Mystery Van - Solved- Plus USA Alum Vans

[tonyh]

Hey Y-All, ;D thats American for G-Day,

Just back yesterday from 5 weeks and over 4000 miles in the south of USA - Texas - Florida - Nashville - Memphis and all points in between. So if there is typos, its just jet lag. ;D
Got some more photos of RV trailers - Oops sorry - vans - if you want a blank look just ask an American if you can have a look at their caravan !!!
Sorry Woodo - Oops again I mean Reddo no bondwoods - the few I saw had collapsed to about a foot high in the middle of fields - some Toasters - you know - Airstreams, Avions etc and a few Fibreglasses - Sunliner copies that I didn't get the opportunity to get photos of. - They had the door on the wrong side though!
Heaps of new big dollar RV busses and fifth wheel set ups and tag alongs - normal vans with a lot being the new flat sided Jayco vans.
Anyway back to the Mystery van - this one is at Don Garlits Drag racing Museum - about 50 miles north of Orlando - it also includes a old car museum that has an unnamed van that the attendant said was from the late 40s with a beautiful Mahogany interior. Any guesses



More photos later ;D ;D

Cheers, tonyh

[DC3Td]

Hi Tonyh. Going out on a limb here but would say it`s a 40s Westcraft or Praire Schooner. cheers gordon

[tonyh]

Hi All, ;D

Just received some info - It is a "Silver Dome" made in Chicago ;D late 40s

I have some more photos - and one Willyn is going to love - a very nice Airstream I spotted and talked to the owner - a very proud Texan who let me take photos and showed me through - he was doing some repairs and upgrades - great guy - - VV owners are the same world wide I guess ;D

Cheers, tonyh

[DC3Td]

Hi TonyH. The 'dome' don`t look too silver to me.More of a 'rag top'. Has very similar/same back as ones i mentioned.Hafta do a google to see more of them. Can`t wait to interior pics of the Airstream.cheers gordon

[DC3Td]

www.jcshop.netfirms.com/Silverdome.htm One of the many off google. cheers gordon

[tonyh]

Hi All, ;D

Thanks Gordon for the info and the link -what a fantastic achievement in the recovery and restoration.
That new info came from the museum so it will be interesting to identify it for sure.

OK, so here are some of the Vans I caught on camera while in the USA Dec08- there was a lot that I missed as I was traveling down the highway at 70 Miles per hour and they would be on another overpass or sideroad.
There was one beautiful tri axle Airstream that looked 30 foot plus being towed by a brand new Ford F350 dual cab Dualie heading on the freeway outside of Nashville and just as I was catching up to get a photo (not me, I was driving ) when it turned off on the multi stacked overpass

An AVION on the road


An AVION in a yard


A very old Airstream in Louisiana


A AVION at Universal Pictures converted into a food van hooked to a Ford Edsel




A beautiful Airstream owned by the gracious proud Texas gentleman in the photo - Lewis who I interrupted doing some repairs and updating his RV at home in Dallas. We had a great chat about all things including old vans (RV trailers) and it proved again VVers are the same world wide ;D











[glow=red,2,300]****[/glow] NOW - a health warning

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Willyn and anyone who loves well maintained vans DO NOT scroll down if you have a weak heart -

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I couldn't believe what I was seeing a stones throw from the Kings home Graceland in Memphis - This Airstream Safari LAND YACHT converted into a food van by a local restaurant as a PIG!!!




Words escape me - I was and am speechless

Thats all the photos I got and Sorry to end on that note

We had a great time and would love to return and do a Wilyn and bring one of these beauties home - Ohh to dream

Cheers, tonyh

[willyn]

Great post dc3td
that was an enormous undertaking and what a magnificent piece of old vintage heritage that was saved
American or Australian doesnt mean a thing vintage vanning is a worldwide phenomena it just took a little while longer to catch on here
great post tony
thanks a lot
will and Lyn ;D

[willyn]

Well Guys a big changing of the guard around the Bayley household
sold Lord Fred to a mate who is going to put a holden motor and gearbox into him
my new project is the splitty which we have just brought home tonight
the Airstream has the airbrushing internally on the front concave section needless to say is going to look spectacular
wont go into that now I will save it untill I take some photos tomorrow night and post them

the 36 is now in paint and having some heavy graphics (heavy but Classy ) by Australias top award winning airbrush artist
needless to say we are excited about the next few months with some finished products after18 months of totally rebuilding the 36 chevy
only a few will ever know the real cost of a total rebuild
and I will say this
It has been a fantastic journey and I am glad I did it but I would
not do it again
I would probably take the money and take a six months for two world trip staying at the finest hotels and coming home looking like a fat pig similiar to that pink airstream Tony posted
however Now I am looking in the mirror havent taken a trip and I still look like a fat pig
but Ive got a nice Hotrod in the right years
went away for a few days and caught up with Tucky and his family at Rockingham beach on the way home
here is a photo at rockingham

[Deleted]

Lord Fred .... Gone....
I am devistated.
So.. No blue blued British Bailey buggy in the barn.... Instead we have gone to Hitlers revenge on the free world... A split windscreen Kombi... or as a well known rodder type on this site calls 'em "a rolling roadblock".

Cant wait to see what happens to that.Knowing you Will and Lyn it will be another great car when she is finished.

Also happy to hear the light at the end of the tunnel can now be seen on the "ChevyTurtle" and "Lauren-stream".
As you say, if you could have all the dollars back that you guys have spent on these two projects ..... .. weeelllll .. you would probably have enough to buy Perth itself ;D

But in the end you can take a step back everytime a crowd gathers in adoration at the Chev and / or the Airstream and say "we own.. and enjoy using them " ..

Tonyh...
Sounds like ya had a great trip......Thanks for the great pix of the yankee vans.......Oh and the collapsed 1 foot high bondwoods..... obviuosly not due to woodrot...they where a secret US Military experimental project. The vans where designed to pull under the barbed wire fences during WW11 ...... Honest .. i read it in a "Post " magazine at a Barbers shop back in the 60s........ It was on the "Jokes" page ;D ... Ooooooooops there's that word again

Better run...
Reddo

[DC3Td]

Hi Willyn.Mates doing up his Splitty twin cab.Suicide rear doors,modified Mitsu L300 chassis,front mounted 350,ex ambo roof mounted aircon sits in where the vw donk used to.Has a few other trick mods but is still a few months away from completion.Your Airstream sure looks sweet.I take it no probs with rego being that its a mobile mural? Cheers gordon

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Tonyh,

Great photos from your trip. The Airstreams and Avions, etc are so different to anything we've ever had in Oz, although by the same token there have been a number of vans in the US which looked not unlike our V V's. The thing I noticed in the US last year was the number of 5th wheelers. They seemed to be the most common type of modern van. I guess there are some other types, but it was certainly the 5th wheelers I noticed - that and the utes modified to tow them.

Now a question - what's the story behind the picture of the wheels in front of the actual wheels on the Texas Airstream. It's got me intrigued!

Don Ricardo

[humpty2]

I would suggest the covers are just to keep the tyres from deteriorating, or to hide some super expensive mags

[firefighter]

Hi Don Ricardo

my guess about the wheels been covered ..........to stop the weather from the wheels and tyres

I done that to our modern jayco when I had it ...sold it to get a
V V.... friends & relations all think I am mad
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[tonyh]

Hi Don,
The guys picked it in one - they are covers to protect the tyres from the [glow=red,2,300]HOT[/glow] Texas sun

And by the way F/F selling that modern van and getting a VV has got to be one of the smartest things you've done. ;D

Cheers, tonyh