Wednesday the Baravan. She's home! More questions!

[JustCal]

Hello everyone,

I am absolutely brand new here. However, not one to do things by halves, I come bearing a van!
Like many before me, I have just purchased a vintage caravan armed only with raw enthusiasm, so I will very gratefully receive any pearls of wisdom that anyone is willing to impart.


This is what I know so far:
She is a Baravan, last registered in 1978 (the documentation is present, but unfortunately too faded to make out any of the details). There is also a number plate but that seems similarly unhelpful.

Due to the lockdown and associated travel restrictions, I won’t be able to pick up the van for a little while, but wanted to make a start on perhaps identifying the year of manufacture, etc. I have asked the seller to check for a number on the chassis and so will update here as I receive that.


The project:
My partner and I have plans to build a tiny house in the next couple of years, one of the challenges of which has always been allowing for studio space.
I have cycled through many different options and a caravan for me makes the most sense for a bunch of reasons. The next challenge was to find one in reasonable condition, but not in -too- good condition, as I would be taking most of the insides out and didn’t want to destroy a perfectly good van that could have been restored.

SO, we arrive at the Baravan I’ve now acquired. She has been used as a teenagers bedroom and has been pretty much stripped out already, so perfect for my purposes.

The main immediate problem is that the hydraulic brakes had seized and were removed, so she needs brakes before she can go anywhere at all, and probably new tires. I am unsure how to best proceed. Would it be better to have her taken on a truck straight to a mechanic? Or would a mechanic be able to fit new brakes on site?

To anyone who has read all of this I thank you very very much for your time, and on to some photos...












Her name is Wednesday.
Tow vehicle is Pugsley for those who might enjoy the reference.

I hope you are all well in this very strange world we currently find ourselves in.
-Cal.

[nickd15]

Hi Cal,

A bit hard to advise with the small amount of information available. You could tow a short distance without brakes if you have a reasonably large tow vehicle and there is minimal stuff in the van. You would however need to ensure that the tyres are roadworthy, and also that the axle and wheel bearings are safe. There is also the issue of lights on the van. You don't say which state you are in but most will allow it to be towed on a temporary permit. A mechanic will need to know what manufacturer made the brakes to enable him to fix them on site.

When we got our van I checked the wheel bearings, put new tyres and lights on it and then towed it over 300 klms home before replacing the axle and upgrading to electric brakes.

[JustCal]

Ok! Images all seem to be behaving themselves now...

Hi Nick, thanks so much for the reply, I'm in Victoria. From what I could tell from VicRoads the brakes are a legal requirement for anything over 750kg. Although I definitely could have missed something.
I see what you mean about the brakes/mechanic though. I might end up just having the van delivered by truck to a mechanic and they can just do everything that needs doing...
If you don't mind my asking, what did it cost you to have the electric brakes installed? I've been Googling to no avail. Or did you do it yourself?

Thanks again,
-Cal.

[nickd15]

Hi Cal,

When I got pricing 6 years ago, it ended up being as cheap to replace the entire axle with a new one with electric brakes fitted. I installed it myself. This included the cables for the hand brake and a new coupling to provide the handbrake. It cost me around $600. I removed the old one and took it to the trailer factory where they used it as a template to build the new one. There is also a requirement for wiring and if you don't already have one, an electric brake controller. You will need to add on the cost to have the work done. You may also need to have work done / replace your springs depending on condition.

Good Luck
Nick

[Don Ricardo]

Jul 30, 2020 15:58:00 GMT 10 JustCal said:

However, not one to do things by halves, I come bearing a van!

Hi Justcal,

We love new forum members that come bearing vans, and even more when they show us photos of the caravan in question. So welcome to the forum and the vintage van community.

I'll leave the brake question to others (because I have never had to deal with it), but I just wanted you to know that when you get the serial number, we'll be able to give you a build year for your van.

Bruce Barrett, who is the son of the man who built Baravans, is also a forum member and may pop on at some stage to tell you a bit more about your van.  They are a very well respected brand, so you have chosen well.

We're looking forward to hearing your journey with setting the van up as your studio, and of course getting it home in the first instance. And keep going with the pics!

Don Ricardo

[JustCal]

Nick - Thanks again for the information. I’m beginning to think the simplest thing is just to have the van delivered to us on a tilt tray and then start seeing what needs to be done. It might cost a bit more in the long run but at least I’ll be able to get on with the more cosmetic jobs while we're all still in lockdown. 

