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Post by hillbilly on Apr 2, 2006 16:50:41 GMT 10
Hi, I'm a new member to the vintage caravan website and on my first posting I want to show you my (almost) newly acquired project.  I found this little 10 footer "Modern" caravan when I was on a jaunt out in country WA this week.  It is an aluminium van in "sort of" reasonable condition, so shouldn't be impossible to restore, I hope.  After all, ;D a man's gotta have a hobby and I think this could be just the ticket.  Look forward to talking to some of you in the future on this site. Cheers, Hillbilly WA ;D ;D ;D    |
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Post by trodler on Apr 2, 2006 18:06:33 GMT 10
Hi Hillbilly.
Welcome to the site.
Thats a nice looking little van, doesnt look to hard to restore ,a new door and windows , a coat of paint and your away.
Love the little fridge and stove.
Cheers.
Trodler.
PS The country side looks pritty dry over there in the west.
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veedubnut
Full Member
The Compact Camper
Posts: 272
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Post by veedubnut on Apr 2, 2006 18:15:08 GMT 10
Hello Hillbilly, Looks like a good solid restoration project. I also like the original fridge and stove... Looks like it will be an easy resto you lucky bugger! Welcome aboard  Cheers Greg |
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Post by Mark T on Apr 2, 2006 23:25:50 GMT 10
A top find Hillbilly ......a great project van ......
The little lightweight vans are popular with our members due to their easy tow-a-bility !!
I believe "Modern" vans were Perth manufactured, and started around the late Fifties early Sixties......... as part of your project, you may like to do some history digging....
cheers
Mark
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Post by will and Lyn on Apr 4, 2006 1:03:13 GMT 10
Modern Caravans were started in the late 50s by a yugoslav migrant who started witha half acre block
in wanneroo rd
he developed it to one of the best van businesses in australia when he retired 15 years ago he closed the factory and sold the block for a massive private medical facility to be built and retired a multi millionaire with the proceeds
who said theres no money in Caravans or should I say the land they sat on
Will
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Post by scorpconvertible on Apr 28, 2006 12:27:07 GMT 10
Hillbilly,
Did you manage to secure the van?? The fridge and cooker would be worth it by them selves !!
Cheers
Dave
Adelaide
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Post by hillbilly on Apr 30, 2006 11:40:44 GMT 10
Hi Dave, ;D Yes, I've managed to acquire the van but are still in the process of getting it back to my property. The van is on a hill at the back of a property (how they got it up their I dont know), and this has made it a very interesting task to get it down the steep decline and put on the car trailer.  Am going up with a 4 wheel drive this week to get up close to it and pull it down slowly. We tried hauling it down the hill, but its just too slippery on the steep gravel and we ran the risk of losing it down the hill. So there ya go, these things are sent to try us, but it will be worth the effort as its a little beauty, and as you say the fridge and stove are excellent. Will keep you posted with some more pics when I finally get it back to my shed. ;D Cheers, Hillbilly.....(Ian) ;D ;D ;D |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2006 15:40:13 GMT 10
I went with Ian yesterday to help retrieve this little van, and what a nightmare, as Ian says, its on the side of a hill, and a very tricky manouvre to get it off the side of the mountain. I've retrieved some old caravans from arkward places in my time, but this one takes the cake The only way I can see it being done is by "crawling" a 4WD up there with low tyre pressures, and attempt to tow the caravan down. Friday will be interesting Mark |
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Jim
New Member
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Post by Jim on Apr 30, 2006 18:41:15 GMT 10
Hi Hillbilly
Welcome along..
You’ll learn to love this group.. if only for all the help you get with the ‘odd’ problem you might encounter.
I just love the way you welcoming committee guys “ease” the new chums into the restoration ahead of them.
“Just a new door and window, a coat of paint and you’re on your away” (ahem!)
Hillbilly, don’t ask Mark about “A coat of paint” .. he might start frothing at the mouth!
Don’t ask others about little surprises under the skin..(hang on, I'll delete that bit)
But in reality.. It’s a classic shape and size and as others have said, the stove and the fridge really are beauties.
When you look past the odd missing bit.. the van does look like it’s not too bad at all.
Once it’s off the hill and you’ve got it home the fun starts to get serious.
(Is that an oxymoron?)
