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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 13, 2007 22:57:09 GMT 10
Mark,
I was probably a bit careless in my description of the quality of the wheel mount on your Don 140 - and a bit carried away with my verbal cleverness. Sorry.
I guess what I was trying to say is that the wheel mount looks like it has been added on after market. In contrast if it was original to the caravan, I think - based on the construction of the A-bar and tow coupling on Dons of the era - it would have been welded on.
Still an interesting device nevertheless, which as you say solves the problems of a floating spare. If it clears the knuckles when using the jockey wheel brace, then maybe it was purpose designed??
Don Ricardo
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 19, 2007 22:21:27 GMT 10
G'day everyone, Son number 3 and I were sorting through some boxes of stuff today when I discovered the sample I kept of the original upholstery material from the seat cushions in our Don: The material appears to be cotton, and is a fairly coarse weave out of green and white threads. However, it isn't nearly as distinctly patterned as the seat cushion material pictured in the Don sales brochure of the era, which looks as if it had a diamond pattern. I suspect that while Don kept to a consistent colour scheme, they may have had to use whatever materials they could get their hands on in the post-war years. I've seen a couple of Dons on the forum with green and white (or cream?) striped material on their cushions. I'm not sure whether that material is original, and if so whether there was different materials used for different models (sizes) of vans. Any thoughts? When we got new caravan cushions in 1983, the only material we could get was an 80's style (of course - it was the 80's!) green, beige and brown check. I kept the sample of the original material in the hope that one day I might find something similar. I thought those of you who are restoring Dons might be interested in seeing the sample. Regards, Don Ricardo
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Post by tinnie on May 19, 2007 23:44:52 GMT 10
Hi Don, Bit of an outdated response, but...... If the VC commodore rim fitted the Don, then the spare off your VX should also fit, they are the same stud pattern. You way want to check it incase there is a difference with offset that may cause clearance probs, the VX will also be 15" which could cause problems. if you need a 14" VB,VC,VH commodore rim, send me a PM, I have 4 of them with tyres. I would be happy to give them to you, and could even deliver in the next few weeks. Cheers, Tinnie
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 20, 2007 19:36:24 GMT 10
Hi Tinnie, Thanks for the info and your kind offer re a spare wheel for the Don. I'll check out the situation more fully when I get a chance next weekend and let you know the result. The wheels on the VX are indeed 15", so from your comments the outcome is probably obvious already Based on this I may very well be extremely pleased to accept your offer of a nice VB/VC/VH rim. In any event I'll PM you and let you know where I am up to. Regards, Don Ricardo
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Post by don257 on Sept 30, 2007 8:13:12 GMT 10
Don,have you thought about coming to cora lynn show! We would love to see your DON Doug&Vicki
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 30, 2007 10:09:18 GMT 10
Hi Doug and Vicki,
Thanks for the post about Cora Lynn. I did have it in the back of my mind, hoping that I could at least get down and meet people, even if I couldn't bring the van. It's certainly an easy place for me to get to location-wise. However, as it turns out I am heading off for a work trip to the US this coming Monday (as in tomorrow) and won't be back in Melbourne until the 18th, so all my thoughts about Cora Lynn have come to nought.
Hope you all have a great time. If you take some pics at least I'll be able to enjoy those!
Has there been any discussion with Mark T regarding him sending over some calendars, t-shirts and stickers to sell at Cora Lynn? If not, it might be worth doing (unless the rules of the show prevent it of course).
Regards,
Don Ricardo
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jrod
Full Member
Franki Alli & The 4 Seasons!
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Post by jrod on Oct 2, 2007 19:35:59 GMT 10
Hi Don, Ok, a completely outdated response i know.. Im not sure how i missed this..! What a fantastic read! You are so lucky to have so much history on your van. Its excellent that you and your wife kept the van in the family and continue to use it today. My parents sold the last of 3 caravans my Pop built in the early 90's.. It was a late 60's Coronet shell that he fitted out himself. The HT he passed on to me was its first tow car. I wish my parents had of applied the same thinking as you.. Cheers J-Rod Ps you have to get a Buick, and personalised plates the same as the original car!