Don - Thank you Don for the very warm welcome.   Yes, I have spied Bruce in my lurking and information gathering, so perhaps I can lure him out with the promise of a new van to identify. No luck with a chassis number yet, but I may have to wait till she arrives to have a look for myself.
I must admit to a bit of project envy when I look at all the amazing renovations you guys have done, it makes me sort of wish I was planning a total restoration myself? However, I do want to maintain the vintage spirit of the van as much as possible - she is destined to be a traveling business as well as a studio, so I want to restore her good looks. We shall come to questions of paint and such soon enough...

Thanks again everyone and hopefully I’ll have some progress to share soon. 

Best,
-Cal.

[JustCal]

She’s here!



No weird smells, clean and dry inside, no major problems with the chassis as far as I can tell with my extremely uneducated eye.

The first major issue is that the outside part of the roof hatch has been lost in transit (it was towed for an hour down the highway so the chances of recovering it are slim). Is this going to be incredibly difficult/costly to replace and how upset should I be about it? The tow company are being helpful but are also intimating that they don’t think it’s their fault…


In terms of new information on the van itself I found a certificate for the electrics inside the wardrobe and the chassis number, which looks like 930?





So, not focusing entirely on the lost hatch, I have some more questions for your collective brains.

Polishing the aluminium. I have read a bunch of threads on how people have done this and am comfortable with the process, but I’ve seen some people mention that the maintenance of polished aluminium is potentially problematic?
I guess my question is, if I polish up the aluminium cladding, what is the best way to keep it looking good?

A related question about the paint… The blue paint is flaking off in some areas and a pale yellow/cream colour is underneath, I’m wondering if this might be the original colour of the stripe or just an undercoat?

Never mind! Found some blue vinyl tiles under the carpet inside, so pretty safe to assume the blue paint is the original colour.



Thank you again in advance to anyone who has the time and inclination to pop in and share their thoughts!

[Don Ricardo]

Hi JustCal,

Great to hear your van has arrived, although it's a shame that the hatch cover decided to go off on its own. If it's any consolation (which it probably isn't) that's a fairly common experience when vans are being transported to a new owner.

The serial 930 is from 1966 according to the information Bruce has provided, and of course that's confirmed by the electrical inspection certificate dated May 1966.

We'll look forward to seeing some update photos as you work on your van.

Don Ricardo

[JustCal]

Thanks again Don!

And to Bruce of course. Was very pleased to find the certificate for the electrics in such excellent (readable) condition. Having swatted up on the whys and what-fors of resealing the caravan, we are off to collect a Bunnings order and commence the cleaning! Then begins the slow but liberal application of Sikaflex to all the pertinent joins etc... And the scrubbing of window frames... I’m sure my future self will be so pleased I decided to do this. 
I will endeavor to document the process in case it might be helpful for others.

Onward!
-Cal.

[Roehm3108]

Welcome cal, it's great to see such enthusiasm!! I'd say that your present journey to the BGS will be the first of many!
There's an old saying - don't sew new wineskins on old - which is also appropriate for caravan restoration. In your present case, don't put Sikaflex on top of old sealant, no matter what it may have been. If you're resealing cover/corner aluminium strips, take them off and clean them completely before applying your new sealant - your caravan will love you for it. A product I have found works well in 6 past caravans is Selleys D Mastic Industrial grade. It's a caulking compound that forms a skin but stays soft underneath the skin. It's generally used for windscreens and other lap joints.

[JustCal]

Hi Roehm!

That’s all I got for this project, raw enthusiasm and misplaced confidence!
Yes, I will definitely be removing the old sealants first. The annex rail across the roofline has been gooped up with a lot of silicone, and one of the windows has been glued shut, also with silicone... so we’ll have a jolly time with that.
The j-rails are also all attached with rivets rather than screws, which is annoying, but I’d rather get everything off, clean and stuck back down than be paranoid my caravan is slowly rotting from the inside out from an unseen leak somewhere.

Didn’t get much done yesterday in the end, but determined to wash her today.

Best,
-Cal.

[Mustang]

Hi Justcal,
The Mastic - Silicone debate rages on all forums.
As Roehm suggests, I have renovated 3 x classic/vintage vans & I have always used Mastic.

If at any time you have to remove a window frame or J rail, mastic is easy, silicone is just pure pain.
Good Luck with your reno, lots of help here , google, utube etc.
Cheers
Mustang

[Roehm3108]

"determined to wash her today"

Always a great way to find leaks!!

[brett930]

Hi All,

Just thought I'd pop by to say "Hi", as my wife and I are the new owners of Baravan #930, having recently purchased her from JustCal.

We're taking on the task to bring her back to life, and look forward to sharing the journey with you all.

Brett

[brett930]

In case anyone wants to follow along on the restoration journey of Baravan #930, I've started a separate thread to document the work being done. You can see it at: vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/18406/baravan-930