Sunliner caravans (Forster, NSW & Geelong, Vic)

[Franklin1]

For additional information about Sunliner caravans produced under licence or some other arrangement by Gracemur and Walden, click here and here respectively.

SUNLINER HISTORY:

Replies posted Jan-May 2005

52chevygirl: I have just been sent some photocopies of original adds etc with dates on them... From what i can tell they started production 1958/1959 with wrap front windows (look at ours) and then went to two front windows (one fixed and one opens!!??)

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humptydumpty: ...I try to tell any one that will listen that Sunliners didn't even start production till 58.

jailbarjuice: Hi humpty, with regards to the vague history of sunliners, and after talking to Spyder today, is it possible that Sunliners were built before 58 in the later body style,with fluted ribs on front, raised stone guard panels at front, lower wheel well openings, aluminimum windows, etc, then in 58 went back to the van like mine with wraparound fixed windows, fibreglass framed side windows, fibreglass internal liners, and none of the external trim. I find the history very confusing.

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On Aug 1, 2006 jailbarjuice replied in a sunliner thread: ...If you've got aluminium side windows, it could be a 1963. The real early 1958/9 models had fibreglass frames in the side windows. Apparently chassis could have been ordered as tubing type or rectangular tube depending on the factory of build or the particular model, or so I've been told.

humpty2 also replied: ...look on top of your chassis, about 8 inches to a foot back from the coupling and you should find a number stamped there. It should read YYMM then something to separate the next number maybe a slash or a cross.the next number is its build number. eg 6301X145 means built January 1963 , 145th built.
Mine is 6301X88. and has curved windows at front and rear plus icebox.

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On Sept 7, 2007, humpty2 wrote: I have noticed on some vans on the site and even commented that if "you couldn't get a Sunliner at least you got the chassis", well............. Couple a days ago I was talking to a fellow who knew (worked for the company) about the Bergman coupling made in Newcastle. Turns out they also made the pipe chassis for the Sunliners. When Sunliner went "belly up" there were about 80 chassis still left at Bergmans. So if you are sporting a pipe chasssis chances are it also has a Bergman coupling and is exactly the same as the great Sunliners.

[Franklin1]

1962 advertisement:



(source: part of an article posted by gristy Jun 25, 2007)

[Franklin1]

1950s Sunliner caravans:



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(sources: posted by 52chevygirl, Jan 10, 2005)

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On Jan 22, 2005, 52chevygirl wrote: I have just been sent some photocopies of original adverts etc with dates on them... From what I can tell they started production 1958/1959 with wrap front windows (look at ours) and then went to two front windows (one fixed and one opens!!?? ). From the advert the one pictured looks like the advert from 1964.
Good to see another one- so far there are 5 in our area [Brisbane region], 7 near Newcastle......wow and that's just the ones I've come across...

Mar 7, 2005, humptydumpty: To date the sunliner, look on top of the chasis about a foot back from the coupling (sand all the paint away). It can be on either side. The number will read YYMM x number of van.

Mar 12, 2005, jailbarjuice: humptydumpty, I had to use a big wire brush to find my vans chassis number. The guy that started pulling my van to bits had the chassis heavily sandblasted, then etch primed & 2 coats 2 pack primer. When I eventually found the numbers they read 912 5?? 117. The ? appears to be the lower part of the numbers 3,5,6,8,9, or 0. Considering what i've seen & been told it should be 1958 or 1959. My number were directly above the end of the front reinforcing plate on the left hand side, & appear to be 1/4" letter stamps. Thanks for the advice where to look.

Mar 12, 2005, humptydumpty: Look hard to find a 5 in front of that 9. Then we can say for sure that it is 12/59 or...5912. I have dated 3 so far with that system.

[Franklin1]

1953 Sunliner: [the year is in dispute...refer comment at bottom of this reply]



(source: posted by retro1, Jan 9, 2005, who wrote: While I was away I had to stop and check this van out. Its owner was from NSW and they had done over 2000kms. He told me it was a 1953 Foster fiberglass It was fairly original inside and still had the canvas lining. As we were in the carpark some people took pictures and gave both of us some funny looks. He told me the van weighed 750 kgs and was about to restore it.)