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Post by humpty2 on Apr 30, 2006 20:21:57 GMT 10
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Post by hillbilly on Apr 30, 2006 22:28:34 GMT 10
Thanks Jim and Humpty2 for your words of encouragement, as Malcolm Fraser once said................"Life wasn't meant to be easy"................enough said. I'm about to find out, but hey, life's gotta have some challenges... Cheers, Hillbilly ;D ;D ;D
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Post by will and Lyn on May 1, 2006 1:06:53 GMT 10
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2006 12:51:46 GMT 10
Hi Hillbilly I would have thought with a nickname like that you would be an old hand at mountain goat caravan removal jobs. If the hill is that steep my guess is it was put up there with a tracked vehicle/dozer. When ya get back out there on the retrieval mission have a look around the farm and see if there isnt a little D2 dozer or something like an old Ransom crawler that can be walked up the hill to rescue the van. If nothin is available make sure you use a descent sized 4WD with about 10 to 15lbs in the tyres to bring the van down to "sea level". Pictures... we want pictures of the recovery mission. Dont forget to take a few Kg of sausages and a few beers. Why the hell would ya wanna do that reddo? Simple..... if it gets out of control and ends up as a pile of splinters in the gully ya can always use the mess to have a fire and cook up a nice BBQ. Go you good thing Reddo - from the far side. |
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Post by hillbilly on May 1, 2006 20:09:46 GMT 10
Thanks for the advice Reddo, there'll be no shortages of beers on the next recovery mission I can tell you...............what an entrance into Vintage Caravanning I've had.... There's a couple of things the name "Hillbilly" could suggest .....first being, I live high (not that sort of high ;D ;D ;D) in the hills.....and the second, a billy goat could have been the answer to retrieve this van. Dont worry, the pictures will be displayed for all to see once this job is complete.............mountain goats and all..............  Hey Will, the only reason getting home from my joint was a challenge was the amount of cans consumed on the day....... ;D Cheers, Billy Goat.......whoops sorry "Hillbilly". ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by humpty2 on May 1, 2006 20:13:56 GMT 10
If it gets out of control ...............I bags the fridge!!! what a beauty!!
Malcolm Frazer like most politicians really stuff things up!! like that saying...........the whole saying goes.....and it applies to our hobby
...Life wasn't meant to be easy...........but it was sure meant to be FUN !!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by scorpconvertible on May 3, 2006 11:50:07 GMT 10
Simple..... if it gets out of control and ends up as a pile of splinters in the gully ya can always use the mess to have a fire and cook up a nice BBQ. SOMEONE mention BBQ? Dave Adelaide |
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Post by hillbilly on May 10, 2006 20:01:45 GMT 10
The "Modern" resto begins.... After a few problems in the early stages, I finally got the little "Modern" van back home last week. After getting it off the hill with a 4WD (which was so easy in the end) we had a reasonably easy trip back home except for bits and pieces flying off, branches, konky nuts, mattresses coming out the door, it all went well. My partner also seeing a snake flying from the trailer and hitting the road then slithering off into the bush (she was really excited about that, not!) A lot of work to be done on this little "alli", have started stripping it down and investigating the condition of it and hoping not to find too many rust holes, wood rot etc etc. Am looking forward to the challenge and will keep you posted with my progress. Cheers, Hillbilly...... ;D ;D     |
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Post by will and Lyn on May 10, 2006 20:44:43 GMT 10
 Hi hillbilly The Modern looks good nice project for you I was going to suggest I come up and give you a hand but Im scared not much will happen except a few TEDS get buried no wot I mean Will
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2006 22:49:51 GMT 10
watch the Rodders don't try to snaffle it from you Hillbilly ......look how low it sits low people them Rodders !! ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by hillbilly on May 11, 2006 11:45:39 GMT 10
Thanks for that offer Will, but I reckon you'd be right.........there wouldn't be a lot of progress except for a sore head the next day  And Mark, your right, it seems to sit lower than a lot of vans, but for its age it looks kind of groovey I reckon, and you'd be right about the rodders.... So far so good, have got all the windows out, stripping back the inside and it's in better condition than I thought, including the timber floor. It was a good excuse to clean up my shed after having so much junk lying around, I found I didn't have much room to work on the van, so its all good. Will keep you updated........ Cheers, Hillbilly ;D ;D ;D |
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