Hi all,
While investigating the background of another caravan brand using
www.newspapers.com recently, I came across references to Rambler caravans. Some time ago we worked out that several caravan manufacturing firms or retailers sold caravans under the Rambler brand name. It turns out that there were are least three - one in New South Wales and two in Victoria (the latter in different decades) - see the post at the top of this thread which I have updated. In addition, it seems that one or two other caravan manufacturers also used Rambler as a model name for some of their caravans.
This thread is about the NSW Rambler caravans, which were built by Ernest Nash and one or more of his sons.
Franklin1 posted some information about the history of the Nashes' Rambler caravans
here, and this was supplemented by information provided by Ernest Nash's grandson Darren (
Darren40)
here. Looking at advertisements for Rambler caravans in the
Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) from the 50's and 60's helps to fill out the picture about the Nashes' caravans further. An intriguing aspect of the history of the Nashes' vans, as we know from Franklin1's post above, is that at different times they were branded 'Rambler', 'Nash Rambler' and 'Nash Ramble'.
We don't know when Ernest Nash and his son(s) began building caravans, but the first advert I could find for Rambler caravans in the
SMH appeared in October 1957. It was a pretty minimalist advert, stating simply that Ramblers were available complete or as shells, and for sale or hire:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 19 October 1957, page 32)
Adverts for Rambler vans were placed in the
SMH through 1958, and in September 1959, the following advert advised that Ramblers were 12 ft 6 in in length, clad in Plasply and incorporated 'plenty of laminex' - obviously a significant selling point around that time. It also listed Rambler Caravans as being located at 117 Gipps Street, Drummoyne:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 12 September 1959, page 41)
In November 1959 an advert indicated that Rambler caravans were also available in a 10 ft 6 in size, and that in addition to their Drummoyne address, the Rambler factory was located in 'Bebby' Street, Chiswick. Darren40 posted that the factory was in 'Debby Street', but 'Bebby' and 'Debby' are references to Bibby Street in Chiswick (corrected in some but not all later adverts):
(Source:
SMH, Wednesday, 25 November 1959, p 40)
In February 1960, an advert indicated that the 10 ft 6 in and 12 ft 6 in vans had apparently been lengthened by 6 inches to 11 ft and 13 ft respectively, the cladding was now Rescote, and there were six opening windows. Significantly the brand name for the Nashes' caravans was now advertised as 'Nash Ramble':
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 27 February 1960, page 42)
Darren40 told us in his post that his grandfather introduced the name 'Nash Ramble' because 'Nash Rambler' was already used for the American Nash Rambler automobiles.
The following month, an advert refers to the smaller van now being 11 ft 2 in, clad in Rescote, having metal windows (previously timber window frames, or merely contrasting it with vans from other manufacturers?), and having the 'latest American front':
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 26 March 1960, page 44)
We have previously speculated on this thread what the 'latest American front' - or in other adverts 'American shaped' - might have looked like. A June 1960 advert tells us that the Nash Ramb
le caravan was now clad in 'Plasply and aluminium', but also that it had a 'Bow-front':
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 11 June 1960, page 48)
So, it would appear that an 'American front' meant 'bow-front'. That could mean that the front was rounded, or that it had an angled front, as in the bow of a boat. Either way the Nash Rambles would have looked different to most other caravans being produced in Australia at the time.
An advert later in June 1960 tells us about the fit out of the caravans. The 11 ft van is now described as being 11 ft 9 in:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 25 June 1960, page 42)
In July 1960, an advert indicated a couple of interesting developments:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 30 July 1960, page 42)
First, the caravans were referred to as 'Nash Ramb
lers'. You'd think this might be a typo, but numerous successive adverts referred to the vans either as 'Nash Ramb
les' or as 'Nash Ramb
lers'. It sounds like someone in the advertising department didn't get the memo about the brand name! However, it strikes me as odd that if there were issues (perhaps legal?) about using the 'Nash Rambler' name because of the automobiles with the same name as Darren40 told us, that the Nashes weren't quite particular about ensuring that the name was correct in advertisements. I gather from Darren40's post, that the signage on the vans (if any) would have stated 'Nash Ramble'.
Names aside, the second development was the establishment of a 'sales division' at the Allcars Service Station in Fivedock. Later advertisements for Nash Ramble(r)s mostly listed either just the Fivedock address or the Drummoyne/Chiswick addresses.
An advert for the Fivedock address in August 1960 tells us that Nash Ramblers were now built in three sizes - 10 ft 6 in, 11 ft 2 in and 13 ft 7 in...
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 13 August 1960, page 55)
...and then a month later, in September 1960, we learn that they could be had in five sizes - 9 ft, 10 ft, 11 ft, 13 ft and 14 ft:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 17 September 1960, page 40)
We learn more about the Nash Ramble 'metal windows' from a Qualicraft advert in August 1960 which lists 'Nash Ramble' as one of the many manufacturers that use their aluminium framed windows:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 20 August 1960, page 42)
(As an interesting aside, the advert seems to indicate that Qualicraft was co-located with
Tennyson caravans in Greenacre. And it refers to 'Carinya' caravans, which I haven't heard of, and can't find anything about. Any clues anyone?)
The Nashes' caravans continued to be advertised through 1960 and 1961. For example this advert from April 1960 tells us that the 10 ft Nash Rambler was suitable for towing by a Volkswagen, Morris or Austin...
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 15 April 1961, page 34)
...and this advert from May 1960 for Nash Ramble caravans refers to models from 10 ft 4 in to 14 ft:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 27 May 1960, page 36)
It would appear that whoever arranged the adverts sometimes referred to the length of the vans in rounded terms, and sometimes in more precise terms.
We have been told by
Daggsey and Darren40 above that Ernest Nash died in 1961 of a heart attack, and Daggsey wrote that he was told that production of vans ceased at that time, but it appears that the firm continued production for a little time after that. In June 1962, this advert appeared for Nash Ramb
le, also listing that the vans could also be viewed at Croydon Caravan Sales, which may have been acting as an agent for the Nashes:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 23 June 1962, page 30)
And the following week, an advert was placed for Nash Ramb
ler - just to keep the dual identity issue running:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 30 June 1962, page 37)
These are the last adverts that I can find that appear to have been placed by the Nash Ramble(r) firm itself, and
may possibly be an indicator that production finished at the end of the financial year on 30 June 1962. As Franklin1 had written above, there were a couple of adverts for Nash Rambler caravans in 1963, such as this one from May 1963:
(Source:
SMH, Saturday, 25 May 1963, page 49)
However, this advert and the others in 1963 read to me like they're for a final clearance sale of demonstrators or similar. There is no mention of 'Nash Rambler Caravans' or Allcars Service Station, although the address belonged to Allcars Service Station.
It is interesting to note that 5 Parramatta Road, Fivedock, is still a car sales business. Daggsey told us that John Nash, Darren40's father, had a car sales yard, and I wonder if All Cars Service Station may not have been John's business, from where he also sold Nash Ramble(r) caravans? If Darren40 comes back on to the forum he may be able to tell us whether or not that is correct, and perhaps fill in some of the gaps in the Nash Ramble(r) history.
Regrettably no Nash Ramble(r) caravans have appeared on the forum, or at least not that we have recognised. I would still like to see the American shaped, bow-fronted caravans that the Nashes built.
Don Ricardo
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