Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Latest brochure from Nick, the '37 Nomad

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/nomad.htm

Rick
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[Penman]

Hi
Can't you see a forerunner of the Airstream in the shape?
Or did the Airstream start before this?

[Rick]

I was wondering whether Airstream may have been the suppliers of the bodies and chassis, someone is bound to know

R
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[Cobber]

G’day Rick,

Thanks to both you and Nick for sharing that brochure.

The question you & Penman posed is interesting, and led me to do a bit of searching.

It would appear that the Nomad was manufactured in the USA by the Covered Wagon Inc. (as suggested in page two of the brochure) and then exported to the UK to have the “finest British cabinetcraft “ fitted for the UK market.

I don’t think there is any connection between the “Covered Wagon Inc” and the “Airstream Corp.”
Somebody who might have information on the history of the “Covered Wagon Inc.” (but not available on-line) can be found at :-
http://www.rv-mh-hall-of-fame.org/museum3.html
(they mention the company in 1934 and 1935, (sounds as though they have a damned good collection in that museum)
And another site that gives weight to the theory that they were an American Co. is @
http://www.vintage-vacations.com/
Airstream history can be found at:-
http://www.calldon.com/air.htm

Nick's brochure may be all there is that exists in the UK of the mighty "Nomad"....... interesting hey?

Cobber.

[Dodger]

Hi, Ive managed to find out a little bit more about the Nomad,from an old book i have,"The History of the Caravan".Printed 1973.
Quote;
"The coach shape was introduced to the British public when the Surrey dealers,The Nomad Caravan Company,headed by Clive Scarff,imported Covered Wagons in 1937.
They excited admiration by their electric brakes,safety chains,mosquito screens,ice box,twenty gallon water tank ans stepdown transformer for running low voltage lighting,fan etc.but british buyers shrank from the 19 and 20 ft lengths and heavy weight, and the venture collapsed when the price in America rose sharply."
(Shame is doesnt tell you when the venture fell through,but i cant imagine they would have lasted long.Probably the same year.They were quite large and heavy.!)
It does go on to say that Bertram Hutchings took up the shape for his Winchester Wagon,but sold only a very few.
Thanks for the links Cobber. Excellent mate.Some great reading there.
Particularly like the woodwork on the restored 1947 Tahoe that was for sale on the Vintage Vacations link. Lovely quality of woodwork. Thanks. Nick

[mclay]

hi, i bought the covered wagon brochure on ebay. i was delighted to see it as i have a nomad envoy caravan. it has been a bit of a mystery and i thought it had been built in lytham st annes in 1948. however it looks just like the ones in the brochure and as soon as i can work out how to do it i'll post some photos

[mclay]

lol.nomad looks as if it's sulking! this was taken last summer before we stripped and painted it.well i say painted, we just gave it a coat of cream undercoat.

[mclay]

painting her outside the barn in the sunshine.


then towed her down the m6 with my little RR


to the great dorset steam

[mclay]

safest towing speed is around 45mph. any faster and it starts to rock and swing alarmingly. the nomad is 20ft long and weighs close on 2 ton but it towed well.

[Rick]

great pics thats a fab looking van, must be heavy to manhandle into position at times?!?

R
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[mclay]

yes it is. there's no way i could manage it on my own. i could exhibit it alone but i'd need a man to help me hitch it up here and man waiting on the rallyfield to help set it up. the only way to hitch it onto car is to jack the towbar up and, carefully reverse the ball under it.
this spring i'm planning to paint it but have no idea what the original colour would have been. when i bought it it was mostly stripped back to the aluminium.

[Penman]

Hi
I know it isn't original but you could get a ratchet type powermover
http://www.allstores.com.au/?Nav=Pdt&category_id=11&sub_category_id=74&PageID=8&wp=8

Maybe even possible to use that to manouevre and then replace the original for the show.

[Rick]

dads got some sort of powered gadget that he controls from a remote hand unit(!), which moves the caravan around via electric powered rollers that press onto the road wheels, quite a nifty item - wonder if they do a bakelite version???

R
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[mclay]

oh if only!!! some of my friends have the remote controlled power mover things and they look fun. i always plan to pinch one and move eric and maggie during the night ...lol
don't think any conventional ratchett mover would fit. i post this photo of tow hitch.not very clear i know but in better weather i'll take more of the wierd points on the caravan.