Valiant (by Viscount) Caravans

[Daggsey]

Please feel free to add any information/history about this particular model of Viscount:

Following are photos of a 1968 1962 model:









Daggsey

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Editorial note: Later posts on this thread have indicated that Daggsey's van is in fact much earlier than 1968, more likely from around 1962. Don Ricardo

[Franklin1]

[Comment by Franklin1: I've placed this van in the Valiant thread because it's the nearest match I can find, based on outside shape/design. Maybe Daggsey can confirm whether he thinks it's a Valiant or not...]

1960s Valiant caravan - listed on ebay Sept 2008:





Edited description: Small 2 Berth Caravan; Approx 12ft; Recently Painted Inside And Out.

[Franklin1]

1965 Valiant caravan:





(source: sold on ebay Dec 2008. Edited description: 1962 Viscount Valiant, great original condition, 2 owners from new. Shedded all life but the last 3 yrs. Fridge 240volt and gas stove all in good working order, sink has original brass pump works great. All internals are in good condition, only the curtains have been changed. Alloy body in very good condition, just needs polish. no damage. Runs 13" holden wheels.
Tare: 620kg.
Towbar identification number: 32965)

[Franklin1]

Early 1960s Valiant caravan:







(source: posted by Don Ricardo, Dec 2008.)

Don Ricardo says in his post that the Identification number on the towbar shows as 32107. Compare this number with the Valiant caravan above that has the number 32965, and which is claimed to be a 1962 van.

[Franklin1]

1962/63 Valiant caravan:





(source: posted by a member on this forum during 2007, but I can't remember who or where... )

[cobber]

While researching some Carapark stuff I came across this May 1963 add. for the Melbourne “Carapark Caravan Centre”... (this was just after Carapark had been bought by Motels Australia and dealerships had been sold off..see reply 48 in Carapark thread ) ... offering the new “Coronet” and “Valiant” 'vans.....
I would have expected them to say “The new Valiant by Viscount” if Viscount made this Valiant

Does anybody know if there was a connection between the two brands.... Coronet & Valiant.... they do look sort of similar. Daggsey... Tenoroc .







Cobber.

[Daggsey]

Hi Cobber and Franklin1,

I have no specific knowledge of the origins of the Valiant........it was an assumption someone made to me once that the Valiant was made by Viscount, probably because of the similar shape.

I was originally told that (a) Valiant was Viscount's poor man's version, and (b) that Valiant was a manufacturer in it's own right and merged with Viscount.

Maybe someone out there has more specific information......would be good to know what is indeed factual.

Daggsey

[Franklin1]

Valiant Caravans - History

The actual origins of the Valiant brand, and the origins of the name, are unclear at this stage. There is a belief the brand was part of the Viscount business, and the following information would tend to support that. Having digested all the information I could find in the Sydney newspaper archives, I have reached the conclusion that the Valiant model was launched to cover the smaller end of the Viscount caravan range, leaving the Viscount name to be carried by the larger size vans. I may well stand corrected as further information becomes available. Here is a summary of the information I discovered...

1960 Oct: A Viscount dealer advert in Sydney says Viscount has factories in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

1962 Feb: the first mention is found in the archives of the Valiant brand. The archives go back to 1955, and there is no previous mention found. In the first advertisement, the "Valiant Royale caravans are now on display". Made of aluminium and bondwood. Two sizes - 12ft6, 4 berth model; 14ft6, 2 x single berth model. Other models available soon.

1962 Aug: vans now described as "all aluminium". Models from 12ft6 to 23ft.

1962 Sep: "Valiant Royale. As displayed at the Motor Show, 12ft6 4bth model and 14ft6 2 single beds."

1963 Jan: Same models carry through, but are now described as "fully lined" and you can "Choose your own colour scheme".

The following brochure would be from late 1962, early 1963. There is no mention in the archives of a "Type A" Valiant, so I suspect this brochure might have been for in-house use. All newspaper advertisements use the model name "Royale"...







There is some handwritten information on one of the pages of this brochure which relates to a dealer's address in Sydney. That dealer had relocated to that address in January 1963.

1963 March: The following advertisement underpins my assumptions about the connection between Viscount and Valiant. This dealer is located next door to the Viscount factory ...



1963 Aug: Vans now selling at lower prices. "Sparkling with a host of new features and entirely new decorative treatment." [no detail given of new changes]

1963 Oct: New Valiant De Luxe caravan announced. "All aluminium frame. Insulated air flow ceiling - cool in summer, warm in winter. Laminex covered doors. Beautiful interior colours. Expansive bay windows. New model sizes are 13ft6 4bth, and 15ft 4bth 2xsingle bed layout."
Timber-framed models are also available in 12ft6, 14ft6, and 21ft6 sizes.

1963 Nov: Now on display our new Valiant with sloping windows "as in Viscounts", larger door, entirely new colour schemes to your choice, and the very latest type of aluminium.

1964 Feb: New 11ft6 Valiant launched. The Valiant DeLuxe vans are described as "incorporating such advanced features as insulated ceilings, laminated plastic doors on all cupboards, very large combination entrance door, double ribbed aluminium sheathing [cladding] and a host of other scintillating features." 11ft 6in Elite model, 12ft 9ins model, 14ft 9ins model, and 20ft x 8ft. Complete aluminium frames are available on all the above models for only £60 extra.

