Cobber's Don caravan

[cobber]

I am now a proud member of the Don's party.
Was finally able to collect Don serial # 559 yesterday
from the rear of the house she has lived at all of her
life, she has been in the one family since 1950.

Up until 1965 it lived under the carport shown below
and was used for holidays etc,after 1965 it did not get
much use on the road but was used as extra
accommodation from time to time. Then around
1982 it was moved to
the end of the carport where it has been until
today, only
partly protected.

The carport was attached to the garage which in the
old days had high swing doors so the Don could be rolled
through when required.
These had been replaced with roller doors and the gable
above the rollers filled in when it was decided to retire her
back around 1965.
Collecting her had to wait until the house was sold and
the garage had been cleaned out and I was able to get my
Son-in-law to help remove rollers and gable and load “Don”
onto the trailer.


As you can see the roof has been covered with sheets of
Gal. Iron and the off side wall has been clad with sheets of
fibro & carpet has been laid over the lino



I have yet to discover if these bits were applied to prevent damage to the ply & lino ......... or after the ply & lino was damaged, fingers crossed.
Both wheel rims ( 16 x 41/2 inch 6 studs ) are rusted so I
am on the look out for replacement rims, plus one hub cap......... does anybody know what make of car the rims were used
on ?.


The “Don” trade mark wash basin & bath tub



The inside will tidy up OK..... water tank is missing

There are a few rough spots inside


We'll see how we go with it mate (a Slim Dusty song)..........
I will take my inspiration from that great job dosse did on his “Don”
vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=1167&page=2
Might even use the same colour scheme, it looks so
great...... do you mind Dave ?

Cobber.

[firefighter]

hi cobber

16 in chev wheels.... early 40s to...... mid 40s

vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=forsale2&action=display&thread=2384
reply 3
have offered you 5 wheels the same....... with 4 spokes ?
geoff ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[JBJ]

hi Cobber,

Thats a great find. Shows that waiting for somethiong is often worth it.


I reckon your wheels are 37 to 47 Chev. The same as I have on Lucille that I'm rebuilding. The same as Reddo's new towcar, that he will probably replace with Toyota 6 stud mags, that are the same bolt pattern & centre size.

I bought 3 caps & dress rings out of USA just before I went to Mt Gambier, about $90 per wheel new reproductions. I also bought 6.00x16 8 ply tyres , Indian made, but readily available locally.

Did you find the 3 screws yet???


Jailbarjuice

[firefighter]

by the way love your" DON " well done
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Don Ricardo]

Well, Cobber,

Congratulations on joining the Don club! It's great to welcome a new member, and even better to see some long awaited pics of your van. Obviously a bit of work to do, and I guess you won't know the full extent until you pull the gal and the fibro off, but it certainly looks sound enough. In any case Dosse and Doug & Vicky have shown what can be done...

I see that your van is no 559, so it is somewhere between ours (no 461 - Nov 1949) and Gentleman Jim's (no 576 - estimated to be 1951 or 1952). In fact yours is so close to Jim's that the two of them may have even been in the factory at the same time. I note you state that your van has been in the one family 'since 1950'. If that date is documented then it would suggest an earlier date for Jim's van.

I note that your van has a front badge - further evidence confirming the hypothesis that Don started to put a badge on the front of the vans from the late 1940's on.

Now, regarding a very serious matter - the paintwork: With all due and sincere respect to Dosse (I genuinely do like the colours he's chosen...), Nooooooooooooooooo! Keep it original. All post war Dons (apart from the Public Works Department vans) were painted cream with green trim.

I have had the paint colours analysed, and can provide the codes when you need them.

Remember, Cobber, keep it original...

Having delivered my plea - congratulations again. I look forward to it being restored to its (cream & green) glory. [Oh, goodness, did I say that again?]

Don Ricardo

[neilncheryl]

Hi Cobber
Nice find - can't wait to see it after it has had the "Cobber touch" put to it.
Wheel rim looks the same as my 46 Chev.
Happy restoring
Neil

[Franklin1]

Hey cobber, just LOVE the van!! And I particularly love the corrugated iron curtain shades on the side window...ya can't get any more Aussie than that!

I see at the bottom of your posts that "the wife shed she would rather have a trip than another shed", so how did you get permission to bring this one home??

Have fun with this one!

