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Post by Surf Tragic on May 2, 2008 22:01:54 GMT 10
We had a Don, I would say it was 1949, it had air brakes, was 16 ft long, weighed a full Ton empty. Dad bought it in Vic about 1948-49, traveled to Qld in 1951. It was towed by a Humber Super Snipe 1951 model. I towed it behind a 1955 Customline from Qld to Vic in 1963. I have photos somewhere!
Dad sold it for $100 in 1971-73 in Gympie, Qld. I advertised for it years ago without any luck. Would like to find it or similar to restore.
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 2, 2008 23:34:52 GMT 10
Hi Surf Tragic, Good to hear about your father's Don. We have a '49 Don 140 (14 ft 6 in) model, which was the largest van Don made at that time, so I would say it is the same model as your's was. It would be great to see the pics when you find them. Don't suppose you recall the serial number? There are a few 140's around, and it would be interesting if one of them turned out to be your family's. In terms of finding one to buy and restore, they do come up from time to time. It's amazing what is hidden away in old sheds, etc. Cobber, one of our contributors in NSW, has just come across a 140 in a shed which he has negotiated to purchase - once the shed around it is demolished and the van can be extracted!! Keep your eyes on the forum... You may have already found the Don history thread, but if you haven't it may bring back a few happy memories for you: vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=2014Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on May 3, 2008 20:25:35 GMT 10
Thanks Don, I remember Dad called it a 16 footer, so probably is the same as yours. Ours spent a lot of time parked at Noosa Woods at the end of Hastings Street when there was only one shop in the street. The Don history thred is great thanks, read every word. I remember every detail of the van
Ron.
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Post by Surf Tragic on May 12, 2008 20:28:18 GMT 10
Also One thing that would stand out to make our van unique, is that Dad fitted a bunk for me, (being the smallest of 3 kids), it was on the left side up high between the wardrobe and rear of the van, I think it folded up, and there would be brackets & barrel bolts. Ron
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 12, 2008 22:23:08 GMT 10
G'day Ron,
Your dad was obviously a creative chap. I doubt if there would be too many other vans which had a bed installed there! From your description I'm thinking that it would have rested on the dressing table drawers and that you would have been able to gaze out through the window when you were in bed.
I bet you thought you were the ants pants when you went up there to sleep the first time! Did you face a bit of competition from your siblings about who slept there, even thought they didn't really fit?
Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on May 14, 2008 19:40:17 GMT 10
Howdy Don,
the bunk had a short 'hungry board' that fastened on with wing nuts to stop me from rolling out. It was definitely sat on top of a cupboard to the left side of the wardrobe, as you say, it was a set of drawers. The reason I mentioned it was in case you found that particular van you could identify it with me. I am now disappointed I didnt appreciate the Don more, as I love everything Classic now, the Jayco I have at the moment isnt very exciting.
Saw an immaculate Don at a caravan & camping show in 'Jeffs Shed' in Melb about 10 years ago, identical to ours, same lino, laminex, even the smell.
Ron .
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 14, 2008 21:20:13 GMT 10
Yep, Ron, the characteristic Don smell...brings back powerful memories whenever it hits me!
I'm sure that other brands of vans also had/have their own smell. Maybe we could start a whole new thread on the forum about the smell of vans?
My son has restored a 1962 Mini from bare shell up. Even though it started as a bare shell, it now has exactly the same smell as my first car, which was a 1960 Wolseley. Anyone who has owned a BMC car will know what I'm talking about.
I recently gave a couple of members of the family who ran the Don Caravan Company a tour of our van. The very first thing they commented on was the smell!
Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on May 29, 2008 22:27:11 GMT 10
Don, I think I have written in the wrong section under Roma History, was just asking what you thought of the Alum roofed Roma listed on ebay presently.
Nothing will take the place of the 'Don' and all the good memories, but I need something to restore, maybe the Roma would suffice for now.
I am presently building a wooden boat, built the 1st one in 1963, so would not find any sort of restoration daunting.
Would a reproduction Don be out of the question? Is it possible to have access to detailed construction plans? My pulse has just gone up a couple of notches just thinking about it!!
