And so it begins ...our Sundowner ..and now a Holidaymaker

[willow5075]

Jan 20, 2013 19:07:10 GMT 10 cobber said:

G'day Willow,

Can I just say ...... what you have is a unique vintage caravan and if you intent to keep it original you don't have to go over the top bringing the running gear up to modern specifications.
Just as long as all the original fittings are working as they were when it was new you are permitted to keep it as it was...... Just like it is with vintage and historic cars

Especially the tow coupling.... It worked then and it'll work now

Cobber.

Thanks for the advice Cobber, we will be looking to keep as much as possible original with allowance for 21st century comfort & safety. We'll certainly be looking to keep the tow hitch as original etc

[willow5075]

So the van is STILL in at the repairers. The MOTH has been to talk with them about what they have to do. They said they have never seen a tow hitch as old as ours and alas, because we want to tow the van and actually use it, they cannot leave it on. It's a cast hitch and could shatter. Anyhow they said they wil remove it very carefully and said we should keep it as a collectors item because of its age, which we will.
It's a bit of a shame but we do want to use the van to travel in and we want to be safe so new tow hitch and electric brakes it is.
The guy who will be working on it has gone on holidays for 4 weeks so we are still waiting ..........

[willow5075]

Well we still don't have the van back - lthe MOTH has spoken to them and they are going to recondition the running gear. sprongs etc because they cant replace, MOTH would have to explain why.
We'll be getting new tow hitch thingie and electric brakes.
Meanwhile, I keep nudging (no its not nagging) the MOTH to get the area where the van will live paved while it's empty.
But now of course lovely long Easter weekend arriving and no van to escape in :-(

[Surf Tragic]

Hi willow5075

What a beaut Vintage Van you have, it has a unique shape, also some truly unique fittings.

I must say the tow coupling is such a unique part of your van, & it makes me feel sad to see it may go after all the years it has proved to be a reliable fitting.

I do hope you don't mind if I just suggested,..... that if you are concerned with it shattering, that the proper fitting of some suitable safety chains would ensure that no untoward incident occur, & you don't lose such an integral part of the uniqueness of your Van.

Trouble with me is, I just love old mechanical things even though they aren't always as convenient or easy to use as modern stuff, but to me it's all part of the intrigue.

Whatever you decide, I will be watching your restoration process with great interest

All the best

Surf Tragic

[willow5075]

Thanks Surf Tragic, yes we are a bit sad that the old hitch has to go but we intend to take the van on some of the roads slightly less travelled so we wanted 21st century safety. The mechanics are keeping it for us.

As of this week, we are just waiting on the tail lights to be fixed then she's ready to pick up.
The MOTH contacted the registration people again to see what we needed to do to get the van re- registered and the person he spoke to said just come in and fill out the paper work! Fully, expected to have to take it down to be checked over but no!
So now its registered - Yay!

Can't wait to get it home now and set it up inside - next major thing is to replace the cushions at the table that also turn into the double bed but we may just get a blowup mattress for now so we can take it away - depends how much the repairs to date cost.
Then a fridge, before next summer, an air conditioner and of course all the little things like window fittings need some work, rubbers need replacing ....but she'll be useable very soon even with those things needing to be done and I can't wait to take her away on a trial run - some where close so we can get a feel for what we want / need in her

Our take on it, is to preserve the Vintage look as much as possible, including inside layout but have the comforts of the 21st century.

[willow5075]

Finally picking up Sunny on Tuesday, can't wait to get herd and start setting her up inside!

[willow5075]

Sunny is home safely :-)

Untitled by Caroline Lloyd, on Flickr

[willow5075]

Off to Clark rubber today to get the base for our cushions/ bed

The MOTH gets busy measuring and cutting

[willow5075]

And about an hour later wew have cushions



Which will be be one something to sleep on

[willow5075]

Question for those of you more experienced than us ...

Do you use an overlay or something when sleeping on cushions converted to bed like this? What's the best thing to use? I was considering packing a foam mattress overlay or something so I'm keen to hear what others find works well

Oh and clearly, next step will be to get these covered but as the running gear cost a reasonable amount, I m keen to recover from that before spending a lot more.
However we have one night test trip booked for next week and a 2 nighter in May so needed something to sleep on!

[willow5075]

Plenty of room


When we used this as a bedroom we had a normal double bed mattress in this spot

Of course now we re used to a queen but hey you have to rough it a bit when your camping .........

[humpyboy]

Oh dear, only cut a bit of foam and he's already laying down on the job, how ever will you get it finished? ;D as for your question if you have room to store an overlay that would make it all the more comfy to lay on, may even keep that in mind when I eventually get round to doing something with my project.

[Franklin1]

G'day willow,

Nice bit of foam cutting.

I still have to get to that stage with the project I'm working on, but looking at your photo, I wonder if a different configuration of the foam would make for a "more comfy" bed. You see where that lazy layabout's bum is lined up with the middle join? I wonder if you put a wide cushion at the head end, then the other wide cushion next, and the two narrow ones last at the foot end, would you eliminate having a join where his bum is likely to press down? It seems that that would be the case when I mentally shift the cushions around in my head, but is that how it would be actually?

