Carapark wanted SA

[swiftden]

Hello I am still looking for a carapark caravan shell to use for a mobile honey plant. I am in SA .

Can anyone help. I do not need any interior at all just sound chasis and shell.

[beau]

Without meaning to sound too rude, why don't you just rivet together a basic tin box on top of and old trailer and leave the vintage vans to those of us who want to restore vintage vans.
If you bother to read the forum guideline you will find the answer to your lack of replys.

[swiftden]

Beau, you are not being rude at all i previously had a row van which was sold to another to restore. I am not looking to trash a van that is complete or worth restoring. As many on here would know many carapark vans were used as work vans and tools sheds by councils and road crews etc,

Im looking for a shell that is suitable to be refurbed and use as my honey plant. I do not wish to strip out an existing van that is worth restoring.

[swiftden]

Dave,

NO been having all sorts of trouble with my computer .

Sorry normally i respond to every one and let them know if i have got what i was looking for or if it isnt what i am looking for

What is at langhorns creek mate?

Also on a side note the guy that bought my rowvan still has it but has not had much of a chance to get to it i spoke with him via email the other day and it is still tucked up in his shed.

[swiftden]

Banno

I want it to look good as well. I am also looking at the refirigerated box off a truck at the moment to turn into a trailer.

want to insulate it and obviously a carapark would sevre the purpose. Like i said they have been used as work vans by councils etc for decades.

[swiftden]

I understand that but isnt it better to reuse an old carapark that is sitting somewhere rotting away and is never going to be restored?

[griffin]

Stick to your guns Swiftden I'm sure you will find a Carapark languishing somewhere This site just might not be the place you will find it I think more of them were probably used for commercial purposes anyway, and I don't see anyone restoring commercial vans and dragging them about to gatherings . You could be a first, selling fresh sweet honey ;D Just leave the bees at home

Commercial vans are surely part of caravanning history too .

Here's one that looks like it's always been a commercial van and is still in use

George

[cobber]

G'day swiftden,

Go for a drive in the rural areas..... caraparks are a dime a dozen






Cobber

[JBJ]

Hi Swiftden,

I'm with you on this one.

At the risk of offending Carapark lovers, they have never been a popular vintage van. They dont have the "CUTE" look that so many new vintage vanners seem to feel is the most important part of a van.

I always mentally associate them with work vans. As has been said, you see them sitting in paddocks & around sheds a fair bit. Theres even a couple I've noticed up here in Northern NSW over the last few years.

Once anyone buys something, its theirs to do what they want with. Much to the detriment of the politicians & public servants, Australia still is a relatively free country.


JBJ

[retro64]

Hi swifden,

Not having specified, we're assuming you are after the very rectangular shape of carapark as per pictures supplied by cobber.

There seems to be alot in rural areas, languishing in paddocks.
Weve seen them with wheels and chassis removed, sitting on the ground being used as storage sheds/garden sheds etc.

They may not be small, cute and round but there will be others that will argue in their defence, and consider them beautifull in their own way.

Recently there were 2 on the forum to giveaway, with little response( excuse me vv members if you did). so jbj has a valid point, the shape may not be as popular as some.

As to their original use and purpose, perhaps they were used by councils, and etc, but they were also used by families for many years of holidaying fun.There a in lies the differing opinions weve read on this thread.

Our personal opinion is if you find one that was a work vechicle, for example, built for and used by a council or road crew, and give it a new lease of working life, better that than falling apart at the seams.

HOWEVER if you were thinking of a zestline or astronaught shape carapark,please reconsider, it would really, truely make us cry to see one of these lovely old vans turned into anything other than a restored piece of touring history.

Credit should also be given you for moving on your rowvan to someone who wishes to restore it to its former glory days.

Whichever way it turns out, good luck in your future endevours,

Cheers retro64
( self confessed lovers of caraparks) ;D ;D ;D

[e38e49]

Hi, i`ve had Caraparks in my family since 1958 , & i`ve still got a couple of Caraparks & i consider them to be the strongest van ever built, hundereds of Showys & circus people carn`t be wrong, they`ve had them for years & if they where still makeing them they would be still useing them, (i once ask a Showy why Caraparks he said we drive though the bumps not around them), these vans where so great that other manufactures wanted to make them like FRANKLIN & FUTURA plus others, these vans would be one of the most popular vans ever built thats why there still laying around in padocks, i consider them to be the Rolls Royce of Caravans in Australia,

Cheer`s e38e49
(when you`ve got the best why bother with the rest)

[beau]

vintagecaravans.com does not support the modification of vintage caravans for commercial purposes, or purposes other than what were originally intended by the manufacturer unless it's a carapark, or a van we don't really like, or the person modifying it is a really nice guy, ?
But seriously, I don't think anyone here would begrudge you using an original site van, as for the suggestions that no one really wants them ( as per recent sales) does anyone remember what a Bondi needing restoration was worth 10 years ago? two fifths of bugger all.
The same will happen in our hobby as is happening in many others, not everyone can have or afford a Sunliner or a Don or is going to stumble across a 30's Landcruiser in a shed somewhere , so as these vans get used up, young family's and low income earners will have to look to alternatives to be able to join in and enjoy our hobby, as this happens van like the carapark will become wanted and worth something.

