Hello & What is it?

[mrbubblehead]

First of all its a hello and welcome I've looked at this forum and I'm happy to say its a great place to chat and research top work keep it up.

I've been a fan of vintage caravans for a while now but never had the time to investingate more into it my first passion is early volkswagens mainly pre 60's which seems to fill in my life between work and family.

Ok now I've signed myself in I cut to the point I've acciured a vintage caravan which I'm trying to track down what make it is and put a pin on what year it is. From my estimates its 1930's but I'm not sure what end of the 30's era it would fall into. it wouldn't suprise me if its a late 20's van.

Its had its axel removed so I carn't get an age from the wheels on it as theres none, Oh and yeah the A frame has had a trim of about 1mtr (nothing left but stumps) It has sat under a carport for at least 30 years maybe even more Its in prety good condition but the best part is the interior it'll clean up good.

Any have a brouse at the pics any feed back would be apriciated

Cheer nIck

[mrbubblehead]

Inside looks like this

[whippy]

Wouldn't have the faintest idea what it is, but that's one of the best interiors I have seen!!!!

Great find !

[Franklin1]

G'day mrb/h and welcome to the forum. I have a few questions to ask you before I can give a general opinion about your van...

Q1: how on earth did you choose the log-in name of "mrbubblehead"!!? The image I have in my brain is pretty scary... ;D ;D

Q2: what is your approximate location?...just the state will do.

Assuming you are in the Land of Oz, here is my opinion about your van...
It was built for someone who had STACKS of money. This is no ordinary van built for the lower working classes of Australia, as most vans were prior to WWII. This van may have been built for a government official who needed to travel around the country for official business (and it would have been a high-ranking official as well). The layout and number of cupboards, and the varnished wood panelling and finish, smells very much of beauracracy. Or it was built for someone who lived in the upper classes with all the Country Club and English aristocracy trappings.

In your last photo, there is what appears to be an ice-chest on the right hand side. This chest is made from oak timber and is different from the rest of the timber cupboards. Oak timber was used to make wardrobes that look very similar in design to the ice-chest. This furniture was made in Oz prior to the early 1940s. Assuming the ice-chest was retro-fitted into the van, then the conclusion can be drawn that the rest of the cupboards were made before 1940. But just when before 1940 you are asking? This is where it can get a bit tricky. The door handles / hinges might be a clue. If you are really determined to accurately date the caravan, you can make contact with the Furniture History Society...

NSW, Email
[e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
or,
Victoria, Email
[e-mail]

...and send a couple of photos showing close-ups of the handles / hinges, and also the interior cupboards in the van (your last photo above), and see if they can pinpoint a more exact date for you.

All in all, I think you have a very rare example of early caravanning history, and I also think this van needs to be preserved and restored to show all its original glory. It wouldn't surprise me to know that someone who was very, very important in history stayed in this van.
Having said that, I also think this van would be very, very heavy with all the cabinetry and furnishing work inside. So any thoughts about full restoration should also include the need to fit brakes to comply with the national registration requirements for trailers (vans) weighing 750kgs or over.

Hope this info whets your appetite for delving further into this magnificent van...
cheers,
Al.

[firefighter]

hey al

my guess is he calls himself mr bubblehead because of his v w
and if you look at his avatar he is a mexican from footscray

b/h.... very nice van you have the inside is something special
what year is it .......dont know
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D

[hwyman]

Hi and welcome mrbubblehead i would have a big fat head if i scored something like that van that interior looks very english .
don't forget to check those original looking cushions for tags etc and pull out the draws in search of dates stamped on the timber or even writting in pencil etc.
Iam sure your going to have plenty of admirers with that classic. ;D ;D

Hwyman.

[hwyman]

Hello again looking at the pic's closer this van look's to have a possible medical- sceintific (Geologly?maybe) history going by the size of the sink with large splash back and those sticker's on the cupboard doors are they displaying there previos content's or has the last owner done this? maybe it was an early dental van or even used to travel out to aboriginal reserve's like a mobile hospital

[mrbubblehead]

Hello there

First off I've filled in my details and my "mrbubblehead" name is what "firefighter" sugests its the name given to the little fella that VW used to use in the 50's-60's adverts and booklets etc. Check my advatar thats him. I just checked in the mirror it's nothing to do with the size of my noggin, the ex fairground mirror I picked up from the op shop the other day shows my head is all in proportion, my legs seem shorter and my arms are longer than I thought Hmmmm?

