Family vans: Globe Trotter, c1950 Hyway, homebuild

[rodericksmith]

I'm a new member, with an interest in caravans as part of wider transport hobbies.  As a teenager, I was an active caravanner in the 1960s, and very keen on observing different designs.  I took only a few photos.
I have posted in a different thread a mention of my Keith Winser book.  I had met him around 1960.
I am about to dispose of our family caravan, but am doing some background work first.
Having bought a Holden EK in March 1962, we hired a four-berth Globetrotter for September and loved the experience.  Within weeks we had bought a second-hand van.
Our first caravan was a c1950 Hyway: 12 ft / 3.6 m, four berth, with wheels identified as Holden FJ, and made of masonite.
This had the settee at the front (3/4 bed) and the dinette at the rear (full double bed).
Can members offer any dating clues?
Was this a homebuild or was Hyway commercial?  I never did see another one.
We bought it at the end of 1962.  In 1965 we demolished it, and used some of the bits for a new homebuild in current style, with modern amenities.

My youngest brothers were only 1 and 2, so we trailed only until lunch.  That gave me time to explore our caravan park and surrounding attractions.  In particular, I watched people backing in.  By the time I was 15, that was my task.
The older boys slept in the back of the wagon for short stays; and in an auxiliary 6 x 8 ft (1.8 x 2.4) auto tent for longer ones. 
Upon purchase, we took the Hyway for a familiarisation weekend to Tooradin, ready for a major Christmas holiday: Melbourne - Glenmaggie - Bairnsdale - Lakes Entrance - Sale - Foster - Cowes - Melbourne.
Cooking must have been on a picnic two-burner gas stove.  There was an icechest.  The water tank was above the sink, gravity outlet.  The van was unbraked, and we used portable stabilisers.  The towball was held by a screw-down U clamp.

621124Sa-25Su Tooradin or 630103Th-05Sa Glenmaggie -Hyway caravan - Roderick Smith



Roderick Smith

[rodericksmith]

Backtrack. My first caravan experience was at Inverloch in the early 1950s. We stayed in Pine Lodge. One of my beach playmates was in a caravan, and invited me in for a look. It would have been a classic late 1940s Don, oval profile with diamond-pane windows.

My father bought the EK wagon in March 1962. For September, he had a towbar fitted. We hired a recent Globe Trotter from Gair's Caravans, Deepdene (Melbourne, Vic.). The same shape had over 10 years of model run, but this recent one had followed motor-car fashion with a wraparound front window. Dinette at the front, settee / double bed at the rear. As the eldest son, I was with my father as we collected the van on Friday afternoon. Mr Gair himself showed us how how to tighten the U tongue onto the the towball with the right amount of tension, and to couple the safety chains (bullshorn on the car in that era). The van was unbraked. The gas ran the stove. In that era, lots of towns had a dairy factory selling block ice for the ice chest. We loaded the van, and my father slept in it in the street.
As with most of my caravan holidays, the program was juggled around visiting childhood and young-adult haunts of my parents, and family friends. My father hadn't been back to Swan Hill since 1927.
On Saturday we made a dawn or predawn departure to avoid traffic: through Victoria St, Elizabeth St and Mt Alexander Rd to the old Calder. Our first landmark was pausing for breakfast at Keilor. The EK had only three gears, with no synchromesh on first. My father was an expert at double declutching, from his 1930s cars. However, the Holden grey motor would hang on in second on most highway grades. Morning tea at Kyneton; into Bendigo Golden Square caravan park for lunch. It was adjacent to a local football ground, and a match was played through the afternoon. Sunday to Serpentine for morning tea, and into Kerang for lunch.
Monday into Swan Hill: heaven for my railway-enthusiast hobby. Later to Echuca, my first paddlesteamer port. Next to Rushworth (friends), then to Broadford for the last night so that we could sneak into Melbourne after the morning peak (Sydney Rd to Bell St), unpack, and return the van.
I'm still wading through the Globe Trotter material in this forum. Very much the brand was as Australian as Holdens, meat pies and football: affordable and prolific. Other brands had more class, and longer models, but were more expensive.
In Kerang we backed onto the view of Loddon River. That was always the dilemma in caravan design: which end should be designed to capture a view?
620902Su-Kerang-HoldenEK-hired.GlobeTrotter-



