Viscount Duralvan

[mcelwyn]

Hello,
 We are trying to find out when our Viscount Duralvan was made.  We have the Chassis Number A6401  It has light blue lighting bolts down the side , and we pull a inside wall off, and on the back it had 10/6/1969 written in black pen.  please help  King Regards Elwyn

[shesgotthelook]

Hello & welcome. Very likely it was built in 1969! A few photos would also help to confirm this.

Have a look through the Viscount history thread

vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/2038/viscount-caravans-fullarton-cabramatta-dandenong?page=1

On page 2 there is a Duralvan number A7631. Is this like yours?

Regards. SGTL

[mcelwyn]

is there a unique password photo bucket?

[DC3Td]

Nope & welcome McElwyn.Just what you choose.Been using the basic level of P/b for a few years now.Known to chuck a hissy at times.You can of course choose alternate photo store like Flick r or suchlike.

[firefighter]

Jan 2, 2015 17:40:02 GMT 10 mcelwyn said:

is there a unique password photo bucket?

G'day mcelwyn

If you are talking about the photo bucket practice area on this forum the password was... chevy don't know if its been changed since Mark & Wendy is now running the forum

cheers

f/f

[mcelwyn]

[mcelwyn]

[DC3Td]

Been a bit busy lately have we Elwyn! Sure shows in how you`ve tackled the job.Perhaps you might tell us about your intentions on the rebuild & how you stripped the paint etc.Well done.

[mcelwyn]

Well Well Well  ,
  We had to strip the paint with a air sander, 240 grit  and a lot off hard work.  Trying to get all the dent's out now and prepare it for the paint job.  We gutted the whole van out, to start fresh.  keeping to the original vintage look using the stove and all the light fitting s and layout.  Chassis was paint striped, then fished oiled and painted, body deadner.  Putting the lightning bolts back down the sides.  White van aqua lighting bolts.
 Mcelwyn

[DC3Td]

Should look quite the part and look forward to the progress.

[Rattles]

While Gutted and if the original Tail,Numberplate and Clearance lights use the Body/Frame as a return path. run a -ve return wire (White) daisy chained to the Trailer Harness Pin 3.

Aluminium is quite a good conductor the problem is the connection points where Copper/Brass/Stainless Steel/Mild Steel connection is made.

Rattles

[mcelwyn]

so what is this for an earth? Rattles

[Don Ricardo]

Hi McElwyn,

Great to see the photos of your Viscount, and also that you wrestled with Photobucket...and won!

At this point it seems like dating Viscount caravans is an imprecise science involving (a) placing the serial (chassis) number of your van in the sequence of serial numbers for other Viscounts we have recorded on the forum, and (b) matching the side flashes on your van with those on other Viscounts. Or if you are really lucky you may find a purchase receipt or (as you have) a date written on some panelling somewhere on the van.

As Shesgotthelook has said, I reckon that you can be fairly confident that the June 1969 date you found on the panelling tells you the build date of your van. Shesgotthelook also referred you to photos of Shotgun283's Viscount on the Viscount thread in the Down History Lane forum, which has the same side flashes as your van. As you will see Shotgun283 estimated that his van was built in 1968. However, his serial number is around 1200 higher than yours, indicating that Shotgun283's van is younger than yours by a couple of months. Based on your June 1969 date, I am guessing Shotgun283's van was built around August 1969 (for reasons explained below).

The Down History Lane Viscount thread also contains a review article on a Viscount caravan which has the same side flashes as yours. The article was published in 1971 - or maybe for 1971. So that indicates that your model van probably on sale at least for part of 1969 and part of 1970, and possibly longer - through to 1971???  The article states that Viscount was producing around 160 vans a week at that point.  At that rate they would have produced 1,200 vans in about 7.5 weeks, which is how I estimated that Shotgun283's van is around two months younger than yours...

The van reviewed in the article was 13 ft 6 in, and I think is the same size as Shotgun283's, but yours is a larger van. Maybe 16 or 18 ft? Am I right?

Both the van in the review and Shotgun283's van have wood grain laminex cupboard doors, etc. I presume your van may have had the same, but were painted over at some point in its history, together with the original side flash?

