Post by phargan on Nov 16, 2007 6:29:10 GMT 10
The new/old tow car is a 1970 Austin 1800 Mk 2
We exhibited the caravan at the Gold Coast Heritage week in Burleigh Heads in 2008
Caravan Restoration for the Amateur.
Well you might scoff and ask "what the blazes has caravan restoration got to do with Laser Sailing" I asked myself the same question to begin with, but all will become clear as I relate my tale of pride and satisfaction.
I've never been to the West before, apart that is from planting one foot in the West and the other in South Australia just outside the aboriginal settlement of Docker River at the beginning of the Gunbarrel Highway, ??? kilometres due west of the Ayres Rock. On learning that the next National sailing championships were to be held in Perth I was determined to get over there and see a little of that far flung 'state of excitement'.
How to go about it?
I would have no trouble taking the Daihatsu Feroza / Laser / Trailer /Trolley on the 3970 odd kilometres but the thought of putting up my family size tent every night and taking it down in the morning for the four days needed to drive to Perth was to say the least, a daunting prospect. I resolved to buy a smaller tent.
Not a good idea! Cost -$200 Transportation - TWO tents to W. A.(One for travelling-one for living in). How about a collapsible camping trailer with the Laser on its flat top? Cost second hand - $2000 minimum! Drawback - you have to get the Laser off alone before you can erect it and go to bed.
How about a look through the Trading Post for a very small and cheap caravan with the Laser either inside, on the roof, or on the car roof racks? Now, I thought, I was cooking with gas! However, the first issue of Trading Post did not contain my dream caravan. Surprise, surprise, but it did give me an idea of the prices for such a vehicle. Frightful!
I made a tour of all the second hand caravan dealers in Sydney and learned that I was expected to pay around $3000 for what I wanted. You can see how the exercise was escalating in cost.
In the next issue of Trading Post the very first add read 'Antique caravan, 1950's vintage, timber, requires good home. $600 ono. Perfect!, so long as it was sound and fitted my pocket-handkerchief sized back yard. I rang the man and went to inspect it in his garden were it was coupled to a 1950's FJ Holden panel van, both where hand painted in a faded shade of pea green. YUCKHO. Inside it was wishy-washy lemon yellow. YUCKHO x TWO. I measured it, 183cm x 3metres (6 foot by 9foot 9inches plenty big enough) offered $500, and drove home to size up the back yard and give some deep thought as to what I was about to embark upon, "Caravan Restoration". It was a challenge but one which I, as yet, have had a great deal of satisfaction meeting. Just before I towed it out of his driveway he asked "you wouldn't be interested in the panel van as well would you??" I handed him my cheque for $500 and drove off as fast as the caravan would let me.
When I arrived home after a trouble free journey of some 10 kilometres I was surprised to find the little van was still hooked to the Feroza and I hadn't really felt it following me. Its Rego still had four months to run and the tires still had air in them. What more could I have asked of my new acquisition? It fitted into the back yard with at least 100 mm to spare on either side, and in it went 'POP'. I man-handled it into a position so that I could open the door, put down it's legs, chocked the wheels and started work-Work-WORK-WORK
I started inside by washing everything in sight, walls ceilings, floor, stove, sink, windows, cupboards, wardrobe, shelves, table, and door. I ripped out the 40 year old carpet, wiring, mattresses, badly constructed cupboards, roof vent, flyscreens, curtains, and running lights. Tucked away under the double bed was a spare leaf spring, wheel bearing and stub axle, very useful. All the cupboard doors came off, were stripped down to the wood and revarnished, the hinges were dropped in stripper and repainted and the whole inside was given two coats of pale blue (walls) and white (ceiling & galley). New wiring was laid in for the internal 12 volt lighting and running lights. A new cedar and marine ply roof hatch was constructed and I replaced the metal fly screens on it and all the windows. The windows were taken out and dismantled to find that the frames were made of Huon Pine and none the worse for their fifty years of weathering. The new carpet came courtesy of George's River Sailing Club from offcuts of their foyer. New mattresses are by Clarke Rubber. A sixty litre plastic water tank went in under the bed with pipes, non-return valve and sink pump. A spare wheel which I mounted on a bracket went underneath, also underneath went brackets to carry two spare top sections for the mast and patented lifting gear for the rear legs. After some hunting around I managed to find an exact replica of the brake master cylinder and an ancient rear number plate light. It didn't seem to me that a Metho burning cook top was a very safe way to go in a wooden caravan so I converted to a new stainless steel gas unit and installed a gas cylinder.
A total strip down of the paint on the outside revealed sound panelling except for the door and the underside of the table, so a sheet of weatherproof ply was bought and laid onto both of these surfaces. Then the big paint job was embarked upon. Undercoat and two top coats of white gloss exterior everywhere. All the aluminium trim came off and was stripped back to metal, undercoated and sprayed black. Lastly the wheels came off and the bearings and brakes were checked, regreased, reassembled, adjusted with the rims getting spray painted in black with smart new hub caps.
I think that's most of it, and the cost came out to around $800 give or take a few skinned knuckles. I have already taken it on it's maiden voyage to the 'Brass Monkey' regatta at Long Jetty and the 'Winter in Paradise' regatta at Port Stephens in June and July. So, look out for the Hargan/Roberts Travelling Laser Circus at the next regatta which will be the Coasts at Gosford on October 30th. then Belmont Master's in November, both of which will be warmup runs for the BIG ONE -- Perth WA. at Christmas. If it survives the Nullarbor and a weeks trekking around the South West I'll be more than happy with my investment.
Don't hesitate to drop in for a cuppa & a bikky if you see it - there is only a minimal charge for the guided tour. You could meet some of your friends there!
It's 'A WEE R-R-RIPPA'
Paul Hargan.
(Writtten in 1995 but the caravan is still in use and ready for it’s second refurbishment, when I can get round to it!!)
Wednesday 20th Feb. 2008.
I just took some more pics of the signage on the van. The 'Hunter Minor' plaques are plated brass as is the 'CARAVAN PARK LTD.' badge from the front. I had it mounted inside but think it should be on the outside front. The other small plate is from the Caravan & Trailer Industries Association. I keep turning up photos and will add more as they come to light. Also the story of being able to 'Carbon Date' my caravan from a 1950 signature under one of the window gutters "IN PENCIL"!!!!!
phargan
Don't it just fly? Time that is! It is now November 1st. 2012 and I've just completed the restoration of the outside of my Hunter minor having striped back the paint to the plywood and replaced ply on the door side as it was cracked up and begining to peel away. I found the original colour under where the nameplate should have been, at the rear over the number plate and riding light. It was originally painted in bright cream and the closest I could find to it was Taubman's Florida (a rich butter kind of colour). New curtains and rails for the windows with simplified fly screens all round.(I've kept the originals if anyone is worried about authenticity). New floor lino inside, and for some favors I did for the next door neighbor he presented me with an original aluminium 'Porthole Window' which just fitted into the door. (That's NOT authentic but looks superb).
And to set the whole thing off gleaming 13 inch Austin 1800 stainless steel hub caps! (also not authentic).
And the last item was a 1950's, or there abouts, gleaming ali water inlet fitting to replace the plastic one when a mate asked me to clear away an old van that had been littering up his back yard for 20 years. As we towed it out from under the trees it disintegrated before our eyes but some worthwhile parts were salvaged from the pile of rubbish on the floor before us.
phargan
..... it looks great and as you say ... much better than a tent 
;D 