Replies posted Jan-May, 2005:

52chevygirl: ...same sort as ours but i think the year on this one is late 50' early 60's as the windows are smaller on the front and the side windows don't have any brows. They apparently took that stuff off coz it cost too much to produce. Ours is either late 40 or early 50 (they were produced all over the place and I think a couple of different companies had a mould).

Purple People Sleeper [the owner of the van]: ...It is a real buzz to see our van on this site, I had no idea that it would couse such a stir although over the 5322 k trip I am guessing that the PPS was photographed over 50 times, so I would not be surprised where pics will turn up.
...According to some of the many people that we have encountered on our travels, including an 80 year old man who was still travelling in his 1956 Sunliner which he bought brand new, the model which I have - no eyebrows, and the canvas lining was the first production run which began in 1953. They were built in two locations, Forster (NSW) and Tasmania. They then moved on to the later model in 1956 which incorperated fibreglass in the interior, wheel spats and perspex curved windows at the front and rear. The canvas lining was replaced also. The later models also had the option of independent suspension whereas the 56 used a single axle with no brakes.

jailbarjuice: hey humpty, hasnt PPS got his years mixed up. That vans an early 60's at best, especially with the fabric headlining.

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[comment by jailbarjuice, Dec 2, 2007: The reason people like Purple 1962 van owner wrongly think their van is a 1953, is that no one can( or will) produce pix or details to enable them to realise that they have been incorrectly advised as to the year &/or brand/model of van.
Peoples memories get confused over time, & it is easy for someone to get their dates on their vans 10 years out.
I've seen Sunliners called McKenzies, Qualcasts, & other names. If some one chooses to believe incorrect info you will never change their mind , but if you can refer them to correct info they may realise the reality.]

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Editorial note: There are a number of incorrect statements in this post regarding the van shown, where Sunliners were built, and when they were built. We now know that the van in question has a 'type 3' Sunliner body which was used from 1963 to the end of Sunliner production. Don Ricardo

[Franklin1]

Sunliner sales leaflets:

(source: posted by miaow, Nov 28, 2007, who wrote: ...I wanted to post some scans that my friends parents sent me. They live in Sydney and I caught up with them at a BBQ in Melbourne two weeks ago - they have a (1959?) Sunliner that currently resides with their son in Budgewoi. When they got the van (it had been in someone's garage for so long that trees roots had put the front of the shed out of whack and they had to do surgery on the garage door) it had an original sales leaflet or two in it.)

Leaflet No1 - 1963+ Sunliner:





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Leaflet No2 - 1958/59 Sunliner:





Here is a larger version of the print on pages 1 and 2:





...and a larger version on the back page printing:

[Franklin1]

Sunliner caravan



(source: posted by retro1, Jun 15, 2006 as part of a "Tucky's Adventures" thread.)

[comment by jailbarjuice, Dec 2, 2007: Greg ( Tucki"s) van is an early 60,s Bundaberg built van, also sometimes called a Gracemur( or something like that I think)
Most of the vans up around Cairns that I"ve seen pix of have the same windows & features.
Greg mentioned over a beer on our verandah, on his way back to the west after his journey up the Queensland coast as a follow on to Morgan, that someone in Bundaberg spoke to him & gave him some info on the vans he had worked on building in the 60's.]

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Editorial note: Subsequent information has indicated that this van is in fact a Sunliner with a modified front window, not a Gracemur as suggested by Jailbarjuice. For further information on this van see later on this thread - here.

[Franklin1]

Sunliner caravan:



(source: posted by chippydave01, Oct 8, 2006)

reply by jailbarjuice, Oct 8, 2006: I've just been looking at my collection of Sunliner photos, & I reckon that one could be a very rare van, being a 15' Sunliner. What do you others reckon?

[Franklin1]

Sunliner caravan:



(source: posted by lisian, Oct 30, 2006)

Reply by sutcac, Oct 30, 2006: ...Looks very similiar vintage to mine (1959 approx)

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Update by Franklin1, Mar 9, 2008: I inspected this van at an auction sale yesterday (...there were no bids for it, and it was passed over), and it matches the specification information shown in Leaflet No.2 shown above. It had an old pump action tap, separated in parts and lying in the cupboard below the sink. The ice chest had been converted to a refrigerator by someone adding a compressor and cooling fins to the chassis underneath the van. I couldn't find any chassis number on the drawbar, but it may have been hidden under the rust and flaky paint. Apart from the fridge, the van appeared to be in stock standard condition (albeit very poor condition).

