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Ranger2
Joined: 31 Jul 2010
Posts: 30
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 Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:44 pm Post subject: willerby vogue |
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Well what a job! At the bakerlite museum in somerset a Vogue was there on display, Willerby had one too and also a chap I know near Hull restored one fab job too he did. A guy in Sweden bought one from Scotland and another guy here in UK restored one. About 115 built in 56/7 basically a flop in sales, proved expensive and also to heavy. two layouts were available - oh James Lambert was the guy at Hull not heard from him for some years - great chap and very clever at restoration. The other wILLERBY grp van was the Vista another heavy strange looking caravan - now the last one I saw of those was in Hereford 1970!!
Ranger 2 |
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simonyatesvw
Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject: willerby man |
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these are the latest pictures of the willerby vogue and the ceiling is back in and the rear panels have been taken out as we needed to take them out as behind them was just full of rat nests and junk and foam and all the wood on the backs of the panels was all rotten and were in a bad need of being replaced
Last edited by simonyatesvw on Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:27 am Post subject: Re: willerby vogue |
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| Ranger2 wrote: | Well what a job! At the bakerlite museum in somerset a Vogue was there on display, Willerby had one too and also a chap I know near Hull restored one fab job too he did. A guy in Sweden bought one from Scotland and another guy here in UK restored one. About 115 built in 56/7 basically a flop in sales, proved expensive and also to heavy. two layouts were available - oh James Lambert was the guy at Hull not heard from him for some years - great chap and very clever at restoration. The other wILLERBY grp van was the Vista another heavy strange looking caravan - now the last one I saw of those was in Hereford 1970!!
Ranger 2 |
Hello all, just joined 
I´m -a guy in Sweden- 
There were 3 interiors to the Vogue: Toilet where the ovan window is on the near side (mine). Chest of drawers in the same place instead of toilet (Peter Jollys). Third being Tiolet in the corner rear, off side (only seen this in the brochyr). The first vans had sliding down oval windows (Peter J´s) later they were fixed (mine and James L´s). In the beginning it had a barn door (Peters again) but later just one piece (again mine and James´s). 16 inch Austin Somerset c:a 1954, steel rims (mine had a 13 and a 14 inch on it when I bought it  ). Lucas lamps type Morris Traveller
They started coming off the production line autumn 1956 and about 115 were made. I have a Willerby add including the Vogue from 1958. Small, expensive and very front heavy. You could buy a van nearly twice the size of the Vogue for the money. I would say that there are about 8 vans restored or being restored. Should be a number -out there- but are in the same condition as this one (not for the faint hearted )
There is a firm near me that is also a teaching school for vehicle/boat bodywork. Mine was with them for just over a year Mine had no -spats- over the wheels (you have to take them off to change the wheel).
