Quick question about a Carapark

[mels54supalite]

Hi Everyone,
I had a quick question about a Carapark Van.
Not far from my home sitting in a friends paddock is a cute rounded patterned alluminium van. The badge on the front has been removed but if you look close you can see Carapark.
Unfortunately the interior is missing.
Would it be far to say it would be from the sixties?

Thanks Mel

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Mel,

Carapark started making the aluminium caravans with the rounded corners in the mid-50's - around 1955/56. Prior to that they built not dissimilar looking caravans in steel (these were generally painted rather than having a bare metal finish as far as I can work out).

So the van you've seen could be anything from 1955 up to about 1960 or so when Carapark introduced a van with very 60's fins and quite sharp and angular edges called the Zestline.

You can find more information at the following location in the Down History Lane section of the forum:
vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=2001&page=1

Don Ricardo

[Deleted]

Hi Mel
If its only little ......and resembles a chrome toaster it will be a Carapark 9/10 Junior.

9/10 stands for 9 foot 10 inches.

heres one i prepared earlier...






ooops .. you said its was "rounded"

Silly me.

Reddo

[danmel]

Thanks for you reply guys.

No its not like a little toaster. I will take a photo over the next few days.
Don't think it has any leaks but it is a big project.
I suppose I'm just wondering if it is worth dragging home.

Mel

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Mel,

Interesting...so the van doesn't look like a Carapark "toaster"? Reddo and I must have misunderstood what you meant by 'rounded' when you described it.

Are there any vans shown in the Carapark thread in the Down History Lane section which look like it?

There are a couple of possibilities that come to mind:

Possibility A - in the early 50's Carapark produced some conventionally rounded vans - ie rounded from front to back when looked at it sideways - called the Hunter Minor and Hunter. However, they were bondwood not aluminium, so that rules that possibility out from what you've said.

Possibility B - Carapark also produced an aluminium van called the Voyager which were aluminium with a rounded edge leading from the roof to the front and back walls. You can see pics of the Voyager in Reply #15 on page 2 of the Carapark thread: vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=2001&page=2
I'm not sure when they were produced but guess at the 60's.

If it's a Voyager I reckon it would be worth dragging home because I don't know of anyone on the forum that has one of that model, and it would be worth saving just for that reason alone - apart from all the fun of renovating it!

What you've told us is very intriguing. I look forward to seeing your photos.

Don Ricardo

[DanMel]

Hi there Don,

I think it might be a Voyager. I haven't been able to get back into the paddock to check & get some photos.
Sadly all of the interior is long gone but it would be ashame to see it crushed and sent to scrap.

I am lucky I have the space to store it.

Thanks for your help.

Mel. ;D