Vintage caravans sighted

[Franklin1]

G'day All,

We have just returned home from a 2800 kms maiden voyage in that unmentionable caravan .

We travelled from home (near Wollongong NSW) to the Mildura Nationals, then down to Ballarat, and then across to the east coast and back up to home. Here are photos of the vintage vans we sighted on properties along the way. By definition, most vintage vans stored outside are likely to be aluminium clad, and so it is with most of these photos...

1. Wellington, NSW - a bondwood, looking in good shape...





2. Gol Gol, NSW - unknown, but the shape suggested there was something old hidden under all that "modern" cladding and customised window at the front...





3. Lascelles, Vic - a Carapark Zestline...





4. Hopetoun, Vic - unknown, but from the distance I took the photo, the sides seemed to be bondwood. There looks like some damage to the side roof just past the halfway mark...





5. Warracknabeal, Vic - a late '60s Ambassador...





6. Minyip, Vic - an early '60s Viscount...





7. Ballarat, Vic - a Crusader...





8. Ballarat, Vic - a 1967 Franklin Safari still being used as an on-site van, and still in very good condition...





9. Orbost, Vic - a Pathfinder? Hidden behind that tank, so couldn't see it all...





10. Wandandian, NSW - a mid-60's something-or-other...





and finally, 11. Something for cobber to get all misty-eyed about ...




Apart from the vintage vans associated with the Nationals, we passed two other vintage vans being used on the roads...a 1966 Franklin Freeway at Red Cliffs just south of Mildura, and a Sunliner near Nowra NSW.


cheers,
Al.

[Jennison]

The pathfinder would be around a 1960s' model by the looks of the pathfinder badge - no jennison mentioned.

[cobber]

G'day Al,

Thanks for the photos, goes to show that there are still some 'vans out there waiting to be rescued.
And thanks for the telephone box one.... it does make me misty-eyed , I use to work on them when I was a young TIT.............. (Technician In Training) .
We even have a similar one in our front yard in which I sometimes sit...... and reflect .


Cobber

[kaybee]

May 28, 2010 8:28:59 GMT 10 cobber said:

G'day Al,

Thanks for the photos, goes to show that there are still some 'vans out there waiting to be rescued.
And thanks for the telephone box one.... it does make me misty-eyed , I use to work on them when I was a young TIT.............. (Technician In Training) .
We even have a similar one in our front yard in which I sometimes sit...... and reflect .



Cobber

.....looks like you keep your spare clobber in there too Cobber.........is that your part time job?....... ;D ;D.....Supercaravanman...... ;D ;D

[cobber]

.....looks like you keep your spare clobber in there too Cobber.........is that your part time job?....... .....Supercaravanman......

You're right Kaybee.... that's me in there just reflecting on the days work before changing back into civvies

Cobber

[tenoroc]

The bondwood van at Hopetoun is a Coronet. Built not long before aluminium cladding took over.

[whippy]

Hey Cobber, when were you a T.I.T. I was in the PMG from 1964 to 1971. in Melb as a Telecommunications Technician.

[Deleted]

Hi Whippy
I am not too sure when Cobber done his time as a T.I.T but... i am sure i have seen him up the pole on "Green Acres "or "Petty coat Junction"on the odd episode.

Rumour also has it that he rents the phone box out to the Aluminium Caravan Club for thier annual general meetings... ;D ;D

Oooooooooo ...allright i will apologise to the Bauxite Brigade before i get into too much strife

Reddo... President of the Royal Society for the Preservation of Bondwood Caravans

[cobber]

G'day Whippy,

I was a '55 TIT mate....in the big smoke (Sydney) ....long before those shows young Reddo mentions

And just to show I didn't mean to hi-jack this thread..... don't you think the shape of the first 'van Al spotted looks a bit like this one.....and this one....and I'm beginning to see this 'van in my sleep

Cobber.

[Franklin1]

G'day Cobber, yep, similar shape for all those three vans. Probably a pretty common "basic" shape for a lot of vans in those days, ay!

Re the telephone booth...we came across another one like it on our travels, in another caravan park, that appeared to be still in use (?). Phone and phone book inside. The one I've posted above was just a stripped-out shell.

Re the van at Hopetoun...like tenoroc says, I had an inkling of Coronet when I was taking the photo. I thought I'd seen something like it somewhere, and when I got home I checked through my files. The one in the bottom of this brochure could be something like the one at Hopetoun (sort of)...




Would be a nice van for someone looking for something BIG.

cheers,
Al.