Don Ricardo

[Rattles]

Yes it is the earth return and I suggest when running make the daisy chain a complete loop including a Caravan chassis to Pin 3 of the Trailer Connector Plug. If you are using and Anderson Plug to Run the 12v Fridge from the tugs Alternator then both Anderson and Trailer Plug -ve legs Bonded together at Car and Van.

Rattles

[King Fisher]

Just out of interest when I wired up Bessie in Fisher's Resto I used a 12 pin flat plug as depicted here and put the matching socket on the car (easy as it originally had a 7 pin flat socket). I then wired from the battery through a fuse then an automatic low voltage cut off switch on the car side to pin 8 for battery (+ve) and 10 for ground (-ve). On the van side pin 8 and 10 are then connected to the battery in the van (via another fuse) for charging etc.  Doing it like this meant there was no need for a second Anderson plug.  When bush camping I plug my solar panel into the van's trailer plug via a female socket (same as used on the car) which I have wired to the solar panel, using the same pin 8 and 10, this allows for charging the battery in the van when camped.

[mibosa]

Hi King Fisher,

with regards to your method of using the 12 pin flat plug, could you please advise what size wiring you used in the car to your 12 pin plug and the same with the van? Is it B&S 6 (14-16mm2) as I read in other places? The only reason I ask is, firstly if it is as advised elsewhere, and secondly whether the B&S 6 wire will fit into the back of the 12 pin flat plugs? I like your method and have been thinking the same way to avoid having the use of the Anderson plugs.

Regards, Bob.

[King Fisher]

When I can I will check the roll of wire, I believe it is 6mm^2 which can cary 50Amps. The top row of pins on the 12 pin plugs are ticker and do cater for a heavier grade of wire. If in doubt have a chat to an auto elec, he should be able to advise you.

[mibosa]

Thanks King Fisher, I think in the area of wiring there is sometimes confusion with cable which is B&S 6 which is 14-16mm2 compared to cable which is 6mm diameter or 6 mm2. I await to see whether your van battery is able to be charged on the smaller diameter cable. Regards, Bob.

[thomas]

Hey mcelwyn,

i see that originally the viscount had the traditional flashes down the sides....appears shes been painted at some stage. I have a viscount of similar vintage that we are restoring also. Chassis number e4620 & dated behind panels as 10/10/1969.

Check out progress to date on members photo album if you'd like.!

welcome to the forum!!!

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Thomas,

My understanding is that the 'E' series serial number for your van indicates that it is a Viscount Ambassador model, rather than simply a Viscount like McElwyn's. That explains the disparity between the serial numbers, even though both vans were apparently built in 1969.

Interesting that Viscount used the same livery for both the Viscount and Ambassador models (ie the same side flashes).

Don Ricardo

[mcelwyn]

Hi Thomas

That's amazing that they would write dates on the panels.Thought it may have just mine at least that gives a fair indication on the build date. We are bogging and sanding today hope to have most of the caravan ech primed this weekend, it's a bigger job than first thought it will look amazing when it's finished. Early June is the dead line.

[pep351xe]

Hi I have a viscount duravan with
A5250 on a frame what year would this be ?
Any info would be great as its my late fathers caravan
It was 100% original inside till a few years ago when dad removed the double bed (folding) from rear,stove and part of wardrobe and replaced with single beds on each side

[marcogroot]

Hi there,



Not sure whether you're still on the board but I've recently acquired a Viscount Duralvan with the serial number 6409 on the towbar. I've done it up just enough to serve as a 'site office' for a more permanent structure I intend to build. The lay-out of your caravan seems slightly different to mine with the kitchen on the other site and a different window configuration. Since the number on your towbar is not too far away from mine, I'm assuming they were both made sometime during 1969, which coincidentally is the same year I was myself 'manufactured'.

P.S. The insertion of some pictures does seem close to impossible at the moment, might have to try that another time

Cheers,

Marco

[shesgotthelook]

Hi Marco, you cannot add photos on here via attachment, you have to use a photo hosting site such as photobucket. Have a read of some easy to follow instructions here;

vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/15290/post-photos-on-forum