Post by gunner on Oct 10, 2015 17:50:50 GMT 10
This is the first time I've done anything like this so bear with me.
As a young boy growing up in England we’d go camping every school holidays. While every other boy in my class was jet setting of the foreign lands I was heading down the coast to pitch a tent and share a bathroom with 20 other people. It was on these trips I fell in love with caravans.
Fast forward 15 years and I’m now in Australia, married and have started my own family. My wife Georgia was born on the Gold Coast, like her father before her. She had a similar up bringing having only been on one overseas trip before we met, every other holiday was to Pottsvile, Brunswick heads and sometimes down to Mildura so it wasn’t hard to convince her that we NEEDED a caravan.
I’ve always loved the look of the classic 1960’s vans and had my heart set on a Viscount Grandtourer or Ambassador. We wanted something we could make our own and customise for our family. After looking for around a year I found her.
Owned by a local Church who had purchased her for reversing competitions at their weekly men’s shed she was a little rough but exactly what we wanted. Single axel, late 60’s with an Aluminum frame. I won’t say how much we paid but as soon as we got her home a neighbour offered us three times what we paid for her. “Not on your life” I said.
After a bit of research mostly this post (http://vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/10165/ambassador-viscount-chassis-numbers) I’ve worked out my Viscount Ambassador Alumvan was built in late 1968 or early 1969. She’s just under 15 feet and used to home 2 single beds and four seater booth at the other end.
We went straight down the the dept of transport and got a one day unregistered permit for $30 to tow her home. My father in law had his Triton with him so we hooked it up to that and I followed behind just in case. He said she was nice and easy to tow and most of the lights worked.
She’s now home and work can start. I’ve set myself a target of 6 months to get her useable and 12 months to finish completely, although do you ever really finish. Being 23 I don’t have a load of experience in this kind of thing but I’m handy with a tool and I’ve got years of blogs to read. My father in law has also offered to help in exchange for free rental of the caravan for their yearly trips.
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As a young boy growing up in England we’d go camping every school holidays. While every other boy in my class was jet setting of the foreign lands I was heading down the coast to pitch a tent and share a bathroom with 20 other people. It was on these trips I fell in love with caravans.
Fast forward 15 years and I’m now in Australia, married and have started my own family. My wife Georgia was born on the Gold Coast, like her father before her. She had a similar up bringing having only been on one overseas trip before we met, every other holiday was to Pottsvile, Brunswick heads and sometimes down to Mildura so it wasn’t hard to convince her that we NEEDED a caravan.
I’ve always loved the look of the classic 1960’s vans and had my heart set on a Viscount Grandtourer or Ambassador. We wanted something we could make our own and customise for our family. After looking for around a year I found her.
Owned by a local Church who had purchased her for reversing competitions at their weekly men’s shed she was a little rough but exactly what we wanted. Single axel, late 60’s with an Aluminum frame. I won’t say how much we paid but as soon as we got her home a neighbour offered us three times what we paid for her. “Not on your life” I said.
After a bit of research mostly this post (http://vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/10165/ambassador-viscount-chassis-numbers) I’ve worked out my Viscount Ambassador Alumvan was built in late 1968 or early 1969. She’s just under 15 feet and used to home 2 single beds and four seater booth at the other end.
We went straight down the the dept of transport and got a one day unregistered permit for $30 to tow her home. My father in law had his Triton with him so we hooked it up to that and I followed behind just in case. He said she was nice and easy to tow and most of the lights worked.
She’s now home and work can start. I’ve set myself a target of 6 months to get her useable and 12 months to finish completely, although do you ever really finish. Being 23 I don’t have a load of experience in this kind of thing but I’m handy with a tool and I’ve got years of blogs to read. My father in law has also offered to help in exchange for free rental of the caravan for their yearly trips.
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ht
tp://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk132/71CobraJet/Vincent%20the%20Viscount/IMG_1427.jpg
