Post by mezmo on Jan 5, 2010 17:26:01 GMT 10
Hello and Happy New Year to all Vintage Caravans forum members.
I've been 'monitoring' the site for a few months now and decided that I'd join upon the New Year. It is an impressive destination on the web and I'm glad to have found this site that covers one of my favorite interests, along with an equally impressive active membership to share the interest with. And of course, thanks to Mark Taylor for having the idea in the first place and making it happen.
My Sort-Of-Fast Intro:
-I'm a Yank or American originally from the western part of New York State now in South Carolina, USA. One big pond away from Australia if "y'all" go east, or two big ponds away if "y'all" go west! Ha!
-I like anything concerning Trailers, Mobile Homes and Travel Trailers & RVs etc., (I'll try to call'em Caravans or Vans on this forum from now on!), especially older or novel ones. I find it very interesting checking out all the various building methods and layouts and concepts and such. I've had this affliction since childhood!
-My late dad was a pipeline heavy equipment operator and we traveled around to the different jobs living in our family trailer homes (4 different ones). It was an early childhood of 'perpetual camping' in quaint old trailer courts or parked on a farm somewhere in western New York State or western Pennsylvania (both definite four season climates). It provided such a fun and interesting childhood. After the family became too large (6 kids) we settled down in a boring old house but still had different caravans for weekend camping. (Three in total.)
-One day I' like to build my own smaller Van. Due to the economy & job situation (enough said on that) I won't be embarking on a build for a while but it's fun to watch others build or restore (at this site and the T&TTT (Teardrops & Tiny Travel Trailers) site here in the US - that I also just joined) their projects and to start planning a possible future build - a TTT (Tiny Travel Trailer) most likely.
- I'm not all that computer savvy - one thing I need to definitely improve on - but have managed to surf the web looking for Van/RV sites etc.. It's quite interesting to see what's been going on with them worldwide, both contemporary ones and those from the past. The US RV industry has been hit quite hard with this economic mess. Even with that I find most of the current commercial or larger manufacturer's offerings lacking. Most are too large and heavy and ridiculously expensive and could use better workmanship in my view. Besides spending a fortune on the Van you'd need to spend another fortune on a tow vehicle that could handle them. The selection of small Vans over here is not very large at all but is beginning to improve, but still the price/product value ratio needs vast improvement. Better to build your own TTT or restore an old one. Eh?
Another problem I have with our modern Vans here are the materials. Most modern materials to my eye are lacking in and of themselves, but the biggest problem I have is all the chemical off-gassing from these modern building materials. Sometimes it's so bad I can't even go in the unit! I am allergic to formaldehyde and a couple other chemicals and they all seem to permeate most of our man-made modern building materials. (It's the same for house building materials.) So whenever I get around to a TTT build, or maybe even a restore, Ill have to do it "green" whether I want to or not.
-All in all, I think your Australian off-road Caravans (also some South African off-road Caravans as well), that I've seen on the web) are extremely impressive. The Kimberley Caravan and the Innovan Caravans are really sharp, !, just to mention a couple. But they also seem to carry the High Price problem! I only mention them since I think they show the same innovative and imaginative approach that your Vintage and Classic Vans have shown in the past. This forum is full of examples. And some of the 'homemade' Vans are equally interesting and impressive.
-I chose to use "Mezmo" as my forum moniker. "Mezmo" was going to be the name for my next dog. But since my current Boston Terrier/Manchester Chihuahua mix, Dixie-Doodle, is only 5, very healthy and totally irreplaceable, I didn't want to let a "good"name never be used! Ha!
-Oh Yes, before I forget: I've attached an old family pic (jpg file) of a "teardrop" setup of sorts. This has to qualify as a Teardrop Experience of some kind! I was hoping to use it as an avatar but I haven't gone all through your photo posting procedure yet but it appears you've a problem with photo-bucket dropping out photos? I do not have an account there so far.
The photo was taken at Haines Trailer Park in Killbuck NY in the summer of @1957 or 1958. I'm the front passenger in the TD passenger Trailer. The driver of the Tear Drop (TD) shaped TowVehicle was a young teen (I forget his name) who didn't really have time for us little kids but did deign to give us a ride one day in his neat TD shaped car and its TD shaped passenger trailer. His father was a master welder who made them for him out of surplus WWII aircraft gas tanks. The trailer home right behind us in the pic was his parents. It was an @1955 8x45 Krophf - an expensive custom built job back then - that was painted Black and Red. It matched their big fancy black and red 1953 Buick hardtop with its wire wheels - a rig setup meant to impress! The kiddie TD shaped (small gas engine powered) TowV/car and TD passenger trailer were both painted a matching red. Small town America was fun back then!
-It'd be nice to visit you fair country one day but I probably won't be able to make it over unless I win a lottery or luck into a fortune some other way in the future! Ha! Meanwhile there's this wonderful forum. I wonder if the USA and Australia are mirrored (the driving thing) parallel Universes ?! Ha!
-Since I must have cured at least someone's insomnia with all this, I'll ask forgiveness for any typos and see if this will submit.
