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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 11, 2013 10:05:09 GMT 10
Thanks guys for the responses. I'm sure my brother can make one of the table brackets for me, but I just thought I'd put it out there before going to that trouble. I might as well do a little update while I'm here... The first internal ply sheet has been fitted, and the seat boxes inside are being built... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/63lgebl6r/2013_03_Mar30_01_Internal_ply_x2.jpg) I'm giving the Selleys Liquid Nails Platinum a go during the internal construction... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/c4j5be037/2013_04_Apr06_01_Selleys_glue_x2.jpg) It seems to be working well. It's a polyurethane glue, and claims to be waterproof (but not fully immersible for long periods). Darn stuff turns your fingers black if you get it on them, and then it takes a couple of days to wear off. You can clean up any excess on the job immediately (but it's a messy way of doing it) or you can wait 3 hours until it's cured a bit and then chisel off the excess with a blunt chisel (an easier and neater way of doing it). Costs $10.44 per cartridge at Bunnings. But, today I wanted to brag a bit about a little job I completed. But only because I'm chuffed with how it turned out. I built a little cabinet thingy to fit above the front table, under the window. It was progressively built over four days, which means you couldn't call me a fast cabinetmaker by any stretch of the imagination. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) When the Historical Inspection Team comes around with their white coats and clipboards, to check on authenticity (commonly known in Vintage caravan circles as "copping a HIT" ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) ) they'll see a little cabinet that looks like a trinket box with a nik-nak shelf... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/51b9vsa37/2013_04_Apr11_01_Cabinet_at_front_x2.jpg) Complete with a Kellogg's delivery truck on one side... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/u7c82mj37/2013_04_Apr11_02_Cabinet_at_front_x2.jpg) Then, as soon as their backs are turned, the door is slid across to reveal a modern-day double pole power outlet ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png) ... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/m1u64h2k3/2013_04_Apr11_03_Cabinet_at_front_x2.jpg) ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/4bshjfwoz/2013_04_Apr11_04_Cabinet_at_front_x2.jpg) Sneaky, huh?!! There's been many a time we've travelled in a caravan, and wished there was a power outlet at the table, for laptops/phone chargers/etc. I've always had the thought that if I ever built a van, I'd put one in, and so I thought "Hmmm...how could I disguise one in the project van?"cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 10, 2013 16:54:13 GMT 10
G'day Diana, and welcome to the forum! ;D The Moderators will probably move this thread to the For Sale section, so look for it there in future. Your van certainly looks like a Valiant. On the front drawbar just next to the jockey wheel somewhere, there should be a chassis number welded there. It will most likely start with the letter 'B' followed by some numbers, but recently we've seen a couple of Valiants with an 'A'-series chassis number, so yours might be the same. I have a hunch your van might actually be from 1963. It has the cladding profile on the lower side walls that was introduced in 1963, but more importantly it has the straight windows, rather than the sloping windows that Valiants started getting at the end of 1963. The chassis number will help to confirm the year of manufacture. Price? It's something we shy away from talking about on the forum these days. There are far too many variables involved in putting a price on a van. I've watched a van get listed on ebay 3 times, and the maximum bids varied by 30% over the 3 listings. How can a van be so wildly different in price in such a short time?! But, that's how it is with these vans. The best advice I can give you is to pluck a ridiculous figure out of the air and list the van for sale on a free listing website. One, you're not wasting money on advertising a van at a price you know is ridiculous, and Two, you'll quickly find out what the market thinks of your price (by getting no responses). Then, you can progressively reduce the price until you start to get genuine enquiries (as opposed to the scammer text messages, and the people who text you to say they've only got $300 to spend on a van and 7 kids to feed, so would you take that? ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) ) That method obviously takes some time, so if time is not necessarily available, you have to go to Plan B, which is to edit the listing on a daily basis and lower the price daily by a regular amount. People are on the lookout for these vans all over the place (you only have to look at some of the For Sale listings on this forum to see how people suddenly come out of the woodwork and ask for details about a listed van), so you'll get quick feedback once your price hits the "sweet spot" for the market. Hope this helps, cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 10, 2013 13:38:42 GMT 10
I was in our local Builders Recycling Shed this morning, and came across a couple of these tea towel rails... ![](http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/macola51/2nd%20Project%20Caravan%20Mar2013-/201304Apr1004Teatowelrailx2.jpg) ![](http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/macola51/2nd%20Project%20Caravan%20Mar2013-/201304Apr1005Teatowelrailx2.jpg) Cost me five bucks for the two rails plus a few other goodies, so I'm a happy bargain hunter. ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) I thought the diamond bracket one was a bit "rare", so that was a bonus. cheers, Al. ps. Due to a former member leaving and taking his posts with him, the start of this thread now looks like I kicked it off, and I'd like to go on record as saying I DID NOT start this nonsense. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png)