I was a member of the Historical Caravan Club and bought mine from an add in there (2001-2) It had resided on a -ledge- 20 meters or so from the North Sea, south of Montrose. Owned by a bloke who is a salmon fisherman. The refreshing salt air hadn´t done the metal work much good. The framewas in one piece but very under dimentioned (new frame now, galvad). The doors hinges had rusted away so the the 2 halves were thrown inside the van. All the windows were shot and I think he´d kept rabbits or the like in it. My son Robert (then 12 now 21) and I took a mates car trailer from Linköping where we live, down to Gothenburg. Over to Newcastle and up to Montrose. Loaded it up and then back to Linköping. That was beginning of November 2002. Bar the cushions, it´s now -finished- 
-AP plastic- was the first type of fibre glass. Not exactly the same apparently. Now 50+ years on, very hard and brittle. To be able to use it the entire floor plan and the join where it is bonded to the sides have to be strengthened. The cipboard floor was a part of the intigrual strukture. Without that, the side walls-wheel wells tend to bulge outwards (be warned) Otherwise it will just crack in a number of places along the -ribs- in the floor, after the first season on the road (ask Peter  )
Mine was a total. It was so bad that there were cracks everywhere. Then it fell off the axelstands it was on, in a strom over here, and that sparated the flooplan from the sides. It was very close to being dumped then . But then the apprentices at the body firm took it on. The inner ceiling sags with age and begin to rest and crack where the furniture reahes the ceiling. The bodybuilders bonded the inner and outer shells and strategic points to stabilize the inner roof. One half of the wheel bearings doesn´t exist any longer. The makers had just 2 left when I asked and wanted about 1500 each for them Mine were okay and the other half of the bearing set up is available. so get that sorted asap . With being stood for say 30 years, the grease in the bearings settles in the bearings, giving the upper halves exposure to condensation etc..... rust and pitting. The window frames are assymetric not -straight- as you might think. all mine were slightly different (we are talking early 50s  ) so each window back and front goes only in the appature they are in. Mark them up or you will have fun and games
I made new moulds for the wheel spats (James L let me have his). From the moulds we had some carbon fiber ones made up so they shouldn´t crack the first time you have to change a wheel. Could get some more made but of course a bit pricey
Any probs let me know. You seem to be very able concerning the bodywork so it should be okay. But ask first if you get stuck BEFORE doing something you might later regret
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simonyatesvw
Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 5:27 pm Post subject: willerby vogue 1957 |
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| hi i was wondering wether you have any pictures of your interior u could send me as we are trying to figger out how to do the interior now as the bodywork aint ages away and we are trying to decide which version of the interior to do so far we have rebuilt the chassis in a new disisgn so the stucture of the caravan is much stronjger redisigned the floor and rebuilt and have redone most of the fibreglass on the inside skin after we stripped out the inner skin and added new fibreglass to the inside skin so that the caravan will be structually strong for a long time(hopefully). we would be greatfull to hear back from you as soon as possible |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Will send you a PM with my email address. Then we can exchange pics. I haven´t learnt a good way of putting up pics on hear yet. Have you got any of the interior left. What is the chassi number on the front plaque? That should tell you which model it was manufactured as. Has it got the barn door and opening oval windows? Cheers Alan |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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See if I can get a few pics up of my Vogue
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Classic_Dave
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
Posts: 41
Location: Stafford
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| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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Great caravan, I do understand why people want them and willing to pay.
Pity they so rare. |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:41 am Post subject: |
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The -powers at be- say that there were 115 made. So there should be a few more out there.
A friend of mine wanted a Swedish Carmen van. Only about 60-70 made in the first half of the 60s. Wanted it to go behind his Volvo 544. He scoured the countryside, all the caravan sites he could get to. Advertised aswell. After 3 months he had the offer of 3
So get looking |
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Uncle Alec
Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Posts: 734
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| I nominate these two Willerby Vogue guys for the "Against The Odds" Most Optimistic Bringing Back to Life Award. |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:47 am Post subject: |
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Thanks you kind sir
We picked the van up at the end of october 2002. spent a lot of hours on it and done quite a bit of the work myself. Wallet has taken the brunt of course |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:13 am Post subject: Re: willerby vogue |
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| Ranger2 wrote: | Well what a job! At the bakerlite museum in somerset a Vogue was there on display, Willerby had one too and also a chap I know near Hull restored one fab job too he did. A guy in Sweden bought one from Scotland and another guy here in UK restored one. About 115 built in 56/7 basically a flop in sales, proved expensive and also to heavy. two layouts were available - oh James Lambert was the guy at Hull not heard from him for some years - great chap and very clever at restoration. The other wILLERBY grp van was the Vista another heavy strange looking caravan - now the last one I saw of those was in Hereford 1970!!
