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Post by hilldweller on Feb 23, 2014 13:35:37 GMT 10
At least when it rains you have plenty of fresh water available from your roof. It's dawned on me that you don't have a hatch on your van. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why the front and rear windows are set so high up? Are there vents somewhere up near the roof to let stale air out? The thing I'm concerned about is fresh water coming through the roof! Yes mesh covered vents high up on both sides. Corner 4 now steamed and drying on the bench. It bent very easily so fingers crossed all will be well. And unfortunately definitely not enough head-room to turn those supports the other way Another good idea bites the dust!
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Post by hilldweller on Feb 27, 2014 17:07:46 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Feb 27, 2014 20:21:13 GMT 10
Ahhh, beautiful work there, hilldweller. You'd think the whole frame had been replaced, the way it all looks. Nicely done. My guess for the small holes is... egg cups?? Gotta get me one of those multitools. They must make some of those fiddly jobs pretty easy, hey?! cheers, Al.
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Post by humpyboy on Feb 27, 2014 21:39:56 GMT 10
Nice work hilldweller she's gunna be sturdy when your done, as for those multitools I picked one up the other week from Aldi $40.00 cheap at half the price.
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Post by akeepsake on Feb 28, 2014 6:13:41 GMT 10
At least when it rains you have plenty of fresh water available from your roof. It's dawned on me that you don't have a hatch on your van. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why the front and rear windows are set so high up? Are there vents somewhere up near the roof to let stale air out? The thing I'm concerned about is fresh water coming through the roof! Yes mesh covered vents high up on both sides. Corner 4 now steamed and drying on the bench. It bent very easily so fingers crossed all will be well. And unfortunately definitely not enough head-room to turn those supports the other way Another good idea bites the dust! Giday HW been watching your thread and think you are doing a fantastic job ! It's a credit to you! I know you want to keep it original but vents are no substitute for a hatch and if headroom is an issue a hatch with a tapered roof ( or a steam bent curved one) is something to consider . Rather than go into detail check out the Jenno hope that makes sense and you'll be very gratefull on a hot summers day Not thinking of the front large curve above but more like the slight taper that runs from the hatch openings to the sides Cheers
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 1, 2014 17:22:19 GMT 10
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Post by akeepsake on Mar 1, 2014 17:37:25 GMT 10
Wow great find and to tie the two in together , fantastic! If you are replacing that section of roof be sure to cut it out and frame it and hang it in the van!!!!
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 2, 2014 15:57:25 GMT 10
Good idea keepsake - I have cut that piece out and put it somewhere safe. As for the rest of the roof……..oops! Raw canvas with cream paint which looks like the same paint that was used on the inside and top half of the outside, and then the silver which I presume is the bitumen/aluminium stuff. As others on here have reported, it has a tendency to crack and flake. The small green pieces in the previous photo are patches added at some stage. With the saggy roof off it became apparent that the middle ‘beam’, which is partly supported by the higher side of the wardrobe, is straight, or close enough. The other four will have to come off. The wide boards which form the overhang at front and back are water damaged and will also need to be replaced. Might do those first. Better shot of the ‘breakfast’ cupboard for those interested in such things. I reckon Al’s egg cup suggestion is right for the smaller gaps - thanks.
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Post by seeshell on Mar 2, 2014 16:24:39 GMT 10
Hi HD Well how's that Kiwi get-it-done! Amazing progress - and I'd have to agree with Al, eggcups. Nifty about the roof - the names, and that tying back to the road guide. Have you thought of doing a bit of investigation on Ancestry.com or an old census (since you have an address)? That's in part how I came across the family of Mr Conrick who built our van - there might even be some oldies around who remember it in use, and maybe family photos as well. It's so nice knowing the history if you can trace it. One thing that would be interesting to know is 1952 the build date, or the "reroofing" date - it's pattern and shape looks much earlier. But maybe they're slow changing fashions in NZ. Given the look of your van - have you thought of attending the Art Deco weekend in Napier? She'd be all the go there I reckon, when she's fixed up. Cheers Seeshell
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 3, 2014 7:32:41 GMT 10
One thing that would be interesting to know is 1952 the build date, or the "reroofing" date - it's pattern and shape looks much earlier. But maybe they're slow changing fashions in NZ. Just what are you implying LOL? Interesting thought about re-roofing and I will be sure to let you know if I find any other dates, but I am quite certain that as a brand new van in '52 she would have been the most up to the minute trendsetting van in Bluff LOL. The Art Deco festival one year is not a bad idea depending how well she tows. Napier's a loooooong way from here and towing to date has been limited to slow nervous trips to the garage etc.