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 10, 2013 13:30:38 GMT 10
G'day All, Just putting the feelers out for a couple of parts for this project. The original sink is a rusty ol' relic. I think John Walsh might have got hold of some factory seconds to keep his vans in the budget price range. ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) Needless to say, this grotty old sink can't be accepted into the 'new' van, so I'm looking for an exact replacement in good condition. ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/kzjzlmeib/2013_04_Apr10_01_Sink_x2.jpg) The other item I'm looking for is the bracket for one side of the table leg. One of them has gone missing over the years, and a cheap plumber's pipe bracket was used as a substitute... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/jx9t333er/2013_04_Apr10_02_Table_bracket_x2.jpg) ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/6t48qej2r/2013_04_Apr10_03_Table_bracket_x2.jpg) I know many of you have a few of each of these items sitting in your shed, so now is the time to have a cleanout (I wish...). ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) I do have a Plan B for both items, so it's not the end of the world if I don't find replacements. cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 7, 2013 17:50:41 GMT 10
Yes, it will be interesting to see some photos of this van. We've known of two other Viscounts with a chassis number starting with "V", and both of them can be seen in this threadBluetanjo's van (Whatever happened to Jo?? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) ) has the chassis number of V314, and appears to be from around the 1963 mark. The other van down the bottom of that same thread has the chassis number of V51-3, which is a bit unusual having a hyphen, so I'm not sure what that means. Note also the coincidence that one of the photos of Jo's Viscount shows a sticker with Barry Panter Pty Ltd, caravan traders, Warracknabeal. And here we are with another Viscount that happens to be located in Warracknabeal, and happens to have a V-series chassis number. A bit of an initial guesstimate for Jody's chassis number of V738 might be 1964. Another 400 numbers after Bluetanjo's van is probably a year's production in those days. cheers, Al.
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Ilse
Apr 7, 2013 10:10:59 GMT 10
Post by Franklin1 on Apr 7, 2013 10:10:59 GMT 10
Goodness me...I'm shocked to hear this...and terribly saddened. I first met Dosse and Ilsa in 2010 when we went up to the Xmas in July event at Crows Nest. I was particularly taken with how they took the trouble to introduce themselves, and to welcome us to the event. Such fine people.
My sincere condolences to Ilse's family.
Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 4, 2013 7:08:16 GMT 10
G'day Adrian, What you were told on the Classic forum is that your van was "made about 1969 or 1970 I would guesstimate". Now all you have to do is find out when the Newlands brand first started, and then find out how many vans they built each year after starting. Then it will be easy for you to calculate when your chassis number of N2702 was built. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) Your cabin shape is the same as the Newlands vans for 1970, but I don't know whether that shape was being built prior to 1970 as well. My research collection was sourced from Sydney archives, and it shows that Newlands first came into NSW in January 1970, but would have obviously been in Victoria (where they were built) for some time before that. At this stage, you could probably flip a coin and say it's one or the other - 1969 or 1970. Depends on which of the Vintage or Classic forums you'd prefer to be with. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 2, 2013 21:49:10 GMT 10
G'day dave79au,
According to my computer filing system, the photo of E6417 came from an ebay listing in May 2012, almost 12 months ago. I pinched the photos from the listing because the chassis number was showing in one of the photos. There were only external photos, no internals.
I don't have any more info about the van, sorry.
cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 1, 2013 22:00:44 GMT 10
G'day sgtl, I think you should stay away from anything with wheels on it. The ol' tyre replacement problem is gonna be the death of you. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) Try this mob for a starting point. Surely this seller should be able to point you in the right direction: ebay listingThere's some even snazzier-looking cream coloured tyres in the UK: UK ebay ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) [Edit] - these ones in the UK look like they are whitewall (?) (Good exchange rate at the moment between the Aussie $ and the UK Pound. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) ) cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 1, 2013 19:18:28 GMT 10
G'day melburgorbust, Forum members bobandjacqui might be able to help with some approximate info. Read this thread on the Classic forum. Not exactly the same as yours, but there were a few different brands around that were built on the same principle. cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 1, 2013 14:24:57 GMT 10
G'day sixroses,
Ummm, nope. Reddog only posted twice before disappearing. He was wanting to sell the van and was just looking for info on what it was worth. Don't know what happened to him or the van (except that maybe you've ended up with it).
For the sake of "adding value" to your thread, I'll copy and paste reddog's two posts here:
Re: Murrumba Star info « Reply #17 on Jun 21, 2012, 12:13pm » I am a new member to the forum. I have a Murrumba Star 15 foot aluminium caravan in what I believe is original condition. The tow bar is stamped MS8151-1. I got the van from my 95 year old neighbour who has had it in his garage since it's last registration in 1973. He told me it was only taken on the road twice for a short distance. He and his wife lived in it while they built their house. The electrical appliance card is dated 1968. Does anyone know what this is worth.