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Geez Cobber ........how & where do you find these things ......whata fantastic find ......well done

And a BIG welcome to THE DON OWNERS CLUB ......a very elite club indeed ;D ;D ;D

You're goin' to need an old pre war Chevy to tow the 140, they have the real torquey 216 CI engine, and 4.1(2?) rear drive, ideal for hauling THE DON...........I would suggest you wrestle the one off 'arold, preferably before he puts mags on it













See the brochure says: many retired people are now living permanently in DON caravans, and travlling according to the seasons ;D ;D ;D

[Deleted]

Onya Fossilobber
Ya Don...... oops .. Ya (don)e good me old china plate .
I give that (d)one the "nod" .. ( DON spelt backwards )
I am sure you will do(n) a good job (d)on the old woo(don) van.

I have a surplus 2kg of cross head screws if ya run short ;D.

Your rims...
jbj says.."The same as Reddo's new towcar, that he will probably replace with Toyota 6 stud mags," ... oooowwwwwaaaaaa !!!!!

Not too sure if thats gunna happen but he is correct in saying that your wheels are off late 30s to mid 40s chev.

So.. waddya waiting for.. get out there and get restoring.

P.S . I know where the 3 cross head screws are in old '36. They are uncoated mild steel and .. given time should deliver a nice rust stain on the paintwork. hence giving up thier location...

in the mean time .. happy hammering
Red-do(n)

[Geoff & Jude]

hi cobber

she looks pretty good - worth the wait, that's for sure.

looking forward to seeing the build process.

what is the target finish date, munmorah or coledale. (you retired folk have nothing better to do than spend all your time on the resto).

see you soon,

geoff 'n jude

[cobber]

Geoff,
Sorry I missed that post and your offer (I sometimes
realise I miss many posts on this busy forum) I will
PM you.

JBJ !
You told me you put only ONE Phillips head screw in
Ol' 36 @ the Mount and I found it....... now you tell me
there's two more, this could delay the restoration
of “The Don” while I try to find 'em .

Don,
The lady I got “The Don” from originally thought it
was 1948 or '49 so she is searching for paperwork to
see if she can determine when it was bought, my 1950's
date was just a stab in the dark.
Now.............. the colours ?....... will I or won't I......... keep
it original you say.
Keeping things original is so hard. For instance, those
two screws under the ID plate in that last photo
above, what are they for, are they original ? I think
I noticed a match box holder around that spot in
your “Don”....... where the hell am I going to get one
of them
And on the bottom of each draw and cupboard is a bit
of green flower pattern lino looking stuff (without the
hessian backing) that has kept the timber underneath
it looking like new......... is it original or should I chuck it ?

I might have to start one of those polls to tell me what
I should do .

Neil,
Sounds as though early Chev is the go. Shopping around
the wreckers the main problem was getting something
only 41/2 inches wide....... shouldn't have bothered, this
forum is the source of all knowledge and assistance.

Al,
Seeing as the wife doesn't want another shed I've
decided to give her another skillion... she didn't say
anything about not wanting one of them

Mark,
You know how Reddo keeps telling us he “has friends
in low places”....... which is entirely believable, well I have
friends in high places.
I have staked my claim for 'arolds old Chev before he
puts it on ebay and have started saving my pennies...... I
know I will have to be quick .
I could live in “The Don” permanently, it is so large after
Ol' 36 I need a map to find the door.


Red do(n)
"I have a surplus 2kg of cross head screws if ya run
short"
I Got all the slot heads I need china so I know a good
place for you to stick ya cross heads.

Then you said,
"P.S . I know where the 3 cross head screws are in
old '36".
Yeah right.... you probably were JBJ's technical adviser.

Just remember, I put in the first expression of interest
on the Chev OK?

G'day Geoff,
Coledale for sure mate, not sure which year. You think
retirement is the time of lot's of time....... I got news
for you, just wait till you get there in a month or two.

Cobber.

[Deleted]

I am gunna vote modified.... because it has already been improved with corrigated iron blinds and special hailproof roof.

As for the sloper and your claim of first option to purchase.
Weeeelll .. if your FJ had been a ute we may have been able to negotiate .
But for now it sits in the "cooling off zone" in the shed of invention.

Oh bye the way.. it was 3 screws. i was there when he ......oooops i just linked myself to the crime scene ;D ;D ;D

In the meantime i am off to the doctors to have the 2kg of cross head screws removed from my A

Redd-ouch

[cobber]

REDDO !

You want an FJ Ute........ I got an FJ Ute.

