Carapark caravans (Mayfield & Leichardt, NSW & other loc'ns)

[persephone]

Now I really am curious as to when/how many etc. We have been given a special thing, and hope we can appreciate it as it should be!

more photos here...

smg.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Binjy/caravan/

Thanks for the welcome,too folks. This is a very new area for me ..the art of the caravan.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Persephone,

Thanks for uploading the additional photos of your van to Photobucket.

What an amazing van you have there. There are obvious similarities with the Zestline/Astronaut series of Caraparks, but also so many differences and developments. One of the most obvious and most interesting is the tail light treatment. The later Zestlines and the Astronauts had fins in tune with late 50's/ early 60's car designs. The Newline's are quite different. The side flashes are quite different as well.

It is just wonderful when something previously unknown and unexpected like your van turns up on the forum. Often what happens then is that someone will come up with some information about the van, or another example of the van turns up. Let's see what happens in this case.

In the meantime enjoy your van - it is a classic...er...can't say that...it's a V V...OK - it's a beauty!

Don Ricardo

[persephone]

Yay!! Her Birthdate is 1962! (according to her previous owner)

[persephone]

She may have to have a party !

[neilches]

My Father was the Queensland manager of Carapark. When it was started by Ron Rankin it was Caravan Park Pty Ltd. I fondly remember Ron Rankin and the shooting trips I did with him and my Dad. John Walsh was the manager of the Newcastle factory. I too grew up with "Caraparks". My favourite was the "Two Lite" a full height tear drop made of ply wood and had 2 single beds. It was unlined(single skin) and in the cold weather the condersation running off the inside would freeze into icycles and drip water on to you in the morning. My father left carapark and started his own caravan yard, ,Chesney Caravans at Gympie Rd Chermside Brisbane selling mostly second hand vans. I started manufacturing Chesney Caravans when I finished my apprentiship. During my manufacturing time I produced over 10,000 caravans. My son and I have restored (rebuilt) a Chesney Regal and I will post some photos later Neil Chesney

[cobber]

G'day Neil and a big welcome to the forum.

Feel free to add to the Chesney thread and also browse through the Carapark thread and let us know of any errors that may have crept into it, your first hand knowledge will be very much appreciated.

Cobber.

[melanco]

My Bess has a cousin!
Please, please tell me you are bringing it to the Nationals in Mildura early May, I would dearly LOVE to see it in the flesh.

Welcome indeed to both Persephone and Neil.

Carapark Zestline lover Mel

[e38e49]

i thought this maybe of interest to someone this is the Carapark price list for 1965.

[e38e49]

Here`s a pic of a 35ft Carapark Astronaut MK 11.

[bobandjacqui]

Here is a nice example we spotted in Narrabari in May 2010

[boblor]

Hi All
A friend is considering the purchase of a 'Toaster' 12/9 chassis no. 1447. Can anyone identify year of manufacture . It looks the same as 'reply #62 page 5' , any help appreciated. I think about 1959-60 vintage.
Cheers boblor

[cobber]

G'day Bob,

I don't think ? anybody has done a register on Carapark numbers yet...... could be a good job for you

Austin 125 tells me he is taking his 1947 Carapark Superb ( the one on the 2011 calendar, March page) to the Bendigo Swap this weekend to sell it.
Have you got a photo of the one your mate is looking at ?

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Carapark Newline

In February 2010, Persephone told us about her newly acquired Carapark Newline, which was a new one on us all - even the Carapark tragics amongst us (see Reply #66 above and following).

The item below from the Australian Motor Manual (ASM) of December 1963 (p 45) reported on a number of new models displayed by different manufacturers at the Melbourne Caravan Show earlier in the year, including the Carapark Newline and Voyager models (see para 3):



It seems from the ASM item that the Newline may have been some sort of a specialty model from the Carapark Adelaide factory, and that it had been newly released. The inference regarding being newly released is given further weight by the following advert on the opposite page of the same magazine (p 44) for Carapark's Melbourne dealership which refers to the "New Carapark Newline...":



The phrase "new Carapark Newline" used here could mean 'new' as in the opposite of 'second hand', but all the other models and brands are referred to in the plural. I therefore think it means 'new' as in 'newly released'. If this is the case then it seems reasonable to assume that the Newline was introduced sometime in 1963 (given that the Australian Motor Manual in question was published in December 1963).

Below are pics of Persephone's Newline which match and illustrate the above description:









Regarding C R Snelling's advertisement, and the reference to caravans other than Caraparks, an item in the same ASM on p 45 below the one headed 'New Models' above, explains:



Quite a busy chap with broad interests, it appears.

Don Ricardo

[batty]

I have recently put on to Historic registration, what I believe to be a 1958 Carapark 18ft Commercial Diner. This once belonged to the Oberon Lions club but slowly went into a diused state. The van is now in possession of the Hills District Car Club and is used to feed the offials and competitors at its club events. I will put up some photos sometime soon.

[Don Ricardo]

Welcome Batty,

We'll look forward to seeing the pics. I think Carapark produced quite a lot of commercial vans in their time. They're all part of Australia's touring heritage but not many have appeared on the forum.

