1938 "Pop Top" caravan

[John]

Hey everyone,

Look what I got!!!!







Thanks to my brother who gave me a call after seeing it advertised in a car magazine.

The history as I know it: The gentleman that I've purchased the van from bought the van from his brother in-law who was the builder who finished it in 1938 and used it on many family weekends in and around Lorne (vic).
He bought it to restore and to keep it in the family. Unfortunatly he struck some bad health and couldn't follow through with the restoration.

Yet again, my brother and I have bought a full restoration job! But how could you not buy such a unique looking van.

The work ahead:
To be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure! Unfortunatly the van lost its roof when it was trailered to its current location. (Wouldn't have liked to be behind it when the roof came loose!)
Due to it being wedged hard against a fence I couldn't get around it to look at all the work ahead but, for those who've seen the restoration of our other van, as long as we've got a template,we'll put something similar back together!

Hoping to pick it up this weekend, VERY EXCITED!!

Cheers, John

PS. If anyone has seen plans/info on this sort of van, any help will be a great help!! Does anyone know the years of the trucks, are they in sinc with the story or are they later?

[scootman]

Hey John , thats going to be amazing when you do it up. Please post lots of photos , I love photos.
Scoot

[Deleted]

Hi John
That one unique piece of history you have come across. sure there is a lot of nice 50's and 60s vans around but when something like this surfaces from the 30s and 40s it is like a breath of fresh air on the vintage van scene.
Cobbers and Martins vans are the only other 30s vans i am aware of on this site.
I wish you well with the resto and look forward to following same with lots of photos.

Congratulations on a great find. the fact that you have photographic history of it makes it all the sweeter.

Hey scoot check out the mouldings no they are not aluminium.

Regards
Reddo

[cobber]

Wow what a great find John.

As it was a home made van from the 30's it will be hard to find plans or much information on it.
I suspect most vans built in Australia at that period were based on English designs.
Back in the 20's "Eccles" experimented with the "collapsible van" idea so who's to say this one you have found isn't copied from that period.
I would encourage you to try and keep it as close to the original concept as possible...it's a beauty.

Cobber.

[chippydave01]

I notice on the side of the Chev it says ''SIDNEY COOKE PRINTERS AND FURNISHERS''..... i wonder if they are the same family that make fasteners. When i started my trade i always remember using sidney cooke screws that came in a cardboard box............the ones where you only needed two screw ies a big and a little one......... ahhh the days when a screw didnt snap not like the crap zenith ones they sell today ...might go put on my old bib and brace overalls and stick my 4 fold rule down my leg and find some in my garage...... ive been told theirs none left in Perth cheers Chippy Dave..........now wheres the gas for me paslode

[cobber]

John,

Just as a point of interest (I realize it is not the same construction as yours) have a look at
www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/eccles_caravan.htm

Is the top half of your van made from canvas or timber, looks like timber which makes it interesting,eh?

In fact, if anybody likes to click on that sites home page
www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/classic_caravans.htm
you can spend many megabytes looking at English Vintage Caravans...the Farlander link might interest Propert fans.

Cobber.

[John]

Hi guys,
thanks so much for your enthusiasm. This site has been awesome! While I have been a member for the last two years, I haven't really had much too contribute, but have always checked the site on a regularly basis ( truth been known, it's pretty much every night, girlfriend hates it! reckons I spend more time at looking at old caravans than her. I did answer," but babe look at that the curves on her...", I am joking and those who have meet us , will back this up, oh god the hole that I've just dug for myself...)

Col- thankyou for the ages of the trucks. I know that they don't tell us exactly what year the van is, but it's good to know that they are similar in age. May need to get into contact with yourself and Kris again as my brother is restoring a 1924 Dodge tourer and may need some tech support if that's ok?

Scootman- Plenty of photo's this time!!