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Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 7, 2008 19:21:28 GMT 10
Hi all, We’ve just had a very pleasant eight days at Mulwala on the Murray River with the Don. The weather was warm and sunny every day. Good for holiday makers such as us, but not so good for the local farmers who unfortunately are facing a disaster with their crops. Here are a few happy snaps from our time away. All hitched up, ready to go: Lunch stop at Lake Nagambie on the way: Our kids were away so our dog came along for the trip, which necessitated us finding a ‘dog friendly’ caravan park. Dona Ricardo took the pooch for a constitutional along the banks of the lake at Nagambie. When we arrived at out destination at Mulwala we discovered that our campsite was in amongst the dozens and dozens of on-site and permanent vans in the park. Funny about that – none of them were to be seen on the caravan park website when we checked it out before booking!! Amongst all the mid-70’s Millards and – sorry to say it Franklin1 and Gristy – Franklins which made up the majority of the on-site vans, there was a 60’s Greythorne. The current, very elderly owner was reluctant to talk but told me that he had been living in the van in the park for more than 20 years, and that it had been there for many years before that. He wasn’t sure how old it was. Like all the other on-site vans in the park, the Greythorne was attached to a substantial two room permanent annexe, so it was hard to see much of it. The Murray River midway between Mulwala and Corowa: The river looked pretty healthy at this point but we were told that further downstream, the amount of water flowing down is much reduced. As well as Corowa we visited Rutherglen: At Rutherglen we lunched at a coffee shop with a delightful outdoor courtyard, which had won a recent prize for a commercial garden: Henry Handel Richardson’s home on the banks of Lake Anderson at Chiltern: It was the first time we had taken the pooch on a holiday in the caravan. She took a couple of days to adjust to the slower lifestyle but thoroughly enjoyed herself: Breakfast al fresco: Ready to head home – parked on the banks of Lake Mulwala. Part of the lake is full of old trees and stumps, where the land has been flooded by the creation of the lake. It makes for quite a surreal landscape. The Don with her face washed and rolled back into the "caraport" ready for her next outing: Quite a number of people in the caravan park commented on the van and asked questions. A few asked for a tour, which we are always happy to provide. One of our visitors told us that her parents have a 60’s (or possibly very early 70’s van) on their hobby farm, which they are in the process of selling (the farm not the van). The van holds lots of happy memories for this lady, and she was excited by the idea that there may be somebody out there who will treasure the van as much as she does. She took the details of the forum, and promised to email me details of the van. From what she said it may be a case of "free to a loving home", but once she looks at the forum perhaps she will decide to give the van a home herself. The best comment we got while we were away: “Is that caravan as old as it looks, or is it a reproduction?” Don Ricardo
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2008 14:55:38 GMT 10
Don R, its amazing to look back at the first pic on your first post in this thread of the pic of your 1949 Don, pictured in 1949. .....and now, we're looking at you and your lovely wife enjoying a "peaceful" holiday in the same caravan 59 years later, and its even more amazing that your Don hasn't undergone a major restoration in all those years. You still get enjoyment out of the caravan, which is pretty well much in the same condition it was in 1949 Congrats to you & your family for taking such good care of the "Don" for all those years and when are you going to trade the Commo on a Buick ;D Mark
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jan 6, 2009 20:39:29 GMT 10
G'day everyone, A couple of days ago I came across some items that I had been looking for since I first posted the story of our caravan back at the beginning of 2007. You know the story - put away so carefully in a place I would never forget that I couldn't remember where I had put them. ;D ;D ;D Anyway they have now turned up. Just goes to show that preparing to move house does have some benefits! The first item is the original invoice for our van: It seems that the original order was placed on 17 June 1949, while the invoice is dated 15 July. The invoice includes the caravan, an awning, and a drawbar, which I am guessing was the towbar for the car rather than the drawbar on the van, which surely would have been included in the price of the van. The other item I'm not sure about - is it 'sanny seal'? I'm wondering if it was a portable toilet that we had in the early days. I'm assuming that the 'awning' is the original annexe for the van. Nice if you could get an annexe for 8 pounds 19 shillings and sixpence or just on $18 dollars today wouldn't it? The next item is the receipt for the balance on the invoice: The receipt is signed by Syd Robinson, brother of Don Robinson after whom the vans were named. The receipt is also dated 15 July 1949. The date of 15 July has given me cause to think. I had understood from my mother that my parents took delivery of the van in November 1949, and the earliest photos I have are dated in that month. However, I presume that my father would not have paid the balance of the purchase cost of the van until delivery, which suggests that delivery actually took place in July. As it happens, just after the order was placed for the van my parents' life changed for ever - my mother became pregnant with me. She had a pretty torrid time of the pregnancy (sorry probably toooo much information ), so it could be that although the van was delivered in July they didn't really get a chance to use it until November, hence the date on the photos. So there you are - our van is quite probably a few months older than I had always thought! Looks like I'll have to reschedule the old girl's 60th birthday party to July. ;D ;D ;D Don Ricardo
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Post by firefighter on Jan 6, 2009 21:02:47 GMT 10
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Post by Surf Tragic on Jan 6, 2009 21:05:07 GMT 10
Don Ricardo.
