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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 7, 2014 15:29:12 GMT 10
cobber
No, unfortunately you're not wrong. Seems like somebody decided it wasn't required in the latest version.
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 7, 2014 15:18:04 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 4, 2014 20:08:29 GMT 10
G'day Jamesandbel,
There's something showing up in relation to the Ambassadors that's a bit head-scratching. When I look at all the chassis numbers in numerical order, and then match them to the painted designs on the side, something doesn't sit right. For example, there has been one van so far that had a chassis number of E4xxx, suggesting it would be from around 1967, but which had the lightning stripe design on the sides (like your friends) that was used during 1969 to 1971.
Next time you go visit, check the chassis number and post it here. Ordinarily I would bet my house that your friends van is from 1969, but it "might" have a chassis number that's out of sequence with the general flow of numbers.
Do your friends have any documented proof that the van was bought in 1967, or is this information that's been handed down verbally? If they have actual documented proof, a lot of my theories will be blown out of the water (which is not a bad thing for the sake of historical accuracy).
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 4, 2014 10:01:19 GMT 10
G'day sgtl, You might still see the Atlantic caravans that are 9ft 6ins. I never did find out the length of John&Di's " Jellybean ", but it looks like it would squeeze in under 10ft. You might be lucky and find a Trail-A-Home " Bantam " that just makes it at 10ft. The Aristocrat/Aristavan from WA are about 9ft in length. So, there's a few around that could be classed as "micro". cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 3, 2014 9:49:28 GMT 10
Good to see you occasionally flying the flag for the Classic Caravans, Mark!!  Feel free to add the title "Duke" to your business card, as in...the Duke of York  cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 2, 2014 21:47:45 GMT 10
G'day George,
Nup, just thought I'd throw a curved ball into the memorabilia section. Who said collectables had to be confined to specifically caravan-related items? You'll laugh from the other side of your face when I show up in my latest trendy Sixties outfit. ;D ;D
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 2, 2014 21:43:08 GMT 10
Here's an interesting thought, cobber, and one which contravenes talking about prices on this forum...
The (r)evolution graphic in the 2nd T-shirt above shows a 'backpacker' at the start, who is obviously only worth a few quid; and then progressing to a tee-pee, then a tent, which also is obviously only worth a bit more than a few quid. Now, the really interesting bit is the evolution from the "Airport Hilton" van that precedes yours. Said Airport Hilton van recently listed on Gumtree for twenty thousand smackers. Then we have that monster van at the end, which is worth about a squillion dollars. All of which means your Newcastle van in between those two, is worth enough to give you a comfortable retirement. ;D ;D
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 1, 2014 20:35:37 GMT 10
I'm posting this in case there are any ladies out there who need a new outfit for the Nationals Dinner in Broken Hill ... I was in a local Op Shop the other day, fossicking through their craft stuff. Noticed a stack of sewing patterns and glanced through them to see if there might be any vintage ones there. Lo and behold... 1. Copyrighted 1965:  2. Copyrighted 1966:  Australian address at the time: Simplicity Patterns Pty Ltd., 95 Bonds Rd., Punchbowl, NSW. (also addresses for UK and NZ) 3. This last one goes wayyyy back...maybe to the 1940s??  Australian address: The BUTTERICK PUBLISHING CO. PTY. LIMITED, P.O. Box 1945 KK, G.P.O. Sydney. I look at the sketch of the girl on the right and think of Judy Garland in her younger days.  |
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 1, 2014 19:34:08 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 1, 2014 17:51:30 GMT 10
G'day ellawhipit, No, you haven't gone bonkers, and yes, you did post the same question on the forum earlier. It's been moved by the Moderator to the 'For Sale / Wanted' section: click herecheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 1, 2014 17:39:40 GMT 10
G'day beanz, you're best bet is to switch to our sister forum for Classic Caravans built between 1970 and 1979 (click here ). Join up over there and ask the same question. The answer will be the same as I'd give you here [ie. you can't buy it anymore], but at least you'll be able to see what other owners of Viscount Royals have done to their vans to get around the problem. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 1, 2014 15:18:42 GMT 10
I think I might have got the ice chest sorted out. I spent a fair bit of time stripping the paint coating off the inside of the chest, using my time-honoured method of paint stripper...  ...followed by sawdust to scour the sloppy paint off the metal...  ...and a wad of coconut fibre to shift the sawdust around...  You might remember all the holes that were in the ice chest cabinet...  I couldn't get a soldering iron into the confined spaces of the cabinet to solder patches over the holes, so I cheated and stuck them into position using Sikaflex-Pro sealant...  Smaller patches and pop rivets covered a few other smaller holes and a split...   A couple of coats of zinc-rich paint protected the outside of the holes against any further rusting...  It's certainly not the prettiest ice chest you'll come across. Probably the kindest thing you could say about it now is that it "looks reasonable"  ...  There was no shelf for the bottom half of the chest, but as luck would have it, a fella around the corner put a small electric fridge out on the footpath for collection. A quick trip home to get a tape measure, and back to check the size of the shelves in it. Bingo! Just what the doctor ordered ...  At least now I have an ice chest that is functional again  ...  And just by the by... I discovered part of a Lysaght's brand mark on the underside of the ice tray shelf. Enough of the brand to see the year number (1958) and the month number (11 = November). That surely means the ice chest and van were built after November 1958...  cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Jan 1, 2014 12:17:24 GMT 10
G'day oldcarharry,
The link sends me to a "log in" page on Gumtree. You might have to post a link to one of your actual items, and the other items will be sitting underneath that one.