Ron.
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 29, 2008 23:04:54 GMT 10
Hi Ron, I've never done a restoration or a rebuild, so I'm not really the one to ask about the Roma. The van looks in reasonable nick. It seems to have a bit of damage to the external walls, but a good wash will help. But there are lot of very knowledgeable restorers on the forum who will be able to give you a more informed opinion. Maybe one of them even lives close to where the Roma is (Lakes Entrance) and would be willing to do a visit and provide an assessment. Reproduction Don? Anything is possible. In the United States they've got into reproduction vans in quite a big way, and produce repros of a number of different vans from different eras. I guess it depends on time and money. There are a few people on the forum who have built repro teardrops which really look the goods. It's probably easier to restore an existing van though... I have found some photos, they are so small, will have to get them enlarged in town, havent got anything to do it here. My sister in the States said she is sure to have some, look foreward to what she finds. Ron. The size of the photos of your father's Don may not be a problem if they are reasonable quality and can be scanned. I'm not sure where you're based, but if you like you can PM or email me using the little logos under my 'Don' avatar in the left hand panel, and we can work out if there is some way I can help. Regards, Don Ricardo
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jul 5, 2008 12:25:52 GMT 10
Hi all, Following are some photos from Surf Tragic of his father's caravan. Gympie 1958: My mates had the 1st Mini that came to Australia, we backed it up to the Don for this photo, thought it a joke at the time.Brisbane Park 1960: This is the best photo with the 1955 Customline taken in Brisbane about 1960, 1st overhead valve model, 3 on the tree gears, a beaut car. That is my Dad striding away. I would be about 14-15 at the time. My 1st car was a Beetle, but this Customline was my 2nd car after I was married in '68 & drove it for some years.
The Don was always kept in top order, can remember preparing it for painting several times. Dad found that Acrylic paint lasted the longest & kept it sealed the best.Noosa 1959: Mum probably wouldn't appreciate this photo on public show, but I love it. Dad passed on in '82, Mum in 2001. This would have been one of our many stays at Noosa Woods Caravan Park.Great photos, Ron. They trigger a lot of memories of my own childhood, as I'm sure they do for lots of people on the forum. Your dad obviously added his own touches to the Don, which is nice to see - the flashes along the side (and front?) and the spats. What was the colour scheme he used? Another question for you - was the curtain material in the last photo original, or had your mum renewed them at some stage? Don Ricardo
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2008 18:28:09 GMT 10
Don Ricardo .......fantastic pics .....you keep coming up with these unreal pics ......I'm jealous, nobody sends me any pics like that ;D ;D Coupla things though .......seeing as I'm pedantic, Mini's didn't arrive in Aus until the 23rd March 1961 (ain't Google great ;D) .....and the Nescafe jar from which Mum is scooping the coffee .....the jar looks mid sixty's to me .......yes, I have no life, so I spend my time studying old advertising ;D ;D ..... but, none of that matters ...the pics are great .....do we like the spats on The Don Mark
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Post by Surf Tragic on Jul 5, 2008 22:27:43 GMT 10
Thanks Don Ricardo for posting the photos. We should find some good quality slides (hopefully) that would show the colour scheme, I think it was cream with a green stripe.
The curtains? cant imagine Mum changing them, but must admit I'm not too observant on things like that. See the dividing curtain for privacy, would that be original?
I had a good laugh at your comments Mark T, well said, I immediately rang my old mate, he lives in Inverell now & had a long chat with him,( we do that regular) he & his brother had an FC in 59-60, then the Mini as you said, in '61. We started story telling and had some good laughs about our past.
The coffee jar? I cant imagine me being on holidays in the van in my last teen year, have tried to guess the year by what age I would be at that time, so could well be 60-61. Thanks for your input, takes the intrigue to a higher level !