RoderickSmith

[shesgotthelook]

Great story & great photo! I'm pretty sure there was a HyWay caravan on facebook recently. Blowed if I can find it again though

[rodericksmith]

The van size was limited by not just the EK's ability, but by the available site to keep it: a narrow gap between the house and a shed, at right angles to the drive.  Care was needed to steer past both building corners, while not having the rear wipe out the side fence.  It was also on a slope.  In the early years we used a block-and tackle to assist; in later years the boys had sufficient muscle.  In that spot, it also doubled as a spare bedroom and as a home office.
1963-caravan-NSmith.RSmith.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Rodericksmith,

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for telling us about your early caravanning history, as well as your family caravan. I’m sure your story will bring back lots of memories for many forum members.

I think you’re right in your comments about the Globe caravans. It’s really interesting to see how Globe’s basic 50’s design developed over time into the early 60’s, and then influenced the design of their mid-60’s designs. At the same time, they also developed some more innovative designs which we’ve only seen a few of.

I was also intrigued by your family van which is a classic 40’s or early 50’s design. What marks it out are the full width front windows, which if they are original, suggest it was a little bit advanced for its time, and the shape of the wheel arches.

Being a bit of a history nerd, I’ve been doing a bit of digging around about Hyway. I did my usual go-to when a new caravan brand comes to light, and that is to do a check for newspaper references or adverts via the National Library’s Trove archive or newspapers.com. Unfortunately that turned up nothing. The only reference I can find is a post on this forum in early 2006 from forum member Vantoura who said that he saw Hyway mentioned in an old (40’s or 50’s) caravan magazine article. Unfortunately he did not provide any other details.

The fact that Hyway was mentiond in a magazine article indicates to me that Hyway was very likely to be building caravans on a commercial basis, even though it may have been in very small numbers, possibly one by one. The other alternative, but I think less likely, is that Hyway refers to a set of plans for use by home builders.

One option which I’ve discounted for the moment is that the van might have been built by Highway Caravans who started selling caravan components and building caravans in 1946. At that stage Highway was based in Prahran, Victoria and I wondered if they might have branded their early caravans as ‘Hyway’ rather than ‘Highway’ as a bit of a marketing gimmick. As I say though I think that’s a bit unlikely at this point.

I’m away from home at the moment but hope to be back there later this week and will have a look through my own early caravan magazines and see what I can find, although my collection is not nearly as extensive as Vantoura’s.

Hopefully we’ll be able to unearth something about the origins of your van.

Don Ricardo

[Mustang]

Images courtesy of Don Ricardo:

Have a look at the pre fab list below, aaahhh brilliant marketing, where are you now.
Mustang

[rodericksmith]

