Post by aussie girl on Sept 16, 2008 9:58:16 GMT 10
Hi everyone. We have an old wooden van with a canvas roof that is in need of a new coat of paint. We bought the van about 6 years ago along with a kingswood station wagon that the previous owner had used to tow it with. He had hand controlled air brakes fitted to the car that connect to the van. The hitch is an unusual one - like a large square rubber block which from looking at the "technical - old tow couplings forum" I believe is one of the 'Treg Polyblock trailer couplings'. The old paint is coming off in big flakes (as this sort of paint had a tendancy to do) so I would welcome some help in how to seal the outer cladding of the van. I am not sure if the material used is masonite or something else. The van was made by a man who designed these vans (many years ago) and he has covered the joins between the sheets of cladding with some sort of tape, then painted over it. At the lower part of the van where the side wall and the back of the van join, there is a type of molding strip (could be wood??) to hide the join. Some of the board has got wet and seems to have dissolved leaving the strip hanging, but I think this can be easily fixed as it is only minor. The van has a canvas roof painted in some sort of silver paint. We are looking to strip all the old paint off the body of the van, but just coat over the roof with new paint, as this seems in good nick and we dont want to create problems by taking it back. Any suggestions for what to use to cover the tape on the outer cladding so that we can get a nice clean and smooth surface to paint?? and what is the best product to use to paint the roof and the body?? 
The inside of the can is in very good original condition with an old ice chest and pump tap. The floor has old red and cream tiles. Does anyone know if these tiles would contain asbestos and would the paint inside (some sort of gloss paint) contain lead??
any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Cheers aussie girl
The inside of the can is in very good original condition with an old ice chest and pump tap. The floor has old red and cream tiles. Does anyone know if these tiles would contain asbestos and would the paint inside (some sort of gloss paint) contain lead??any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Cheers aussie girl
)I can't get photos at the moment because I have it covered with a tarp (has been for the last 4 years approx) and it is starting to fall to bits, so I don't want to remove it until summer time when (hopefully) I will start re-coating it with paint. Inside the main wooden outer door there is a screen door so that when the main door is hooked back you can use the screen door to let the air in. I am located in Adelaide. You are spot on with the description of the tape, it has 'zigzags on both outer edges (peaking shears). The van is painted in white with metal strips on the sides that form a flash and this is painted in blue from memory. It has metal windows all round and a wooden roof hatch with swing down fly-screen. There is aluminium sheeting under the front windows that extends from the base of the windows to right down underneath the front of the van. Inside there is a double bed across the back and the kitchen table at the other end folds down to make another double bed. There is a wardrobe on the same side as the door and a sink and ice chest on the other side. There is an area that may have been used to house some sort of portable stove, ( the top of the cupboard slides open) but there is no evidence of a fitted stove or oven. It is in very good condition overall other than the paint peeling on the outside. It even has the original curtains with some sort of alpine scene printed on the material (very 50's!!)