Not keen on the spats really.Maybe they were fitted because it lacked nice chrome hubcaps.
r.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jul 5, 2008 23:36:05 GMT 10
Hi Ron,
Our Don has always had a dividing curtain, and I've read some advertising blurb somewhere which talked about the 14 ft vans having such a curtain (can't find the reference at the moment, but it will come to me) - so I'm saying original. (One of those Don knick knacks as Reddo would call them. ;D ;D)
Interestingly enough, though, neither the dividing curtain nor the curtain rod on which it hangs is shown in the pics in the Don sales brochure. Maybe it made the van look a bit cluttered for the publicity shots??
I asked about the curtain material in the photos, because I thought that if they were original - and you have indicated that you think they were - it gives us another example of the type of patterns used in curtains for early 50's vans (and in particular, Dons).
Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on Apr 18, 2009 20:15:44 GMT 10
Finding a few more photos. Overlooking Laguna Bay & Noosa Woods Caravan Park where we spent most of our childhood. My two sisters & myself in the late 50's. , Dad had a twin spinner sometime before the 55 , he said it used to jump out of 2nd gear. The Don parked at the entry to Noosa Woods looking up Hastings Street towards the Main Beach area. Hastings Street had one shop at the time. } Parked on a steep street in Gympie outside the nurses quarters at the district hospital. My two sisters did their training there. We would pick them up on the way to Noosa. Sometimes we would pick up some local young men who were hitching a ride to Noosa, they were also members of the Surf Lifesaving Club, & seeing there was no room in the car with us & the dog, yes, they rode in the van. !!! The paint job at this time showed a bit of imagination, Dad must have got carried away
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Post by Don Ricardo on Apr 18, 2009 22:45:44 GMT 10
Some more great photos there Surf Tragic! Brings back lots of memories of my own childhood... Your dad obviously enjoyed redecorating the van from time to time. I quite like the paint scheme on the van when it was in the street in Gympie. Suits the shape of the van. The other paint scheme I'm trying to work out the colours from the photos: was the top half and the spats a light olive green? And what colour was the flash along the side - a pinky colour by the looks of it? Don Ricardo
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Post by Surf Tragic on Apr 20, 2009 18:30:16 GMT 10
Gday Don Ricardo
I have another photo that shows the colour a bit clearer, like an apricot, the flash is still outlined, but appears the same colour as the bottom 1/2, the top & spats appear more a grey to me, but you may be right.
Notice the fishing kreel under the van, well I still have that on my 'memorabilia' shelf in the shed. Inside it there are old reels & some bottles with fishing line & gear Mum used, & she caught many whiting along the Noosa bar.
Cheers, Ron.
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Post by Surf Tragic on Aug 16, 2009 16:08:14 GMT 10
This is one of the 1st Don 140 tow cars I remember 1951 Mk11 Humber Super Snipe on the highway between Warwick & Brisbane, Cunninghams Gap in the distance. The Humber was towing the Don 140 at the time, our 1st time heading from Vic into Qld to live until 1971. Yours truly on the back bumper. Can't imagine standing in the middle of that highway nowadays, note the bare feet didn't take long to get into beach mode once over the border 1949 Mk11 Humber, I Bought this car in 1990 because of the memories & to see what they were really like, leather, sunroof, with wide, transverse springs on the front. This car had different front transverse springs, narrower & more leaves wrapped in leather After getting that out of my system, sold it to Phil who owns Midland Car hire in Perth in 1992. , everything else about the car was similar if not identical. The motors are very strong & pull away smoothly in top gear at low revs. Gears are 4 on the tree. The car was trouble free. Surf Tragic
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Post by cobber on Mar 8, 2014 18:13:10 GMT 10
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Post by gilbert on Nov 19, 2014 21:42:02 GMT 10
Yep, Ron, the characteristic Don smell...brings back powerful memories whenever it hits me! I'm sure that other brands of vans also had/have their own smell. Maybe we could start a whole new thread on the forum about the smell of vans? My son has restored a 1962 Mini from bare shell up. Even though it started as a bare shell, it now has exactly the same smell as my first car, which was a 1960 Wolseley. Anyone who has owned a BMC car will know what I'm talking about. I recently gave a couple of members of the family who ran the Don Caravan Company a tour of our van. The very first thing they commented on was the smell! Don Ricardo Hi Don I have a wolseley 680 and a couple of pre war Wolseleys there great cars
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