What a treasure you have, great to read the story again. The invoice is priceless !! So is the van !!
ST
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2009 22:26:19 GMT 10
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jun 8, 2009 23:31:35 GMT 10
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jul 16, 2009 21:54:22 GMT 10
Evening all, I thought you might like to help us celebrate our Don's birthday. She was 'delivered' to her new parents (and mine) on 15 July 1949, so she turned 60 yesterday. ( Oops, I promised not to reveal her age. ) Here she is when she was new: But she still looks pretty good for her age, hey? This pic was taken last year: Please join us for a bit of birthday cake. Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on Jul 16, 2009 23:05:55 GMT 10
Hi Don Ricardo Lovely to see the photos and be reminded what an amazing item you have there, original, unmolested, truly unique because of its wooden construction, and the elements have been kept at bay because of the care you have afforded The Van.! So I will quietly celebrate the Birthday, with a slice of cake here at home, and a 'Congratulations'. May there be many more ;D Surf Tragic
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Post by humpyboy on Jul 16, 2009 23:05:57 GMT 10
Happy Birthday "DON" and may you have many more. Mr Ricardo, you mention in your post something about a "sanny seal" yes it is a portable loo, I have one here in my shed (not for sale) ;D may need it one day ,nostalgic value only me thinks.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 23:31:08 GMT 10
nice one Don R .......I hope one of your boys is lined up to own the "Don" in 2049 to celebrate its 100th birthday That one definately has to be kept "in the family" ...... Mark
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Post by sportsman 1 on Jul 17, 2009 8:19:43 GMT 10
Happy Birthday to Don.
I hope you and yours have many more years enjoying the delights of "the Don"!
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Post by cobber on Jul 17, 2009 9:46:34 GMT 10
G'day Don R. A little bit late but.. please pass on to THE UNDERRATED DON my best wishes, and congratulate her for serving the one family faithfully for so long. Funny thing, she has the same birth date as our son......... just the month and day you understand Cobber.
