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Post by cobber on Feb 12, 2008 14:11:07 GMT 10
“When I was young and had no sense I bought this van for just a few cents, I rubbed and painted until it looked fit Then I sold it to a bloke who did a flit.”  That was back in 1994.  I don't know where it are now...... but I still got the annex, it's the one I use on “Driftwood” that has the compartment for a toilet/shower  . The table drops down to make a single bed.  At the rear was a fixed single, double at a squeeze, bed. The cupboard just inside the door, with the Coleman stove on it, had handles on each side so that the whole cupboard, including knives forks crockery pots and pans could be lifted off its plinth and taken outside to do the cooking under the annex. It had no sink or water supply & no ice box, had a good annex though   I think it might be a “Supalite Wee-kenda” or maybe the “Viking” 1957-59 ? Very similar to a “Luxory - Baby” a product of “Luxury Caravans” of Artarmon (From Keith Winser's 1951-52 Australian Caravans & Touring) But I think it is a "Supalite"   Opinions please  Cobber. |
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Post by scootman on Feb 12, 2008 14:36:48 GMT 10
I LOVE IT!
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Post by Roehm3108 on Feb 12, 2008 18:24:17 GMT 10
Cobber, unless the interior is self-installed, I would doubt that it's a Luxury. The Keith Winser ad puts the kitchen in the front. Admittedly, the shape is similar, but then, it is also similar to the Caravan Park Hunter Minor, but here again, the layout is not the same. Bottom line -------- NOT SURE Whatever the case is, it's an ideal van for what Lulu is looking for! Shame you don't know where it is. Ray |
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Post by exocet on Feb 12, 2008 18:29:09 GMT 10
Gidday Cobber, looking in the KW "56 book i'd say it is a Supalite Wee-kenda.
Cheers Exocet
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 12, 2008 20:08:42 GMT 10
Cobber, when I superimpose your van into the Supalite Wee-Kenda photo, I can see that your van has an identical shape to pcc's van...  But I'm having trouble believing that any of the vans in the photo match exactly the drawing of the Supalite Wee-Kenda. The drawing doesn't have an extended bulge at the back like yours and pcc's, and the wheel arch in the drawing seems to turn back into the tyre at the front and rear, whereas yours/pcc's follow the curve of the tyre. It's hard to see the back half of Mark T's van due to the dark, to see what it's true shape is. I'd like to see more photos of a genuine Wee-Kenda from old magazines to convince myself that the vans above are all that brand. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Roehm3108 on Feb 12, 2008 20:18:38 GMT 10
Hey Cobber
Had another look at the pic of your van vs the pic of a Luxury. If you look at the Luxury, they door swings on its hinge and there is still space for the rear window to open and then some. With your van, the door would actually hit the rear window. Most have to do with the layout, cost the front door of the Luxury is much more forward due to the front kitchen setup. Interestingly, I notice that on the Caravan Park Hunter Minor, the door is hinged towards the front of the van, not the rear, and if I'm not mistaken, so is your van. So maybe it's becoming more and more a Hunter. Will have another look at Phargen's van and see how it compares.
Ray
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Post by scootman on Feb 12, 2008 22:34:18 GMT 10
All these little vans are super cute and pracitcal methinks, which is why I built PH like this. Tell me is the "supalite weekenda" a KW design or a brand?
Cheers Scoot
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2008 22:47:05 GMT 10
OK ........here's a side shot of mine .......I'm thinking now that mine is a " Carapark Hunter Minor" .....the same as Phargans, however, it is fully lined inside, unlike his, and it is a different layout, being kitchen at the front, wardrobe opposite the door, and two single beds with a cupboard between them at the rear. Can the experts please confirm what mine is Mark  |
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 13, 2008 8:26:10 GMT 10
Mark, now that we can put a side-on photo of your van into the composite picture, I think we can safely assume it is not a Supalite Wee-Kenda...  The other "unusual" feature about your van is the apparent "kinks" in the curves around the body, as per this photo...  Certainly when you compare the flowing curved lines of the Wee-Kenda and cobber's/pcc's vans, yours kind of has some dog-legs in the body outline. I would think that in the manufacturing process of bending timber around a jig into a curve, that the curve would be smooth and flowing in shape. Is the curved framework in the rear of your van made out of one piece of timber, or is it laminated? Also, what are the lenth x width dimensions of your van? Does anybody have a link to phargen's van so I can see what it looks like? Scoot, Supalite is the manufacturer's name, and Wee-Kenda is one of the models they made. In 1960 they made the Supalite "Atom" 8ft, the "Viking" 9ft, and the "Wee-Kenda" 10ft. There is still sooooo much to learn.... cheers, Al. |
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Post by exocet on Feb 13, 2008 9:47:46 GMT 10
Hi Al, looking in the '56 KW there is a photo of the WEE-KENDA, including an interior shot, and i would pretty confidently say that PCC's and Cobber's van" are the cute little WEE-KENDA, Mark"s is definitely not, but it still could be a Supalite as in 1956 they had 9 different models, as well as a range of U-MAK-IT kits. The kitchen in the pic is on the side opposite the door. One model they made was the same size as the WEE-KENDA [10' x 6'] but a more square shape, it was called the CADET.
