Jennison Pathfinder caravans [post 1945] (Artarmon, NSW.)

[Franklin1]

JENNISON PATHFINDER HISTORY:

Jennison Trailer Engineering Co.
283 Pacific Highway, Artarmon, NSW

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Note: Jennison caravans were manufactured by John A Jennison and his several companies, and after his death in 1950 by the Pym family, from 1933 to 1967. As a result the history of Jennison caravans has been placed into three separate threads, each reflecting a distinct era of Jennison production. The purpose is to make information about each era easier to find:

• 1933-1944: Jennison Road/Caravan Cruisers
• 1945-1961: Jennison Pathfinder - this thread
• 1962-1967: Pathfinder (by Jennison)

In early 1939, the Jennison Caravan Cruiser company also produced a coach style caravan which has been referred to as the "Wildeshott" caravan, and is the subject of its own thread.

In addition to producing Jennison caravans, John Jennison was involved in the development of Nomad caravans produced by the Trailer Engineering Co from 1937 to 1943.  Jennison was a creative and inventive person and turned his mind to a number of different automotive and mechanical projects, some of which are recorded here

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On May 13, 2007, Belinda wrote: Coll Pattison whose family made caravan components said Pathfinder vans were particularly well-made and were the van of choice of the Showman's Guild. The showmen would tour all year and when they came to Sydney for the Easter Show and would get their vans serviced by the manufacturer.

Pathfinder Vans eventually became Pathfinder Boats which is still in business.

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On Aug 22, 2006, kaybee wrote: Hi, the Jennison Pathfinder was made by Jennison Trailer Eng. in Military Rd Mosman. There is a really good colour pic inside the front cover of the '54 Caravan & Touring book by Keith Winser and a short feature on the van's they made doesn't show or mention the Jones Hitch, but they could easily have incorporated them later on. They were available up to 18' 6" long , so they would have been good candidates for a Jones.

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On Aug 28, 2006, groovy wrote: Richard Pym of Jennison Pathfinder is now involved with Pathfinder Marine, I don't know the man, but might be worth a try for info if anyone has a Jennison Pathfinder.

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On July 17, 2007, exocet wrote: Hi vintagecaravans i have an article from a 1956 Keith Winser mag advertising Jennison Pathfinder caravans, your spelling is different, but i think we mean the same caravan brand, and they were made in 4 different sizes, 12ft 3in , 14.3 , 16ft and 18ft 6in. It says that the new models feature an aluminium body and windows with rounded corners. They were considered the Rolls Royce of Australian caravans at the time, and have a very large roof hatch. The add also says that they have been '' Leaders in their class for 25 years'' They were built by the Jennison Trailer Engineering Co. 283 Pacific Highway, Artarmon, Sydney, [4.5 miles from Sydney, Tram stop 19 on Lane Cove line] It also says that on the larger models showers are fitted. Hope that is some of the info you were after. Cheers Exocet

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[Franklin1]

1958 JENNISON PATHFINDER CARAVAN:

On May 13, 2007, cobber wrote: In the “Modern Motor” magazine starting in January 1958 they serialised a tour of “The Continent” (Europe) by an Australian, his wife, three children & their dog.
They took the caravan (an 18 1/2 foot Jennison Pathfinder) and the tow vehicle (a Land - Rover) with them from Australia.

The serial runs for about 16 issues of the magazine and, being a motoring magazine, it mostly concentrates on the bits we like ... caravaning.

Just to give an you an idea of how it goes... below is issue two, issue one detailed the heap of paperwork they had to jump over before starting and issue three gets into the tour starting at Naples.
There are photos and interesting comments about caravanning and caravan parks in europe at that time...1958.



[the resolution of the articles is how they were posted.]

[Franklin1]

1959 Jennison Pathfinder testimonial:

On May 14, 2007, cobber wrote: As I mentioned [in the post above], an Australian, G. K. Saunders, took a Jennison Pathfinder from Australia to Europe back in 1958 and toured through Europe and England with it.
Ignoring the possibility that Jennison may have given him the van (I don’t think they did ) he gives it high praise for its comfort, finish and ability to handle some rough going, but then it was made of plywood, so that was to be expected.

This is an extract from a testimonial Saunders sent to Jennison after two years on the road...

[Franklin1]

Jennison Pathfinder caravan:



(source: posted by kb3, May 13, 2007, who wrote: Hi, I thought you guys here might like to see the van we found while out on a tin hunting roadtrip. It has been stored where it is since 91 and looks to be perfect. Only problem is there is no house and nobody nearby so looks like we have to go knocking on some doors as the place is very abandoned.)

