elvie
New Member
Posts: 35 
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Post by elvie on May 16, 2017 18:27:46 GMT 10
What is known about caravan kits available during the mid 1950s to 1960s period? Does "homebuilt" include kits, plans and original designs. Are there any plans still around for these kits.  |
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Post by Roehm3108 on May 16, 2017 20:24:32 GMT 10
A good question and one that hasn't really been explored extensively. I do know that some manufacturers used to sell the shell of the caravan and you did the fitouts yourself. Not really sure about brands etc. As well, magazines like Popular Mechanics used to have plans in them, from which you could build your own caravan.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2017 21:04:50 GMT 10
I know a few Caravan manufacturers sold empty shells for you to build the interior of your choice,up to and including late 60s silver aluminium models.
After that they seemed a little reticent due to a "dodgy" interior fitted to a brand name exterior!
Cheers
hughdeani
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Post by Franklin1 on May 16, 2017 21:54:57 GMT 10
G'day elvie, back in 2007 when we first started developing our "Down History Lane" section of the forum, I spent a couple of months trawling through Sydney newspaper archives for all information relating to caravans. One of the pieces of information I collected was this:
The archives tell me that there were 3425 caravans registered Australia-wide in 1958, of which 2870 were complete, and 555 were shells and pre-cut kits.
How that number of shells/pre-cut kits varied before and after 1958, I do not know, but it gives you an indication of how many suppliers there must have been during that time period.
cheers,
Al.
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elvie
New Member
Posts: 35
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Post by elvie on May 17, 2017 3:56:24 GMT 10
G'day elvie, back in 2007 when we first started developing our "Down History Lane" section of the forum, I spent a couple of months trawling through Sydney newspaper archives for all information relating to caravans. One of the pieces of information I collected was this: The archives tell me that there were 3425 caravans registered Australia-wide in 1958, of which 2870 were complete, and 555 were shells and pre-cut kits.
How that number of shells/pre-cut kits varied before and after 1958, I do not know, but it gives you an indication of how many suppliers there must have been during that time period. cheers, Al. That is fascinating. I'd love to see what the plans looked like at the time or how kits were delivered. Was it a stack of bondwood, hardware and windows. Did the shells have plans for possible fit outs? Is there pictures of the advertisements for them on the forum somewhere? The term "pre cut kit" sounds a bit magical to get delivered. Imagine if they existed now! My 1955 was built and cut by hand as you can see the pencil lines and measurement marks in pencil on the wood. Its only that I know the Lovedays made it themselves and the tools that made it were still in the shed with it when we found it on blocks. It stayed in Gerry Loveday (Morrie Lovedays cousin) possession until he died in December last year. The plans and early photos may still be with his papers. I'm catching up with his daughter soon and I'm hoping we can find them. Gerry and Morrie are my daughters great great uncles so it will stay in the family. |
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 17, 2017 16:07:22 GMT 10
Hi Elvie,
Quite a few caravan manufacturers provided kits for the home builder. In Victoria, Highway (the Victorian firm, not the ones from SA or WA), Phoenix and Flynn were big in the caravan kit business. If you look up these manufacturers in the Down History Lane index, you'll see some info about their activities in this area.
Most of them seemed to provide a range of options for the home builder - from a bare chassis, to a tow away standing frame, to a rolling shell, to complete caravans.
Don Ricardo
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Post by Mustang on May 17, 2017 18:51:47 GMT 10
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