Seems like the van could turn out some intresting facts thanks Franklin1 for all that info your right the ice box is seperate it has a cool box below and a flip lid on the top where I guess you put the ice in.

I'll get a few more pics of the handles and look in the draws etc for makers marks they look like there dove tail joints in the draws I'll check this then I think I will get in touch with the F.H.S. you gave me the details for. I recon your right this is a bit top notch for the common people. "which cuboard is the silver and cristal wares kept in darling"

This is very helpful

I thought that the arangement is also unusal ie. the door after the wheel but it works very well in the lay out.

Hmmm I'll keep pondering........

[cobber]

Mr bubblehead,

I think you realize you have a treasure there.
Does it have a 240volt socket on the exterior anywhere, what voltage are the inside lights ?.

Where is the water tank, I see it has a tap over the sink (a bit too modern for the rest of the interior me thinks )

Is the front door lock a “night latch” and what brand is it ?

Is the glass in the windows distortion free or are they kind of “wavy” ?

I wish I had discovered this hobby at your age and picked up a ' van like this one.

Cobber.

[scootman]

What a great looking interior. Good job.

[cornishlass]

Hi Mr Bubblehead

Just love the name........ although if you were blond and female it would probably suit more ;D ;D

Agree with the other postings about it looking very much English in its style for layout, but having checked all the info that I have I cannot find any makes that are the same. Whatever it is I think that it's absolutely stunning and certainly one to bring back to life.

Take care of this little beauty.

Cornish Lass

[mrbubblehead]

Hello again its good to see the site back up and running

Now I've a little bad news on this caravan that is bad news for me as I'm having to put this project up forsale.
So that could mean its good news to you if you or anyone's keen on undertaking a resto on this big bertha.

Ok so here's the only snag it's not got an axel under it and is missing, Its up on blocks. Also the front "A" frame has been cut off and is also missing but there is room to weld a tempery one onto its stumps.

The next obstical is I'm going to be removing the boundry wall to get it out in one piece (no great loss its got to go anyway to make way for a fence.

Now if your still keen and have the tools and hardware to drag this mother out of the back yard then you might score yourself a once in a life time bute

Anyone whos keen will need to come and eye up the job in hand but I thought I might point out the effort need before anyones time is wasted

Send me a message if your intrested

P.S. It needs to go preety fast ASAP

Cheers Nick

[rfw]

Hello Mr B from a fellow dubber albeit a `74 so that makes me a bugger? Sad to see your fabulous `van up for sale. That has such great potential to be a show winner. All that timber and the brilliant layout. Wow!

[cobber]

Now we will see who's fair dinkum about restoring vintage caravans .

This one does appear to have been not so much a “leisure” caravan but more likely a mobile work station....... half the fun of owning it would be trying to discover it's history.

I hope you get some serious offers for it Nick.... from people who intend to restore it to what it was .

Cobber.

[rfw]

Pity it`s south of the border. Reckon there`s a "bondsman" we all know that`d love to get his hands on it! cheers

[Surf Tragic]

Nice interior.

The moulding strips on the ceiling & each side of the roof beams is called Marbut Moulding, I used some in my early Carpentry apprenticeship in the early 60's. this address tells some of the history. , www.marbutpostforming.com.au/history.htm

rh

[mrbubblehead]

Thanks for all the info and leads guys. I't getting to the point where I have to move this van soon its holding other things up as its in the way.

Now I'm going to get it rolling and ready for it to be traliered to its new home so if your in the position and a big early van is your thing give me a shout on here.

nIck

[John]

I'm happy to report that this van has been saved Unfortunately not by me
Saw the van yesterday and it is in good hands and well sheltered.
Nice to see another unusual van go to a good home.
Cheers,
John