[Franklin1]

Jennison Pathfinder caravan:



(source: posted by kingy, Aug 21, 2006, who wrote: Now the big bondy is interesting, it is apparantly homemade and the owner says he thinks it is of american origin (the plans) and he knows most of its history. In brief----15ft long --- canvas roof --- landcruiser wheels (original rims were dodge, same bolt pattern) --- inside is pretty much gutted except for overhead cupbourds --- floorboards --- jones hitch/dolly wheel (actual wheel is inside van) --- last registered only two years ago --- been around Aust 6 times incl. twice to Tassie. Oh yeah, the owner says the van is a jensen or janson pathfinder.
...The owner did tell me also that the jones hitch was an afterthought, the previous chassis being to light and the van having to much weight over the front. Just looking at it you can tell she'd be heavy towards the front, so i'd tend to think the hitch is original, maybe his imagination goes walkabout
Cheers Kingy)

[Franklin1]

1960 Jennison Pathfinder advertisement:



(source: posted by rtcruiser, Jul 27, 2007, and is taken from a 1960 Australian Motor Manual magazine listing the 1960 Price Lists for caravans.)

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1960 Jennison Pathfinder advertisement:



(source: posted by rtcruiser, Jul 27, 2007)

[Jennison]

My Grandfather was john jennison builderof jennison pathfinder caravans. Confirming what i,ve read in some of the comments his "sales logo" was "Jennison Pathfinders- the aristocrat of caravans' I am very interested in talking to any jennison enthusiasts especially in any memorabilia, pamphlets(original or copies) or the location of any jennison vans. I hope in turn I can help with historical info and photos of his vans , boats and US army surplus willys jeeps which he cut, lengthened and converted into 4wd station wagons specifically for towing his vans. I also have some original design/specs including copies of his original designs and patent applications for a pop top van submitted in 1935. Looking forward to hearing from people and desparate to find a pathfinder in the flesh!

[Jennison]

To kb3 and/ franklin1 have you found out any more about the j/pathfinder in the photo posted may 2007 jeff

[cobber]

Jeff,

If you are referring to the Pathfinder the Saunders family took over to Europe I am pretty certain sure they left it over there when their tour was finished.

Cobber.

[cobber]

Is this the earliest photo we have of a Jennison Pathfinder... 1948, from book # 2 “Caravan and Touring in Australia” published by “Motor Manual” or do you have earlier ones jeffgill?

Notice it has some great features....all four models are fitted with hydraulic jockey wheel......a welled floor for easy entry and ample head room.....vacuum-servo brakes on all models.... three burner stove..... water pressure system.... and an ice chest, does this indicate that there were no refrigerators suitable for fitting to a caravan at that time because surely the Pathfinder would have had one if there were.

Notice the builders address is given as 341 Military Rd. Cremorne Junction NSW.



And an advertisement from book # 4 , Keith Winser's “Caravan and Touring” 1951 (a Keith Winser publication, is this the first time Keith Winser pops his head up ? ).

Notice that the builders address is given as 500 Military Rd. Mosman, NSW.
And they have a showroom at “Streamlite Industries” 603 Victoria Rd. Ryde.......... well, I think it's all very interesting .



Cobber.

[Jennison]

I've got the original of those photos of the 48 model and more. That's either my mother or her sister in the pic ! They're b/w but were taken by a commercial photographer.and reasonably large. (3/4 X A4 size.) Plus there are a lot of tiny home snaps (2" X 3"). Re the address it was after John A Jennison's death in early 1950's that the Pym family bought and moved the company to Artarmon,. I've spoken to Richard Pym (son of original buyer) and have a rough timeline of things fromthere.(unfortunately his dad only died last dec) I will include that in the full history I do with donricardo jeff

[Jennison]

Hey Cobber I,ve juust been looking at that 1951 add . Just above where the streamlite showroom is mentiioned there is reference to their "streamlite 10' and 14' model . I'll ask mum but that is the first I've heard of them! I'll refer to my cuz as well, Would that mean there must be a streamline mentioned somewhere in their own right? Jeff

[cobber]

Jeff,

It certainly indicates that there was another model called "Jennison Streamlite"..........I've never heard of it but I'll keep looking.
(By the way that's in the 1951 manual Jeff)

More grist for the mill eh?

Cobber.

[Jennison]

Cobber I,ve checked with mum and she doesn,t remember the streamlite or a showroom in ryde. I,m thinking that maybe it could have been a fellow selling them from his business as an agency/under licence I certainly have never heard a whisper of them or a ryde outlet before jeff Ps I,ll ask my cousin tonite

[Jennison]

Soory Cobber I,M a dill , JA Jennison died end of 1950. The streamlite must have been part of the Pym family's progression with the business.(especially the 10' one) I will be ringing Richard Pym again to confirm some details before I print the history thing I intend to do so I shall ask him although he is unfortunately fairly vague about early Pym/Jennison history because he was very young, if yet born , I'm not sure. Jeff

[Jennison]

The girls featured in the add posted by Cobber are Joan Bannister(nee Winter) and my aunt, Shirley Jennison. Mum is sitting beside me at the computer and can make them out on the screen as opposed to the paper copies I showed her previously
regards Jennison

[Don Ricardo]

Jennison has asked me to post the following photos of the 1948 Jennison Pathfinder range, which were taken for publicity purposes. The photos are from the collection if his grandfather, John Jennison, maker of the Pathfinder caravans.