1964 Mar: New 13ft model replaces the previous 12ft 9ins model.

1965 July: Sizes are now shown as 12ft, 12ft 10ins, 14ft 10ins, and 21ft x 8ft.

1965 Oct: The following photo is described as an "Alamframe Caravan" but the painted side-stripes match the caravan in reply #3 above in this thread. The van appears to be similar in shape to a Viscount, with sloping windows, but I have no other photos of Valiants from the mid-1960s to compare it with...



1966 onwards: Advertising of Valiant caravans takes a severe downturn. Only one advert appears in 1966 and it essentially repeats the information being said in 1964. There are no advertisements in 1967, and a final advertisement showing in Jan 1968 for combined Viscounts Ambassadors Valiants. It would appear that the Valiant brand has ceased to exist sometime in late 1965 or thereafter. No other information has been found to explain what happened to the brand.

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Editorial note: Later investigation has revealed that Valiant branded/model caravans continued to be produced by Viscount until around 1974.

[Franklin1]

Well, perhaps the Valiant brand was still available after 1965??

The following advertisement appears in the archives in November 1967, and includes the reference to the Ambassador and Valiant brands as being part of the Viscount business...



The Valiant logo in this advertisement is similar to the one on Daggsey's Valiant at the start of this thread.

I'm still perplexed as to why there are no Valiant advertisements in the archives after 1966 (and by that I mean advertisements from Dealers or Saleyards). The Viscount advert above implies the Valiant brand is still alive and well, so perhaps I'm not looking in the right part of the archives?? I'll have another look...

[Franklin1]

1967 (approx) Valiant caravan: This van is owned by john and is 10ft 9ins long at the waistline. The logo shows Valiant "Alumvan", which I think might relate to those Viscount/Valiant vans that had an aluminium frame coupled with the exterior aluminium cladding. The painted side flashes on this van are similar to the van in reply #2 above, although that van has a chassis number of 32965 and this van has a chassis number of C1111...


forum thread: NewMember

[fireballv8]

my Valiant has the chassis number of b 1783
the name sticker on the front and back is still mostly there, but different to the others Ive seen here... will get a pic soon

[fireballv8]

.... soon for me is 4 months !!!!

the sticker seems to be metalic, and may have had more colours when it was new

[Don Ricardo]

Posted by Surf Tragic on 31 July 2010:


Source: Australian Motor Monthly, February 1970)

[boblor]

Hi All
I have been given a receipt for a 1964 Valiant caravan, bought new on 7th Dec. 1964
Details Sold by Viscount Valiant Caravans Brisbane, 184 Annerley Road DUTTON PARK, South Brisbane.
New - Chassis no. B1375, -- 12' 6" Valiant, berths=4, body colour --Green.
Price 685.00 Pounds, fridg and stove fitted 105.00 pounds, rego and 3rd party = 10.00 pounds.
I hope this little bit of info is a help in identifying these vans.
Cheers boblor

[tassiedave]

In light of OP please see pics of my Valiant. Found in bush on NW coast of Tasmania. Still researching history and model year.

[lynnmar84]

We also have 1967 Valiant (by Viscount) too. Your van looks very much like ours. We purchase our from the original owner who owned it for 34 years going on every school holidays with it as he was a school teacher. It now only goes on holiday once a year at Christmas. It's chassis number C1104 very close to your chassis number. We have a few people came in and knock at our door wanting to buy her. She's in pretty good condition for her age, we only replaced the fridge in her last year on holiday when the hot weather got to it and it gave up the ghost. But everything else is in good working order.

[chubi]

This is my '67?? Valiant I saved from a scrappie, A127 is timber framed, and has the yellow emblem both front and rear, but above the rear one is a second, obviously older emblem which I haven't seen here

[chubi]

A127 side

[chubi]

A127 rear

[Deleted]

Nice looking van and well saved!



Brian

[chubi]

note that A127 has both side trims like the '63 and '68 models, maybe it was an older van that was fitted with the top strips later, that would explain the two different emblems as well.

[chubi]

Thanks mate, gotta stop em from being shredded

[jcole]

We have recently acquired a Viscount Valiant and thought I'd add the chassis number for interest and help in building the history. No idea of year, but thinking perhaps late 60's early 70's ( in which case I will post on that other forum Chassis number is what appears to be an A then 48991 I have uploaded heaps of pics to photobucket if interested. I also have an Olympic Riviera with the chassis number of 193 so a fairly early model I believe, which I will post pics and info on another thread. Perhaps Boblor will shed some learned light on that one. Thank you all so much for this great site....I love the wisdom, wit and wonder of it all.

[mikeoz22]

Here's the valiant van I'm picking up tomorrow, chassis no: B2270

[mattvdv1]

Hi, I am a new member and this is probably the best thread for my post. My wife and I have what we now think, by reading on this forum, is a early to mid 60's Valiant but Im not sure. I would appreciate some info on what age of this van could be. It is 14'6 long and the chassis number is B1174. There are no identity plates as I saw in one post but the van looks very similar. The decals on the front and back of the roof have 'VALIANT' only



Also, if anyone has some idea of the tare weight for a van of this size it would save me looking for a weigh bridge.

Great site by the way, have learnt heaps already

Cheers

Matt