Harvey's Bondwood

[Don Ricardo]

Email from Harvey:

Hi,

Please find attached the historic Caravan I'm doing up. It would be greatly appreciated if you can tell me what year it is if possible and make or model or if it is home built. There are no identifying marks what so ever on this van. It's a plywood van.

Kind regards,

Harvey

















Harvey lives near the ACT, and I believe belongs to the local EJ/EH Car Club - and why wouldn't you with a cool EJ like his?

Nice van, Harvey - looks like you're doing a great job on restoring it. Hopefully somebody will be able to tell you something about its origins.

Don Ricardo

[Don Ricardo]

Some further information received today from Harvey about his van:

"I understand that the caravan was made in 1957. I've had it for approx 3 years. The person I bought it from towed it behind an XP Ford Falcon. It used to be blue and white and in very poor condition. I've had to put a new axel, bearings, wheels. It had Ford rims and I changed it to Holden as I own 2 EJ's and 2 EH's. It only has 1 coat of undercoat at the moment. I'm working out what colour and design to put on it."

If anyone can help Harvey with the make of the caravan or other details, he would be happy to hear from you.

I seem to remember seeing the single pipe draw bar (as opposed to an A-frame) on some other van, but I don't remember where. Was it one of the vans put out of its misery by Reddo the merciful? Anybody got any clues?

Don Ricardo

[tinnie]

Hi,
My two bobs worth. The pipe-like draw bar leads me to think 'home-made'. See what the real experts come up with.

Cheers,
Gristy

PS Neat little van!

[Deleted]

Growing up in the 60s and 70s i seen a lot of old trailers with 2" and 3" dia pipe drawbars.

Dad had an old trailer that was made at the pit he use to work at. The drawbar was 2" steampipe which has a thicker wall diameter than waterpipe.
Notyhing wrong wityh this design and i feel they are as strong as any A frame drawbar.
Harveys van looks to be about 9' long and will do up nicely. It appears to have the same interior layout as "Rosie" with the front kitchen. Interesting stepped down floor in the entryway. Saves having to fit a slide out step underneath.
I am guessing home built around 1956-60 ( 13" holden wheels but still sporting timber framed windows)

Reddo