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Post by Franklin1 on Jul 17, 2009 14:12:51 GMT 10
Hi DonR, I too wish to add my (belated) congratulations and best wishes on the Don's 60th birthday! ;D ;D I think you are fairly unique in having a van that's been in the one family for all of its 60 years. Wouldn't be too many others that can make the same claim, I should think. Like MarkT says above, this van has to stay in the family come-what-may, even if it's only to get a telegram from the Queen (or from King William) when it turns 100! ;D ;D Good on you for being the sort of person that recognised the value in the 'old girl' long before these old vans became 'popular', and good on you for looking after the Don to ensure it has a long and healthy life. Happy Birthday!! cheers, Al. (ps. I went to have a bite of the cake, and now I've got teeth marks in my computer screen... D'oh!! )
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jul 26, 2009 23:58:43 GMT 10
Hi all, Thanks to everyone who wished the Don happy 60th. She was really chuffed!! Hope everybody enjoyed their bit of birthday cake. ;D ;D ;D The other day I found a box of slides taken in the 50's and 60's by my mother. There were lots of photos of family holidays but only one or two of the van unfortunately... However, in amongst them was a picture of the Don's second tow car which was a Dodge Royal - 1958 or 1959 from memory: The Dodge replaced the van's original tow car which was the Buick shown in the photos which started this thread. My father bought the Dodge out of a brochure without any prior test drive and then had to wait quite some months for it to arrive (from the USA?). It had a few recurring mechanical problems and my dad never really liked it, so it only lasted about two years (compared to 15+ years for his other vehicles). When I looked at this photo it struck me what a mismatch the van was with the Dodge in terms of styling - a 1930's caravan design with art deco touches being towed by a late 50's style vehicle, all chrome and fins! The van and the car were a mismatch in another way as well - the fins were deathly when turning a sharp corner. The van still bears a scar on the front panel where a fin went through it! Ah, happy days!! Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on Jul 27, 2009 9:58:55 GMT 10
Hi Don R You are full of surprises with these classy vehicles Your Dad had good taste with cars! Both tow cars are pretty special I think. Dont you love the tons of chrome & The fins ;D. The Dodge Royal is still a very desireable vehicle, like most '50's classic cars. There's a 59 Coronet with the D500 badge featured in this months UniqueCars, beautiful It is amazing the fins would actually hit the van on sharp turning, reminds me of kazandadam's '36 van with a couple of dents at the front because of the short 'A' frame. Thanks for that. ST
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Post by kazandadam on Jul 27, 2009 11:30:51 GMT 10
That's one's a '58 Don R, basically there was the Royal, the Custom Royal, the Coronet & then the very rare D500 at the top.
I used to own a rare '56 pink & grey Dodge Custom Royal complete with under dash record player! These were the first of the fins & wouldn't you know it, Chevrolet stole Chryslers look & put them on their cars the following year on the '57 Chevs!
Side on you couldn't tell the difference, when I was at the Summernats in the early '90's cruising around everyone was chanting with their thumbs up "Go the Chevies"
Anyway................nice car, hope I didn't deviate too much from this thread!
Adam
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jan 23, 2010 20:03:41 GMT 10
Hi all, Well, just before Christmas the Don's home was finished ready for her to move in. The original plan was for the extension to the existing garage for the Don to be finished three or four weeks after we moved in to our new place last January. But it was not to be! For starters, it took nine months to get the planning and building permits from the local council. To be fair the Black Saturday fires happened the week after our move, and I think our local council's planning and building departments were probably fully occupied with dealing with the issues and applications from those who had lost their homes. I certainly wouldn't have wanted our application to have taken precedence over that. Unfortunately, though, that left the Don in what was supposed to be very temporary cover for quite a while, and it suffered a bit from it. Anyway, the permits came through in late October and the builder set to work. I wasn't smart enough to take some "before" photos but I did take a few "during" photos as well as some of the end result. This photo was taken when the new side wall had been erected and the concrete floor had been poured: Roof trusses up: Roof iron on: Ceiling in and painted, and electrical work done: Front panel door and rear roller doors installed and front and rear concrete aprons laid: And so the day came to tow the Don out of her temporary accommodation (such as it was) and show her her new home: As you can see the garage is drive through - one of the smartest ideas I've ever had! Makes life very easy. The Don is a bit embarrassed about everyone seeing her in her undercoat, but I assured her that everyone on the forum has seen caravans dressed in a lot less, so in the end she was OK with it... ;D ;D ;D And the end result? The Don is very happily ensconced in her new home (and her roof now repainted), and three cars cosily parked in the double garage next door. From this pic you can see the difference in floor levels required to accommodate the height of the van: Our neighbours, who watched the building process with great interest, kept telling me that the garage doorways were too narrow, the doorways were too low, the slope of the drive was too steep, the roller doors would take up too much room, etc. Thankfully the builder got it all correct, although I think he got fed up with me measuring everything with my tape measure every few minutes... ;D ;D ;D Mission accomplished - at last! Don Ricardo
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