Traversing Australia by Holden with Caravan

[Deleted]

A couple of weeks ago, I met a fellow (in his 60's) whose father had done one of the earliest known half around Australia trips with a Holden towing a caravan.

He supposedly had Furness Caravans of Adelaide build him a small lightweight 9 foot caravan for the journey. He left from Adelaide to travel to Cairns in March 1950, and returned in June 1950.

There were many publicity shots taken on the journey outside Holden dealers. He gave me some pics, and a copy of an article entitles "Traversing Australia by Holden with Caravan"

You may have to put a magnifying glass to the screen to read it



























Mark

[Don Ricardo]

G'day Mark,

What a great story and what a lovely set of photographs! Thanks to you and (I presume) Mr Thomas' son for posting them.

Although a 9 ft van is only one foot shorter than a 10 ft van there's something particularly appealing (I was going to say 'cute' but I'm not sure that that's a V V'er type word is it?) about a 9 ft van. It must be the proportions or something, but it looks almost like a miniature...

One interesting thing I note about the Thomases' Furness van is that it has hinged windows rather than the sliders characteristic of post-war Furnesses. Maybe the walls weren't long enough to provide the space for the tracks, or was that to assist weight?

I think the main reason why the trip the Thomases undertook was probably regarded as so notable is indicated in the following sentences in the article: "Experiences of Holdens pulling caravans still flow in. We'll continue to publish accounts from different States, since they provide you with still more replies to those misguided enough to believe the whispering campaign that by now has had its fangs drawn." I think the whispering campaign was the belief referred to in one of Don Loffler's book that if a Holden towed a caravan it would stretch out of shape because it had a monocoque construction and no "proper chassis". Apparently there was a rumour around that when one Holden towing a caravan reached its destination, the occupants couldn't get out of the car because it had stretched and the doors wouldn't open. Given those sort of rumours you can understand why Holden would be keen to publicise the Thomases trip.

All the same, I would have my doubts that Mr Thomas' trip was one of the earliest known half around Australia trips (unless you mean one of the earliest known trips by a Holden with a caravan??). There are a number of articles in the newspapers of the 30's reporting on the circumnavigation of Australia by intrepid caravanners. In most cases at that point, it appears that the caravans that were referred to were what was called 'motor caravans' - what would we call motorhomes - rather than 'caravan trailers' (our caravans). However, it is clear that people had a go at circumnavigating Australia with 'trailer caravans' in the 30's. One report that I read from the Argus commented that 'motor caravans' were much better suited for outback roads, and that there were many 'trailer caravans' abandoned by the roadside when they could be taken no further.

Anyway, I may have miscontrued what you said. Back to the subject - a great story about Mr Thomas and his van. Thanks.

Don Ricardo