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Post by cobber on May 24, 2014 8:56:14 GMT 10
A thread for commercial, or non touring caravans, built and modified before 1970.THERE IS ANOTHER THREAD here for post 1970 commercial vans or, vans that have been modified after 1970Here are a couple to get you started. The original 'Harry's Cafe de Wheels' 1945  Well not exactly the first one. Apparently the first one was a cart in 1936, but when Harry returned from the Second World War he resumed the enterprise. This 1945 example is now housed in the Powerhouse Museums "Discovery Centre" at Castle Hill NSW. Read all you need to know about Harry's Cafe de Wheels on WikipediaAnother mobile food enterprise started after the Second World War was this one in Claremont WA by Ronald Wm. (Mick) Tilby.  Read more about it HERECaravan adapted as an ABC mobile studio to be used for concerts presented by the ABC at army camps and other locations. Equipped with a recording unit and recording and pick-up amplifiers. Could also provide accommodation for one person.  After many sleepless nights and exhaustive research Don R. eventually concluded that this van was made by the 'Windsor' caravan Co. See their thread HERE Cobber.
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Post by chev51 on May 24, 2014 20:33:48 GMT 10
There are quite a few good commercial vans pictured on the vintage caravan magazine Facebook page, I won't copy her pictures, being that I advertise in the magazine and get a good percentage of my work through there, I don't want to upset anyone if they "own" the photos. www.facebook.com/vintagecaravanmagazineThere is even a beer van down the page for Reddo. |
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Post by cobber on May 25, 2014 8:27:13 GMT 10
G'day Dale, Thanks for the suggestion and noticing this new thread  Could be wrong... but I would expect that photos on the magazines facebook page would be of post 1970 vans or post 1970 modifications..... and that's OK, we have a new thread for them too, click here, which I'll ask the authorities to 'sticky' on that board if it gets some contributions to it. This thread, I would hope will attract photos and a bit of history about all the mobile eateries that existed in all the major cities around Australia in the period before and after the II World War, and up to 1970. We'll see how it goes  Cobber. |
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Post by Franklin1 on May 25, 2014 9:28:11 GMT 10
G'day cobber, Is this thread just for "mobile eateries" vans, or does it include all other vans that were originally built for commercial purposes? I remember minicamper's Highway van he got hold of back in 2007, which was originally built for the Victorian Country Roads Board (CRB): Highway caravancheers, Al. |
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Post by cobber on May 25, 2014 10:05:50 GMT 10
G'day Al, Fair point to raise, in light of my comment to Dale. The thread heading, and the earlier post where I show the ABC mobile studio, more accurately indicates how I'd like to see the thread develop. During the war caravans were used as canteens, first aid and recruitment centres, I think there was one used as a rehabilitation place where returned soldiers could drop in and discuss their problems and maybe register for help. And thanks for the link back to Minicampers van, there must be photos of those type of vans on the job, in the archives somewhere If anybody can find photos, and hopefully a bit of history, here is the place to post it Cobber |
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Post by Franklin1 on May 25, 2014 13:01:32 GMT 10
The following photo sold recently on ebay, and is a Fairfax media photo from Sydney, dated 23/6/42, showing "Investors in the 2nd Liberty Loan crowded around officials in charge of the Loan Caravan in Martin Place today..." [have no idea why the fella is arrowed]   And this news archive item explains a bit about the 2nd Liberty Loan to fund the World War 2 effort...  |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2014 18:52:58 GMT 10
Yesterdays Newcastle morning Herald... Harrys Cafe' De Wheels Commercial caravan ..wooloomooloo and Newcastle tram www.theherald.com.au/story/2303472/harrys-cafe-de-wheels-a-rolling-success/?cs=2373Sorry about just supplying a blue link.. PS.. I am enjoying what I have seen on this thread so far.. lets hope that some of these vans find their way to a vintage caravan weekend .. or the nationals at some stage.. They will have my undivided adulation...definitely a part of vintage caravanning heritage.. and no doubt .. toured a lot more than the family /privately owned vans Reddo |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2014 19:25:54 GMT 10
Yesterdays Newcastle morning Herald... Harrys Cafe' De Wheels Commercial caravan ..wooloomooloo and Newcastle tram www.theherald.com.au/story/2303472/harrys-cafe-de-wheels-a-rolling-success/?cs=2373Sorry about just supplying a blue link.. PS.. I am enjoying what I have seen on this thread so far.. lets hope that some of these vans find their way to a vintage caravan weekend .. or the nationals at some stage.. They will have my undivided adulation...definitely a part of vintage caravanning heritage.. and no doubt .. toured a lot more than the family /privately owned vans Reddo As a former sailor in the early 70's I well remember having a pie'n pea or rissole on a roll at Harry's on my way back to my ship after a heavy night in the Cross. Brian |
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Post by cobber on May 25, 2014 19:52:25 GMT 10
Which one is you Brian and who is the young lady on your arm ?  Cobber. |
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2014 7:54:44 GMT 10
Which one is you Brian and who is the young lady on your arm ?  Cobber. What happens ashore stays ashore Cobber..... Brian |
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Post by Franklin1 on May 27, 2014 20:23:40 GMT 10
In the Australian Womens Weekly magazine dated 25 June 1952, there is an advertisement for Carapark caravans...  I've put a red border around a section of that advertisement, which when enlarged shows the commercial vans available from Carapark at that time...  |
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Post by cobber on Jun 3, 2014 10:35:03 GMT 10
The School Dental Service caravan from the Public Health Department in the grounds of the Salvation Army Home for Girls in Cottesloe WA, 1950s. Purpose built I suspect Probably turned a whole boast of young ladies off caravanning for the rest of their lives.  Cobber. |
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Post by cobber on Jun 4, 2014 8:51:03 GMT 10
From "The Sunday Times" Perth WA. August 1948  Cobber. |
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Post by shesgotthelook on Jul 3, 2014 7:05:12 GMT 10
Interesting food van in Port Vila!  |
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Post by rare00 on Jul 4, 2014 18:52:40 GMT 10
Which one is you Brian and who is the young lady on your arm ?  These are American "skimmers" our covers have "Tally Bands." |
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Post by cobber on Jul 13, 2014 10:39:55 GMT 10
 SYDNEY, NSW 1945-11-10. THE AUSTRALIAN LEGION OF EX SERVICEMEN HAD A CARAVAN SET UP OUTSIDE THE GATES AT THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOWGROUNDS. NEWLY DISCHARGED MEN COULD JOIN THE LEGION AS THEY LEFT THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES (AMF) DISCHARGE DEPOT. NX23361 PRIVATE C. J. TAIT, 2/29TH BATTALION AND NX164817 SERGEANT ARRIVOLI, "B" COMPANY SIGNALS MAKE INQUIRIES OF MR B. J. BRODIE, EX RAAF, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE CARAVAN. (PHOTOGRAPHER L. CPL E. MCQUILLAN) Cobber, |
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Hillbilly
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"Fun in the Sun ..."
