Rat vans...

[fibrelass]

Does anyone else out there feel reluctant to totally renovate certain vans?? Whether it is through my lack of expertise or irrational judgement, I feel inclined to leave and use my vans as I find them..(barring roadworthy issues)..I do dream of some modifications and then find myself unable to paint over the particular shade of blue..or change that speckedly mirror for a new one cut to fit..A certain quaintness of this is how it was used before our time..
although I thoroughly admire the immaculate renovations I have seen, I am coming to the realisation that it is just not me..anyone else out there in the Rat club??

[aussiegirl]

Hi, I am a new member. I have a 1958 era wooden van with a canvas roof. It has the old ice chest inside and no oven or stove. It would be nice to have the 'mod cons ' but I agree that this would detract from the character of this type of van.

[Deleted]

Hi girls, and welcome to the forum aussiegirl

personally, I like to see the old vans kept the way they were ......I have a real appreciation of old cars and the caravans, but I do like 'em kept original .
A real "find" to me is a caravan that hasn't been messed with, ie ice chest, original fittings (lights, switches, handles, etc) original floor covering (usually lino) and cushions etc etc ........

An ice chest in an old caravan is alot more fun than a fridge . Its hard to get the block ice these day, so I use bagged crushed ice. With a fridge, you don't get your butter waterclogged with melting ice dripping all over refridgerated groceries , and the labels on your dips & beers don't peel off ;D, and you don't get a wet hand every time you stick it in there ......a fridge is boring & normal, just like home !!

As for changing the decor .......why .......the fifties & sixties were two of the most colourful decades of the 20th centuary, why would ya change it .......although some of the fake woodgrain panelling in some of the later 60's vans is a bit ordinary ......, a nice coat of green n cream over the top would improve it unbelievably ;D

The thing most of us like most about the old caravans is that they have "character", unlike a modern caravan that's full of cheap n nasty plastic fittings and mundane
home appliances ........

I even go to the trouble with my resto projects to fit "period" lights and external fittings, I've had no probs getting the vans registered .... provided they're mounted correctly and work ........too easy for me to go to the local trailer shop & purchase modern trailer lights for my resto project ......I'd much rather cruise around the countryside chasing the correct "period" bits .....its fun

Others will have different ideas, but thats my two bobs worth

Mark

[Deleted]

Hi
Fibrelass . I will put my hand up and confess to being a "mild Ratvanner"

I feel that if a van is "Too far gone" to be left as original i feel the owner has the right to do the van up to his or her own taste.
Sure i have seen some shockers but we have to remember that the owners/ doerupperers have to live with the finished product,

A van can be "Improved" without taking away from its original looks
Modern power fittings can be installed inside or on the bottom of overhead cupboards so that when you walk in the van you dont notice them.
A weatherproof power point can be installed under your van out of sight for use in the annexe .

Small 3 way fridges can be tucked away in spaces under ythe sink or in the bottom half of a wardrobe.

The big advantage of an ice chest is they dont clatter and rattle on and off all night while you are trying to get to sleep.

Colour schemes on the extrerior?? Again a personal thing. I have seen 60s model vans painted to look like the 40s and they look great. I like pastels etc and i reckon a good flash or stripe on a van helps break up the slab sides....but i draw the line at flames etc on a van.
I raised the issue of building a rat van from an old TD i dragged home a few years ago. I proposed using real rats in it. flat black with imitation and real spider webs. It never got started ( thank god) bluckys in Wodonga now have the van and are part way through restoring it.. again "Thank God"

All of the above points to personal choice. I love the restored untouched vans, and i also like vans that have been tastefully modified.
People will always stay divided on this subject and we are fortunate enough that we are all able to accept that.
As i said before... the owners who shell out the $$$$ have the right to decide what they do with them without fear of contradiction or ridicule.

Its all about having fun and appreciating your asset.

Reddo
Its this freedom of choice that makes the vintage van world go round.

[cobber]

G'day Fibrelass,

It is a personal choice thing, and different people approach the hobby with different priorities.

If one acquires an old 'van with the objective of using it to travel in, and they require a level of comfort above what was the norm when the 'van was built it will probably need modification to meet those needs.

If on the other hand somebody regards the hobby as being about the enjoyment and preservation of the way caravans were built in past years, and wish to maintain them as an example of how caravans have evolved through the years, and would like that example of caravanning to be available to the next generation when our caravanning days are over, it is desirable to keep them as original as possible.
I try with only moderate success to belong to this second camp.

When I say “as original as possible” it has to be acknowledged that sometimes parts (particularly mechanical parts & some of the inside fittings) if they break or are worn out, are often very difficult to replace with an original, but the effort should be made to find the original... I think.