As "y'all" say: Cheers!
Norm Riehle
I've been 'monitoring' the site for a few months now and decided that I'd join upon the New Year. It is an impressive destination on the web and I'm glad to have found this site that covers one of my favorite interests, along with an equally impressive active membership to share the interest with. And of course, thanks to Mark Taylor for having the idea in the first place and making it happen.
My Sort-Of-Fast Intro:
-I'm a Yank or American originally from the western part of New York State now in South Carolina, USA. One big pond away from Australia if "y'all" go east, or two big ponds away if "y'all" go west! Ha!
-I like anything concerning Trailers, Mobile Homes and Travel Trailers & RVs etc., (I'll try to call'em Caravans or Vans on this forum from now on!), especially older or novel ones. I find it very interesting checking out all the various building methods and layouts and concepts and such. I've had this affliction since childhood!
-My late dad was a pipeline heavy equipment operator and we traveled around to the different jobs living in our family trailer homes (4 different ones). It was an early childhood of 'perpetual camping' in quaint old trailer courts or parked on a farm somewhere in western New York State or western Pennsylvania (both definite four season climates). It provided such a fun and interesting childhood. After the family became too large (6 kids) we settled down in a boring old house but still had different caravans for weekend camping. (Three in total.)
-One day I' like to build my own smaller Van. Due to the economy & job situation (enough said on that) I won't be embarking on a build for a while but it's fun to watch others build or restore (at this site and the T&TTT (Teardrops & Tiny Travel Trailers) site here in the US - that I also just joined) their projects and to start planning a possible future build - a TTT (Tiny Travel Trailer) most likely.
- I'm not all that computer savvy - one thing I need to definitely improve on - but have managed to surf the web looking for Van/RV sites etc.. It's quite interesting to see what's been going on with them worldwide, both contemporary ones and those from the past. The US RV industry has been hit quite hard with this economic mess. Even with that I find most of the current commercial or larger manufacturer's offerings lacking. Most are too large and heavy and ridiculously expensive and could use better workmanship in my view. Besides spending a fortune on the Van you'd need to spend another fortune on a tow vehicle that could handle them. The selection of small Vans over here is not very large at all but is beginning to improve, but still the price/product value ratio needs vast improvement. Better to build your own TTT or restore an old one. Eh?
Another problem I have with our modern Vans here are the materials. Most modern materials to my eye are lacking in and of themselves, but the biggest problem I have is all the chemical off-gassing from these modern building materials. Sometimes it's so bad I can't even go in the unit! I am allergic to formaldehyde and a couple other chemicals and they all seem to permeate most of our man-made modern building materials. (It's the same for house building materials.) So whenever I get around to a TTT build, or maybe even a restore, Ill have to do it "green" whether I want to or not.
-All in all, I think your Australian off-road Caravans (also some South African off-road Caravans as well), that I've seen on the web) are extremely impressive. The Kimberley Caravan and the Innovan Caravans are really sharp, !, just to mention a couple. But they also seem to carry the High Price problem! I only mention them since I think they show the same innovative and imaginative approach that your Vintage and Classic Vans have shown in the past. This forum is full of examples. And some of the 'homemade' Vans are equally interesting and impressive.
-I chose to use "Mezmo" as my forum moniker. "Mezmo" was going to be the name for my next dog. But since my current Boston Terrier/Manchester Chihuahua mix, Dixie-Doodle, is only 5, very healthy and totally irreplaceable, I didn't want to let a "good"name never be used! Ha!
-Oh Yes, before I forget: I've attached an old family pic (jpg file) of a "teardrop" setup of sorts. This has to qualify as a Teardrop Experience of some kind! I was hoping to use it as an avatar but I haven't gone all through your photo posting procedure yet but it appears you've a problem with photo-bucket dropping out photos? I do not have an account there so far.
The photo was taken at Haines Trailer Park in Killbuck NY in the summer of @1957 or 1958. I'm the front passenger in the TD passenger Trailer. The driver of the Tear Drop (TD) shaped TowVehicle was a young teen (I forget his name) who didn't really have time for us little kids but did deign to give us a ride one day in his neat TD shaped car and its TD shaped passenger trailer. His father was a master welder who made them for him out of surplus WWII aircraft gas tanks. The trailer home right behind us in the pic was his parents. It was an @1955 8x45 Krophf - an expensive custom built job back then - that was painted Black and Red. It matched their big fancy black and red 1953 Buick hardtop with its wire wheels - a rig setup meant to impress! The kiddie TD shaped (small gas engine powered) TowV/car and TD passenger trailer were both painted a matching red. Small town America was fun back then!
-It'd be nice to visit you fair country one day but I probably won't be able to make it over unless I win a lottery or luck into a fortune some other way in the future! Ha! Meanwhile there's this wonderful forum. I wonder if the USA and Australia are mirrored (the driving thing) parallel Universes ?! Ha!
-Since I must have cured at least someone's insomnia with all this, I'll ask forgiveness for any typos and see if this will submit.
As "y'all" say: Cheers!
Norm Riehle