(...and he's not really a lazy layabout . I can see he's a highly skilled foam tester. ;D )

cheers,
Al.

[willow5075]

You know that is so simple it's brilliant!

But the moth says there is something about the little lips etc on the benches ...

[barkpaint]

Had I only logged in earlier, definately next time, cut your foam with an electric carving knife, forget the Xmas turkey or roast whatever, they do the neatest job. But what you did with a stanley knife is admirable.
From experience I must concur with Franklin 1, put the broader pieces under head and torso, works best.
I would also suggest covering your foam with polyester wadding, then lining then upholstery fabric for the best of jobs. The poly wadding, not expensive, evens out any cut rough edges. Not too hard a diy job. cheers, Heather

[willow5075]

Thanks barkpaint good advice about the wadding - we are planning to have a guy who's a semi retired upholsterer do the covering for us but Ill make sure we include that
I have consider doing myself but I don't think my machine is quite up to the job!
The guy in the shop recommended an electric carving knife but we didn't have one so I asked him about box cutters and the box cutter proved pretty easy. Bought a nice new one and changed blades about half way through, worked a treat

[willow5075]

And finally our first trip - trial effort to Mclaren Vale


First trip by Willow5075, on Flickr

[willow5075]

And the Top Tourist Park guide has all vintage vans on the cover !

[willow5075]

And lesson one was. Take off the brake!! Before you drive off....hee hee luckily no disasters

[Surf Tragic]

Hi willow5075

The van sure looks the part all set up on your first outing. should have attracted some admirers.

I can see why the seat cushions have to be the way you have laid them out, as the end ones sit well down in a recess, so you would wreck them (or one of them) if you laid them across the ply that sticks up at the table edges, guess you have no other choice.

Cheers.........ST

[seeshell]

Hi Willow

Really lovely - you could almost have fooled us that it was an old family shot with those sepia tones.

Glad you're out there enjoying her!

Cheers,
Seeshell

[willow5075]

We had a lovely time and came home with a list of must do's, which we fully expected. It rained this morning so that raised a whole set of things to think about ....

In order of criticality
- Fix leak on the front window
- Make a bracket thingie to fix the spare tyre to the van so we don't have to put it in the boot
- Fix the dodgy latches on some of the cupboard doors, we're thinking of adding the magnetic kind that you just push to open so we don't have to change the original latches.
- a hose to fill up the water tanks so we can use for washing up etc. Don't trust them for drinking water and will probably change them but should be OK for washing up etc
- something to put the wet annexe or awning on so the carpet doesn't get ruined. Luckily we only put up the awning this trip because we knew it might rain but a wet annexe would have been a whole other ball game. What do other people do?

Of less importance but still important
- Get / make some sort of hood for the air vent - it seemed to let water in on the drive home and I'm not sure it didn't suck in a bit of road dust as well. Any tips on best way to manage them would be welcome!
- work out how the actual vent opens when cooking inside
- cut some more key's to the door, we only have one!
- get the cushions covered

Nice to have soonish
- a fridge
- some sort of small bbq possibly a webberq
- get the 12v system working with an extra battery

And maybe before next summer
- an airconditioner

What worked well this trip:-
- bed was pretty comfy if a trifle firm, and plenty of room
- induction cooker worked a treat to cook up our bacon for brekky!!!
- having an ensuite site!! I'll be booking those in future whenever they're available!

Things to remember to pack next time:
- the folding chairs!
- Raincoats! (Although, now I remember I have one of those rain poncho's in the glove box, shh don't tell the MOTH!)

[willow5075]

Apr 20, 2013 21:46:49 GMT 10 Surf Tragic said:

Hi willow5075

The van sure looks the part all set up on your first outing. should have attracted some admirers.

I can see why the seat cushions have to be the way you have laid them out, as the end ones sit well down in a recess, so you would wreck them (or one of them) if you laid them across the ply that sticks up at the table edges, guess you have no other choice.

Cheers.........ST

Ha yes, I noticed quite a few heads turning when we drove past and it was a conversation starter at the park.

f course she still needs a good polish and some paint on the front and a nice stripe and her Sundowner redone then she'll be beautiful and turn more heads!

I went for a wander and we were definitely the oldest van in the park. I stopped to look at an Adelma and had a chat with the man who lived there, Roger, and turns out he works for Roadmaster, they don't make vans any more but they still repair and restore them. His van was from around 1976 so classic rather than vintage

[willow5075]

Apr 21, 2013 8:00:53 GMT 10 seeshell said:

Hi Willow

Really lovely - you could almost have fooled us that it was an old family shot with those sepia tones.

Glad you're out there enjoying her!

Cheers,
Seeshell

Thanks yeah I'll have to crop out the car!

[willow5075]

And breakfast time before we packed up to come home


Breakfast by Willow5075, on Flickr