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

[aj91]

Can any one tell me what model this caravan is? It says 1962 on the rego paper and thats it, The closest I can find is a carapark but I'm not sure.

[Roehm3108]

Hi aj91
Welcome to the forum. Let me start by saying that it would be better if you posted your enquiry under the General Section of this forum, You have posted under the specific make of caravan which is basically the reference point for caravan by model/brand rather than general discussion. Having said that, whilst we are pretty good at identifying caravans, remember that we are not psychic - a picture of the caravan would be helpful. We might then be able to help you. If you look here: vintagecaravans.proboards.com/board/29/post-photos-on-forum you can find instructions on posting pictures via various mediums, depending on your preference.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi AJ91,

If you're having trouble posting photos of your van, you are welcome to email them to me and I'll post them for you: [e-mail]

We'll certainly be happy to help you identify your van if we can.

Don Ricardo

[shesgotthelook]

[Don Ricardo]

Wonderful photos of a 1938 Caravan Park Mobile Home van, from the Mitchell Library collection

The photos were taken by Arthur Bullard on 15 July 1938, most likely on behalf of the Australian Consolidated Press for an article in Pix magazine. The photos are available to view here.

This title for the photos in the Mitchell Library files states that the photos were 'for A R Rankin', but this is presumably a reference to R J Rankin. The Caravan Park Mobile Homes were built for Rankin by Tom Propert & Son and had steel external cladding. The steel cladding can be clearly discerned in the first two photos:





The internal photos are of two different caravans. One has painted, full height cupboards to the right of the hand basin.  Judging by the painted cupboard just to the right of the door, this van appears to be the one in the external photos above:







The second has a varnished, half height cupboard beside the basin:




(Source: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales)

Notice also that there is a difference between the patterns of the brocade on the cushions of the two vans, and that the size of the water tanks beside the hand basins are a differ in each.

Thanks to Woody99 (Andrew Woodmansey) for the link to the photos.

Thanks also to Hughdeany who assisted me to sort out the internal photos from the two vans (see posts below).

Don Ricardo

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
It looks like the handbasin is opposite the door as you can see the tall cupboard to the right of the open door.
Cheers
hughdeany

ps,love these old pics.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Hughdeany,

The photos are wonderful aren't they? Just so much better than the fuzzy newspaper photos we usually have to rely on from the 30's and 40's.

Thanks for helping me work out the orientation of the internal photos of the Mobile Home. I've reordered them accordingly, and in the process found I'd double upped on one, and left one of the series out!

However, I think there's still something not quite right. If you look at the first and third "front" photos, they have full height painted cupboards to the right of the basin, while in the second "front" photo, the cupboard is half height and varnished. Similarly the first "rear" photo has a half height varnished cupboard with a bench on the left, while the second "rear" photo possibly shows full height cupboards. On top of all that I've now realised that the brocade cushion covers show two different patterns. So I think that we are most probably looking at two different caravans.

What do you think?

Don Ricardo

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
Yes,you are right,it’s two different vans,also the water tank in one pic is wider than the other!
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Hughdeany,

Thanks for that further observation. You are correct.

I've rearranged the photos in the post (again) and indicated that the internal photos are from two different caravans.

Interesting to note that the shelf underneath the water tank in each van is detachable. It appears also that the shelf slopes downwards. Not sure why that would be...

Don Ricardo

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
Maybe the sloping shelf is for a dish drainer for the water to run off.
Cheers
hughdeany

[danos]

Hi have a Zestline Deluxe 12/9 being restored.  Here is the original registration and some photos.

Year 1964, Make 586, Body type 300

Attachments:

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

Over time we have come across several examples of where Australian designs for caravans have been modified and used to build vans in New Zealand. One was the Australian Sunliner which became the NZ Concord, and another was the Australian Franklin/Kennedy which became the NZ Caravelle.

Hughdeany has provided another example of this trans-Tasman sharing. This is the NZ Calypso caravan which was featured in Winser's 1968/69 Plans for Caravans:


(Source: K Winser, Plans for Caravans, 13th edition, 1968)

This was not a caravan for which plans were provided in the book, but as can be seen, a photo of a commercially built van shown in a feature on overseas design trends which Winser often included in his caravan publications.

It is clear from the photo that the Calypso was based on the design of the Carapark Astronaut caravans.

Thanks to Hughdeany for providing this intriguing glimpse into Australia/NZ caravan history.

Don Ricardo