[kaybee]

G'day Swiftden,
I don't know where in Sth Oz you are ,but there was a Carapark in Mt Gambier when we were there for the national get together a few years ago. Drive up towards the lake and turn into the street that has the Hospital in it ,go to the end of the hosp. and there's a short street off to the right that runs back down the hill ,drive down it to the end and look across the road and slightly to the left....there's a big old house on the corner and down beside said house in the carport , there is a Carapark.....and when we were there it was for sale but I don't remember how much it was.

If you decide to chase it up , good luck to you and I hope you can make better use of it than this guy has , cheers, Col.

[retro64]

Hey e38e49,

Thanks for the interesting post, especially the part about the the showies and circus people you've come across that own them,and why they chose Carapark.
Would have to agree they were strongly made, we have a couple of Caraparks and wouldn't worry too much about bumps in the road either. The springs under our van are 12 leaf!!!!!
It's allways nice to hear of anyones family history regarding their vans, 53 years of your family owning Caraparks is certainly a long one.
As to us we like all, the caraparks we've come across so far,regardless of the model, for many of the reasons you've mentioned, we're proud Carapark owners.

Wishing you much joy with yours,
retro64

[swiftden]

Thanks to those of you who support my project. retro64 I would never dream of gutting a van that could be restored and yes i am after the toaster shape not the other beautiful shaped caraparks. some thing like number three picture in cobbers post would be perfect.

I only got rid of the rowvan when my work situation changed and i did not have access to a shed. Now i own 100acres of land and have recently built a 100ft x 30ft shed. what i would give to have had it ages ago to store my projects in.

Alas we can not turn back the clock but it has gone to a good home hopefully.
Rest assured i would not accept a carapark that still had a holiday style inner that could be restored to its former glory. i am looking for a sound shed on wheels.

I am near Murray Bridge and willing to travel 200-300km if needed for one in good condition.

Regards
Allan

[Franklin1]

G'day swiftden, you poor ol' bugger!

Would have been a lot less hassle for you to have just kept the ol' Rowvan, ay?!

Go back and modify the heading in your first post to "Wanted: Commercial van in SA" and then nobody will give a rat's pitootie about what you're doing. ;D

Don't limit yourself to the word "Carapark". There are other brands out there as well, eg. "President" caravans from Newcastle, NSW...





Ever since Carapark stopped making caravans around 1965, somebody must have taken over supplying to that market, so there's bound to be other sorts of vans around. There was a bloke about 30k's away from me who listed a couple of President vans on ebay a few months back. Both vans were about the 10 or 12ft mark, and both were in crap condition. Both sold for only a couple of hundred dollars each.

Keep in mind that if you do get a true commercial van, it will most likely have the ring coupling on it, rather than the coupling we are more familiar with. Also keep in mind these things 'weigh a ton', so you might want to do a bit of gym workout before you buy.

Good luck with your search. I hardly think Australia's caravanning history will be severely set back by you acquiring an old van that was used as a workers' crib room, and turning it into something useful.

cheers,
Al.

[swiftden]

Al

the rowvan was never bought to be a honey plant i was going to rebuild it. it still had the little round fronted gas fridge in it etc.

That van you pictured would be perfect for what i want .
I didn't realise there were other brands of toaster van !

[griffin]

Commercial vans have never been up there in the beauty stakes but if you sell 'amber fluid' like these guys then the ugliest van on the lot can still be the most popular ;D
George

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Swiftden,

You'll notice that Franklin1 neglected to say that even Franklin produced Carapark toaster lookalikes! Maybe it's a bit of Franklin history he prefers not to acknowledge? ;D ;D ;D

I took these photos of a Franklin toaster at Lake Goldsmith near Beaufort in Victoria (third van down first photo, fourth van down second photo):





Sorry about the funny angle, I was photographing through a fence and around a tree at the time.

This van appears to be similar to the Franklin Commercial Division van featured in the article in Reply #47 on the Franklin DHL thread.

So, Swiftden, maybe you should watch out for a Franklin as well?

Don Ricardo

[Franklin1]

G'day DonR,

Maybe it's a bit of Franklin history he prefers not to acknowledge? ;D ;D ;D

Only because there's virtually no mention of the Franklin commercial vans in any of the newspaper archives! ;D

Same with Viscount and Millard, the other two big players in the late '50s. Can't say I recall seeing a commercial van from either of those two, even though you'd have to think they were trying to get into that "lucrative" market.

And let's not talk about the time period before Carapark was making the toaster shape! Who was making commercial vans for the hard workers then?? No doubt there's a Don van somewhere that was specifically made in 1939 for a group of railway workers to have their crib in.

Yep, there's lots for swiftden to choose from. A Franklin van would be a good choice, because most owners get a real 'buzz' out of using them. Sounds like just the right atmosphere for bee-keeping.

cheers,
Al.

[jenniewren]

Swiftden.....I love honey.....and what a superb idea.....a "shop" style honey pot in a caravan...you go for it....I hope you have success in finding one! We were cruising to Creswick via Ballarat on the back roads and there were at LEAST four we saw sitting neglected in paddocks along the way! What a waste! I agree with you totally....doesn't matter what they are used for...as long as they are rescued from moo cow slobber!!!! J

[trub73]

i wish they were a 'dime a dozen' up here in QLD, coz ide now own one if they were!!!!
still hunting for a 10/9 if anyone knows of one close-ish to the sunny coast.
nicole