[Franklin1]

Sunliner caravan:



(source: posted by 63brd, Nov 3, 2006)

reply by humpty2, Nov 8, 2006: ...One of the very early Sunliners...1958/59.

[Franklin1]

Sunliner caravan:



(source: posted by 64holden, Jun 17, 2007, who wrote: Hello everyone! We have just purchased our very first caravan (off Reddo!). My husband Quinno has spent many hours sanding the old Sunliner back and he says he is only about a third of the way through. The inside is great after giving it a good wash over and some new curtains. Can't wait to take her out for her first trip!)

[Franklin1]

1964 Sunliner caravan:



(source: posted by kingy, Jan 23, 2007, who wrote: Had a guy i do some work for me put me onto this 64 sunliner which i had a look at today and was told by the elderly owner that it will be coming on the market but not just yet. It would be a great restorer with very little work needed. It runs on volvo rims (14'') and apparantly has been converted to leaf springs. (what's the original setup ) The van is still registered but hasn't been used for four years.)

[Deleted]

Hi Franklin 1
The arrow shaped flash on the side of the purple van and your post from the 20/12/2007 of the 1964 van appears to be the correct style of stripe/flash for the sunliner. Humptys is very similar and so is the wrecked 59 model at wakefield auto wreckers .
So 1959 to 1964 for that type of flash.

Reddo

[chippydave01]

Hi Guys ,my victory model came with holden 13" wheels.As a matter of interest did sunliners have their own hubcaps or did they just run holden hubcaps from whatever year it was built.I dont see many sunliners running original hubcaps.If anyone has an enlarged picture one it would be great to see .Cheers Dave

[humpty2]

regarding the flash......the correct one does join front and rear and is usually colour co-ordinated to the interior.
I have never seen anything that could be called a Sunliner hubcap. As most Sunliners are towed behind Holdens, and are usually fitted with Holden rims, a hubcap to match the car is usually the go.

[Franklin1]

Sunliner caravan restored by Spyder:



(source: posted by spyder, May 16, 2005, who wrote: After four months of elbow grease and a lot of loving care we have finally produced our pride and joy - A Sunliner Caravan.

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reply by jailbarjuice: Hi Spyder, thanks for help you've given me so far. That shot of yours being rubbed is interesting, yours appears to have a blue/green base primer, where mine is yellow/orange.

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reply by jailbarjuice, May 18, 2005: Hey humpty, this one is the only van with external ribs on the sides , with fixed front & rear windows, & fibreglass interior linings I've come across. What model is it. Its got the same chassis as mine also.
...Spyder has done a fanstatic restoration on his van. It shows what I feel is a very intriguing facet of every Sunliner I've come across, & that is they appear to all have been built to customers individual order sheets. There doesnt seem to be 2 of them the same. I bought a car for my daughter in Newcastle recently from a guy who said he did a few of the gas installations at the Forster NSW Sunliner factory, & he confirmed that was the case. They are appearing to be still around in reasonable numbers considering their age & the fact that the fibreglass is quite thin. The glass appears to be what I think was called continuous rovings, sorta like a fine spaghetti, that was sprayed from a gun. The small parts appear to be hand laid, & on mine everything from body to winow frames is glass. the later ones went to aluminium windows, I suppose for economy of manufacture, or possibly because of demand for the newer product. Unfortunately all the Sunliner factory records seem to have been destroyed/lost.

[Franklin1]

posted by humptydumpty, May 28, 2005: The moulds for the Sunliners built at Forster were in the possession of Allan Curtis ( Curtis Motor Museum at Forster) till about 2 years ago.......when he sent them to the dump without asking anyone if they might be desired. shame Allan shame

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posted by jailbarjuice, May 25, 2005: ...there doesnt seem to be any set age for pipe or square tube chassis. My van is an early 58-59 model, with fabricated pipe chassis, & debbies (52 chevygirl) van is same body as mine on square tube chassis. I believe that as Peter says, all vans were custom assembled, & possibly from whatever the factories had in stock. Does your van have independent suspension like mine or leaf springs? They were both used at the same time I think. Mine has wraparound perspex front & rear, & fibreglass side window frames, not aluminium like yours & Peters.

