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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 23, 2014 14:20:16 GMT 10
Nice job on the roof, hilldweller!  Your proposed method of tackling the inside of the van is pretty much how the mass-produced vans were made: Chassis -> floor -> floor tiles -> walls -> internal fixtures and fittings -> roof/ends. Sounds like a logical way to build these vans, I reckon.  cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 20, 2014 22:12:10 GMT 10
Sgtl, I've used some 12V sockets inside my van that I bought from an ebay seller in Asia. There are three types: a) BA15S - single terminal globe where the socket housing becomes the earth (see listing ) b) BA15D - parallel double terminal where an earth lead is provided (see listing ) c) BAY15D - offset double terminal for twin filament globes (see listing ) I can measure the height of the ones I have tomorrow, if you like, to see if they are lower in height than the socket you bought. You might be able to fit the ones like I've got through a hole from the back, and then screw your timber baseplate to the ply on the van. Then you would have to somehow fit your lamp covers to the outside of the baseplate. Just by-the-by... a couple of months ago I did a search for 'vintage tail lights' and one of the results was this interesting tail light combination on a van in the UK...  Can't say I've ever seen anything like these lights on a van on this forum. Pity we couldn't get hold of something like these, huh?! There's a couple of names on the amber lens and the reflector, but I can't quite make out what they are...  cheers, Al. Edit: Let me just have another go at resizing that second photo  ...  |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 20, 2014 21:11:44 GMT 10
If you're having trouble losing posts when Previewed, do as reddo suggests and change your "default posting editor". Log in - click 'Profile' at top of screen - click [Edit Profile] box over on right hand side top - click 'Settings' tab up near top left - Go halfway down the settings page to heading 'Posting Default' and change the dot to 'Preview'. Click [Save Account Settings] box at bottom.
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 20, 2014 13:58:35 GMT 10
Struth, cobber, those Narva lights have come down in price since I last looked some time back! I know Blackwoods used to list the Hella 2370 version a while back, but price was up around $90 each back then. They don't show up in a search now, so I guess they don't stock them anymore. In fact, the Hella version doesn't show up for sale anywhere in a Google search, which kind of makes the NOS set I've got rather "priceless" . cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 20, 2014 11:13:05 GMT 10
Yes, they will, but you'll need two sets of red lights. One set will need a 5W festoon globe for the tail light, and the other set will need an 18W or 21W festoon globe for the stop light. Then you'll need an amber set for the indicators, which will need to have 18W festoon globes. Keep in mind that the amber colour in the plastic is not as yellow as the indicator lenses used in Oz, but you should be able to get away with them for rego. Each of these lights has a diameter of 70mm, so with three of them beside each other, you'll be using up a minimum of 210mm space either side of your van. If you do decide to buy these types of lights, make sure you buy them all from the one seller, so your postage costs from the UK will be minimised. These lights are made in Asia, and are as common as muck on UK ebay, but you won't always see the red and amber listed at the same time. However, the sellers can get them both (as well as a clear version), so make contact with them for a group purchase. Amber versions are currently listed here.I've always liked the look of the Hella/Narva lights that were used on vans from the mid-1960s upwards. These sell for about $90-plus each from outlets here in Oz, but if you look through NZ TradeMe, you'll see them listed for around $NZ33.00 (like here ). Also check through TradeMe for UK caravan tail lights ( example ). You never know what you might come across that will suit your van. And I just know you've read the thread on this forum about Stop Turn Tail Lights - haven't you?! cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 18, 2014 14:35:11 GMT 10
akeepsake, there's a Spotlight catalogue starting 20th March. On Page 14 top left corner there are tapestry patterns shown. The bottom roll "June" looks like the sort of pattern you might find in the 1940s/50s. Click on that left hand box and you'll get another view of that box. Click on it again and you'll get a slightly larger picture. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 17, 2014 12:09:51 GMT 10
sgtl, I would encourage you to be cautious about the accuracy of information published in 2004 (ten years ago). The info you've linked related to the Australian Standard that was relevant in 2004, that is, AS 5601 - 2004. That Standard was reviewed in 2010, and again in 2013, and the relevant Standard today is AS/NZS 5601.2:2013 ["Gas installations - LP Gas installations in caravans and boats for non-propulsive purposes"]. It is quite possible that the info you've found from 2004 is still relevant in the current version of the Standard, however you should clarify that before you go ahead and spend any money on parts and equipment. For NSW readers, the Gas Regulations appear to have been changed in September 2012, if this linked info is the latest: New gas Regulations from 1 September.[2012]. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 16, 2014 19:57:16 GMT 10
Rob, if you want slot head screws to go with your hinges, you have to search for 'countersunk raised head slotted screws'. Probably No.6 No.4 gauge x 3/8" would do (that's what is in my van). The screws you get with the Bunnings hinges will be philips head screws.
