Cobber's Don caravan

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cobber,

Pity about the missing fittings. Aussietanker found almost all of his fittings in various drawers of his 120, except the hooks and cup holder in the wash basin cavity (which your van still has). I was hoping that you might have the same good fortune.

I will take some pics of the brass fittings from the tanks over the weekend and post them for you. I don't have the tap from the under seat tank but I'll try and do a drawing for you and Trodler to look at. It's a simple brass tap with an off/on lever roughly as long as the spout (as opposed to a knob)

There is only one tank under the seat - roughly 35 litres by my reckoning (whatever that works out in gallons - 7 1/2?). The rest of the space under the seat is storage. Again I can provide a photo and/or measurements. If you look under the floor to the left of the step, you will see a hole for the tank outlet pipe to come through.

I've had to replace my over sink tank, but (thankfully) I've kept the original which can be used as a template.

Looking forward to hearing more about the brake setup, even if you have to replace it.

Don Ricardo

[cobber]

Trodler,

You've done good young fella.... you're a fast learner
A problem I have with smilies is, there aren't enough of them.
Many times I would like to use one with his tongue firmly impeded in his cheek, would save a lot of misunderstanding....... I think .

Cobber.


Don,
Come to think of it, I did get the 24 page “Don” booklet with my 'van.... and, it's only missing pages 9 to 16 ;D but, on page 3 & 4 & 5 it shows quite clearly the tap over the sink, I will have a look tomorrow and see if I have a similar one that looks exactly the same as those in the photos ;D ;D.

I had noticed the drain hole to the left of the step, I also notice a little piece of gal. Iron between the wheel and the step to protect the step runners from being splashed with mud from the wheel .... is that something you have noticed on your 'van ... I.E. IS THAT ORIGINAL ?

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Yep, original!

Don Ricardo

[Geoff & Jude]

hi cobber, how are ya, finished the resto, yet.

first look at your new avatar and i thought it was a toilet seat.

better watch out for near sighted visitors. ;D ;D ;D

geoff 'n jude

[cobber]

G'day Geoff & Jude,

I wonder how many uncouth D owners on a cold wet night have succumbed to the temptation...... come to think of it I don't know any uncouth D owners...... except one .

Restoration for me will be done at a leisurely pace, some of the easy bits have been done.
I lifted the carpet to find it hadn't been put down to protect the lino


The Hardie Plank had been put over the ply, I think to protect it, but due to a leak around the stove chimney water had seeped through and down the side under the Hardie Plank..... frame work rotted in that area and in the rear corner and all along the bottom rail..... fair bit of frame work to re-build.



Some clown must have written an article about “How to protect your van” back in the 60's or 70's, probably that Keith Winser bloke who I doubt ever built a caravan in his life, and suggested putting sheets of Gal iron over the roof, they did it to Al's

and they did it to mine.

Except mine has the sheets pop riveted together and she's nailed to the 'van around the sides.
I'll probably pull mine of tomorrow too Al, I sure hope the wood under it is OK..

Don R.
Long time ago you were asking what the three connectors above the “radio shelf” were about, I think we sorted it out at the time but here is a photo of the wiring. The two on the right (in the photo) are the pos. & neg. from the battery and the one on the left is a loop aerial that goes up in the roof and down under the floor.... some loop eh?


Why am I doing this

Cobber.

[Geoff & Jude]

May 9, 2008 13:40:13 GMT 10 cobber said:

G'day Geoff & Jude,

I wonder how many uncouth D owners on a cold wet night have succumbed to the temptation...... come to think of it I don't know any uncouth D owners...... except one .

hey cobber, that's no way to talk about our donricardo.

geoff 'n jude

[cobber]

Hey Geoff,

Don R's A O K... Who's your next guess

Such a nice day today I could think of nothing I would rather do than rip the tin off that roof..... and as each bit came off I felt happy because the ply revealed underneath looked pretty good, none of it will need replacing.
As I said, that Keith Winser knew a thing or two, he wrote some very helpful books .

I hope yours looks as good under the tin Al.
I'll now spend a day or so thinking.

Cobber.

.

[Don Ricardo]

Good news about the ply under the tin, Cobber.