March 1963: We had a weekend at Moe.
Easter 1963: The older boys were at scout camp; my parents took the caravan to Healesville.
May 1963: This would be a shorter holiday, so we picked a circuit through central Victorian goldfields towns, beyond earlier day trips, and visiting Carisbrook (where my mother spent her high-school years, cycling into Maryborough), Amphitheatre (where my mother had taught briefly in the 1940s) and Glen Logie (where my father had taught in the mid 1930s).
Friday: pack, and shift the van to the street. At some stage we widened the gate to make that task easier.  Saturday: pre-dawn via the city to Keilor for breakfast and on to Maryborough.  This was another railway heaven for me, as it was still a busy steam depot.  Later to Ararat (the old caravan park) and Ballarat.  Heading home, my father was pleased with the safe descent of Pentland Hills.  I guess holding the car in second for the whole time.
September: We had experience and confidence, and my youngest brothers were now better travellers.  Time for a big adventure: back to the Murray, at Mildura (as remote as we could go in Victoria).  A familiar ritual: 6.50 departure, breakfast at Keilor, on to Bridgwater for lunch and Charlton mid afternoon.  Sunday to Ouyen, pausing at Wycheproof then into the Mallee (a new world for me), and pausing at Berriwillock (my mother's home for her primary-school years, an era of mouse plagues and dust storms).  The house was still there, also the grape trellis built by my grandfather.  Monday to Mildura.  This was a different world, with paddleboats, a lock, lots of places to inspect.  Later to Swan Hill via Victoria (we had a crate of oranges; that road was still dirt).  Later to Bendigo for the last night, then home, but this time in heavy traffic through the city.
At some stage we added an auxiliary leaf to the rear springs.
630901Su-Wycheproof-b-car-caravan-Shell.petrol-NSmithRSmith-ss.jpg

[rodericksmith]

Jan.1964: Beach holiday west.  Melbourne - Colac - Warrnambool - Portland - Camperdown - Geelong - Melbourne.
There was lots of sightseeing, including Boorcan (where my mother was born) and Condah (where she spent her preschool years).
With only one other caravan in the park at Camperdown, and lots of tracks, a highlight for me was my first drive.
May 1964: Half the family was ill; we didn't take the van anywhere.
Aug.1964: A big adventure, to SA.  Friday mid-evening departure, to late evening at Winchelsea.  Then - Port Fairy - Mt Gambier - Kingston - Adelaide (Norwood caravan park) - Murray Bridge - Bordertown - Horsham - Ballarat - Melbourne.
We fitted turning indicators before Christmas, but technical trouble delayed the fitting of brakes until later.
Jan.1965: Back east.  Evening departure to Warragul, then - Bairnsdale - Lakes Entrance (Bennetts caravan park) - Moe - Melbourne.
Within days, work commenced on rebuilding the caravan.
630901Su-Berriwillock-Holden-caravan-NSmithRSmith

[rodericksmith]

I suspect Glenmaggie in 1963, not Tooradin in 1962.  This is an unflattering view of my father, and he is obscuring the essential caravan detail: the mechanism for tightening the clamp holding the ball, and the lack of brakes.
IIRC the jumper cable had standard domestic three-pin plugs: marker lights, brake, return.  No circuit for turning indicators.
621124Sa25SuTooradinOR630103Th-05SaGlenmaggie-caravan-RoderickSmith

[rodericksmith]

At the start of 1965, we removed the body of the Hyway, and kept the lockers and cupboards.  My father took the frame to Dolphin Caravans to have it extended at the rear, with wind-down stablisers; hydraulic-override brakes with a new towball fitting (sprung handle); bracket for a gas cylinder; new jockey-wheel clamp.  We had bought a 1964-65 Winser 'Plans for caravans', but used nothing from it.  The chief builder was my mother.  She had been a woodworker since girlhood, taught by her father, and had inherited his workshop equipment.  She was forever making changes to the house, or modifying furniture.  We went for marine-ply sides, aluminium sheet roof and ends, with the fashionable Pullman front.
The van was ready one week before the next school holiday.
May 1965: Melbourne (afternoon departure) - Nagambie - Shepparton - Yarrawonga - Hume Dam - Myrtleford - Seymour - Melbourne (offpeak entry).
Sept.1965: Melbourne (evening departure) - Gisborne - Kerang - Swan Hill - Echuca - Bright (with a package trip to Mt Hotham snow) - Seymour - Melbourne (offpeak entry).
Jan.1966: Melbourne - Winchelsea (evening departure) - Port Campbell - Port Fairy - Portland - Mortlake - Geelong - Melbourne (offpeak entry).

