Gypsy caravans - St. Leonards NSW

[Franklin1]

GYPSY HISTORY: (to be compiled)

Update 3 June 2011: According to the "Caravan Handbook", first published in 1972, the first Gypsy was built by Eric Wheeler and Nev Cook in 1947. They later moved to a factory and showroom near St. Leonards Station in Sydney.

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In 1957 they were advertising themselves as "leading designers and manufacturers of pleasure and industrial caravans. 8 models, from 5cwt...". Located at St Leonards, NSW (opposite the railway station)

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on 16 Nov 2007, forum member gypsycaravans wrote, in response to a brochure posted by chippydave:

"Does the gypsy brochure you have show any detail in side the van.
We would be interested to know any history you might have collected.
We hold the manufacture wrights and name to Gypsy caravans.
My email: [e-mail]
Regards
Carl Paine Gypsy caravans guildford"

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I emailed Carl, as follows:

"I am a member ("Franklin1") of the vintage caravan website (www.vintagecaravans.com) and I read your post today about Gypsy caravans. I haven't collected very much at all about Gypsy caravans, but I've attached photos of what I've got. One photo is an article from a 1956 Australian Motor Manual magazine, detailing the new 19ft Gypsy caravan. This article includes a photo of the interior of the caravan.
The other photo is a Gypsy caravan, but I don't know any other details about its age, model, dimensions, etc.

I think the brochure you saw on the website was a brochure from the manufacturer of the timber, who was using Gypsy caravans as an example of one end-use for the timber. The rest of the brochure just listed other end-uses.

Are you able to help us compile the history of Gypsy Caravans for our research section of the website (the "Down History Lane" section)? We would certainly welcome and appreciate any information that could be used by owners of vintage Gypsy caravans to better appreciate their caravan.

Look forward to hearing further from you.
Kind regards,"

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Carl replied:

"Thanks for your reply, we appreciate the photos the 19 footer looks very good nice clean lines.
The chap who started G and L Caravans some 35 years ago, did his apprenticeship with Gypsy caravans.his name is Bill Tyrell.
I will have to ask Bill to write down any info he has.
We can only tell you that the company was owned by Mr John Hall.
A few weeks ago I went to the state library a looked through a few old Australian Motor manuals, they offer a section on caravanning it is very interesting.
If i find more info I shall be happy to hand it on to you.
Best regards"

[Franklin1]

Undated brochure showing a Gypsy caravan:



(source: forum member chippydave, 6 Aug 2007, who wrote:
"Hi everyone, I had a guy roll up at the all holden day who said he loved our website and would like to contribute to it because he had a gypsy brochure.I told him I had a gypsy and to save him going through photobucket and giving up just email it to me.So here it is as I promised him."

[Franklin1]

Gypsy caravan:



Year: Unknown
Model: Unknown
Dimensions: Unknown
Weight: Unknown

[Franklin1]

1956 article on the new 19ft Gypsy:

[Franklin1]

1951 advertisement for Gypsy caravans: [taken from the 1951 Caravan and Touring Manual.]



(source: posted by Roehm3108, Sept 13, 2005, who wrote: ...the Gem was the smallest of the Gypsy range. There was the 4 berth 12 footer. the 3 berth 10 footer and the 5cwt 2 berth Gem (suitable for 8hp cars!)

[Franklin1]

Undated 16ft Gypsy caravan with Jones dolly wheel tow coupling:



(source: posted by kingy, Jul 26, 2006, who wrote: Have come across this 16' gypsy which is not far from home [Moruya, NSW], have left a note under front door (holiday house) but haven't a reply as yet. As it turns out John & Leonie (LYLACK) whom i saw on the weekend checked out this van also some time back and John got to meet the owner. The story is that the van's used for storage and that the owner isn't keen on selling , nor was he all that keen on letting John have a peek inside which John mentioned was a little disappointing. What grabbed my attention was the jones dolly / hitch setup which is slowly rusting away (500 mtrs from coast) which as we all know are very unique.)

[exocet]

Hi Franklin1, in the 1956 K W touring manual is an advert for ' Gypsy Trailer Caravans ' announcing their ''OUTSTANDING NEW RANGE FOR 1956'' and they illustrate 5 vans, the 19ft Mainliner Special, the 16ft Fleetmaster De Luxe, 12ft 4 berth, 10ft 3 to 4 berth and the small Gypsy Super Gem 2 to 3 berth. They were located in Herbert St , St Leonards NSW Telephone JF 2297. All their vans were road tested by the N.R.M.A.

Cheers Exocet

[Franklin1]

13ft Gypsy caravan, possibly 1959: [compare the outside design with the 1959 advertisement posted below...]



(source: posted by chippydave01, Apr 15, 2007, who wrote: Hi guys here is my new van.About 2 months ago I checked this van out, it has not been used since 1980 and was put in a shed on a 6 acre property and had a wall which had to be removed to get it out.The owners bought it second hand in the 60,s after hiring numerous vans to tow on holidays they decided that a gypsy was the best and decided if they could ever afford a van of their own they would only want a gypsy.They towed it with a 1960 Chrysler Royale.
...My van is looking like the 1959 model according to the pictures and measures at 13ft plus the rack that holds the blinkers. I notice in your scans its called the ' thirteen two'.)