Replacing an Ice Box with a refrigerator is not acceptable behavior if you subscribe to this second approach to the hobby.
Nor is it acceptable to replace collapsed innerspring mattresses with foam rubber ones....... I have done this, and I keep saying it is only a temporary measure .

Retaining the original colour scheme is highly desirable, but there are not many of us who can claim to be that dedicated. The person who paints their car to match the caravan is a person who will gain my admiration.

Sometimes a previous owner, if they belonged to the first camp, make it hard to restore a 'van to complete originality unless there is an un-modified example still available for comparison, just one more good reason to have at least one example of each make of caravan un-molested.

One of my more controversial contentions is that....... if you belong to the second camp.... it is not necessary to up-date tow couplings or brakes if the original one are in good working order, and if they're not, fix 'em.
The regulating authorities respect your right to keep your 'van as it was built if that is your wish... sure you may have to moderate or alter your driving behaviour on the rare occasions you have your Vintage Caravan in tow but that is a small price to pay for the advantage of having a bit of “Australia's Touring Heritage” in your possession.

Thanks for raising this subject Fibrelass, it might help us appreciate each others perspective on our hobby.

Cobber.

[tinnie]

Ahhh,
an interesting topic.

Cobber, I must say that having had the pleasure of seeing ol36 and towcar on the road, you are an advocate and splendid example of camp 2 or camp b.
Something to aspire to, particularly given the age (and Aussie icon-ism) of your towcar and the age and condition of your van.

Hope I haven't appeared to be saturating your pocket ;D

Similarly Reddo poses a good point that one can 'moderbnise certain things without detracting from originality. In some respects, I appreciate lengths people will go to to upgrade electrics etc, whilst hiding the fact. This is often an art in itself.

Me....um, well I am no craftsman, generally short on time and $, thus I am a bit of a rat vanner who tries to camoflage the few safety/convenience upgrades that i do. Similar with cars I suppose.

What is important, to me, is a common goal to preserve a look and feel suitable to the period of manufacture, something I think we all (mostly) strive to, each in our own individual way.

Umm speaking of ratvans, my ambassador is still, sadly, looking pretty ratty. I got sidetracked on a little car project.......

Cheers,
Gristy

[tonyh]

I am totally rebuilding my 1967 Olympic with all new interior and running gear, only because everything except the body shell and chassis was water damaged and junk.
If I could I would have rebuilt it to original but couldn't get anything to match from the laminate to handles.
I love old things - cars, vans etc and would think it sacrilege if you happen to find an old good original van and modify it. There is enough rough and ready vans to save from the tip to update or personalize.
I am still looking for that special original good condition van (and it could even be a bondy Reddo) and you can bet I will clean her up and do the least I can to preserve and cherish her originality.
Old stuff nut ;D
tonyh

[atouchofglass]

To totally rebuild a caravan can become a major task
Why would you if the van is in reasonable order?

Rebuilding a rare van in a modern manner is sacrilege
A museum piece is not to be tampered with

But....
Most of the vans we come across have already been modified and those I would have no hesitation gutting and starting again
Using modern lightweight materials and appliances

While I am only about half way through the current project, the mind is working overtime on how I would improve on the techniques and materials I've been using in the renovation

Horses for courses

In fact sometimes it is worth thinking about how the manufacturer would have changed during the course of improving his business..

Olympics would appear to have been made in aluminium originally and the larger vans only had fibreglass ends
The manufacturer used what was best for his business at the time

I like to feel that anything I do to a van is an improvement not just sitting in a time gone by or change for the sake of change....

Have you noticed that many of the older vans get a real funky smell about them?
Not the most pleasing of things to have as you enter your van
To this day there is something in my garage from the van that has still got the funky smell going on...
My suspicion is it's the table... that will never go back in

The manufacturer had to stick to a budget that largely restricted them.
You can put more effort and better materials into the van if you choose as the budget is less of an issue.
Yes we all have one but not like the manufacturer had...

Example
We fitted a stainless steel light outside the van
Small 12V made for marine application
To my way of thinking it is so much nicer than the original that was pretty basic..
Cost.... well over $100 just for the light
Doubt any manufacturer would have done that

Cheers
Atog

[Cruz]

Hi , My gidget needed some work on the exterior splits, roof leaks etc, but tried to be gentle (except for the color). wanted her not to look like she had been all spruced up. inside I was able to modify the space where the kero cooker was to hide a micowave and purchase a portable fridge so as not to alter the interior layout. I was very pleased wqth the end result.
Cruz

[dorian]

Dear Fibreglass. Wow! This topic feels like it is calling me. I have been running this reno issue over in my brain in my scramble to have it ready for Foster.