Reddo- I feel very lucky to be able to obtain this van. As I have already said, I've watched this site, and have always wished that I could find one of the "really old" vans. Soon after I became a member someone said " V V is obsesive" To be honest I never thought I'd become "one of those people"

How wrong I was!

Since buying my first van, I've seen at least 5 vans that I've " needed" to own. In hindsite, I'm glad that I didn't buy them as I live in inner Melbourne and only have a two car carport and it's alraedy half full with my first van (90% finished) I don't even have a car to tow it yet ( 98 Mazda Astina & a 65 VW Beetle, both of which my girlfriend own, and I keep clean...sometimes!)

Love the challenge and it's so different to what I do everyday.

Cobber- Have no fear. The van will be done as stock as we can get it. We have grown up with vintage cars and if we were to change anything, I'd be kicked ot of the family and considering that between my brother,my parents and I, we now own 4 vintage caravans, 4 vintage cars, and 2 classic cars, its not a bad family to be a part of!
One of my regrets with my other van is that I changed the interior slightly. Instead of having two single beds, I've now got a double bed that runs across the van, looks good and I'm sure that it comfortable(haven't used it yet!) but its not original! Its probally a lot better in the long run though.

Thanks again to everyone for the feed back.

Cheers, John

[Deleted]

Hi John

I have been looking at your photos and asking myself whether the top half of the sides and front/back walls hinge from the "waist" up after you push the roof up and lock it in place .
Or.... is the entire top half made in on piece including sides/font /back that slides up from inside the lower half/bottom section .
If the latter is the case .. how is water prevented from running down the top half sides and into the bottom half.
I am currently building a teardrop ( lying bugger Reddo ya havent been near it for months) and wouldnt mind turning my wood butchering skills to a replica van like yours or an expander van like "sutcacs". once i have the TD finished ... 2010.

?? because The chances of finding a genuine one is very slim

I think every vint vanner on this forum lives in hope of finding one of those 1920, 1930 gems. It was a transition period from horse drawn carts to caravans and thats what makes the old stuff interesting... wooden chassis , wooden spoked wheels, wooden bodies...........ahhhhhhhh not a sceric of aluminium or fibreglass in sight ...... life was good back then.

Reddo... still envious
Might have to change my slogan from "bondwoods rule OK" to "timber vans of any design rule OK"

[John]

G'day Redo,
To be perfectly honest,I'm not to sure myself. (Yes I did see the van before buying it) My brother and I are picking the van up on Sunday arvo, so I'll know more then and yes I will post photo's!!!
Cheers, John

[John]

Hi everyone,
Well a couple of weeks ago we picked the old girl up, and we're even more excited than before! As you'll see from the photo's we've got our work cut out again, but it will certainly be worth the effort at the end.
Well it doesn't look like it, but it's all there and structually it's as strong as an ox! And heavy, as we found out when one of the perished tyres went bang just after getting it out of its corner of the garden.
Luckily the previous owner had kept a couple of bits from the original roof which we will use as a template for the replacement. It still has the original glass in all the windows, curtains, blinds and it has two water tanks.
Can't wait to get started !!

[Deleted]

that is an absolutely AWESOME find, well done guys

That'll need a 30's tow car .........

Mark

[John]

Hi all,
Work has started! Photos soon.....

[cornishlass]

Hi John

I cannot believe I missed this posting when it was first put up must have been snoozing through the latter part of November

Having a bit of an interest (alright an obsession) with things from the 20's, 30's and 40's this has really caught my attention. Can't wait to see the photos and what you have managed to get done so far. Hope it's progressing well ;D

Cornish Lass

[sportsman 1]

Hi guys,

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT.

Must have been fate. I was lying in the TD during the recent trip to Darwin and was trying to figure a way I could build a fold down wood van a bit like an A Van but with straight sides. not the "A" shape in the roof.

Had this wonderful thing in my mind and no sooner do I get home and there yours is. Apart from condition exactly as I had envisioned it!