Enclosed: 660105W-PortCampbell-Holden-caravan-tent-boat-NeilSmith/RoderickSmith.  My brother had built the cartopper sailing dinghy, so the car now had roof bars.

[rodericksmith]

Easter 1966: Cowes.
May 1966: Friday evening Melbourne - Gisborne, then - Daylesford - Maldon - Maryborough - Stawell - Melbourne.
Aug.-Sept.1966: Friday evening Melbourne - Bacchus Marsh, then Halls Gap - Ouyen - Mildura - Charlton (our longest towing day to date) - Melbourne.
I now had my learners permit, and drove almost all the time, except when towing.
Jan.1967 Melbourne - Inverloch - Cowes - Melbourne.  I had a summer job to pay for my forthcoming motorcycle for university, and joined the family for just two weekends.

650828Sa-Marong.bypass-Holden-caravan-NeilSmithRoderickSmith.  This was the morning-tea stop.  We had discovered the bypass of Bendigo.  Lunch was at Durham Ox, then overnight at Kerang.

[rodericksmith]

Easter 1967: no van trip, just a day picnic.
May 1967: Melbourne - Glenmaggie - Foster - Wilsons Promontory - Leongatha - Melbourne.  I visited for one day at Leongatha, on my just-purchased motorcycle.
Sept.1967: My father was at a training course / seminar; no van holiday.
Jan.1968: Melbourne - Tooradin - Cowes (2 weeks) - Melbourne.

650828Sa-DurhamOx-lunch-Holden-caravan-NeilSmith/RoderickSmith

[rodericksmith]

Easter 1968: Balnarring.
May 1968: Marysville.
Aug.-Sept.1968: Another grand adventure.  Melbourne - Wangaratta - Gundagai - Canberra - Yass (car bearing trouble) - Holbrook - Beechworth - Benalla - Melbourne.
Jan.1969: Portarlington.

650828Sa-Kerang(Vic.)-Holden-caravan-NSmithRSmith
3 years on, and our 1962 adventure was remote nostalgia.  We had packed in so much experience since then.
Get your motor runnin',
Head out on the highway,
Lookin' for adventure,
And whatever comes our way...

[rodericksmith]

Easter 69: at home.
May 69: Melbourne - Echuca - Melbourne,
Aug-Sept.69 Melbourne - Maryborough - Warracknabeal - Sea Lake - Swan Hill - Bendigo - Melbourne. [providing a first visit to Wyperfeld National Park]
Jan.1970 Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne

670519F-Leongatha-caravan.park-Holden-Hyway-NSmithRSmith
The Holden looks to be muddy.  This had been a wet week.  Was the Wilson's Promontory road still unsurfaced?

[rodericksmith]

Easter 70: Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne.

May 70: Melbourne - Echuca - Melbourne.

Aug.70: To Brisbane by train, no caravanning.

Jan.71: Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne.

680412F-16Tu-Balnarring-Holden-caravan-NSmithRSmith

[rodericksmith]

Easter 71: Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne

May 71: Melbourne - Moe - Maffra - Port Welshpool - Tidal River - Leongatha - Melbourne

Aug.71: cancelled after packing (illness & bad weather).  I don't know what the plan had been, but guess Murray River somewhere.
Jan.1972 Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne.

680827Tu-30F-Canberra-caravan.park-NeilSmith/RoderickSmith

[rodericksmith]

My brother's girlfriend (and future wife) was living in the caravan while at university. There was no midyear caravanning.

August 72: parents to Perth by train; youngest brothers to Cairns by train with YAL.

Jan.1973 Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne

680109Tu-22M-Cowes-caravan-Holden-NeilSmithRoderickSmith

[rodericksmith]

May 73: Albury by car & motel, not caravan.

Aug.73 Melbourne -(Bacchus Marsh?) - Halls Gap - Melbourne.
Jan.1974 Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne

Easter 74 Foster (car without caravan?)

May 74: at home
Aug.74 to Perth by train.

