Post by ukbrian on Aug 2, 2007 17:23:40 GMT 10
Reading Mark's thread on Arthur Pullin and Cobber's passion for tow couplings, I thought a piece on one of the pioneers of the UK caravan industry might be of interest.
Ted Billington, who died at the end of 2006 at the age of 94 started caravanning in the 1920's. He discovered his love of caravans after a trip with his aunt and uncle to the Wye Valley in the West of England in 1928. In 1937 he was one of 20 representatives of the UK Caravan Club to drive from Washington to Santa Rosa in Pontiacs towing Airstream caravans.
In the late 1940's he set up B&B Trailers, a caravan chassis manufacturer, with his partner Harold Bird, in Leamington Spa Warwickshire that grew to eventually employing 200 staff.
He manufactured lightweight but strong caravan chassis that were found on most makes of caravans built in the UK in the 1950's and 60's. The first major batch was sold to Safari Caravans in the early 1950's.
He was a real innovator. He was the inventor of the hydraulically damped coupling. He actually first sketched it out on a menu in a restaurant in Germany whilst visiting a caravan show in 1959. This invention made an enormous difference to the braking of caravans, now being more controlled through the long stroke from the previous "on/off" situation with the short travel spring couplings. The B&B coupling design was copied with modifications by other manufacturers throughout the British industry. This probably accounts for the fact that we do not have the wide variety of couplings that you seem to have in Oz.
Eventually his business was purchased by Alko Trailers, the German chassis manufacturer that continues to the present day.
He was well known for his wicked sense of humour that was still evident at his funeral.
As his coffin was carried down the aisle of the church, those at the front of the congregation were puzzled and annoyed that those at the rear had begun laughing.
All was revealed when the coffin reached the front of the church. Fixed to the back of the coffin was a chrome 50mm tow ball. Ted was obviously going to carry on caravanning in heaven!
Brian from the UK
Ted Billington, who died at the end of 2006 at the age of 94 started caravanning in the 1920's. He discovered his love of caravans after a trip with his aunt and uncle to the Wye Valley in the West of England in 1928. In 1937 he was one of 20 representatives of the UK Caravan Club to drive from Washington to Santa Rosa in Pontiacs towing Airstream caravans.
In the late 1940's he set up B&B Trailers, a caravan chassis manufacturer, with his partner Harold Bird, in Leamington Spa Warwickshire that grew to eventually employing 200 staff.
He manufactured lightweight but strong caravan chassis that were found on most makes of caravans built in the UK in the 1950's and 60's. The first major batch was sold to Safari Caravans in the early 1950's.
He was a real innovator. He was the inventor of the hydraulically damped coupling. He actually first sketched it out on a menu in a restaurant in Germany whilst visiting a caravan show in 1959. This invention made an enormous difference to the braking of caravans, now being more controlled through the long stroke from the previous "on/off" situation with the short travel spring couplings. The B&B coupling design was copied with modifications by other manufacturers throughout the British industry. This probably accounts for the fact that we do not have the wide variety of couplings that you seem to have in Oz.
Eventually his business was purchased by Alko Trailers, the German chassis manufacturer that continues to the present day.
He was well known for his wicked sense of humour that was still evident at his funeral.
As his coffin was carried down the aisle of the church, those at the front of the congregation were puzzled and annoyed that those at the rear had begun laughing.
All was revealed when the coffin reached the front of the church. Fixed to the back of the coffin was a chrome 50mm tow ball. Ted was obviously going to carry on caravanning in heaven!
Brian from the UK
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