Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 12, 2017 13:05:00 GMT 10
TUSON DUAL
Manufactured by Tuson Dual Purpose Caravans Pty Ltd
177 William Street, Sydney NSW
A brief item in the Sydney Sun on Monday, 17 October 1949 (page 19) announced the formation of the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravans company in Sydney:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229224239 )
The item stated that the company would manufacture a folding four-berth caravan, which would incorporate a 'box trailer for every-day use'. The directors included Mr E T Tuson, who one must suppose was the originator of the 'dual purpose concept' since the company was named after him.
An advert published in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) on Saturday, 19 November 1949 (page 2) tells us that the four-berth caravan 'folds quickly to handy size for towing or storage', and was easily convertible into a box trailer:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27576873 )
And the very next day, Sunday, 20 November 1949, an article in the Sydney Truth (page 44) explained more about the 'ingeniously designed outfit', its dimensions and how it operated. It is clear from the description that the Tuson Dual-Purpose was more camping trailer than caravan:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article168965728 )
The company continued to advertise its outfit over the following months, with this advert placed in the SMH on Wednesday, 23 November 1949 (page 23)...
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18126908 )
...and this one published in the SMH on Friday, 2 December 1949 (page 12), which offered the opportunity to see the 'caravan' set up in a park in King's Cross:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18145355 )
No more adverts appear in the Sydney papers, but a series of adverts like this one ran in the Gilgandra Weekly from February to early April 1950 advising that the Gilgandra Motor Garage Co was an agent for the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravan:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112845784 )
This advert was published on Thursday, 6 April 1950 (page 4), and was the last mention in the press of the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravan, suggesting that the device was not a huge success.
Forum member Griffin has posted a photo of the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravan here, with the comment that it was a 'pretty ordinary bit of gear'. And that probably tells us why the 'ingeniously designed outfit' didn't become a household name!
Don Ricardo
Manufactured by Tuson Dual Purpose Caravans Pty Ltd
177 William Street, Sydney NSW
A brief item in the Sydney Sun on Monday, 17 October 1949 (page 19) announced the formation of the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravans company in Sydney:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229224239 )
The item stated that the company would manufacture a folding four-berth caravan, which would incorporate a 'box trailer for every-day use'. The directors included Mr E T Tuson, who one must suppose was the originator of the 'dual purpose concept' since the company was named after him.
An advert published in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) on Saturday, 19 November 1949 (page 2) tells us that the four-berth caravan 'folds quickly to handy size for towing or storage', and was easily convertible into a box trailer:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27576873 )
And the very next day, Sunday, 20 November 1949, an article in the Sydney Truth (page 44) explained more about the 'ingeniously designed outfit', its dimensions and how it operated. It is clear from the description that the Tuson Dual-Purpose was more camping trailer than caravan:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article168965728 )
The company continued to advertise its outfit over the following months, with this advert placed in the SMH on Wednesday, 23 November 1949 (page 23)...
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18126908 )
...and this one published in the SMH on Friday, 2 December 1949 (page 12), which offered the opportunity to see the 'caravan' set up in a park in King's Cross:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18145355 )
No more adverts appear in the Sydney papers, but a series of adverts like this one ran in the Gilgandra Weekly from February to early April 1950 advising that the Gilgandra Motor Garage Co was an agent for the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravan:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112845784 )
This advert was published on Thursday, 6 April 1950 (page 4), and was the last mention in the press of the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravan, suggesting that the device was not a huge success.
Forum member Griffin has posted a photo of the Tuson Dual Purpose Caravan here, with the comment that it was a 'pretty ordinary bit of gear'. And that probably tells us why the 'ingeniously designed outfit' didn't become a household name!
Don Ricardo