Jan.75 Melbourne - Somers - Melbourne.  My father then downsized to a small Mazda wagon, achieved by trading in my VW beetle.  I bought the EK for my house renovation and other hobbies.
It was available every summer when I was overseas, but I haven't tracked any further beach caravan holidays.
The caravan continued to be a home office and guest bedroom.
In some seasons I placed it at Mansfield for a few weeks as a Mt Buller ski base.
When my father died, I had upgraded to an HK which did day-return to the improved carparking with ease, so I didn't borrow the caravan.  We placed it under a shelter, now used mainly to store paintings (my mother's tenant was an avid artist).
At my mother's 2020 funeral, the caravan received a lot of references in the eulogies and in the condolence messages.

"680109Tu-22M-Cowes-caravan-Holden-NSmithRSmith-c-ss.jpg"
"680109Tu-22M-Cowes-caravan-b-ss.jpg"

[yellowuki]

Thank you for going to the effort to post these details. The van certainly has been used and loved!

[rodericksmith]

To plagiarise Joseph: 'May I return...to the beginning'...
Nearly 60 years ago, the memories of that first caravan holiday are still vivid.
My memory of the era is that the park was unformed: just camp under scattered trees on a tongue between the Murray and the Campaspe.  Halls Gap and Mildura Apex were similar.
Or final park for the holiday was Broadford, also unformed, but we were the only van there.

6509xx-(Echuca)caravan.park-Globetrotter-EK-NSmithRSmith-l.jpg



Roderick

[rodericksmith]

In this forum of enthusiasts, I offered the caravan free to a good home.  Steve was the first to respond.  I have been busy clearing clutter in order to provide access, and pumping the tyres, and applying WD40 to moveable parts.
Steve arrived today, and went through multiple steps to complete the extraction: the van's first move since the 1980s.
Tomorrow, he returns with a trailer and the caravan departs to its new life, in a new home.
I can't post the photos: the message came up that the group has reached its photo quota.  The forum organiser will have to think of the best solution.
Roderick

[hughdeany]

Hi Roderick,
Good to hear your van is going to a good home,it will be well loved and looked after by Steve and not on sold.😉
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Rodericksmith,

I can take some steps to provide room for some more photos, and will do so this afternoon.

Don Ricardo

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Rodericksmith,

The 'group has reached its photo quota' message comes up when we reach the megabyte limit of attachments. To increase the limit requires regular payments with money we don't have, given that the forum is a free website. One solution is to delete some of the photos posted as attachments, which we obviously don't want to do. The other is to copy the photos to a photo storage website and then re-post them from the website as a URL. That's what we normally do when we hit the limit.

So I've copied your photos and then re-posted them as you can see. I hope that is ok? One advantage is that the photos display at a bigger size without the viewer having to click on them. The photos will also stay on the forum permanently rather than disappearing after a year or two, which is what happens automatically to attachments.

You should be good to go to post some more photos as attachments now because I've freed up some space. I will be doing the same on a few other threads to free up more space.

Don Ricardo
for the admin team

[rodericksmith]

Thanks Don: a lot of work for you, but effective.
Now I can thank Steve for his efforts over 2 days.  He has done this before, and I guess that many members have done likewise.
My only similar effort was retrieving a Goggomobil from a gully for my brother: his first car.  A tow rope on the Holden simply caused the clutch to slip.  We had the caravan winch: slower, but surer, and succeeded.

221020Th-P1060990-Balwyn-caravan-RSmith-ss.jpg.  Steve had to measure the drive even to get his vehicle in, and some vegetation pruning was needed.  It was always a squeeze.
221020Th-P1060994-Balwyn-caravan-RSmith-ss.jpg.  The great journey forward starts with a single centimetre.  The first move since the mid 1980s.
221020Th-IMG_1013-Balwyn-caravan-SO'Brien-ss.jpg.  Towing out backwards was tedious, with constant sideways adjustment needed.







Roderick