Interesting to see the 'other side' of the radio connections as well. The brochure says that there is 50 ft of aerial wire 'in the roof', but apparently it wasn't only in the roof - unless one of the tradies got bored one day and decided to take the wire on a different route on your van. ;D ;D ;D A fair sized loop though, as you say.

I see your van has floor boards. Later build Dons (eg Aussietanker's and Mark T's 120's) used ply flooring, which meant that they don't have the ridging under the lino that is evident in our van.

Don Ricardo

[cobber]

Here's some more good “Don” stuff.... apologies (I don't think) to the anti “Don” mob from the mount .

Don R,
I had a closer look and one part of that aerial wire goes up into the roof and the other bit goes under the floor but terminates under a bolt holding the right rear corner jack onto the frame... so that when the jack is down the wire would be “earthed”

By the way, does your 140 have one or two double 240 volt power points, do we know when a 240 connection became available on “Don” ?
The way mine is provided certainly looks like an after-thought.

The wire continues up to a double power point, mine looks like it has had another double added later...... A MODIFICATION

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cobber,

You're certainly on a voyage of discovery with your van!

The power connection isn't an afterthought. Our van had the same wiring (until we did a bit of rewiring). Our 140's are so close in serial numbers, and therefore build date, that I am certain they would be identical in this regard.

They were built with one single 240v socket on the wall above the left hand side of the stove alcove - roughly in the same place as the matchbox holder, but on the other side. The socket was bakelite and painted to match the wall colour. I've seen both vertical and horizontally orientated sockets (if that description makes sense). Our original socket was horizontal.

If you look under the floor where the power cord emerges from the wall, you should find a little block of wood attached to the underside of the floor with three holes drilled in it. This is for the storage of the plug when travelling. I guess the purpose was to ensure that the plug didn't get caught on something while on the move, and also to keep the dust and mud off the pins and underneath of the plug. Just one of those 'nick nacks', as Reddo referred to them. I guess other manufacturers may have used something similar?

Don Ricardo

ADDENDUM

Re the question of when Don made 240v available, I found this picture of Austin125's van which shows that it had a 240v socket:



Austin125's van is serial number 328 and estimated to be around 1947, so that tells us that a 240v connection was included at that point. The only earlier Dons we have a fix on at this point are Doug & Vicky's 120 (no 257) and Mark T's 100 (no 261). Maybe they can tell us whether their vans have/had a 240v socket? (Although of course it may be that only the 140 model had 240v when it was first introduced.)

Note that Austin125's van has what I have called a 'vertically orientated' socket.

[neilncheryl]

Hi Cobber
Could the "aerial wire" from the roof to the corner jack be a form of lightning rod?

[cobber]

Neil,

Lightning rod ... that's a shocking suggestion .

Don,
Mine has a more refined method of protecting the plug...... a Bakelite socket, where you have a bit of wood .

In that photo of Austin 125's 'van.... can you tell me what that metal thing on the lid of the cooker recess is for, I can't figger it out at all .

In the garage where I got this 'van from I noticed a box full of old Bakelite fittings on my first visit........ next time I went back they were all gone, I only hope they didn't go to the tip, some people don't appreciate that old is good.

Cobber.

[Deleted]

Oiy Albert..
Whatcha gunna do with the ten million nail holes in the roof of the Don now that ya have peeled off the tin lid


"Could the "aerial wire" from the roof to the corner jack be a form of lightning rod? "

Maybe the Don was a "Dodgem car" in its former life... ;D
or maybe a part of a large slot car set...
Pretty god damn versitile these Dons ya know.

50 ft of Ariel wire.. cooolll.
Perhaps ya can hang 240volts off it and convert it so that the wire glows and heats up the van in winter.


"Some people dont appreciate that old is good"

'smatter old fella .. feeling a bit neglected of late are we

Reddo... the "uncoth" one referred to in earlier posts.....



Thought for today:
The only famous Don was a cricket player .. batting average of 99.99... out for a duck in his last match.....

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cobber,

A bakelite socket to protect the plug!! Must have been a 50's equipment upgrade. ;D ;D ;D

Now, regarding "that metal thing on the lid of the cooker recess". That, dear Cobber, is a knick knack! To be more specific it's a 'plate rack' knick knack. There is a little spring loaded catch which holds the rack in place against the lid of the stove alcove when not in use - you can see it in the pic. There is also a little arm located just inside the lip of the chimney hood, which is held there with a clip. If you release the catch on the rack, you can swing the rack up into a horizontal position and then swing down the arm from the hood which hooks onto the rack to hold it in position. Hey presto a 'plate rack' knick knack! I'm guessing yours will probably still be there.

