What year is our DON?

[hop234]

Hi all,
Just wondering if someone can help us determine what year our DON is?
The only reference we have is the serial number 2104, and its 14ft.

Thanks
Col

[dosse]

G'day Col
Welcome to vintage Vans.....If it's any help our Don 120 is number 944 which would put
it at about 1953-54......Your van with a number of 2104 must be a Don Cadet made after 1955.
Mark T may be able to help you more. Regards dosse.

[Deleted]

G'day Col,
around 1958 to 1959 I would say.

Do we have some pics of it on the forum? If not, please email some pics to "[e-mail]".

The Don Caravan build No research thread is linked herewith:

vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=technicalstuffboard&action=display&thread=1538

cheers

Mark

[hop234]

Hi Guys,
Now the best of Mum and Dad's memory is when they bought it, it was about 12 months old and when my older brother was a baby, and he was born in Oct '58.
So if that's right could it be a 57' early 58?
I can only find 1 photo, the folks would have heaps. Dad has also got a book of some sort I'll get scanned and sent through to you.
Cheers
Col

[ronmcgr]

Hi Colin,

Good to see you on here ;D

Cheers,
Ron

[Deleted]

Picture herewith of Col's Don No 2104 :

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Col,

I'd say your estimate of 1957 or 1958 for your Don Cadet could be about right. The Cadet models were introduced by Don in 1956 and were one of several models which replaced the 'egg shaped, leadlight window models' which were first produced in 1934.

The interesting and significant thing about your Cadet is that it appears to have wooden Bosse windows (as opposed to aluminium frame windows) and a divided front window (as opposed to a single pane of glass). If you look at the picture from the publicity material for the 'new Cadet 12' model click here you will see that it has the same windows as your van.

At its introduction the Cadet model was a 12 footer, while the 14 or 15 footer (named the Cadet 15 by Don) like yours was released later, although I'm not sure how much later (maybe a few months, maybe a year?).

The wooden Bosse and divided front windows were replaced within a relatively short time ('short time' for Don which resisted change like the plague!) by aluminium framed windows and an undivided front window. If you check out the pics of Mark T's Don Cadet serial number 2303 you'll see the new style windows. Mark's Cadet has been dated as 1959/60, so we know from comparing the windows and the serial numbers that your van must have been built before then.

In your first post you said "...can help us determine what year our DON is..." in the present tense, so I am assuming from that that you still have your van, and are still using it? If so, you are in the same category as me - our Don caravan (a 1949 leadlight window model) was purchased by my parents and we still use it regularly.

We look forward to hearing more about your van and its history.

Welcome to the forum!

Don Ricardo