old usa vans

[sutcac]

www.openthinkinc.com/bowlus/register.html#Keoshian

[mezmo]

Hi Sutcac,

Thanks for posting this link on Bowlus Travel
Trailers! In the past I was never able to find
much on these other than a few pics.

This site is great! It has a really excellent rebuild/restoration
section. You can learn the nitty-gritty about them
reviewing it. A great view for anyone interested
in the process, and watching the process, of restoring
vintage caravans/travel trailers.

These were the forerunners to the Airstream as
it explains in one of the sections. Cutting edge
technology for 'Vans in the early 1930s to say the least.

And speaking of cutting edge 'Vans - I have to gush
here at how much I like your V V "Fugly"! I find it quite
fascinating ! I think it is the most interesting 'Van I have
come across since I began looking on the web for info
about vintage/classic/antique caravans/travel trailers/mobile
homes etc., and there have been some other very interesting
'Vans built around the world over the years. "Fugly"
definitely heads my list for that category. Did it ever have
a Brand or Make name? And how did you ever discover it?
I have a "million" questions about it but I'll only bother you
with those two for now! Just keep on enjoying it!

Cheers
mezmo/Norm

[DC3Td]

Hi Mezmo. If you go to Down History Lane & scroll to Expandavan you`ll find info. By the way always interesting to read your views re `vans (trailers). cheers gordon

[sutcac]

G'day there Mezzmo,

Glad the Bowlus site proved worthwhile for you.
Yes, the rebuild/restoration section certainly is fascinating.
Especially for we who live in sub tropical climates where we can work on our vans all year round....even outside ,in the open air!!!


Thanks for your kind comments on 'Fugly'
We have owned the van for about 5 years now, and have enjoyed vintage vanning
with like minded folk throughout the eastern states of Australia
Trips have totaled some 30 000 kilometers in that time, with wheel bearings and one flat tyre being the only " failures!

The previous owners completed 1.5 around Australia trips during the 1980's..........all in all , 'Fugly' could have completed up to 100 000 km in his 42 year life!!



We stumbled upon this van in our own area , here on the Sunshine Coast , Queensland, about an hours drive north of Brisbane.
We bought the van from friends of the original owner/builder.....a Mr Ken Scharf.
Ken was a keen outdoorsman and built five similar light weight expanding vans to his own design at his fathers 'Prestige' Furniture Factory in Melbourne Victoria, during the 1960's
Fugly is #4 of the five , so Ken was getting quite proficient at building them by this time and I assume that each one was a slight improvement on its predecessor.
The van uses a very clever but simple cantilever /folding system .......light 3 ply sheeting and piano hinges.........allowing the van to open up from 6'x8' (300 cu ft) to 16'x10' (700 cu ft)......incorporating 2x double beds and a 4x seater dinette.........large insect screened hatch and a large screened aluminiun windows on each of the four sides of the van allow for terrific cross ventilation air flow....so important in our warm summer climate.

Will try to include a few photos...............

Cheers , Sutcac


.......interior showing double bed opened out.............mattress can stay in place while van is folded up.............






...cupboards and micro wave( shock horror) ...we like our modern cons!!..........

















...on one of our annual pilgrimages to Coledale Beach N.S.W.......





...like I said ...only one flat tyre in 30 000 km!!....





...Eden NSW...





...Aust high country.....








....here's something that all Australian vans should carry in a prominent place.... a medicinal first aid kit.....in case of venomous snakebite..................




...................parked up on a beautiful central coast New South Wales headland..............





Great Ocean Road, Victoria.............

[mezmo]

Hi DC3Td/Gordon,

Thanks for the tip for the DHL and the Expandavan thread.
That's how I got interested in 'Fugly'. I think the
Expandavans are great too, in and of themselves.
Quite a lot of camping space from a small travel footprint.
I'd have to consider them and the Propert equally innovative
and ingenious.

'Fugly is just such a great extension (no puns intended) of
the Expandavan idea that I like it just that much more! I also
like Teardrops too, since they're such a great response to
the need for comfortable basic camping and making camping
much less work in a lot of ways, economically to boot.

And, I equally enjoy reading your posts.

Cheers,
Mezmo/Norm

[mezmo]

Hi Sutcac,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my two questions and to
post the photos as well - I appreciate that - great to hear back
about Fugly.

I have to shamelessly compliment you now on how well you keep
up or maintain Fugly. It certainly doesn't look like a 42 year old
van with all those kilometers 'on' it! I have to say I think it is sort
of a timeless design. Mr Ken Scharf must have been a brilliant
designer as well as a superb cabinetmaker to author such a
superb little vehicle. It would have him smiling for sure to see
how lovingly it has been cared for by you and the previous
owners.

From the pics, I see that you have changed tow vehicles and
shared the color scheme of each with Fugly. That makes for
a 'good-lookin' rig going down the road! The spats on it are a
great little detail. It's nice to have a vintage tow vehicle for a
vintage van if it is possible too. Imagine - indulging/enjoying two
interests at the same time! Great job on the Ute too! For some
unknown reason, that vehicle concept never caught on very
much over here - but I digress.

You mentioned that Fugly was #4 of 5 units that Scharf built. I
may have come across #5, or at least an uncannily similar van,
one day recently when I happened to get on the AU Trading Post
site and came across it. (I check out your ebay and like sites
now and then to see if I can find any "interesting" vans etc..)
Anyway, this unit was supposedly a "70s" van (by the looks an
early 70s van) 6ft x12ft with a double bed expansion on the
road side and a two single bunk expansion at the rear. There
was a built-in dinette across the front and the kitchen on the
curbside. There was a single closet between the kitchen area
and the bunks and a double closet opposite it between the
double bed and the bunks at the rear. It was clad in aluminum.
The pics' of its' appearance indicated careful workmanship in
construction and excellent owner maintenance. There wasn't a
make or brand given (seems to be a common problem in
listings). The way the bed expansions are constructed appears
to to be same way that Fugly's and also the Expandavans are
made. For research purposes, I did save a web page
on it, or photos off it, but can't find them at the moment
so I'll have to root them out later. Thought you might find it
interesting. It seems like this van would be a
natural progression from Fugly as a "next" build
on the same concept. I hadn't considered trying to post any of
them in the the DHL section yet as I didn't want to cross over the
1970 model year limit taboo but since this is obviously a rare
unit of indeterminate build date and there is a very good
conjectural possibility of relation to either Fugly or the
Expandavan maybe an exception could be made on that point.
What would you think on that score? Maybe Don Ricardo could
chime in a little about that.

So, I was curious, if you could possibly do me a big favor over
time and would be willing to answer some more questions about
your little jewel, Fugly, in the future? I realize that
Life and Vintage Vanning take priority and I wouldn't want to
bother you, be a pest or nuisance, be presumptuous, or
aggravate you or your wife etc.. but I am still curious as to how
it was constructed and all the other such details. Any info on
those kind of questions that you could share in the future would
be great. Just let me know if you are game for it or not. If you
aren't, that's fine, I'd understand.


Oh, one other thing concerning this. Since this "Whatever"
section deletes all the entries monthly would you want to
handle this by PM if you are up for it? I thought that might be a
way to handle it since it doesn't exactly fit any category at the
moment and no continuity could be had with the monthly
deletions of this section.

Thanks,
Happy Camping,
Cheers,

mezmo/Norm