Cheers Exocet
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Post by cobber on Feb 13, 2008 17:02:37 GMT 10
One of the photos that made me think I had a wee-kenda is this one from Keith Winser's 1954 magazine.... a two page add that says “Supalite introduces the Wee-kenda. So the Wee-kenda was introduced in 1954, the ones we are discussing here are later models with some changes as it evolved, although the shape of the body remained the same.  The tiny wheels would have been the first to go then wheel arches would have been necessary. Notice the add says it could be bought for 205 quid unfurnished, so not much weight can be put in how they are decked out inside I feel pretty sure that link above looks like the ' van I had & the one pcc has. Don't know about Marks....looks like it could be a Caravan Park Ltd. “Hunter” Minor of 1951 according to this photo, especially the inside eh Mark ?.... the only proviso is, I don't think the “Hunter” had a window in the back  So maybe it's a “Gypsy 10” on page 27 of the 1948/49 C & T i A book ;D ;D ;D ;D........( SORRY no photo, having trouble with photobucket) Cobber. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 13, 2008 17:57:55 GMT 10
By gee, cobber, I can certainly see the resemblance between the vans now! If these were started in 1954, then mels54supalite would be one of the first of that model. It's hard to tell from her photo whether the wheels on her van are small diameter or not.
Can you post the Wee-Kenda advert over in the History section as well? I'll modify my composite photo over there and ditch Mark's van out of it (imposter!!), and substitute your van into it. The Wee-Kenda drawing in my composite photo was posted by Mark T back in 2006, but there was no date showing on the drawing. Maybe Mark can remember what year it was from, because maybe Supalite changed the shape slightly over the years (or maybe the drawing gives a false impression of the rear-end shape).
cheers,
Al.
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Post by firefighter on Feb 13, 2008 19:32:55 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 13, 2008 21:11:03 GMT 10
f/f, I think the window is casting an angled shadow on the side of the van. Dunno what that "dot" is between the door and the window.
Al.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2008 22:02:42 GMT 10
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Post by scootman on Feb 14, 2008 0:42:26 GMT 10
Ok! great add. Now tell me, the car towing the van at the top of the can. Morris or Renault?
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Post by firefighter on Feb 14, 2008 6:32:27 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 14, 2008 9:00:11 GMT 10
Mark, I've examined your van from every angle possible, and I've compared it with the Wee-Kendas and the Hunter Minors,...and I think I've worked out what it is... It's a FAKE!! It's one of those imported reproduction vans that were flogged at Trash and Treasure markets in the mid 1950s!! Ha Ha...you've got a poorly copied version of a Hunter Minor or a Wee-Kenda!! What you got aint ORIGINAL and...oh ohhh, did I just hear cobber turn his computer on??!! Gotta go, Mark...a warning siren just sounded! ;D ;D Here's some comparisons of your van with phargan's Hunter Minor van...  I'm outta here!... Al. |
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Post by cobber on Feb 15, 2008 18:05:49 GMT 10
Computer died a natural death this morning Al, it must have known what was in store. I've spent best part of today getting it up ............. the computer Here's a close up to satisfy scoot and confirm f/f is right.  I think Al is right f/f.... the window is open and casting a shadow, and the black mark probably was a power socket 'cause from memory I think on the one I had the socket was relocated under the 'van somewhere, in either case not the best spot to put it. Again from memory, it only had one light bulb inside, no other demands were placed on the electricity supply. Marks 'van a fake Hunter Minor or Wee-Kenda don't know about that Al  but at least it's a genuine 1950 vintage something or other, might finish up in the “home made thread eh? Cobber. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 15, 2008 21:12:04 GMT 10
There is such an uncanny resemblance between the Wee-Kenda and the Hunter Minor (although there's a different appearance around the wheel arch area)...  Given that Supalite were located at 6 Coleridge St, Leichhardt, which is about one mile away from the Carapark address (in 1950) at 625 Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt, I wonder whether Supalite shamelessly copied the Hunter Minor shape, or did Supalite buy the Hunter Minor jigs and patterns from Carapark in 1954 and rebadge it as the Wee-Kenda? Does anybody have the Keith Winser annuals from 1954 or 1956 to tell me if the Hunter Minor continued past 1954? I'm intrigued... Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2008 23:31:30 GMT 10
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Post by atouchofglass on Feb 29, 2008 6:30:55 GMT 10
Cobber how about ....... Icebox?? only because of the current colour. ;D ;D Just make sure there's an oversized air con to make the name true.... Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Feb 29, 2008 6:33:16 GMT 10
my mistake that was markt's van I was lookin at oops
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