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 16, 2014 17:54:44 GMT 10
G'day sgtl, What is it about the copper pipe that you don't like the look of? Braided stainless steel gas houses are commonly used from the bottle to the copper pipework at the front of the van, but I don't know whether the regulations allow you to have them inside the van for fixed appliances. You'd probably have to check with a knowledgeable gasfitter (knowledgeable about caravans, that is ). A company known as James Shields has a lot of braided stainless steel hoses listed on their website, and a heap of stockists in regional Victoria. Maybe your nearest stockist can advise whether they are legal for inside vans?? cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 16, 2014 16:20:09 GMT 10
Your van looks to be in a fairly tidy condition, Darryl, so that's a pretty good starting point for you. About a month or so ago, I was on my usual daily walk and a household in our area had had a cleanup. A pile of junk was on their footpath for collection, and I noticed there were bits and pieces of a caravan in the pile. Having a closer look, I realised they were from a Viscount model, so I salvaged whatever was worth grabbing. One of the bits was what looked like a partition wall, maybe from the end of the kitchen or lounge. It had a 240V/12V light fitting in it (but unfortunately only the base)...  On the back of the partition wall, the bare plywood had some information written on it...  I have no idea what the information relates to, but it is similar to what you've seen so far inside your van. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 16, 2014 10:33:01 GMT 10
A seller known as ' caravanrus' in Nelson Bays, NZ, has listed some on TradeMe, if you want to compare prices for your region: Caravan window swing boltcheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 14, 2014 11:42:25 GMT 10
revcore, you won't get exact replacements for what is there originally, so you have to adapt the versions available today. CaravansPlus carry black and white versions of these "Pushout window Knob Lock With Metal Plate". Other caravan parts suppliers will/should carry the same item, so you can compare prices if you wish. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 12, 2014 20:42:30 GMT 10
Darryl, in the second post in this thread it says you can't post photos via the attachment method on this forum. (Is that a recent change, Moderators??). You'll have to learn how to post photos via one of the other methods. See the threads at the top of the Forum Guidelines & Helpful Forum Hints section. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 12, 2014 16:48:21 GMT 10
HartK Adventurer (Kevin) also posted a similar post on the Classic forum yesterday, but with a smidge more information than he posted here. I've copied the post from the CC forum:
"Hi all, new to site. Interested in passing on info on Adventurer caravans.
I,m the grandson of Clifford Hart who was owner and partener with Ted Creer.
they manufactured Adventurer aravans on South Road Richmond, opposite side of Southrd to todays Vilis Bakery.
I'm interested to find the last Adventurer van built by my father Ray Hart.
I will try and attache photo.
If any one has information of the caravan and present owner I would be pleased to pass on all info about it's history."
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 11, 2014 22:32:15 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 11, 2014 21:14:29 GMT 10
Seek and ye shall find... That other van is in the Viscount history thread here. Chassis number E4220. White acrylic cladding and lightning stripes indicate it was built after mid-1969, which would tally up with thomas's van E4620. And I'm still waiting on chassis number information to come through on this other van that they believed to be from 1967 but the lightning stripes suggest otherwise. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 11, 2014 20:56:37 GMT 10
Darryl, logic suggests chassis numbers would work in numerical order, yes? Well, it seems there is something "not quite right" with the numbering sequence throughout the history of the Ambassadors. Ordinarily, I would expect an Ambassador with an E4xxx chassis number to fit somewhere in around the 1967 time period. However, the van owned by thomas shows it to have been built in 1969. Somewhere either on this forum or the Classic Caravans forum, another person came on with an Ambassador with an E4xxx number that also had the lightning stripes like yours and thomas's. I've been searching both forums trying to find that other van but haven't had any luck yet (stupid search function won't let you put in E4*** and get it to find all the E4 numbers). If you read through the Ambassador chassis number thread in our Down History Lane section, you'll see the numbers were up around E2000 in 1966 and yet in 1967 they jumped to be up around E6000. That always worried me from a history point of view, because I doubt very much whether 4,000-odd Ambassadors would have been built in a year, particularly at that time anyway. So it looks like they might have skipped using some of the numbers in the sequence (I can't recall seeing any E3xxx or E5xxx vans yet, to know what paint pattern is on the side of those numbers). E8xxx is early 1969, and E4xxx is late 1969, so where does that leave the E10xxx series?? Perhaps they used them in 1970? When you read through thomas's thread, you'll see where he found the date, and you'll see my comment about how a lot of the Viscount vans have the date written on them somewhere on the back of the plywood. One day if you ever take the cladding off, you too will see the date written there, and THEN you'll know for sure when it was built. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 11, 2014 20:01:36 GMT 10
