans by a sequential serial number. No tricky alphanumeric combinations to indicate model and or year, etc. Just 1, 2, 3 and so on. The leadlight window vans like your friend's were first built in 1934 and continued to be built through to 1956. The first van built in 1934 was serial number '1' (no surprises there) and the last built that we know of was serial number 1023 built in 1956, although there may have been a couple after that. So that means that your friend's vans was number 657 in the series. We estimate that it was built somewhere around 1952 or 1953.

Your friend may be interested to know that forum member Humpyboy owns serial number 658, so the chances are that the two vans were side by side in the Don factory at some point, although Humpyboy's van is a 12 ft van not 14 ft.

I'm guessing that your friend lives in rural Victoria somewhere? If that is the case if you PM me, I might be able to put you in touch with someone who looked at the van and may be able to provide some helpful advice about it.

Anyway, congratulations to your friend on his purchase. It's great to have such an original van. I trust he will have many enjoyable journeys with it.

Don Ricardo

[humpyboy]

You are somewhat correct Mr Ricardo, I did once have that Don but it is now in the care of Surf Tragic, passed it on to Ron when the Roadcruiser turned up, remember?

[Surf Tragic]

Hi

When this van was advertised, I drove down & had a good look at it, the photos were taken on my phone. As far as history goes, I know very little. The sellers said the van was sitting nearby for a while,

& they bought it from an old lady about 10 years before, thats all I know. I wonder if the new owner would know more ? He may have asked more questions than I did.

The inside looked untouched & perfect,  but the outside needed quite a lot of work. In the doorway there was a flat piece of steel to step on, & it was a bit spongy to walk on, so crawled under to find

the bearer rotted away & another piece of steel used to hold it all together. The roof was an unknown with a thick layer of very un-even 'fabric' ?? & paint, would have been interesting to know what was

under it!

There is one original green badge, & on the other end is a black badge, I have never seen a black one before, it does look identically made, would love to know what happed there. The 'common' big bow

out in the right side wall was on this one too.

Generally, the outside ply showed delamination here & there & been painted over. Brown paint was still sticky 0n the stabilizer legs & came off onto my hands !!

Overall, a very good example of the Don brand, just needed a couple of bearers replaced & the outside stripped & re-whatever-ed to make it perfect, but could be used as is with care.

Sorry I can't help more with the history.

ST

[enidb]

Thank you all for your responses. I will pass the information onto my friend. Happy Easter!