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Post by Don Ricardo on Jul 26, 2014 23:06:00 GMT 10
Hi Pruzie, I'm not 100% sure from your post which of the Country Club vans you've acquired, but your comment about the windows and being original makes me think that it is the van shown in this post. Is that right? In any case we look forward to hearing more about the van, and seeing some more pics. There are instructions on how to post photos in the 'Forum Guidelines and Helpful Hints' section of the forum. The best way is to post photos via Photobucket, but there are other alternatives as you'll see. One other option is simply to use the 'Attachment' button in the Create Post window, like Chev51 did, but the results aren't quite as good (ie the photos are smaller). I note your comment that you may use the van as a spare room. However, you should realise that the van is made of bondwood (if it's the one I think it is) and bondwood vans don't last very well if they are left out in the open for long periods. If you intend to have the van under a roof - garage/enclosed carport - you'll get on alright, but otherwise the van won't last long. Just a bit of advice from a bondwood owner. Anyway, do tell us about your van. It is quite a rare model (again if it's the van I think it is). Don Ricardo
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Post by pruzie on Aug 11, 2014 3:56:01 GMT 10
Hi Don .. Thankyou for your reply ... Yes l am sure it's the same van ... I purchased it on ebay .. It was posted in this forum and the pics of the interior were exactly as the van ... Unfortunately it is in my driveway and l am getting a cover for it to protect it .. Also l will have to consider selling it as things have not turned out the way l had hoped .. I am going to have to put it back on Ebay ... It has a bath in the R/H bench and original sink pump etc ... Can you offer me any advice on selling it or advertising .. I would like the amount I paid for it but understand if I sell it at a loss .. Thankyou again .. Cheers Pru
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 14, 2014 15:38:55 GMT 10
Hi all, One of the cool things about the forum now being 10 years old (Yay!!) is that we are beginning to accumulate photos and information about how various manufacturers developed their different models over time. In some cases, there were fairly dramatic changes in styling, etc, from year to year. In other cases relatively small incremental changes occurred over time, one by one. One example of the latter seems to be Country Club's 10 ft 6 in model. The first and earliest example of this model that we have photos for is a Country Club 'Minor' which belongs to a young couple who attended the 2012 Cowra Nationals. Cowra was the beginning of a trip up north that was going to last a couple of months. Lucky them! The van was beautifully refurbished and presented: Note that the van has ply (possibly Litehart balsa and ply) walls, with an aluminium roof. It also has wooden framed windows and no hatch in the door (although the door may have been replaced as part of the refurbishment). The rear windows are a similar shape. size and layout to the front windows, but non-opening. A later example of a Country Club Minor is shown in this extract from the 1959 Winser which was posted higher up this thread by Cobber: The design of this Minor is very similar to the van seen at Cowra, however it has aluminium framed 'Alfab' windows. The next example of the Country Club 10 ft 6 in model is this van, more photos of which are posted higher up this thread: This caravan is one of the Country Club vans built with the fibreglass front and rear, fibreglass coated ply sides, and aluminium roof, which - based on the adverts we have - were introduced on larger Country Club models at least as early as 1958. Note that it does not have the porthole window forward of the door, but that it does have a hatch in the door and two large size windows at the rear, rather than the three window panes. Based on the following Country Club leaflet, this van appears to be the 10 ft 6 in version of the 'Standard' model: Next in the line-up is another 10 ft 6 in van with the same basic design as the previous one, but with a few differences, which was advertised on Ebay in October 2011: Regrettably this van has been largely gutted inside, but there are some indications of its original layout: Note that on this van, unlike the previous one, the waist-high moulding on the front continues around on to the sides, finishing just before the door, and it has a porthole window adjacent to the door. However there does not appear to be a hatch in the door. Also note that the rear window is a single, full width pane, and that below the window a 'V' shaped highlight has been added around the number plate light. This van appears to be similar to Scot's 10 ft 6 in Country Club, seen here at the 2014 Nationals in Broken Hill, but again with some differences: Scot's van has the porthole window and a hatch in the door, but note that in this case the waist moulding on the front continues on the sides almost all the way to the side windows, in a similar fashion to the 12 ft 6 in Country Club seen by JBJ and posted higher up this thread. I don't remember what the back of Scot's van looks like, and in particular the rear window layout, but maybe they can let us know. Some of the differences between these last three vans may reflect optional extras, eg the porthole, the door hatch and even the rear window layout, but I doubt if the differences in the waist moulding were optional. Instead I think they probably reflect changes over time, and will help us date various Country Club vans once we get a handle on them. I have put the photos in the order that I think they may come in, but it's only a guess. If anybody has any ideas or other information, I will be interested to hear. Don Ricardo
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 17, 2014 21:26:36 GMT 10
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 21, 2015 11:51:41 GMT 10
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Post by humpty2 on Mar 21, 2015 18:57:34 GMT 10
Hi Don Ricardo That little Country Club is my caravan...........but I didn't put the photos up. The van has since had the interior redone........I will get around to putting them up.....sometime.