Good luck with it, I might want to copy it later.

cheers,

Leigh.

[morry]

Another odd pop-top for your perusal. I’ve put this on before and thought this was a good time to replace it. Home built by my Grandfather in about ‘63/4 in Maryborough in Qld. Was only designed as a weekender/fishing escape but saw my parents have their honeymoon and a number of weekend escapades which I’m still too young to hear about…



It's now my van and will hopefully get some use soon - just need the time.

Cheers,

Morry

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Morry,

Nice rig, and great to have something with so much family history and memories attached to it. Do you have any old family snaps?

I tried searching for your previous post on your pop-top but couldn't find it. Would you like to point us to it?

Don Ricardo

[morry]

Sorry to anyone who checked for the earlier photos, they were removed by me. I'm hoping to get some new and better shots of the interior layout and external design in a week or so.

Cheers,

Morry

[Deleted]

Hi Morry
Your van has all the features of a practical vintage van.

I like the style .
Love the "full radius" wheel arches and the "draw bridge " tailgate/rear door
It would offer little wind resistance when being towed.
It has full headroom when opened up.... a real advantage over a teardrop .
Also has a large annexe for cooking , eating and relaxing in. ;D

True it may not have the sink and stove set up in the van but with that comes plenty of sleeping / bed space.
I have seen a lot of full sized vans with stoves etc and thier owners choose to cook outside anyway.

You are very lucky to have "inhereted" this van as a "third generation owner". Look after it and hand it on to your kids.

Can we have some more photos . especially from side on.

Regards
Reddo

[John]

G'day everyone,

Well it's been a long time coming, but I finally have the space to be able to start work properly on the old girl.

Over the next few months I'll post progress photo's. The plan is to have it at the nationals next year......

Work has started, but I forgot to take photo's of the finished bits (good start!!) Three of the top sections have been re-skinned.

While moving the van to its new home last weekend, a section of lino lifted (Bugger I hear you say, but....) revealing newspaper dated 1939!!!!

Anyway, stay tuned.

Cheers, John







##

[John]

Hey everyone,

Well, it doesn't look like I've done much but its a start!

Have taken both the 'A' frame and axle out and have spent quite a few hours with wire brush on the angle grinder.



Axle after being primed and a couple of top coats.



Still working away at the 'A' frame

As I said, not much to show at the moment, but enjoying it. More soon, hopefully.

Cheers,

John

[firefighter]

dave stop being an oldfart .......have a look at the first picture John put on ... is there any other make
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[minicamper]

Hey Guys,

Olfarts, yes the demountables will be fine for 80 - 90 k's assuming that they're sound and I have a few tips for John on that when he comes to it. Am forever looking at them on the T Models...

John, nice to see you got a start. I was wondering what you'd done with her..

Cheers
Chris

[Deleted]

Hi John

Good to see you haven't lost the vint van resto faith

Keep telling yourself ... "Any progress, no matter how small is just that... progress".

I love the look of this old darling and she will be a real show stopper once back on her feet.
Keep the photos coming .. we are loving it ;D.

Anything with wooden ( or genuine wire) spoked wheels on it gets my nod of approval... doubley so if the wheels and the van is made of WOOD

Reddo

[John]

Thanks guys,

Been a slow start but worth it in the end. The biggest problem I had was getting the van into the converted bungalow (now workshop) Took myself and two mates to get it up and over the car ramps.
Have disovered that the ply has been screwed on with over 100 dome slot heads about an inch apart and just to make sure it wasn't going to come off, they've put a nail in between each screw!
Got my work cut out again, but enjoying it.
Thanks again for the encouraging words, will keep you posted.
John

[cobber]

Good on you John,

As you know I have been waiting to see this unique gem restored.... and don't forget, nothing but slot headed screws will look right
Apart from everything else... you have to construct a new lid for this 'van.... that's right isn't it ?
Lot of work we know, but she is special.

Cobber.