Help on the year and model of caravan

[diday2019]

Thankyou in advance. I’m totally new to this caravaning world and am starting with an attempt to renovate a Millard caravan!!
I’m hoping someone will be able to tell me the year and model from the photo’s attached. Cheers

Attachments:

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Diday2019,

Welcome to the wonderful world of vintage and classic caravans, and thanks for showing us the photos of your Millard.

Based on the serial number of M53205, your van was built in 1977, putting it into the Classic era.

As far as I understand it, at that point, Millard vans were only identified by the cabin length rather than a model name. However, I am hoping that forum member Twocutekelpies will be able to tell me whether I am correct on that.

Are you intending to refurbish the van and use it for holidays?

Don Ricardo

[diday2019]

Thanks for your reply and the info Don, 1977 was around the year I was guessing after a little goggling! Do you know if they had different layouts or were they all the same for that year?
I ask because we need to gut it I believe to get water damaged wood out of the frame unfortunately. Do you have suggestions on a good website to show us how to do this and renovate/re line the insides. Yes a much larger job than anticipated!
Hopefully one day we will be able to use it on the road.
Thanks Cheers Di

[Roehm3108]

Welcome to the forum diday. "A much larger job than anticipated" is a regular call from people who bought their first vintage caravan. But the good news is that most of them then get on with it and do the greatest restoration work.

You've actually stumbled on the best site for advice and resources on this subject. The site has been growing for more than 15 years, with incredible threads on restorations, some from the chassis up. One of my favourites is this one: vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/1329
and for sheer inspiration is worth wading the 17 pages long story that it is.

My advice is not to go all gung ho with your sledgehammer, before you've actually explored the van and understand it better. Ask yourself such questions as "How much do I want to spend on the work?" "Do I want to retain its originality?" "What work am I prepared to do myself and what needs to be farmed out?" "How much time am I prepared to spend on this project?"

It may not be necessary to gut the van, but rather just take off the outer walls and see what damage is there. It may actually be possible to replace/fix from the outside.

Check out the technical section on here too. Most questions you have, will probably have been asked before!

Good luck