Is this van true to label. Late 60's Prattline?

[pratt]

Greetings all,
I've just bought the van pictured here is 11 foot 4 inches long and has hand painted signage proclaiming Prattline Made in Elizabeth South Australia...





Can anyone help with age and confirm it was made by Prattline

Cheers Harold

[Deleted]

Hi Harold,
It looks to me like a Prattline!
Dick Pratt made Caravans and pop tops as well as the low tow,so you have a piece of caravanning history there.
Would love to see some interior pics please.
Cheers
hughdeani

[pratt]

Thanks For that Hugh,
Here are some internals. Please excuse the dust we haven't had time to do a thing yet.




Do you have any idea on the vintage.??

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Pratt and Hughdeani,

Fascinating to see a Prattline that isn't the Lowtow collapsible variety. That's the only kind I've seen up until now, so this one is really interesting. Nice pick up Pratt!

Hughdeani, do you know when Dick Pratt started building vans? Did they build vans in the 60's or only start up in the years following that? The profile of the cladding on Pratt's van looks 70's to me, but could it be earlier?

Don Ricardo

[Deleted]

Hi Don,
I believe Prattline started in the late sixties,but whether he built vans or bought them in and put his own brand on them I don't know.
He did build the Low Tows and then for a while the "Fremont" pop tops side by side for a few years,before he closed up shop sometime in the eighties ( I think)!
Cheers
hughdeani

[pratt]

Hello there Hughdeanie and Don,
While I was trying to find some info on this van I ended up wondering whether he had bought the vans in and rebadged them.
It had a Baravan look to it.
I could not find mention of one like it anywhere.

Cheers Harold

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Pratt and Hughdeani,

That's really interesting to know that Prattline started as early as the 60's. You learn something new every day, eh? I better write something up for the Down History Lane section.  I hope you don't mind if I copy your photos for that Pratt?

I can see what you're saying about your van being similar to some Baravans, Pratt. The side profile is quite similar, but the shape of the front of your van is different to Baravans, and I haven't ever seen a Baravan with that profile aluminium cladding. The other thing is that the shape of the wheel arches of your van are different to those of Baravans. That may sound fairly minor, but we've found over time that different manufacturers often chose a wheel arch shape and stuck to it for a number of years, often a decade or more. The wheel arch on your van is similar to one or two other South Australian brands, so my guess is that the van was most probably built in South Australia.

Don Ricardo

[pratt]

Great info Don,
I think my Baravan thought came from the high front low back look its quite distinctive,

Note to self/
You know bugger all about old vans.

Well thats true but i thought they looked similar, but you are right of course the makers would all have their "looks' that they preserve in the brand.

Its going to be great fun sourcing bits and rebuilding it back to as was.

Thanks for your input. Whats your guess for age?

Cheers harold

[pratt]

P.S. Don and Hughdeani,
Please feel free to re use anything I publish re this van.
I am most interested to know what come out of the knowledge base of the group.
Some one will be able to tell us the story.

Cheers
Harold

[Deleted]

Hi all,
I found some info on Prattline Caravans.
Dick Pratt started in the 60s with hire vans bought from other manufacturers,then built his own bond wood vans with aluminium roofs.
In the early 70s he changed to aluminium vans and started the Low Tow model then Fremont pop tops until they closed.
So Pratt ,I would say your van is about 1970 or 71.
Hope this helps
Cheers
hughdeani

[pratt]

Hughdeani,

Hows that for service. Ha Thanks for that.
It looks like there is some history out there for me to track down. Dick sounds like a very interesting character and visionary.

We're away this weekend but during next week I'll get the van into the shed for a clean up and find out what's what.


I'll post pics as we go along.

Cheers
Harold

[Don Ricardo]

Mar 2, 2017 17:27:50 GMT 10 pratt said:

Great info Don,
I think my Baravan thought came from the high front low back look its quite distinctive,

Note to self/
You know bugger all about old vans.

Well thats true but i thought they looked similar, but you are right of course the makers would all have their "looks' that they preserve in the brand...

Hi Pratt,

Apologies if I sounded rude or dismissive in my earlier post. That wasn't my intention at all, and I saw immediately where you were coming from in terms of the high front/low back look. I was just meaning to indicate some of the features that are different to Baravan.

Great to see that Hughdeani was able to come up with some more info about Prattline caravans, and a date. For what it's worth, I agree with his suggested build date, based on the profile (ie the ridging) or the aluminium cladding.

It has been great to see the photos of your van and to learn that Prattline commenced in the 1960's. I'm sure lots of us will enjoy seeing your posts as you work on the van. I'll start a thread on Prattline in the Down History Lane section shortly.

Don Ricardo

[pratt]

.

Ha ha Don,

Absolutely no offence taken, that's just my sense of humour. You'll get used to it...
The problem with Email etc is that there is no tone, inflection or body language with the words.
That was just me taking the piss out of myself.
Feel free to join in any time.

Now for a serious question.
what is the chance of getting a cladding profile like the one on the van or similar.
The closest I have found so far is the CP48 on the Big Red site.
It would appear I have little chance of finding a donor van to pinch some from and so will have to find an alternative.

Yes the info about the date etc was a great start to a history of the van and its maker.


Cheers Harold

[pratt]

Oh well that was interesting.
I just went and did some research re cladding.
And discovered its... complicated.

Mmm well I'll sort it out. might start on the inside first and work out how much timber work needs to be done.
there is a loose door frame and water damage between the door and the front corner and near the back window and offside corner.
There is no insulation between the inside panel and the aluminium they appear to be back to back.
Those look like a good place to start.

Cheers Harold

[pratt]

Don and Hughdeani,
I think I have found another Prattline in Mildura.
The door is the same as is the wheel arch. But the roof line is very different.
We're off to the Nuriootpa van show next weekend. hope to pick up some bits there.

Cheers harold

[Deleted]

Hi Pratt,
Yes I saw that one too.
It's a Fiesta made in Mildura,that model is late 60s or 1970 I would say,not 1963 as advertised,
Cheers
hughdeani

[pratt]

Hughdeenie,
Ha ha I jumped too soon the wheel arch is different.
Cheers
Harold.

[susieq]

Dicks wife Olive is still around. I know her, so if possible I'll show her this thread and see what she says. She used to help build them, and make all the cushions etc.