Calling all homemade van owners

[chrisjashton]

Hi everyone, 

We're looking to do a feature on homemade caravans in an upcoming issue of Time to Roam Australia. If anyone has a homemade van, fully restored or not, we'd love to hear from you. 

My email is [e-mail] 

Thanks!

Chris 

[brenten]

pm sent ..brenten

[annienpete]

Dear Chris, my Grandfather made a van in early 1930s from plans he found in an American woodworking magazine. It was the first registered van in SA and now resides at National Motor Museum Birdwood SA. Would be happy to talk about it with you. Annie

[Don Ricardo]

Jan 3, 2016 19:20:31 GMT 10 annienpete said:

Dear Chris, my Grandfather made a van in early 1930s from plans he found in an American woodworking magazine. It was the first registered van in SA and now resides at National Motor Museum Birdwood SA. Would be happy to talk about it with you. Annie

Hi Annienpete,

Is this your grandfather's van? (Apologies for the stray personage in the photos...just some random guy who was admiring the van back in 2012 - just wouldn't get out of the way... )







What more can you tell us about your grandfather and the history of the van? I'm sure lots of us on the forum would like to hear about them - or perhaps we need to wait to read the story in Time to Roam, eh, Chris? In any case it's great to hear from somebody with a connection to iconic vans like this one.

Don Ricardo

[cobber]

G'day Annie,

I don't know if you have noticed the thread on my 1936 van HERE and the similarities between my van and your grandfathers van. The fact that they were both built in 1936 has intrigued me, so I'll talk to you via a PM as no doubt Chris will 

Cobber.

[greedy53]

Hellow I built a teardrop using all used parts where i could, i had a old pic of it in it's hay day sadly that to has gone, but the little van is still about i sold it to a great bloke who really enjoys it.
i have all the build pics as it was going together, the frame is org just stiffened up sides are from a old skating rink the roof was new ply, all the fittings were found on the side of the road that included draws from a old bedroom chest
well thats about all i can tell you









there are more pics if it something you want to use
steve

[annienpete]

Jan 3, 2016 22:04:13 GMT 10 Don Ricardo said:

Jan 3, 2016 19:20:31 GMT 10 annienpete said:

Dear Chris, my Grandfather made a van in early 1930s from plans he found in an American woodworking magazine. It was the first registered van in SA and now resides at National Motor Museum Birdwood SA. Would be happy to talk about it with you. Annie

Hi Annienpete,

Is this your grandfather's van? (Apologies for the stray personage in the photos...just some random guy who was admiring the van back in 2012 - just wouldn't get out of the way... )







What more can you tell us about your grandfather and the history of the van? I'm sure lots of us on the forum would like to hear about them - or perhaps we need to wait to read the story in Time to Roam, eh, Chris? In any case it's great to hear from somebody with a connection to iconic vans like this one.

Don Ricardo

[annienpete]

Dear Don, that is the one!! I was in it on the bottom bunk, in the summer of 1983/1984 - the last time we took it to Pt Elliot. I do have a lot of history on the vans travels, and will need to search up through papers to see what I have of a more structural nature. But my dear Dad (who is still with us) returned the van to its original pre-electricity state, in order to meet the rigorous assessment applied by Birdwood Mill National Motor Museum. Will get stuck into caravan things once fully recovered on the almighty effort of getting our little Harris van on the road. So wished I could have had a conversation with Grandpa about how he felt as he drew toward conclusion of his project.... am sure he is smiling away somewhere up there in caravan land.... Annie

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Annienpete,

Really interesting to hear a bit more about your grandfather's van, and impressive to hear about your father restoring it to its original 'pre-electric' state. It's so good to see that a van with this one's heritage is being well preserved (and admired by the visitors to Birdwood).

It'll be great to hear more about the van when you have time, but hopefully Time to Roam will pick up on your offer of information too.

Don Ricardo