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Post by shesgotthelook on Mar 1, 2020 9:34:24 GMT 10
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Post by hughdeany on Mar 1, 2020 10:39:02 GMT 10
Hi Sgtl,
It looks like front kitchen with two rear singles with table between and robe opposite door.
Unusual having double windows on each side,customer must have ordered it.
Cheers
hughdeany
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 1, 2020 21:56:35 GMT 10
Hi SGTL,
As you say an interesting layout.
Pity we can’t see more photos of the exterior, but on the basis of what we can see - and after looking at the photos pretty carefully - I don’t think the van is a Rowvan. It lacks the distinctive Rowvan rear end shape, and a number of the other Rowvan external and internal features. However, it does seem like it’s an SA built van. It would be great to see if it has a double cambered roof.
Don Ricardo
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Post by hughdeany on Mar 2, 2020 8:30:47 GMT 10
Hi Don Ricardo,
Looks like a double cambered roof going by the interior and exterior pics.
Cheers
hughdeany
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 2, 2020 9:29:55 GMT 10
Hi DonR. I too hesitated about whether this was a Rowvan. Until I saw hughdeany's comments that they could be "tailor-made" I thought that the kitchen was out of place for a Rowvan. The other thing that stood out for me was that the overhead doors were hinged on the side and not on the bottom. As well, there is only one porthole window. The bed area too concerned me. Looks like the dining is done on a pull-out(?) table. The drawer front on that cupboard is also an "add-on" All a bit un-Rowvanish.
Regardless of all that, personally I'm pretty convinced that this is a Rowvan, with a personalised interior. I agree with hughdeany - the roof is double cambered.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 2, 2020 15:05:06 GMT 10
Hi Roehm, Hughdeany and SGTL, Yes, of course you are right - the internal photo showing the ceiling tells us that the roof is double cambered! DOH!!! There are a few reasons why I don't think this van is a Rowvan: - The curve at the rear does not match the usual Rowvan profile. As we know many caravan builders in the 1950's and earlier, incorporated a curve into the rear, but Rowvan's rear curve was quite distinctive, because of where the widest part of the curve was placed relative to the height of the van, the angle of the rear wall above the widest part of the curve, and the angle of the rear wall below the widest part of the curve. The curve of the rear of the van on Gumtree does not seem to match the Rowvan pattern, although I concede that it is sometimes difficult to assess these things depending on the angle of the photo.
- Externally the Gumtree van doesn't have the strapping covering the join between the panels running through at porthole window height that is such a distinctive Rowvan feature.
- The hatch in the door is larger than those on Rowvans, with an internal opening cover and is covered in mesh externally. Rowvans had a smaller externally opening 'window' (with glass??).
- The wheel arch on the Gumtree van, while simiarish in shape to later bondwood Rowvans, is not quite the right shape and construction.
- There is no porthole window height strapping covering the joins in the cladding inside the Gumtree van.
- There is no hooded stove alcove in the Gumtree van, as was such a feature of Rowvans.
- The head high cupboards on the Gumtree van end with 'hooded open shelves' (not sure how else to describe them!), whereas Rowvans either had that space closed off, or set up as a shelf without the hood.
- Then there is the matter of the side hinged cupboard doors (as opposed to bottom hinged), the slide out table (as opposed to a full table), and the double windows at the rear with internal winders/window stays, all of which we have not seen on a Rowvan.
As Hughdeany has suggested the van could be a custom/home finished Rowvan, but my overall gut feeling, based on the above differences, is that it was built by someone else. There were quite a number of South Australian manufacturers in the 40's and 50's, many of whom we know next to nothing about - some we just know their names and not a jot extra. Even though there were quite a number of manufacturers, many seemed to adhere to the general 'SA style' - Tudor ceiling, double cambered roof, etc. As a result their vans look not dissimilar from each other. So it's quite possible that the Gumtree van was built by one of those other manufacturers. Apart from the question of who built the van, have you noticed that it has two sinks and a l-o-t of cupboards? I am wondering if it was built for some other use, other than just a holiday van? Another point of note, in addition to the the double windows at the rear, there is also a window above the side sink. That means that on the offside of the van there would be the porthole window, the single window over the sink and the two windows at the rear. That's a lot of windows, and suggests that maybe the van is longer than the usual Rowan 12 footer. Altogether an interesting caravan, eh? Don Ricardo |
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Post by shesgotthelook on Mar 2, 2020 16:22:40 GMT 10
How about a Clipper?
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Post by hughdeany on Mar 2, 2020 16:24:35 GMT 10
Hi Don R,
I think the second sink you are referring to is the stove alcove,under the porthole.
That was a standard layout for a lot of vans because it gave a large amount of cupboard space by omitting a dinette ( you sat on the beds to eat)but it was usually in a 10.6 body, but this one has been extended to 12.6 to allow more space.
I think this one is special build and the shape looks Rowvan to me,and the dead giveaway is the inset axle,for some reason Rowvans had wheels that were well inside the body,maybe to match the skinny track of tow vehicles of the day.
Cheers
hughdeany
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 2, 2020 17:55:10 GMT 10
Hi Hughdeany, Don't mind me...  No, I wasn't looking at the stove alcove...I was looking at the third and fourth photos, and mistook the little chest of drawers on the extreme left hand side of the fourth photo for the cupboards you can see in the third, and then thought they were views of two different sets of cupboards. As I said, don't mind me...and ignore my comment about the two sinks! I am still holding my position that the van isn't a Rowvan based on the things I mentioned in the dot point (which have nothing to do with one or two sinks!), but perhaps a little less confidently. You and Roehm are wearing me down...  And I have noted your comment about the inset wheels which is a significant point. Don Ricardo |
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Post by shesgotthelook on Mar 2, 2020 20:40:03 GMT 10
Don Ricardo, that was what confused me initially also. I thought there was a front & side kitchen. I can see it now.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 3, 2020 8:32:37 GMT 10
Hi SGTL I don't think it's a Clipper because the Clipper doesn't have the double cambered roof.
Hi DonR and Hughdeany. I've written to the seller of the van and he can't shed much more light on it. Apparently his dad bought it some 10 years ago, so there is no first hand history. He has no pics of the exterior of the van outside the shed, so your discussion about the lines of the back DonR can't be compared any better. It looks like the van has been repainted, due to the Non-Rowvan side stripe. The seller can't see any shadows of any signwriting on the back or doorside - Rowvan or otherwise. According to him also, the top drawer in the bedside cupboard as the same colour as the others, it was simply a shadow problem that it looked different.
You make some very good points DonR, but as you say, sometimes it's difficult to be certain with only a photo to go by. I still think this is a Rowvan, and if it's OK with you DonR, I will post the advertised pics in the Rowvan section of DHL. The seller has given me permission to do that. Who know, somewhere down the track the purchaser might do some reno work and discover further evidence that might help clarify the identity.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 3, 2020 14:49:07 GMT 10
Don Ricardo, that was what confused me initially also. I thought there was a front & side kitchen. I can see it now. Glad it wasn't just me SGTL. Makes me feel much better about it.  Don Ricardo |
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Post by Mark T on Oct 29, 2020 17:28:28 GMT 10
Hi,
I have a 1950's Rowvan caravan available for sale in Victoria. Needs some work externally, but overall in reasonable sharp.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Oct 29, 2020 20:30:40 GMT 10
Hi markt. Might be an idea to start a new topic in the "for sale"
part of the site. I'm sure you'll get a better response
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Post by Mark T on Oct 30, 2020 19:48:22 GMT 10
Hi,
I have a 1950's Rowvan caravan available for sale in Victoria. Needs some work externally, but overall in reasonable sharp.
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