You're a cunning young fox, always the winner, I don't
really want to part with it but... just for you.. clean swap
for the Chev and it's yours .



Sometimes you break my heart .

Cobber.

[Koala]

Hi Cobber, you wrote "Both wheel rims ( 16 x 41/2 inch 6 studs ) are rusted so I am on the look out for replacement rims"

I have a couple of those rims you need and could drop them off on my way up to Munmorah......................or I could go to the steam rally instead to give you some company and save you sitting there on your own. Would save some fuel which is a real consideration at $1.55 per litre. If you have some bourbon and a camp fire I could............maybe.......... be swayed to go to the steam rally........

Koala

[cobber]

Ken,

That is a damn smart idea you have come up with.
There are a few folk coming from down south to go
to Munmorah, and even those from around Sydney
could save heaps on petrol by coming to the steam
rally instead...... Tickos, Chippy Dave, Geoff & Jude, Wildmanaus,1954 homemade &
yourself......... it's looking good, and there will still
be a good crowd at Munmorah .
As the petrol supply runs out we have to think of ways
to conserve fuel and still amuse ourselves, well done
Ken, I wish I had of thought of promoting the steam
rally with that sensible logic .
Bourbon and camp fire............... DONE ;D .

Cobber.

[exocet]

Nice find Cobber, well done!

Cheers Exocet

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cobber,

The screws under the serial number plate? Definitely original. You're right about them being used to hold a match box holder. I reckon it would be reasonably easy for someone with some metal working skills to knock up a replica, but are you sure it's not sitting round in a drawer or near the stove? It looks as if almost all the other fittings are still in the van.

I notice the water tank under the front seat is missing. Did any of the fittings from the two water tanks (threaded filler spouts and caps and taps) come with the van? The originals are brass. I'm looking for a close to original tap for the 'under-the-seat' tanks for our van at the moment. Looks like I better look for two of them if yours is missing!

Looking back at the photos of the van being extracted from its home, I realise what a tight fit it was. You wouldn't want a flat tyre just as you were taking the van through the entrance to the garage. It would be wedged tight!!

I notice the green tube hanging down near the tow coupling. Is that just the wiring cable or does your van have brakes installed? As you probably remember, brakes were an optional extra, and I can't think of any of the Dons shown on the forum which have the original brakes installed.

Don Ricardo

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Col,

Don't take my comments too seriously...

I also like what Dosse has done with HIS van. As I said yesterday "I genuinely do like the colours he's chosen...", and I meant that in all sincerity. It certainly wasn't meant to be unsolicited criticism, or criticism of any sort at all.

My comments to Cobber were in the context of chats I've had with him both on and off the forum about the restoration of vans and maintaining 'period integrity', etc. I'm sure he understood my words in that context (well, I hope he did ). Perhaps I did lay it on a bit thick, but I actually did so in an attempt to be a bit humourous, hence also the use of the emoticons I chose. Looks like I failed on the humour bit though if it came across as criticism.

I probably am a person who places a relatively high value on originality - I think there is value in maintaining at least some vans in pretty close to original condition, including their paint scheme, where there was one followed by the manufacturer. In that sense caravans can be an historical artefact, and it is of value to be able to look at a caravan which conveys a picture of what such vans looked like when they were new.

However, having said that, let me clarify my position as clearly as I can: I do respect people's "freedom of choice to paint THEIR van the colour of their choosing". It is THEIR van.

Apologies to anyone who was offended by my comments, and to you Col.

Regards,

Don Ricardo

[Deleted]

Yeah .....I'm pretty serious about Don's too !!!

I reckon Cobber's Don would look good with some mags, ........spats, bung in a coupla port holes, and paint some of those cool side stripes in whateva colour.

Aslo, I'd rip out those old fashioned leadlight windows, and put some of those tinted bubble windows in, like the ones the panel vans had in the 70's ......how cool would that be


HONK HONK HONK !!!!

[cobber]

MY TURN (it is my thread after all )

There is nothing more important, when posting messages on the forum, than using “smilies / emotions” to convey your mood........... and there is nothing more important, when reading posts, than taking note of the “smilies / emotions” that have been used.











I wrote another three paragraphs expanding on my thoughts about this subject........ but then decided to delete them because the first paragraph was the most important bit .



Cobber.

[cobber]

Don,

None of the fittings you noticed missing are in the 'van....... I suspect some of them may have been in the garage before it got cleaned out, and before I had an opportunity to go through it all .