The first is a small version of the Pathfinder:



The following photos are of a larger version:









The young lady standing at the door of the caravan in the photo above is Shirley Jennison, John Jennison's younger daughter.

These photos were all taken by Peter Shalley, Strand Arcade, George Street, Sydney, a photographer who operated from this location for many, many years.

The next photos were taken for publicity purposes:



The model for this photo was John Jennison’s elder daughter, Betty, who is Jennison’s mother and has assisted him with the background information for John Jennison’s photo collection.

Note the wireless mounted in the high cupboards above the bed.



The models for this last photo were John Jennison junior (son of the manufacturer), his girlfriend and later wife, June, and a lady who worked in the Jennison office.

The cupboard layout in this caravan is different to the layout in the photo showing Betty. This indicates that it is a different caravan from the one in which she was photographed, and may possibly been taken at an earlier or later time than the 1948 photographs. The mounting of the wireless (or clock?) is also different.

(Source: photgraphs and information provided by Jennison)

[Don Ricardo]

Two more shots from the publicity photos for the 1948 Pathfinder:



John Jennison's daughter, Betty, is on the left, and June Wallace (later, John Jennison's daughter-in-law) is on the right.

Any guesses as to the purpose of the metal object set into the cupboard in the bottom row on the right hand side? Is it a foot pump for the water to the sink?


The photos are taken in the caravan shown in the bottom photo of the post immediately above. Note the characteristic Jennison super size hatch. The hatch in this van seems to use some visible crossmembers which can not be seen in the other caravan. The window treatment (and size?), and the cupboard door knobs/handles are also different, suggesting that these two vans are either different models or from different years.

(Source: Photos and information provided by Jennison.)

[Jennison]

You got it in one Donricardo!
and my 1953 pathfinder has the same! Very convenient as far as being able to wash both hands at once. You would wonder why in the hell modern day manufacturers went BACKWARDS with hand pumps where you can only wash one hand at a time. The cross member I think you are referring to about 8" from the end of the roofhatch are hinged sections of the internal flyscreen assembly that fold down to access the hatch for opening, at each end. The first of the advert pics has no internal flyscreen.
Jennison

[Jennison]

All these internal shots must feature vans longer than mine as they all have double door wardrobes. Mine is only single doored. I will measure mine and that will give us an idea of the length of these Jennison

[Jennison]

I just measured her up My VV is 14' so the VV's in these interior pics must be 16 footers. Jennison

[Don Ricardo]

A further publicity shot for the 1948 Jennison Pathfinder:



The models are Joan Bannister (left), a lifelong friend of Betty Jennison (Jennison's mother), and Doss Sturrock (right), who was a Jennison office employee and the wife of a Jennison factory worker, who was also a friend of John Jennison.

Note the difference in the construction of the left hand bed in this photo compared to the bed in the photo in Reply #26 above. This bed has a full base to it, while the bed in Reply #26 is supported by a leg and appears to have drawers behind it. This suggests that that bed folded up to give access to the drawers.

Any other theories, anybody? Also do people think the two different vans shown in these interior photos are roughly the same length, or is one shorter than the other, judging from what can be seen?

Don Ricardo

(Source: Photo and information provided by Jennison.)

[Don Ricardo]

Posted on behalf of Jennison

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"Jennison Engineering also made for its customers the choice of 2 mini Pathfinders. The first converted into a dog kennel for your dog whilst on holidays (see white poodle in history thread copy of magazine article re travelling Europe) and also a mini model that could be connected to your childs tin pedal car. This belongs to V V member bobshannon who has fond memories as a child of towing his sister around with him pedalling and her sitting in the mini V V!"







Some additional photos of this model caravan are posted in the 'Caravan Models and Toys section': vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=modtoy&thread=2467

[Jennison]

In regards to the 2nd pic in reply -26 and donRs' comment in reply -30, re the folding up bed, he is spot on.The rhs mattress becomes the backing for the lounge , the LHS 3/4 length mattress is moved to RHS to become the seat cushion and the LHS bedbase folds up to become an extension of the bench with a seat at the end. Ihave sent more photos of this to DonR and Iam sure when his end of fin year workload lessens he will post them
regards Jeff
Ps: photos of the mystery car (which appears behind the VV frame in laneway) under design/construction have surfaced (thanks to my cuz, Debbie) and will also be up on the site soon.!!!

[Don Ricardo]

Further shot for the 1948 Jennison Pathfinder publicity brochure:



This photo shows the left hand bed folded up to become a seat, and also demonstrates how access is provided to the drawers under the bed (as described in Jennison's post immediately above).

Don Ricardo

(Source: Photo and information provided by Jennison.)