Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 10, 2016 19:31:40 GMT 10
Evening all,
I recently received an email regarding an unusual caravan belonging to new forum member Polly, although Polly is actually the name of the caravan, not her owner - hence the question 'Who built Polly?'.
The email came from Jen who wrote:
"My brother, Brad who lives in Nabiac has purchased an old aluminium clad caravan which has a Jones Dolly Wheel on it.
"The story as I understand it, is that the caravan was originally purchased by a Mrs Rumbel (?) who lived on a farm somewhere out beyond Dungog. She bought it for her son to live in, which he did for many years until he passed away, when it was then stored, untouched, in a shed on the farm.
"I have attached some photos in the hope that you may be able to identify it or perhaps know someone who can? Also he needs to get work done on some of the components of the dolly wheel, and the van itself, and any advice or assistance you can render will be very greatly appreciated."
Photo showing the offside front corner. The piece of timber strengthening the corner is covered with the same laminex as the splashback in the galley and the shelf at the rear of the van:
Overhead cupboard containing the electrical fuses and an exhaust fan (see reference below). Note also the gas light fitting below the cupboards:
Nearside rear below the windows:
In responding to the email, I asked Jen about the nameplate above the rear window and whether or not there were any identifying numbers on the van. She replied:
"The plate says 'Belmont Caravans' and has the phone number followed by 'York' and 'Millard'...standard dealer ID?
"[Brad] cannot find a serial number anywhere on/in/under the van but yesterday found a handwritten 'H137' on an unpainted timber panel inside a cupboard near the power inlet. There is also the words 'Pacific S?' on the other side of the same outlet. Brad thinks the word could be 'Safari' but I can't make it out from the photo and I have attached copies for you. However all this could be red herring stuff.
"The dolly wheel plate has the Kingsgrove address."
I was really interested to see the photos, because of some of the caravan's unusual design features, in particular the large bulkheads above the front and back windows, and also the large bodywork bulges below the windows - all much larger than I can remember seeing on a van before. As a result, the front and rear windows are very deeply recessed into the body.
Based on the general design and cladding, etc, as well as the coloured panels on the side, my thinking is that the van would have a build date in the first half of the 60's. In addition the facts that it has a Jones Dolly Wheel and was bought by somebody near Dungog, suggests that it was very probably built in Sydney, or at least NSW. That might sound a bit obvious, but at least it helps to narrow down the number of possible manufacturers. And perhaps the number 'H137' - if it is a serial number - may indicate the van was built by a manufacturer beginning with 'H'. However, the only manufacturers in NSW we have listed with a name beginning with 'H' at this point are Hunter (which were apparently built by Fleetwind, and had a serial number beginning with 'F'), and Harvel (who apparently only built 6 caravans).
Incidentally, the number and the writing 'Pacific S.....' are in the cupboard containing the exhaust fan referred to above and may or may not refer to the caravan itself.
I am assuming that the 'Belmont Caravans' nameplate refers to a caravan dealer in the Newcastle suburb of Belmont, which would fit with the fact that the van was owned by someone from Dungog, located around 90 kms north of Belmont and Newcastle. However, the nameplate also refers to Millard and York. York caravans were only introduced by Millard in mid-1969, so that indicates that Polly has gone through Belmont Caravans hands sometime after mid-1969, and later than the apparent build date of the van. So presumably this means that Polly was sold second hand at that point.
I can't remember seeing a van like Polly before on the forum, but perhaps someone else can?
Can anyone help identify Polly? And Boblor can you perhaps show the photos to Ray and Merle Bartlett on the off chance that they remember the van and can tell us who might have built it? You never know - it's only 50 or so years ago...
Don Ricardo
I recently received an email regarding an unusual caravan belonging to new forum member Polly, although Polly is actually the name of the caravan, not her owner - hence the question 'Who built Polly?'.
The email came from Jen who wrote:
"My brother, Brad who lives in Nabiac has purchased an old aluminium clad caravan which has a Jones Dolly Wheel on it.
"The story as I understand it, is that the caravan was originally purchased by a Mrs Rumbel (?) who lived on a farm somewhere out beyond Dungog. She bought it for her son to live in, which he did for many years until he passed away, when it was then stored, untouched, in a shed on the farm.
"I have attached some photos in the hope that you may be able to identify it or perhaps know someone who can? Also he needs to get work done on some of the components of the dolly wheel, and the van itself, and any advice or assistance you can render will be very greatly appreciated."
Photo showing the offside front corner. The piece of timber strengthening the corner is covered with the same laminex as the splashback in the galley and the shelf at the rear of the van:
Overhead cupboard containing the electrical fuses and an exhaust fan (see reference below). Note also the gas light fitting below the cupboards:
Nearside rear below the windows:
In responding to the email, I asked Jen about the nameplate above the rear window and whether or not there were any identifying numbers on the van. She replied:
"The plate says 'Belmont Caravans' and has the phone number followed by 'York' and 'Millard'...standard dealer ID?
"[Brad] cannot find a serial number anywhere on/in/under the van but yesterday found a handwritten 'H137' on an unpainted timber panel inside a cupboard near the power inlet. There is also the words 'Pacific S?' on the other side of the same outlet. Brad thinks the word could be 'Safari' but I can't make it out from the photo and I have attached copies for you. However all this could be red herring stuff.
"The dolly wheel plate has the Kingsgrove address."
I was really interested to see the photos, because of some of the caravan's unusual design features, in particular the large bulkheads above the front and back windows, and also the large bodywork bulges below the windows - all much larger than I can remember seeing on a van before. As a result, the front and rear windows are very deeply recessed into the body.
Based on the general design and cladding, etc, as well as the coloured panels on the side, my thinking is that the van would have a build date in the first half of the 60's. In addition the facts that it has a Jones Dolly Wheel and was bought by somebody near Dungog, suggests that it was very probably built in Sydney, or at least NSW. That might sound a bit obvious, but at least it helps to narrow down the number of possible manufacturers. And perhaps the number 'H137' - if it is a serial number - may indicate the van was built by a manufacturer beginning with 'H'. However, the only manufacturers in NSW we have listed with a name beginning with 'H' at this point are Hunter (which were apparently built by Fleetwind, and had a serial number beginning with 'F'), and Harvel (who apparently only built 6 caravans).
Incidentally, the number and the writing 'Pacific S.....' are in the cupboard containing the exhaust fan referred to above and may or may not refer to the caravan itself.
I am assuming that the 'Belmont Caravans' nameplate refers to a caravan dealer in the Newcastle suburb of Belmont, which would fit with the fact that the van was owned by someone from Dungog, located around 90 kms north of Belmont and Newcastle. However, the nameplate also refers to Millard and York. York caravans were only introduced by Millard in mid-1969, so that indicates that Polly has gone through Belmont Caravans hands sometime after mid-1969, and later than the apparent build date of the van. So presumably this means that Polly was sold second hand at that point.
I can't remember seeing a van like Polly before on the forum, but perhaps someone else can?
Can anyone help identify Polly? And Boblor can you perhaps show the photos to Ray and Merle Bartlett on the off chance that they remember the van and can tell us who might have built it? You never know - it's only 50 or so years ago...
Don Ricardo