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posted by jailbarjuice, May 25, 2005: ...Back to Sunliners, do all tubular chassis have coil over shock independent, & all rectangular tube have leaf springs, or is suspension the same as everything else and individual order. There is a used car dealer in Weston, on the left at the lights & next to the hardware shop, who told me he did a lot of the gas installations at the Forster factory. He is very hard to get away from once he starts though. He remembers several large Sunliners, and talked about the factory plans to build Sunliners with glass ends & alloy sides & top, before the company folded. have you any info on this?

reply by humptydumpty: The independent suspension was on early models but was troublesome and expensive. You will see on some that have had independent suspension where they were converted to leaf.

[Jennison]

The old felow I mentioned in my sunliner post in the general section knew the founder of sunliner in foster, Bert Tickner. He may be a "source " of early s/liner info for those interested. I have his details if anyone wants them. Coledale is not that far from nowra Jennison

[cobber]

I expect the "Sunliner" tragics will know that "Sunliners"
were assembled in Foster... and in Geelong by Auto
Assemblers but I can't find reference to it on this thread

This Advertisement is from Caravan and Touring Manual 1962



Cobber.

[jg66rob]

Here's a fresh pic for all the resin sniffers.







Picture taken at Forster July 1965.

Caption; When six caravans drawn by six Land Rovers passed through Forster's streets last saturday it was an important milestone of progress for Forster's oldest secondary industry.
The six caravans have been bought by an American financed mining exploration company. Anaconda Aust Inc for use by it's team of mining engineers throughout Australia.

So where are they now and or who has one of these vans sitting in their shed or driveway?

[humpty2]

Gotta notice the window over the galley......an unusual fitting for the normal size Sunliner..........standard on the 15'er.
I have not seen those photos before, thank you for them.

[Deleted]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm... llllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaanndrover.
Got a soft spot for the old Landys.
Had a stock shorty 2A and a LWB 1975 series 111 - 245 Val motor... would pull the chassis out from under any V.Van.

Interesting to note .. no flashes on the Sunliners.
Special order by the mining co.

[shaneandsimoen]

Hello Cobber,

missed you post till today,
interesting that you have about Auto Assemblers of Geelong.

Know a bloke down here in Geelong who does fibreglassing, was looking at the V/Van web site at work on Sunliners when he came into work. Saw the Sunliner and said that his dad ran a business building them here in Geelong, they made the whole van had a number of employees cabinet makers, etc.

Franklin some were in the early 70's brought their equipment and it went to Ballarat. Couple of years latter someone got the mould off Franklin and asked his father to make a couple of fibreglass vans, they were then taken to the Antarctica. He still has the mould at his place and he thinks some old brochures. His dad is in his early eighties.

Hopefully I will get some photos of mould and find out more information.

jj66rob, nice photos of Landrovers and Sunliners.

Regards Shane

[chippydave01]

Cool photos, A mining van ,Them miners would have been living in style,but they would have needed it after travelling in one of those landrovers as you need to wear a kidney belt travelling long distance in one of those.
Cheers Dave

[humpty2]

I would think that if the fibreglass caravan moulds were in the possession of Franklin then the moulds would be for a Kennedy.

[Don Ricardo]

Posted by Don Ricardo on 3 June 2009:

The following photos are of a van currently advertised on Ebay as a 1958 Sunliner... BUT the nameplates on the van say 'Skyline'.

I know that some Kennedys were branded as Skylines, but I am not aware of any Sunliners being sold/branded as Skylines. Does anybody know what the story is here?

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Response by Humpty2 on 3 June 2009:

Skyline is/was a distributor for Sunliners........and evidently Kennedys too. The van is definitely a 58/59 Sunliner.

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Additional information - September 2017:

Photo accompanying a Sunliner advert from the 1962 Winser Caravan Manual, as shown higher up this thread:


(Source: K Winser, Australian Caravan and Touring Manual for 1962, 14th edition, page 170)

The caravan in the photo is branded 'Skyline', and the text tells us that Sunliners were assembled in Forster, NSW [by Mid-north Coast Moulded Products], and Auto Assemblers in Geelong.  It seems reasonable to think that the Skyline branded Sunliners would have been sourced from Geelong.  However, not all Geelong built vans were branded as Skylines.  At least some were sold as Sunliners - see here.