Re: Murrumba Star info « Reply #21 on Jun 21, 2012, 6:12pm » Thanks Seeshell and Al.
I will take your advice and check out ebay. I will definitely be selling the van as I really don't have the space to keep it and when I travel I use an oz tent and tow a tinnie. Any advice would be much appreciated. I have had a passerby show interest in the van, but they are not interested in it as a vintage product. My preference would be for it to go to someone who appreciates it for what it is.
Reg
It's an interesting chassis number of MS8151-1 quoted by reddog. I guess we're pretty safe in assuming the MS bit stands for Murrumba Star, but the rest of it is a bit of a mystery. The last number after the hyphen would stand for something as well, but definitely doesn't mean 1971 like it would if it was a Franklin van.
cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 1, 2013 11:03:36 GMT 10
G'day sixroses, Nice van! ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) I think I might have worked out what the difference was between the two 15-footers. I have an "identical" advert from Sept '67 (two months earlier than the one posted above), showing the line-up of models, and the "Galaxy" model is not there, so the Galaxy model must have only been released in the second half of 1967. In other newspaper clippings from that same time period, the Galaxy model is advertised as 15ft x 8ft, whereas most vans from that time period were typically 7ft wide. I presume that must mean the Venus 15ft model is 7ft wide, and the Galaxy 15ft model is 8ft wide. Measure the width!! ;D cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 31, 2013 23:15:44 GMT 10
G'day f/f, Yeah, thanks for those links, the first of which gives a bit of info about the ali vans they made. I was thinking that I'd actually posted some of the old newspaper clippings that I had on my computer, but there was nothing in my Photobucket album. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) Anyway, here's a couple of bits of info from late 1967 and Easter 1968... You'll see the model names were all based on "heavenly bodies" (...except the 'Astra', which I think was based on a Holden, heh heh ;D ): 10ft 6ins Comet 13ft Astra 15ft Venus 15ft Galaxy (Don't know what the diff was between the two 15-footers) 19ft Saturn 22ft Polaris Plus a monster "Mobile Home". [ps. Check out the modest swimwear in the picture below! ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) ] ![](http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/macola51/Murrumba%20Star%20Caravans/19671105103modelsandPHOTOS.png) This advert for Easter 1968 gives some more detail about the features in Murrumba Star vans... ![](http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/macola51/Murrumba%20Star%20Caravans/1968032362modelsandfeatures.png) cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 31, 2013 21:29:51 GMT 10
G'day sixroses, and welcome to the forum! ;D Do you have one of those spaceship fibreglass Murrumba Star vans, or is it a standard ol' aluminium van? When people hear the words 'Murrumba Star' they tend to think of the fibreglass vans that they built, but they also built ordinary everyday aluminium ones before that. The fibreglass info is in our Down History Lane section, hereI thought I'd already posted some archive stuff about the aluminium vans, but I can't see it on the forum anywhere. Must have just dreamt I did. ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) If you've got an ali van, I can give you a bit more info. cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 27, 2013 7:47:13 GMT 10
G'day Bob and Jacqui, I'll have a stab at the age of the van, and say it's from the late 1960s, maybe '68 or '69. Millard claimed to be the first to use coloured cladding in 1967, so we'll assume Sandrover started using it after that. Millard, Franklin, and Viscount seem to have started to incorporate a vent in the door in 1969 (although Franklin in their wisdom located it halfway up the door near the handle ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) ). It's a bit difficult to see the door clearly in the Sandrover photo, but there doesn't seem to be a vent there, so I'm thinking it's not later than 1969. Certainly not later than 1973 because it has push-out windows, not wind-out. That's an interesting chassis number configuration. Some thought has obviously gone into creating the hyphen, so the total number must mean something. I was wondering if the '94' suffix meant 9ft 4ins, but the van looks longer than that. cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 25, 2013 21:31:45 GMT 10
He CHEATS!! [ Models and Toys ...and NOTE the bookshelf and filing cabinet full of information! ;D ;D ]
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 25, 2013 19:41:47 GMT 10
G'day rhrowlands,
One of the many things we still have to learn about for the Viscount history is when did they actually start using the "log cabin" profile of cladding that's on your van. It seems to have been approximately 1969/1970 when it first appeared.
If you say the van was originally silver cladding with lightning stripes on the side, then those two bits of info would make it from mid-1968 to around the end of 1969. Then we can narrow that range down further by looking at the welded chassis number on the front drawbar (which should be the letter "A" followed by numbers).