Don Ricardo

[zenmaster]

Hi All... Merry Christmas and hope you have a great new year.

I would need some help here...

I bought an old Carapark caravan... I am unsure what it is but going by the pictures here it looks like a "hunter". Its a a shell with the frame and doors, wooden floor.

The person previous to me wanted to set up a shop in it, so he added a drop down gate. not hard to get it back to original.

Also while towing it to qld the wheel came out breaking the old drums and I had to tow it off the highway & replace the entire axle drums and put in a 6 stud almost new landcruiser tyres on the same day. It cost me quiet some moolah

Is it worthwhile restoring this thing or should i just sell it??? I cant seem to find the date on the draw bar, some numbers go 804C46... will reconfirm.

Any tips greatly appreciated.

[Don Ricardo]

Following is an excerpt from Keith Winser's book 'On the Trail' regarding Mr R J Rankin, whose caravan building activities commenced in 1928 and eventuated in the establishment of the Caravan Park company, which then became Carapark:



(Source: Keith Winser, On the Trail, Motor Manual, 1956, pp 194 & 195)

The text says that the pictured caravan was 6 ft long, but it looks longer than that to me. I think it might be a model other than the one referred to.

The Our Touring Past website has some fascinating pictures of a number of R J Rankin's early caravans, including a "Covered Wagon" - click here.

Don Ricardo

[retro64]

Hi Don Ricardo,

Thankyou for posting the article regarding the start of Caraparks, it certainly makes interesting reading. Thank goodness for Kieth Windser, his publications certainly gave us a wealth of information.

Cheers retro64

[Don Ricardo]

1949 Carapark 'Homemaker' advertised on www.caravanclassifieds.com.au in March 2011

Judging from the plans shown below the Homemaker was a kit caravan sold by Carapark, which was based on the Carapark Hunter model of the period.

---

On 15 March 2011, JBJ posted:

hi All,

I first saw this van about 10 years ago. The guy that restored it had a caravan repair business in Lismore, near where I live, for a long time.
This was his own restoration project, & it is better than new.I also believe that it would be quite original & authentic.

I dont think anyone would find a better restored van anywhere.
He's tried to sell it several times that I know of.

A good buy for those interested

JBJ

[batty]

Here is a picture taken today of the Carapark 18ft Commercial Diner at an event in Sydney.

[batty]

Inside photo as being used today.

[Don Ricardo]

Carapark Voyager advertised on Ebay, August 2011 and identified by Hughdeani.

This seems to be quite an unusual van compared to the Voyagers pictured earlier on this thread for a number of reasons:

• It has a door behind the wheels rather than in front of them.
  
• The livery is different and involves a 'reverse arrow' below the waistline, rather than painted panels above the waistline.
  
• It has two-panel, horizontally split front and rear windows.
  
• It has a front kitchen on the side and a diner style dinette (on the opposite side?)
  
• The door opens into the bed/sit area rather than the kitchenette/dinette area.

[Don Ricardo]

On 28 June 2011, Derektilsner posted photos of an unusual little Carapark he had recently purchased:













For some additional info about this van click here.

[griffin]

Funny how things work

A recent purchase from ebay of a copy of Motor Manual had it bundled with another magazine 'Australian Ford News', maybe because the MM had a Ford on the cover. No particular interest to me being a devout GM man but on arrival the AFN proved to be of more interest than the MM. It is the November 1939 issue and apart from some generally interesting items on Ford it contained the following small advertisement for Caravan park showing their hire rates, and offering discounts to Ford Club members Poor sods probably needed it

It seems their pre-war vans were all designated imaginatively as "Mobile Home" with various models based on the length, although then with different configurations to confuse.

The notes indicate that the model size was conveniently the length in feet, the approx weight in cwt and the h.p. of the vehicle required to tow it.

I wonder what the attachment to the car comprised of for 30/- as it remained their property? Just a tow ball maybe?

The most interesting thing in this small advert though was bold print at the bottom referring to the N.R.M.A. (R.A.C.Q., R.A.C.V. etc for those outside N.S.W.) Caravan Exhibition, although it had passed by the time this advert was published.

This led me to wonder if a report on the show had been published and by coincidence a few weeks later I managed to purchase some N.R.M.A. 'Open Road' newspapers from 1939,40 & 41. Unfortunately none of the issues I bought covered it though.

So a visit to the N.R.M.A.'s Library ensued where I found the November issue contained a report and one photo. The report is very general in the form of a walk through various exhibits but it does not contain a mention of any specific make of van. A portion of the photo shows the Caravan Park display but as I'm not a 'Photobucketer' it will be a separate post.

The most interesting part of the report was that the 1939 Camping and Caravan Exhibit was in fact the second one to be held. More homework

George


( Caravan Park Aust. Ford News Nov 1939)

[griffin]

And this is part of the photo from the Exhibition showing the Caravan Park display. Nice big van in the foreground and I assume the other van is also part of Caravan Park's display. Love the curved awning, must need an assortment of pole lengths to maintain the curve?

My 'Open Road' purchases and research produced several advertisements for Caravan Park and other van manufacturers but they are for another time
George


(Caravan Park N.R.M.A. Open Road 2 November 1939)