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 4, 2014 10:14:30 GMT 10
Water damaged ‘eaves’ removed, which changes her shape completely - funny how those little details make such a difference to the overall look. Replacements going on (loving all the new clamps even more than the multitool LOL) … This is from the inside and will all be covered over when new hardboard lining goes on. All done bar a bit of trimming on a couple of corners where the perimeter rail is slightly too long. In hindsight it would have been easier to have done this, the ends of the top rails and the curved corners all together, removing the lot and then putting the corner on first and slightly too long, cutting it down to the exact length and then putting the perimeter rail on top. But the step by step approach was probably safer with bent timber and only one pair of hands. Life is about to get a lot busier with work commitments etc so today is probably the last weekday for a while where I’ll be able to find Mabel time. Will try to keep doing little bits at the weekends, weather permitting (she's under cover but it can get very cold out there!).
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 4, 2014 21:05:44 GMT 10
G'day hilldweller, Just thinking a bit more about the bowed ceiling battens not being able to be turned on their edge... Could it be a simple matter of turning them over so they are bowed upwards? You could get another fifty years out of them before they sagged again...maybe... ps. Enjoy your work commitments. I seem to remember they were something positive, but I've been retired seven years now and have forgotten what a work commitment actually is. cheers, Al.
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 7, 2014 20:04:24 GMT 10
G'day hilldweller, Just thinking a bit more about the bowed ceiling battens not being able to be turned on their edge... Could it be a simple matter of turning them over so they are bowed upwards? You could get another fifty years out of them before they sagged again...maybe... Hmmm.... now that might work. I'll see how they look when they're off. If they can be persuaded to sit more or less straight it would be a very neat solution. If they curve upwards it would introduce a whole new set of issues. Keepsake - your suggestion re a hatch and tapered roofline makes perfect sense in every respect but I really want to keep Mabel as original in her overall look as possible. (Not to mention that if she gets any taller I'll never get her out of the garage - she's already trapped in there until someone removes her wheels again!) On a different van I would probably do as you suggest.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 8, 2014 6:38:02 GMT 10
Hi HD. Congrats on your date discovery!! You join a very few and elite group who can claim such provenance. Glad to see too that you're using those Irwin clamps - so much easier to use than the screw types - yes they do have them on this side of the ditch too!!! . Ray
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 8, 2014 17:36:13 GMT 10
Had time to potter around this afternoon so began by removing the nails left behind when the roof spontaneously jumped off with no help from me at all ;)and sanding the top rails. They cleaned up quite well but there are hundreds of nail holes so I might get another bottle of the wood hardener and then try to fill the worst of them. Then the roof supports. Nothing complicated about the way they were attached – just butted up to the top rail … … and a couple of nails whacked in at each end. Then the canvas/hardboard roof was nailed along each rail. As an aside, the only screws I’ve found so far are where things like hinges were attached, and no glue. I left the middle/wardrobe one in place and this is the rest, with a hopefully straight bit of pine on the right for comparison. Three of the four are out by a little over an inch in the middle. With those pieces removed it became apparent the overhead cupboards had been pretty much hanging from them with no support underneath and just some dodgy quarter-round at the front end. With all those teacups and eggcups etc there would have been a fair bit of downward pressure on the roof. There’s a perfectly good bit of framing running behind that bottom edge but the cupboards weren’t attached to it . I think they will be, pretty soon . Think I can do it so it’s only visible from inside the cupboard. I had been thinking the most likely crockery would have been enamelled tin, but looking at the shape of those cup holes they're definitely for proper teacups with little handles. The plate spaces are all a bit smaller than today's equivalents, which might be why 4'1" was a perfectly adequate width for the double bed. 6'4" long though.
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 16, 2014 15:11:11 GMT 10
Started on the new framing for the roof. First removed the cupboard, before it fell down, and put it out of the way pending clean-up and repainting at a (much!) later date. Decided to replace the bowed pieces with new copies and add two lighter pieces running front to back. It's not a perfect solution but hopefully the slight upwards curve on the additional pieces plus better fixing of the top cupboard and a new watertight (as opposed to waterlogged) roof will be sufficient to prevent a recurrence of the sagging problem. If not I shall have to console myself that I’ve exactly recreated the original look . That last pic's the original centre support, minus a few layers of dirty cream paint. I am enjoying the fact that with Mabel, pretty much everything is there – so no need to think about where to put things and measure distances, just line them up with the 62 year-old pencil marks .