If the inside of the cupboards are still as original, look for a date written on the inside of the wardrobe. We've had one instance where a member found a 1969 date in his Viscount cupboard.
cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 24, 2013 21:18:11 GMT 10
G'day hilldweller, I started off using a tenon saw but quickly discovered the saw binds in the cut because there's no off-set in the teeth. I ended up switching to the standard cross-cut saw that has ten teeth to the inch, and has some off-set in the teeth. You're not looking for a nice neat cut like they use in cabinetmaking anyway. Like Surf Tragic says, you need a gap between the timbers being glued with Bote Cote, so a 'rough enough' cut is good enough. The cross beams I used to span the sides were each 30mm wide, so I cut the notch about 32mm wide to give a 1mm gap each side for the glue. If I cut slightly wider than 32mm due to slack sawing, then it didn't matter - the Bote Cote fills the extra gap nicely and still makes the joint strong. The more cuts you make between the outside pencil lines of the notch, the better. For a 32mm wide notch, I would make a cut at every 8mm spacing (5 cuts total for the width). It makes it heaps easier to cut out the waste timber with a chisel, and makes the overall notched-out section look a lot neater. --------------------- G'day Ray, Yep, I think a number of vans on this forum will be able to bolt an outboard motor on the back when climate change really kicks in and sea levels rise. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) Funnily enough, the first coat of thinned Bote Cote applied to bare plywood is probably creating a surface similar to the Ralph Symonds "Rescote" product from the old days. cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 24, 2013 20:43:32 GMT 10
G'day koala, The colour of the spats originally matched the colour of the sidestripes, so if you've got any gold paint left over, then...well...you know...some gold spats would set the van off VERY nicely! ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 23, 2013 21:53:24 GMT 10
G'day Seeshell,
Eventually, yes. It will all get the first coat where you add the timber preservative additive to the resin/hardener mix to thin it out and let it soak into the bare timber. Then it will get a second coat all over of straight resin/hardener mix. That's the way it's recommended in the Bote-Cote handbook.
Final paint coats over the resin will be Dulux Weathershield.
cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 23, 2013 19:26:17 GMT 10
G'day hilldweller, You wouldn't believe how hard it was to hunt around all the joints I made, to find one that was "presentable enough" to show on the forum. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) One of the great things about Bote-Cote when you mix the powdered filler into the mix, is its fantastic gap-filling abilities (...quite apart from its fantastic adhesive abilities ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) ). Any joints that aren't cut exactly 'square' can be bogged up no worries with the mix. Then you wait a few hours until it's cured a bit, and you can chisel off any excess glue to leave a very neat joint. I love the stuff! ;D cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 23, 2013 11:14:30 GMT 10
Ok, so there's been a bit of progress on this project over the last month. ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) I've completed the framework that ties the walls together, as well as the framework for the hatch and the rear window. This is the front... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/oj5xb91qr/2013_03_Mar23_01_Framework_x2.jpg) ...and this is the rear... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/75vmwetkz/2013_03_Mar23_02_Rear_framework_x2.jpg) All the joints are based on notching the timber... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/jkiewq5nn/2013_03_Mar23_03_Notch_in_frame_x2.jpg) ...and then glueing with Bote-Cote... ![](https://s19.postimg.cc/5qu27oks3/2013_03_Mar23_04_Glue_joint_x2.jpg) I haven't used any screws in any of the joints. I might put a screw in a few of the joints that would benefit due to flexing during travel, but most of the joints will rely on the Bote-Cote. This stuff is so tenacious, you need a sledgehammer to break it. Time for a cup o' tea (ok, hilldweller?? ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) ) cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 19, 2013 9:28:10 GMT 10
Barnes Caravans, 121 Hume Highway LANSVALE NSW. 02 9728 6366
The old man used to build caravans way back in the 1960s. Now the kids have taken over the business and they sell spares and accessories, plus do repairs. They still have the roll forming equipment for some of the older cladding profiles, but you'd have to have a chat with them about what they actually do or don't do these days.
They don't have an actual website, but if you Google their name you'll get lots of references to them.
cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 18, 2013 22:34:56 GMT 10
I've never heard of anybody talking about reproduction cladding for Franklin vans before, so I think it's probably a dead end there.
Franklin had a couple of different profiles over the years, so which one is on your van?
There's a mob in Sydney that still roll some of the cladding profiles but I'm pretty sure they won't match anything like the old Franklin profiles.
cheers, Al.
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 18, 2013 22:29:46 GMT 10
G'day Mark, can you post a photo of what the hinges look like? Your chances of finding identical hinges will probably be slim, but sometimes you can get lucky finding "similar" in current stock. Escutcheon pins are readily available. A fair few Australian websites come up in a Google search. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) cheers, Al.
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