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Post by murray on Jun 11, 2016 8:06:01 GMT 10
Posted on behalf of Paul . "I've got a new toy. It's a vintage caravan, an Australian design built in Heidelberg, Victoria by a company known as Country Club Caravans. This model was produced in 1959 and named the Canberra. It was the first caravan to incorporate fibreglass ends into the design. A few years later they were the first manufacturer of a 100% fibreglass bodied caravan. I love the way it looks and am keen to restore it to its original condition but with a bit of an upbeat exterior." Recovered from Kangaroo Flat in 2015 Getting all braced up and ready to travel Short trip through the CBD... ....and of to my new home in Tassie
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Post by shazzibobby on Jun 11, 2016 9:03:01 GMT 10
Nice one wher Ln Tassi are u will look good restored
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Post by murray on Jun 11, 2016 9:09:46 GMT 10
Nice one wher Ln Tassi are u will look good restored Hobart Area PM sent
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Post by stevemack on Feb 9, 2019 16:58:17 GMT 10
Hi everyone, I’ve just acquired what appears to be a late 50’s Country Club caravan. Approx 13ft, fibreglass ends and sheet aluminium roof. I’d post pics but don’t know how, I’m looking for more info on it as we are going to restore it. Thanks Steve
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Post by Don Ricardo on Feb 11, 2019 22:18:24 GMT 10
Hi Stevemack,
Welcome to the forum. It's great to hear about your Country Club van. Country Clubs are fascinating vans because of the way the manufacturer experimented with various types of cladding, up to three types on the same van in some cases.
There are instructions on how to post photos on the forum in the 'Forum Guidelines & Helpful Hints' section of the forum. Let us know if you have any trouble, or can't find the instructions, and we'll help you out.
Once we've seen some photos of your van, we'll be better able to provide you with advice or info. From what I've seen on Facebook, your van is similar to that shown in Murray's post above. Is that right?
Don Ricardo
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Post by murray on Feb 12, 2019 20:15:01 GMT 10
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Post by leoniel on Sept 8, 2020 20:09:14 GMT 10
Hi All, I pulled into the BP servo at Goondiwindi near the NSW /Qld Border the other day, just behind this. I waved to the owner, but he disappeared into the complex, obviously not interested in discussing old vans at the time. Its registered in Mexico as a " C Club" so obviously a Country Club. Its in fantastic condition, & is full fibreglass, with an aluminum roof as described in the brochures. Amazing that something like this appears out of left space, still being used, & no one that I know of on the forum has ever seen one on the road. Simply amazing. JBJ
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Post by leoniel on Sept 8, 2020 20:17:09 GMT 10
We now own this gorgeous little van. Old 55 Country Club Spartan Now lives in Airlie Beach Qld
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 9, 2020 20:44:36 GMT 10
Hi Leoniel,
Welcome to the forum, and great to hear that you are now the custodian of the Country Club van JBJ saw quite a few years ago now. That’s fabulous. I trust you are enjoying it?
How long have you had the van?
Don Ricardo
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 10, 2020 13:09:27 GMT 10
Hi again Leoniel, After replying to your post yesterday, I was scrolling through the photos on my phone last night when I caught sight of the following pic: My eye was caught by the text on the back "Old '55" and I remembered that you had used those words in your post, and therefore that this must be your van? I hadn't realised that this was the same Country Club that JBJ had photographed.
Don Ricardo
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Post by leoniel on Sept 12, 2020 12:40:39 GMT 10
Hi again Leoniel, After replying to your post yesterday, I was scrolling through the photos on my phone last night when I caught sight of the following pic: My eye was caught by the text on the back "Old '55" and I remembered that you had used those words in your post, and therefore that this must be your van? I hadn't realised that this was the same Country Club that JBJ had photographed.
Don Ricardo
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Post by leoniel on Sept 12, 2020 13:14:58 GMT 10
Hi, We purchased Old 55 in October 2018 from the guys that you posted a photo of. Very hard to find any info on it. We do have a folder with information on her refurbish. And bits and pieces from this forum. Thought it must have been built in 55 due to its name. Not sure if their are any others. Spartan Country Club Any info would be appreciated. Cheers Leonie
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 15, 2020 12:43:24 GMT 10
Hi Leoniel,
Great to hear a bit more about your van, and that the previous owners passed on some information about its refurbishment, etc. That often doesn’t happen, so that’s fabulous.
I’m presuming that the owner before you believed that your van was built in 1955, hence the text on the rear. However, I think your van is not quite as old as that, based on the way your van is built and the materials used.
Country Club vans built in 1956 and earlier were clad in ply, and by 1956 it was a form of ply consisting of balsa sandwiched in layers of hard wood. The vans also had normal corners where the ply on the the walls met each other at a 90 degree angle and were waterproofed with an aluminium strip covering the corner. In 1957, Country Club began to clad their vans with ‘balsa-ply’ coated with fibreglass, but retaining the 90 degree corners.
In 1958, Country Club took the next step by using the fibreglass coated ply on the sides and full fibreglass ends. This meant that the end corners were rounded because they were effectively part of the fibreglass ends. As best as we understand it, the 1958 models had three waist high moulded ridges at the front, which then followed around the side with one moulded ridge. On slightly later models the three ridges at the front all follow around the corner and run along the sides.
In 1958 the larger models were called the ‘Special’, and the smaller models (14 ft, 12 ft 6 in and 10 ft 6 in) were called the ‘Standard’.
The 1958 models seems to have continued on into 1959 as far as I can tell, then in 1960 some of the decoration on the exterior of the vans were changed. The larger and presumably more luxurious vans were called Royals, but the smaller Standard models were renamed Canberras.
Based on the above, I think your van was probably built in 1958 or 1959 because it has the fibreglass ends. In addition, I think it is also one of the later models because it has the three moulded ridges on the front continuing round onto the sides. This also means that your van was a Standard model, rather than a Spartan which seems to have been a name used on models earlier in the 50’s. (It’s funny if we refer to something like a hotel room or caravan as ‘spartan’ we usually mean it’s just got the minimum equipment, but I presume Country Club were meaning it more in the Spartan soldier sense??)
I hope you will find the above interesting and/or helpful.
Don Ricardo
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Post by Don Ricardo on Feb 8, 2021 22:27:01 GMT 10
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