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 23, 2014 13:48:36 GMT 10
Lengthwise bits of framing on. Even though they’re very light, the whole structure seems much more rigid. Unfortunately now that the roof’s tied together I can see the vertical piece that runs up behind the kitchen window is bent at the top of the window and is out by about ¼ inch at that point. Will try the ‘cut, replace and splint’ technique, hopefully next weekend. When I took the cladding off, I had the vague idea that I’d fix the framing, fit new cladding and then look at the inside. But now I’m thinking it would be better to tackle the inside first for better access, which would mean removing (carefully) the ‘furniture’ and re-lining all the walls. Does that sound right? Anyone? The original build sequence seems to have been: chassis etc and floor; framing; wall lining; lino over the whole floor; furniture on top of the lino; cladding; and lastly the roof. Completely different from the fibreglass Caravelle! The wall lining (what’s left of it ) all needs replacing but the furniture looks as if it’ll be good for another 62 years with just a coat of new clean (original cream) paint.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 23, 2014 14:20:16 GMT 10
Nice job on the roof, hilldweller! Your proposed method of tackling the inside of the van is pretty much how the mass-produced vans were made: Chassis -> floor -> floor tiles -> walls -> internal fixtures and fittings -> roof/ends. Sounds like a logical way to build these vans, I reckon. cheers, Al.
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neilncheryl
Full Member
Make God laugh, tell Him your plans.
Posts: 324
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Post by neilncheryl on Mar 23, 2014 19:45:28 GMT 10
Hi Hilldweller Yes I would do the inside first. I have found it better and easier this way, then outside cladding last. Good job your doing there. Keep at it
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 24, 2014 17:15:40 GMT 10
Thanks Al and NeilnCheryl (love the look of that van in your avatar). The inside it shall be (once I fix that bent bit of framing). I might even get really bold and order some hardboard ahead of the Easter weekend!
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Post by hilldweller on Oct 17, 2015 11:46:04 GMT 10
I miss Mabel! Logged in for the first time in ages today and was reminded how much I enjoy working on her, and also of how much help I've received through the forum.
I do still have Mabel, and she's safely under cover, but haven't got time at present to do anything. Maybe I could find just an hour or two somewhere to tidy her up a bit....
I logged in really because I'm thinking about selling the Caravelle and was feeling nostalgic. No time for Mabel also means no time to use the Caravelle, and I don't like the thought of her just sitting there. Will ponder for a bit more.
I hope all on here are well and enjoying their vans.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Nov 12, 2019 21:21:33 GMT 10
Hi HD
Seems that you may still be lurking there in the background, watching what's going on this side of the ditch. Things have changed a lot since you finished your Caravelle. There seem to be far less actual major restoration projects happening (yes I know there are exceptions SGTL!). I've even gone across to the "far side" with my replica modern interpretation of a ledge gypsy van. I figured that after 5 restos of vintage caravans, I needed a change.
Sadly, it looks like your pics of Mabel have gone into the ethernet after the "great Photobucket ripoff". Whilst our intrepid DonRicardo did an enormous job reinstating the DHL section and others have done likewise with their threads, the pics of Mabel are no longer there.
Perhaps if you're planning to work on her now, you could upload some pics again, just to remind us of what you've got over there. Alternatively, perhaps DonRicardo might be able to help with reinstating your history. If I say DonRicardo often enough, he might take notice!!
Cheers Ray
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Post by hilldweller on Nov 14, 2019 17:00:48 GMT 10
Oh wow the photos are back Thanks Don Ricardo, if that was your magic! Sadly I'm not planning to work on Mabel now - next year maybe? - but when I do I'll definitely be back posting regularly. The advice and encouragement on here is half the fun In the meantime I'll try to lurk a bit more regularly to help get back into the right headspace. I'll start by seeing what SGTL is up to.... It's a shame about fewer long project threads. My favourites are the ones that start with a real rescue mission from an ancient shed or the like.
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Post by hilldweller2 on Feb 12, 2022 14:40:51 GMT 10
Hello all. I thought I'd do a little post as I've been doing some research and found out a bit about Mabel's origins. She is sadly still a non-progressing project but definitely not abandoned and one day there will be some actual progress to report.
In the meantime, I've been looking through old newspaper ads courtesy of the online national archives. We know, from the names on the roof and the quirky construction that Mabel is homebuilt, but I had seen online pics of two other vans with a similar shape that were known to be factory-built Tanners, and had read somewhere that in the mid 40s Tanner supplied chassis to homebuilders, so I was interested to see if I could find a more definite link.
What I discovered was that an Akld based company called Tanner Trailers or Tanner Bros began making caravans in 1932. The early vans weren't at all like Mabel, rather a more rounded shape. This 9ft model added to the range around 1937 shows the general shape - the bigger models were an elongated version of the same.
......sorry folks there will be a brief interruption to this broadcast while I work out how to post pics.......
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Post by hilldweller2 on Feb 12, 2022 16:03:47 GMT 10
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