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 30, 2013 21:07:21 GMT 10
G'day Col, I'm curious about that humungous red light on the rear of the van. What is that for?
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 30, 2013 21:01:36 GMT 10
Coming along nicely, Mike! Those R4.5 batts must be really compressed to fit into the roof cavity. How do you make sure the fibreglass doesn't spread out onto the roof beams when you go to glue the ceiling ply into position? I've been toying with the idea of using some leftover insulation blanket that's 50mm thick (bonded to aluminium foil on one surface). I have to compress the 50mm into a 30mm gap, which is no big deal, but I wondered about making sure the edges didn't creep sideways onto the surface of the timber beams, and interfere with the glueing process. Don't forget to take plenty of photographs showing the routing of all the electrical cables in the wall. Nothing worse than trying to remember later where all the cables went. ("Can I put a screw here??" ) Good on you for plugging away at it. I reckon you can definitely see some light at the end of the tunnel now. ;D cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 29, 2013 22:35:29 GMT 10
G'day David, Apart from the photos listed above, there is one other thread on the forum about an Athol Hedges van that was built in 1955. That one might give you some clues about the inside layout: Another Athol Hedges Aly Vancheers, Al.
Photos of Roseanddon's Athol Hedges caravan referred to in the link provided by Franklin1 in this post:   Bath under the dinette seat:   Don Ricardo |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 28, 2013 8:51:29 GMT 10
Today's Illawarra Mercury newspaper carries a feature story about Norm Jenkins retiring in April 2014. Read all about it here |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 27, 2013 16:00:19 GMT 10
sgtl, the van in your photo looks very similar to the Atlantic caravans that were built in St Peters, in Sydney. No wonder people have trouble pinning down the actual brand of van they have, when different brands have very similar appearances. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 27, 2013 10:21:21 GMT 10
It's worth putting a note in this thread to say that Phoenix did not build all the caravans that were badged as "Phoenix", if they indeed built any at all. The thread about Huntsman caravans shows they were a supplier to the Phoenix sale yards. Some of the caravans in the line-up in the advertisement posted above, (21 Dec) by Don Ricardo, look a lot like early Franklin caravans, which look a lot like Huntsman caravans. When you read the early history of Franklin, Coronet, and Huntsman caravans - who worked for who - you realise how "small" a place Ballarat was in the old days. We could almost make a generalised statement and say a lot of these caravans are the "Ballarat design", because they look so much like each other. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 26, 2013 15:44:28 GMT 10
Casavilla, Canterbury Rd., Kilsyth, VIC.
In 1975 they were described as "A new company to Australia that specialises in Spanish decor and features. Units built to customer specs and inspection during construction is encouraged. Sales outlet through Market Caravans, Croydon, Vic."
Obviously with chassis number C315 you have an early model, which probably means around 1974. The fact your van has wind-out windows means it is from 1973 or later.
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 25, 2013 22:46:24 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 25, 2013 20:18:18 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 25, 2013 20:06:25 GMT 10
Have a look at all the different colour schemes in this following Pinterest link: Vintage caravan coloursMany of the photos have been "pinned" from overseas websites, but there are some from Oz. You'll still get a feel for which colour scheme might suit your van. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 25, 2013 19:56:57 GMT 10
A number of the photos "pinned" to this Pinterest page have been lifted from this forum, but there are some others that still might be of interest: Vintage caravan vinyl/lino floors |
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Post by Franklin1 on Dec 25, 2013 19:41:36 GMT 10
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