[Franklin1]

1958 Gypsy caravan advertisement:



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1959 Gypsy caravan advertisement:



(source: posted by trodler, Apr 24, 2007)

[Franklin1]

On Apr 15, 2007, cobber wrote: ...in 1955 "Gypsy" were advertising "all-metal picture windows are here"...

[cobber]

This is the Gypsy 10 from a 1948 Caravan & Touring book.
According to this they were at Phoenix St. Lane Cove at this time


But then in the same book the Gypsy 13 foot article tells us they were at Lane Cove AND St. Leonards.
I like the sound of the 13 footer..... Ply exterior, Walnut appointments .. Enamelled steel sink... two double beds-inner sprung .


Cobber.

[kingy]

[Franklin1]

Circa 1959 Gypsy 'Thirteen-Two' listed on ebay August 2008:





Refer to the 1959 advertisements above in this thread, for details of this Gypsy model, and also see chippydave's van above as well.

The photos of this van show the "geodotic chassis", similar to what we've seen on some of the Sunliners (...perhaps supplied by the same chassis manufacturer?)

[Don Ricardo]

1956 Gypsy advertisements and publicity:













(Source: Keith Winser, Australian Caravan & Touring Manual for 1956, pp 90 - 91, 110-111 & 80)

[Geoff & Jude]

Gypsy - Litecraft Comparison
hi all

my neighbour came by this afternoon with a "CARS TODAY" magazine from sept 1955 that he found in his garage clean-up.



he has lent it to me so i could scan and post an article on gypsy and litecraft caravans.

so here it is.







i've also posted the same article under litecraft caravans.

geoff 'n jude

[cobber]

The Gypsy Caravanette from the 1951 "Motor Manuals book of lightweight Trailers.



Cobber.

[cobber]

This is a skeleton view from the 1951 "Motor Manuals Book of Lightweight Trailers" of the Gypsy Gem (SEE NOTE BELOW) mentioned above in reply # 4



NOTE.
Next day forum member “John” who has a particular interest in these small Gypsy's has pointed out that the above skeleton photo is actually of the Gypsy “Ten” … not the “Gem” as the caption states.
Both sizes are shown in Reply #4 above and the “Ten” can be seen at reply # 8.

Thanks for pointing that out John now......... get stuck into that '38 “slid up/down 'van of yours

Cobber.

[butchrangerken]

Thank's for the info. I just picked up a old van and asked Mark in April 2011 about it but after going through all the info on this site I believe it may be a Gypsy 12 footer. I hope to have it finished. My wife just looked at it when I brought it home but I sprung her looking at old van interiors so I'M going OK
Ken

[griffin]

In Goulburn over the long weekend and first thing I saw on arriving was this little Gypsy being towed with a flat black EH Holden. A Forum sticker on the back window, but I don't remember seeing it on here. In lovely well used condition with plenty of character, unfortunately no one was with it so I didn't get a look inside.
I adjourned to the pub to quench my thirst after the drive and shortly after it started to rain so I popped out to close a window on the car and it was heading up the road, a lady in the driver's seat.

An early start for Tathra??

George

[firefighter]

:: ) G'day George

Thats Forum member Aquamums out fit

Link to her Gypsy

vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=photo&thread=10781&page=1#87759

Cheers
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D

[pothole]

Question, is the ladder frame only used on the small Gypsy Vans, as the one that I've looked at and am attempting to convince the owner to part with, has that drawbar.

[pothole]

Lucky the Makers Tag still there, lot of damage inside, but repairable. Thanks

[allaboutbetty]

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and I have been keen to learn more about my newly acquired van. Today I gutted the inside to find 2 pieces of ply with writing underneath. One had Millard Caravans written on it with what looks like the word ???ival Street cut off. The other piece of ply has Patons Wyong written on it.

This old girl has been in the same family since the late 60's. I found it rotting away in a paddock. After thinking about such a project for a number of years there she was just begging for me to take her home.

Hope some of you can help with any further info or feedback.

Lauren ;D

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Editorial note - August 2017: This post and the one which follows from Franklin1 was originally posted on the Millard thread in the 'Down History Lane' section. However, the evidence accumulated since that date has indicated that the van is very unlikely to be a Millard caravan. The shape, style and livery are much more consistent with that of the 1959 and later Gypsy caravans shown on this thread. For that reason the two posts have been moved here. However, that doesn't explain the ply with 'Millard Caravans' found by Allaboutbetty and mentioned above! Don Ricardo

[Franklin1]

G'day allaboutbetty,

I'd be interested in seeing some photos of the writing you discovered. The shape of your van is not a shape I would have associated with Millard, so it's intriguing how the Millard name appears on it.

I did a search for the street names in Wyong, thinking the ----ival Street might have shown up, but no luck. Nothing showing up according to this website . I also searched for Paton Wyong but nothing there either.

Is there any chassis number showing on the front drawbar anywhere? Millards from about 1962 onwards got an 'M' series number welded on the drawbar just beside the jockey wheel somewhere.

cheers,
Al.

[aquamum]

I've been lucky enough to purchase this original 1950's magazine advertisement from the Gypsy Caravan Company.

Is this a post 1954 model?

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Editorial note: Later information about the photograph in this advert posted here indicates that the photo was taken no later than December 1951, and therefore the answer to Aquamum's question is that the caravan is a pre-1954, not a post-1954 model. Don Ricardo