Don Ricardo

PS I didn't get a chance to take photos of the tank fittings over the weekend - mothers' day and all that. Hopefully over the next couple of days...

[cobber]

Don,

Well I'll be a monkeys uncle, I hadn't found the bracket up in the chimney but it is there .
I suppose the knick knack is in fact a “plate warmer” knick knack to warm the plates while one is cooking the dinner........ how civilised is that ? ;D

Another question
The top shelf of the cupboard just inside the door is metal lined... does that have a special purpose or is it just an extra insulated knick knack ?
The bottom shelf of that cupboard is obviously for the battery....... very conveniently placed, it has an in-line fuse mounted above the Battery, that's original I assume .

I just noticed that the little box inside my wardrobe door is missing it's lid, I suppose it was designed to hold cuff link & bow tie sets, arm bands, shirt studs, tie pins, brooches, fob watches, gloves, I Pods, mobile phones & all those other knick knacks necessary for the travelling gentleman to have on hand ....the lid is probably the least of my reconstruction woes .

Cobber.

[Deleted]

Knick Knack
Paddy whack
Leave the Don alone ;D ;D


Sorry fellas couldnt resist it.. it had to be quoted

Reddo.. lover of all bondwoods great and small..name plate or no name plate.

[cobber]

AROLD !!!

Stop messin' up my "Don" thread ya mug,

Been waiting for ya to get the
"knick knack paddy whack
This old man came rolling home"
Connection going.......... not very original ya know, you can do better than that .
Now! get off my thread.

Albert Esq.

[don257]

Hi Don our van was only 6 volt

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cobber,

Glad to know that you've got all the bits for the 'plate warmer' knick knack. We've found it's a really useful piece of equipment.

The tin lined pantry cupboard is a "bread and cake safe". Quite a useful knick knack, especially for cake lovers such as myself. The in-line fuse in the battery cupboard sounds like ours (even though our battery has been replaced by a 240v -> 12v transformer -- oooh, ah ), so I think it sounds...original.

The little box in the wardrobe is a new one on me... Must have been another one of them 50's equipment upgrades. ;D ;D ;D Any chance of a photo? [Stop cheering, 'arold, I don't know everything, I only pretend I do.]

By the way, I just noticed from the brochure that the under-the-seat water tank is 10 gallons.

Don257,

Thanks for letting us know that the electrics in your van are 6v only. Given that your van was built just before or after the war (as I understand it) that suggests that 240v was introduced post-war, unless it was a 140 model feature.

Don Ricardo

[smiles]

We knew our stove was meant to have a shelf above the stove but looks like it had a different lot of knackery than the Don. We think it had a side bracket that fitted into the little brass holders and held up the shelf. I’ve just run out to the van, & there’s no holder up in the stove flue.



We think this the veges up the top shelf, & bread in the bottom shelf, as this cupboard is next to the ice chest.

[smiles]

This is my 1st go at Photobucket, so can see I needed to reduce size of photos!
I meant to say that the side bracket that fits into the 3 brass holders is another splashback, then the shelf fits into the 3 brackets on the back. Clear as mud?

[cobber]

G'day Don,

On closer examination the knick knack box is obviously an unauthorized after market substandard unoriginal modification that will have to go.... it's OK, there are plenty of other draws in which to accommodate the knick knacks that I thought that box was there for.


don257,
thanks for your information, we'll let the “Don” tragics work out when & on what 240 V actually was first provided ..... give 'em something to talk about .

smiles,
It looks like your rack would have just had three turned down legs that slotted into those three brackets.... are there photos of your 'van somewhere on the forum ?

Cobber.

[humpty2]

I would have thought that a bloke with your experience and age ;D ;D ;D.........would know that a galvanised lined cupboard is where you put the bread!

[smiles]

Well I think you could be right, but the hubbs here reckons that's where yer put the 'taters, in the galv zinc shelf. Dunno! Anyone here old enough to remember?

[smiles]

I've moved the photos I put on here into it's own thread