Mystery van

[Don Ricardo]

Email today from Don in Alice Springs:

"Please find attached pics of a van I collected recently, neat construction, aluminium over 20mmRHS frame, tongue and groove hardwood floor, no visible brand or markings, dropped axle, six-stud hubs. Any clues to the make?, or perhaps just another no brand homebuilt.
"I'm new to chasing the websites re old vans, but have found my way around OK, have a 10-9 Carapark I'm halfway through refurbishing, and a slightly longer one on offer in fairly good condition, a "Don" would be a good find!...Cheers"

Nice to see Don has good taste in caravans...

...you can't go past a Carapark! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Anyhow, here are the pics of his mystery van:





Looks like a home built to me. What do others think?

Don Ricardo
(Just for the record no relation of Don in Alice Springs ;D)

[Franklin1]

Hi Don, nice 'out' with the Carapark line... Melbourne Comedy Theatre for you next year! ;D

This van certainly does look unique. Haven't got anything like it in my collection. The aluminium windows look original so that puts it from mid-50s onwards I would think. Appears to be a lot of rivets/screws/nails around the perimeter of the walls. Perhaps the quality of workmanship around the edges might give a clue. Wouldn't think a factory model would have that wire to keep the door closed, eh?

Might be one of those secret Carapark prototypes that might or might not have been built in the 50s. Can't say any more....

cheers,
Al.

[Roehm3108]

Fear not, 'tis no longer a mystery, that is a "Bitta" caravan. There were heaps of them built in the late 40's to late 50's. They were predominantly built from a bitta steel with a bitta aluminium riveted over the steel to stop if from rusting. They then pinched a bitta bedding and a bitta old kitchen cupboards that mum no longer wanted, and presto - there you see the van in its full glory. ;D ;D ;D

Ray

[minicamper]

I'm voting commercial version of something

It has a decidedlty "Commercial Flavour" as the van formerly known as "Skanky van" does, a Highway Caravan built for the Country Roads Board....

Cheers
Chris