humpty, are you aware the FX wheels have a different stud hole size to the FJ wheels?? They need different wheel nut sizes. I discovered this issue some time back, and it's described in this post in the Vintage Caravan Wheels thread. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 10, 2014 20:48:30 GMT 10
Something I came across tonight on the internet - in 2011, ABC Broken Hill ran a series of programs (radio??) relating to the history of Broken Hill. There were 28 episodes created, and all of them can be found here: History of Broken HillRight Click on each episode and open it in a new tab/window. You'll see a summary of the episode, and you can download the mp3 soundtrack to hear the actual episode (Episode 1 runs for 16 minutes). Might be something of interest there for people attending the Nats. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 10, 2014 20:01:57 GMT 10
That's very interesting information, thomas. It seems that every Viscount owner could find the date of manufacture of their van...if only they'd go to the trouble of dismantling it. So far, we've seen dates written inside cupboards; on the back of ply lining; under kitchen drawers; inside wall partitions. What every Viscount owner needs is X-ray vision!  cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 10, 2014 19:52:35 GMT 10
G'day Darryl, and welcome to the forum! It's hard to say whether your chassis number is definitely from 1969, or 1970. There are some anomalies creeping into the Viscount Ambassador chassis numbering system, where E8135 shows a Feb 1969 date in the cupboard, and E4620 shows Oct 1969 on the rear plywood. Somewhere along the line they've switched the chassis numbering series, and inserted the 4xxx numbers. What it means is that your number might have been pushed back into 1970. I guess you could decide which forum you prefer to be a member of, and call it the year that matches that forum. I don't know what the highest E-series number was before they switched to putting the E at the end of the numbers. Your number would be pretty close to the changeover. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 8, 2014 19:34:19 GMT 10
Ha ha ha, cobber Nah, that's a sheet of newsprint, which isn't rigid enough for these types of templates. Oh, and if I ever remember where I stored that advert safely, I'll include it in the van somewhere (it was almost 7 years ago that I got that ). A couple of weeks ago in the Coles catalogue, they had a picture of a Corn Flakes box with a retro design on it. Limited edition, it was (although they did a similar thing in July last year with Corn Flakes and a few other of their cereal boxes). Anyhoo, off I trots to the supermarket to look at this limited edition box, to see if it was worthwhile getting for display. Pfffft...they put the metric weight on the box!...  I can guarantee this retro box would be very suitable for templates. But definitely not suitable for display in a van. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 8, 2014 18:30:02 GMT 10
G'day sgtl, Just to help you in your search, the 'window rubber' you're referring to is known as a "dust seal". There is a tutorial on the CaravansPlus website for how to change them, but you already know how to do that. But included with that tutorial is their link to the dust seal used on the wind-out version of Starlite windows ( Tutorial - see Section E and link to Starlite dust seal ). I wonder if something shaped like the Starlite dust seal would be a better option? I realise from your photos that your original seal is not kinked, but maybe kinking helps with the curved section of the window frame?? I have the same profile appearance on my Newcastle windows, but I don't have a channel for a dust seal - just a flat frame for sticking a seal onto. It's interesting to know there were different versions of what looks like the same window at first glance. Sorry I can't help you with the curving problem, but maybe hair dryers are the salvation for the curves on window frames and rear windows?? Make sure you let us know how it was fixed, when you eventually solve the issue. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 8, 2014 18:12:27 GMT 10
G'day hides76,
I had a look through the Trove archives, and there is no mention of "Leisureliner" showing up. There was an Astor Leisure-line refrigerator launched on the market in 1961, but that's as close as I could get to Leisureliner.
Your post is the only mention on the whole forum with the word Leisureliner, so we've not heard of it before.
Looks like you've got a pretty rare van.
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 7, 2014 20:39:39 GMT 10
Struth! All this talk about cereal is making me hungry...and brekky is still 10 hours away! If you're a fair dinkum caravan restorer, you'll start collecting bits and pieces for the restoration from the very minute you start to think about getting a van. Well, that's my theory anyway. I knew I'd be needing the cereal boxes a while back, so I started collecting them back then. Eventually I will use them to make a template for the vinyl flooring when I get to that stage. All the smaller templates I've made so far will be recycled and used in the larger flooring template. Ya can't have too many cereal boxes, I say!! You'll notice we have quite a varied diet of breakfast cereals, which I confess is governed solely by what's on special each week, rather than particular favourites. Money saved on cereals goes to a very worthwhile cause...which is in the shed...and which I'm working on...and which I need my strength for...which is why I eat a healthy breakfast. Enough said? Gees I could go a bowl of iron man Nutri-grain at the moment... cheers, Al. |
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