I have a very original Sunliner van (a veritable museum peice) and I only asked someone yesterday (standing in my van with a tinny) if they felt I should touch up chips on the cupboards. My argument was that all the collector/antiques roadshows warn of removing the patina from a valuable object. Surely a VV has it's own collective patina of sorts. I done nothing to mine save replacing the flooring as the old man who owned it previously put in artificial grass (yes) hence turning the interior into a putting green. But I have decided to simply clean it and replace the curtains which fell apart in my hands. Some POR 15 for the chassis and that's it!

However, I understand people renovating vans that are wrecks. But they often restore them so they end up pastiches of the vans. Or God awful rockabilly vans. They end up caricatures unto themselves. One was recently listed on ebay for $18k. It looked dreadful (sorry if it's someone on this forum). If they can be left alone I say leave em. I've even kept my fold out bed when everyone rips em out to put a bed in. Why? I think this is superfluous when the bed is pristine.

dorian
PS I'm with perennial fibro-phobe, Redo: no flames on vans please!
PSS ATOG, my van absolutely smells!!

[Deleted]

Hi RFW i dont think Dorian was referring to THOSE sort of flames.

Dorian...

No "flames " here
It has been LONG RUNNING forum banter topic about the "Evil Fobbergross v The Bondys ( blondewood) V the tinnies ( bauxite boxes).

I/ we have had a lot of fun with the subject about whats best... Truth is there is no best... They are all great vintage vans .

I usually throw a comment in when things are either going quiet on the forum . A couple of lines is all it usually takes to get everyone out of the closet and actively contributing here..
Its all good mate. I am not the Ogre i appear to be here on the forum. Anyone will tell ya i am more than willing to donate parts or info on vans if someone is in need.
For the records... I have owned 4 sunliners and the wife once owned a very nice Olympic Debonair.
I know where there is a VERY nice Kennedy not too far from here. If i was going to cross over to Fobbergross i would be lookin at buying a kennedy... a lot rarer than Olympics or Sunnys.
and a darn nice van to look at with a quality fit out.

Cheers mate... all is good.
Reddo

[atouchofglass]

Hey Dorian

Well if your van smells and you like it... fantastic ;D ;D
Mine smelt of mould and decomposing wood... as it slowly became compost ;D

If on the other hand it had been an all fibreglass van .... there would have been only the past inhabitants smells to remove from the Olympic....
New linen, curtains and bedding and I would have been away... sadly the timber had it's issues and needed removing and replacing
Ooohhhh yeah .... sorry we seem to back on the blondeweed versus the fabuglass thing... oopps ;D

I have noticed that there hasn't been too many standing up for the bauxite brigade.... perhaps a little too wise to take the bait.... or just .... Nooo I won't start on them too

Cheers
Atog

^{Couldn't resist it O
Can you?}

[whippy]

I know others have said this, but I will say it again, if you want to fix the van up, then why don't you do it. My van was great as an original van, it dkidn't have a fridge, so I fitted a late model fridge and I also fitted some 12 volt batteries and inverter to run it. It's horsews for courses, it's your van so why not fix it up so it's RIGHT for you ?

[elpea]

if you're happy and you know it clap your hands. I think I fall in the semi rat category! keeping most things the way they are and just cleaning up. however with upholstery and curtains make the van yours. The pump on the sink failing to prime, go on buy a new one! put on a new tow coupling. whatever you're comfortable with. my van will never be a show piece, I want it to do as intended, go out an enjoy this great country of ours!

[dorian]

Sorry, didn't know Reddo or anyone here had the flames on their van (past or present) - each to their own I say. And don't fret, I've been following this forum long enough to know Reddo secretly loves Sunliners and has had a few in his day and all is said in good fun. No drama.

Just have been really mulling this to reno or not to reno idea over in my mind. When is too much?? Important for us all methinks. Enjoying everyone's thoughts.

Anyone got an idea how to get rid of the smell out of old vans? Atom bomb? Everyone walks into mine and says, "what's that smell?" Have aired it for weeks... Maybe it's me!!

[Deleted]

I never put the flames on the silver TD. Previous owner has a very nice '56 F100 with red flames on the front and he dressed the 1952 Carlisle van to match it.

Smells in vans... Group /camp "B" would say it adds character and denotes originality. Just like faded paint adds "patina"

Group "A" would say .. Ditch the stinkin old Kapock mattress and buy a new one.
If the van still stinks after scrubbing out like rfw has suggested then.... ... i suggest ya check the back of your jocks for an "accident"
or check to see that granny hasnt left a cardboard box full of 60 year old Anzac biscuits in one of the cupboards.
Maybe they forgot to let the cat out of its travelling spot under the bunks... ppphhhhhheeeewwwww

Reddo

[dorian]

Thanks for anti stench tips rwf. Will try them but suspect reddo as sussed it: the old lounge/mattresses! Or it's me.

will let you know if it works.