Do you have photos of the original brass fittings, I have a couple of old brass taps that might be what we need.
Were there two tanks under the near side seat .

The green hose you noticed is a vacume hose leading to two individual thingos ... one for each wheel, I didn't realise none of the other “Dons” on the forum haven't got them.
Like everything else under the 'van capable of rusting they are very rusted.... I doubt that they will still work. I spent about six hours getting the jockey wheel to go around, I still haven't succeeded in getting it to go up and down .

I will be needing a photo, and measurements, of the water tank on the wall eventually so that I can replicate it too.

Cheers,
Cobber

[Deleted]

Cobber

First up . let me congratulate you on your patience . It appears the wait was worth it. Another plywood van saved. I am sure it is in good hands.

Secondly.. After hanging around here for 4 years I still struggle with this "mystique' that people seem to build up about Don Caravans. To me it is just another mass produced bondwood caravan that the builder stuck a plaque on. There is plenty of other vans of equal build quality out there that surely is as desirable as a Don.
Furness ( bondwood) offered a van of equal quality and refinement. several fibreglass manufacturers produced vans that have exceptional features in them, Likewise aluminium vans where offered with above average fit outs.
Sure , its fine to have nick nacks like tin bowl washbasins in cupboards and bathtubs under seats but surely these features dont elevate Dons to "holyier than thy" status.

I am not saying that Dons arent a good van. From what i have seen on this forum i am sure they are. Nor do i want cause any caffuffle between different factions on the forum. Thats the last thing we need.
It is just me and my "Call a spade a spade " attitude to vintage caravanning. Contrary to popular belief I love em all no matter what the breed or build they are , and struggle with the concept of one breed being "above " another.

I look forward to your documented restoration\modification\leave as is\do nothing.

Please note . This email bought to you with no emotions.
Until now

Reddo

[cobber]

Reddo, where have you been sunshine ,
I bin trying to get a response from you for two days now........... nuthin .
Haven't you seen my bit about the FJ / Chevy swap........ haven't you seen mine and Koala's bit about getting the Sydney mob down to the STEAM RALLY @ MENANGLE...... and ya get ya nickers in a knot over a couple of blokes having a chat about “Don” caravans (I did notice your wink wink..... wink wink @ the end of your message )

“Don” caravans........ it's the first plurry caravan I've had that has a makers name on it so it's good to be able to talk to other “Don” owners about it...... excuse me

I have never said they're special, even though they did start making them in 1935 (wish I could find one of them) just said I wanted one, wouldn't mind a Jennison either, or a Roma, or a Furness or any flamin' caravan made before 1938 (that should get a few people going... I was born in 1938 so how can anything made after that be “vintage” )

An stop trying to get me to argue with ya........ 'cause I won't .

Cobber.

[Deleted]

Hi Cobber

My Observations and comments where not directed specifically at you and your current purchase .

It was merely a statement based on what i see as being a
beat up" about one particular brand or caravan.
I struggle to see why they seem to be held in such high esteem.. sorta the "holy Grail " of bondwood status.

After all they are built the same as other wood vans. windows, doors, wheels, sink, bed , cupboards and bland colour schemes.etc. are all very much the norm rather than the exception.
Sure they have a few quirky nick nacks but in the final wash up they are still .. just a vintage caravan with a bit of documented history that where around at the start of the caravan boom back in the 30s and 40s..
Well i say so was a lot of home builders that done a darn fine job but neglected to market them as well as some of the others that went on to make a living out of mass producing plywood caravans in the same era.. of the same quality.

Again i say . Not so much trying to drag the Don down . Might be just me and my perception that these Dons seem to get rave reviews . Whether that is warranted or not is yet for me to figure out.

If ya keen on getting a name on your other vans why not go and see "Allens' or "Cadburys' and get a wrapper off their famous chocolate lolly the "Cobber"... oooo bugga .. now i have to use a smilie ;D or 2 ;D ;D

I seen your expression of interest in the Chev and i thought i replied to you on the same thread. Have fun at the steam thingy. We should look at shuffling dates for Munmorah next year so we can all come and listen to you mumble and let off steam.....

yours sincerely
Young 'arold

[trodler]

Hi Cobber me old mate.
Nice find. ;D ;D
Knowing you and the way you are with originallity Im sure what ever you do with the Don it will look great.
If you email me a photo of the tap your after I may be able to help you out.

Cheers.
Trodler

PS. Have i used enough smilies here.