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Post by Hillbilly on Jul 16, 2014 13:39:29 GMT 10
This is how I found my 1958 Modern caravan in 2005 rotting away on a farm in Bindoon WA.
After a total revamp she's had a good touring life, travelling to many parts of Australia including the 2010 Nationals in Mildura.
A couple from Imbil in SE Qld brought the van from me in 2013 and have given it another revamp as a commercial coffee van, and by reports its been very successful.
The interior after the recovery and clean up from Bindoon.
A bit of timber work and a slap of paint, she came up like a newby.
Here she is travelling from Perth to the 2010 Mildura Nationals.
Spick and span with the new bodywork inside and out and she's ready to begin her next life.
Better to see a van continuing on with a purpose than rotting away on a property somewhere.
Cheers, Hillbilly
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2014 16:46:11 GMT 10
G'day Bro (hillbilly) the transformation of "Hillbilly's Haven" to a coffee van looks great  Let's hope the coffees coming outter there are better than the coupla coffees you made me at Mildura! Mark |
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Post by King Fisher on Jul 21, 2014 13:25:06 GMT 10
On the way to the 2014 Nats at broken hill I got chatting to an old man who was interested in my van. He started the conversation with, "I might have helped make you van. I say that because of the long skinny back window..." Our van Bessie we lovingly restored in Fisher's Resto.  You might be asking why I am posting in a commercial section??? But the person he was working for was a builder and he built a few vans but not many that were very similar to mine, in fact similar enough that he was convinced that Bessie was one of them. The purpose of these vans was solely to be rented out as site accommodation for the family whose house the builder was building. She may have never been intended to ever be used to travel and see this wide country. If this is true then would we say that Bessie is probably a purpose built commercial van? as her sole purpose would have been to sit on the customer's land and make rent money for the builder, as a temporary accommodation till the house was built. Then towed and rented out again at the next property. So should I bow my head in shame now...  It may not be exactly commercial as we think of it now but I think this was another commercial use for a home built caravan of the time. |
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Post by cobber on Jul 21, 2014 13:40:28 GMT 10
G'day Kingfisher, Sort of like a reverse modification aye ? From commercial use to touring use THAT IS WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE   But that would have been interesting... To bump into a bloke who reckoned he had a bit of history about your vans original purpose, was he happy to see what it is being used for now ? Cobber. |
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Post by King Fisher on Jul 21, 2014 17:47:31 GMT 10
He was absolutely wrapped to see it out and about, and being used after all these years. Nice guy. He helped with putting the calico onto the roof and some other small jobs. It was interesting, the builder according to him was Kieth(?) Mc Lockland (Hope I spelt it correctly) of Paran in Melbourne Vic.
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Post by cobber on Aug 10, 2014 15:58:14 GMT 10
A couple more vans modified for commercial use PRE 1970 Russell's take away at the Queen Victoria Markets Melbourne in 1956  And this was taken....don't know where A John Lysaght display van 1967  Cobber. |
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Post by cobber on Aug 11, 2014 9:17:02 GMT 10
On the 20th March 2011 Batty posted these two photos in DHL... (Thanks Gordon for bringing it to my attention ) vintagecaravans.proboards.com/post/63114/thread The photos were taken at an event in Sydney around about that same day. So... the van is obviously built pre 1970 but.... was it modified for commercial use post or pre 1970 ?... Worry worry  I like to think this could be a rare surviving example of a van built/modified pre 1970 for commercial use, (I have a horrible feeling that most/some vintage vans modified post 1970 get dumped after a few years when they stop making money.... evidence to the contrary is invited )   Cobber. |
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Post by DC3Td on Aug 11, 2014 18:10:43 GMT 10
Hi Cobber. Batty mentions within your above link that it is a 1958 Commercial Diner model that he put Historic rego on,was formerly owned by the Oberon Lions Club & at the time the pics were taken belonged to the Hills Distric Car Club. gordon
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Post by cobber on Aug 11, 2014 19:18:22 GMT 10
Oh fair crack o' the whip Gordo. those two posts were four months apart  Anyway... I was right aye? This van is a real live vintage food van still in service ( don't tell the health authorities in this nanny state country they'll probably close it down  ... HANG ON ! ..it's an historic vehicle, on historic plates... well done Batty ) Cobber. |
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It may not be exactly commercial as we think of it now but I think this was another commercial use for a home built caravan of the time.
... HANG ON ! ..it's an historic vehicle, on historic plates... well done Batty