Ranger 2 |
Re Vista.... The back of the Vogue brochure
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geoffslater
Joined: 19 Aug 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:21 pm Post subject: Willerby |
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hi
I also have a vogue purchased last year in Hull. It used to belong to Willerby and was supposedly restored. However towards the end of last year (very enjoyable, went to several historic caravan rallies, well worth joining) a split in the roof lining appeared probably caused by the floor detaching from the chassis. Then even more disaster heavy snow collapsed the roof. Looked to be a total write off. However once the tears had been wiped away I decided to do a total restoration. Whether this is a good idea will have to be seen. The interior has been removed to gain access to the floor so that it can be reattached. I've done away with the oval opening side windows, as they were a continuous cause of leaks. Next job to reinforce the fibreglass on the outer skin. The original is very brittle. We will have to create frames to support the roof. I thought marine ply, or laminated wood stips reinforced with resin would be best for this. Anyone any ideas on to a more suitable material?
Hope to have willerby ready for the upcoming season. All good fun.
best regards
Geoff |
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simonyatesvw
Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:41 pm Post subject: willerby man |
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thanks alan for the showing me the photos quite imformational on a lot of points.Your caravan looks great.Have you got any drawings of your interior for sizes of units and seating as our caravan was completely empty when we purchased it.
hi geoff.slater how far have you gotten on with completing your willerby restoration and how far are you planning on stripping the van back ? in our van there was an amzing amount of rotten timber between the two skins ,such as structual timber at either side of the door and where the seats attach to the wood They all needed replacing
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willerby vogue man
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Willerby |
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| geoff.slater wrote: | hi
I also have a vogue purchased last year in Hull. It used to belong to Willerby and was supposedly restored. However towards the end of last year (very enjoyable, went to several historic caravan rallies, well worth joining) a split in the roof lining appeared probably caused by the floor detaching from the chassis. Then even more disaster heavy snow collapsed the roof. Looked to be a total write off. However once the tears had been wiped away I decided to do a total restoration. Whether this is a good idea will have to be seen. The interior has been removed to gain access to the floor so that it can be reattached. I've done away with the oval opening side windows, as they were a continuous cause of leaks. Next job to reinforce the fibreglass on the outer skin. The original is very brittle. We will have to create frames to support the roof. I thought marine ply, or laminated wood stips reinforced with resin would be best for this. Anyone any ideas on to a more suitable material?
Hope to have willerby ready for the upcoming season. All good fun.
best regards
Geoff |
So you bought Willerbys van. James (who lives in Hull and has a Vogue) told me that he had been and seen it and that they weren´t interested in it. Glad you´ve managed to rescue it. Unfortunately the fiberglass is of an early mix and is now very brittle as you say. Difficult to repair, lots of fresh fiberglass has to go on them to make them stable. The floor is part of the structure and the walls will bulge out with no floor in place. The original floor was some horrible chip board. Mine was redone with heavy duty board with extra fiberglass strengthning along the sides and middle. Will try and get some pics up |
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alan 869
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 388
Location: Linköping Sweden
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:26 pm Post subject: Re: willerby man |
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| simonyatesvw wrote: | thanks alan for the showing me the photos quite imformational on a lot of points.Your caravan looks great.Have you got any drawings of your interior for sizes of units and seating as our caravan was completely empty when we purchased it.
hi geoff.slater how far have you gotten on with completing your willerby restoration and how far are you planning on stripping the van back ? in our van there was an amzing amount of rotten timber between the two skins ,such as structual timber at either side of the door and where the seats attach to the wood They all needed replacing |
I haven´t got any drawings more than the overall plan on the brochure. Used the existing, mostly rotten, interior as templates. Could do some overall sizes for you but I am working away from home for 2 weeks and can´t get at the van. Perhaps Simon could do it if his van is more accessable. The wood between the 2 shells was okay on mine. Of course there are a lot of places where there isn´t any wood at all (between the layers of the roof). So the firm I had cut holes of about 6cm in dia. in the inner shell (to gain access to the outer) and then bonded both together when they had got both shells in position. The guy who owns the firm had to get his old dad in to help as it was such a pig His father has a lot of expertise in this sort of thing from boats etc. |
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