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Post by mysunfinder on Jun 12, 2017 21:35:18 GMT 10
Attachment DeletedHello, I am hoping someone can help me identify my caravan, please? I think it could be a Coronet but the rear end has the same rolled top as the back, and I haven't seen any other like it. It is 18 ft in length. The only marking it has is "Sunfinder" on the upper left corner. The sides are bondwood and the back, roof and front have the small diamond patterned aluminium. Interior is in pretty good shape just, sadly, jazzed up at some stage in the '80s with mission brown paint and floral wallpaper in the bedroom area. Thanks Chelley
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2017 22:17:55 GMT 10
Hi Chelsea,
Your van isn't a Coronet,but I recognise the shape,just can't remember the name!
Does it have an initial before the chassis number? That might jog my memory!
Cheers
hughdeani
Could be a Mack van without the wrap aroundwindows,what do you think Don Ricardo.
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Post by mysunfinder on Jun 14, 2017 6:29:42 GMT 10
Hello Hughdeani,
Thank you for your reply - I cannot find a chassis number anywhere and I have spent many hours trying, though that's not to say it isn't hiding. There is a bit of rust that needs a wire brush so hopefully I will find it. The caravan was an EBay purchase and seller has no history. Since then the exterior has been sanded back to bare wood and given three coats of undercoat.
Please note the floral wallpaper has been removed!
Thanks and regards
chelley
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jun 18, 2017 22:39:25 GMT 10
Could be a Mack van without the wrap aroundwindows,what do you think Don Ricardo. Hi Mysunfinder and Hughdeani, I agree with you Hughdeani that the van does seem to have a number of similarities with the Mack's caravan belonging to Raymar. Mind you while we now know a little bit about Mack's Caravans, at this stage we still haven't quite figured out who built Raymar's van! Mysunfinder, given that your van isn't a Coronet, I've moved the posts about your van from the Coronet thread in the 'Down History Lane' section to this new thread in the 'General' section. Hope that's OK? Don Ricardo |
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Post by mysunfinder on Jun 18, 2017 23:02:21 GMT 10
Thank you, Don Ricardo
If it was possible to put several vans into a blender and come up with one it may have produced a Mack. It has the Coronet pressed Masonite roof and seat fronts, I think Raymars was smooth. The double bed slides out like the Wayfarer in a thread I saw on this forum but I am happy to say it has the same lovely red anodised reading lamp.
Please move my posts to wherever you feel they should go - I'm sure I will be posting questionnaires as I set to work😎
Thanks again
Mysunfinder
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Post by mysunfinder on Jun 25, 2017 13:27:51 GMT 10
Hello all,
At the risk of sounding very naive/silly can someone explain to me the undercoat canvas undercoat method, please? I was reading King Fisher's fantastic bondwood renovation and I wondered why only the roof gets this treatment. Is there a reason why the sides aren't treated the same?
regards
Sunfinder
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Post by Koala on Jun 25, 2017 14:50:48 GMT 10
There is no reason why you could not cover the sides as well as the roof. Usually the roof is done because it is more exposed to the elements.
The last van which I restored `Grandads Van' was covered in calico all over and it came up looking great.
If you are looking for a smooth paint finish then you need to do a couple of coats otherwise you get a visible textured finish from the fabric.
Koala
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jun 25, 2017 15:22:33 GMT 10
Hi Mysunfinder,
Some of the caravans in the early years - the 1920's and 30's - were covered in calico/canvas all over and then painted, however that 'all over' approach had largely disappeared by the 40's and 50's, except for a few homebuilt examples, of which Koala's 'Grandads' van is one.
After World War II, some manufacturers, particularly in South Australia but also a few in NSW, continued to use painted calico/canvas as a covering for the rooves of their vans. I think this was partly because the calico/canvas covering was easy to use with the double cambered (curved both side to side and front to back) rooves that were favoured by the manufacturers concerned. Those manufacturers continued this approach into the late 50's, after which most manufacturers began to use aluminium sheets for the roofs (and increasingly the sides). One of the last to use the canvas roof approach was Roadmaster in South Australia, but in the 60's they changed over to using fibreglass for the roof (again because it could be more easily used for double cambered rooves).
Is your van covered with painted calico/canvas on the roof? Given that it is a 60's (or perhaps even later) van it would be very unusual if it was.
Don Ricardo
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Post by mysunfinder on Jun 25, 2017 17:06:41 GMT 10
Hello Don Ricardo, and Koala Thank you both for responding. No, my van is aluminium roof , front and back. Sides are bondwood. I am just reading up on every restoration as I would like to do the best I possibly can. I am not from a caravan family, though in my teens (1970s) I had a wonderful friend whose family used to take me with them on their annual summer holidays. I have such great memories. I digress - I sanded my now identified Mack back to bare wood and has been given 3 undercoats. It looks much better than the first post  Thanks again Sun Finder |
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