Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Brian M]

Here is the moment that some of us have been waiting for!

Cornish Lass has been trying to send me pics of her caravan and has now managed to create a photobucket album and asked me to post them on the forum.

I would add that the titles are her own!



Sitting in a field in Wales - bless


Hmm.....think I will have to practice high jump


Sleep at this angle will be fun


Peek-a-boo


Look at my nice round bottom


In the fairy glen waiting for some fairy dust to speed things up


Those red wheels will have to go


Oh dear


All prepped and ready to go


Still priming

WOW what a beauty!
Good luck with the rest of the work.

I'll send you an email to tell you how to post pictures yourself

[admin]

Wowzers that is a little gem isn't it!!! well done on taking on its restoration Cornish!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rick

[cornish_lass]

Thanks Rick for your words of encouragement, I think that I will need loads of this along the way.

Well as you can see, this confirms what people have been saying about me for years...... totally off my trolley!!! Considering that I have absolutely no woodwork skills, have no undercover storage, know nothing about caravans and at the minute have mobility problems they are probably correct. But I figure that unless you try to achieve, you never will.

Thanks Brian for loading the pictures on the site. That's what it so great about a forum like this, friends that you don't know helping each other along the way. Am going to try to get under the tarp which is at present covering Ratty to take some inside shots, and will try to load these myself. If I don't succeed Brian...... HELP!!!

The next biggest job for me will be the replacement of the canvas roof. When I purchased her I knew that there were problems there, but after the trip down from Wales (which caused the already torn canvas to rip more) and on cleaning the roof I found that there were quite a few spots which were breaking down, therefore damp had started to seep in Going to be fun trying to clamber up there and still hold onto my crutches aaagh So if you don't hear from me for a while you will know that I had a small accident and am probably back in hospital If anybody has any useful tips with regard to this, it would be reeeaaally appreciated.

Cornish Lass

[Uncle Joe]

Cornish lass, am I correct in thinking that your van has an external wooden frame? Do you know what the panels are made of? I'm assuming they are aluminium, is that correct?

[cornish_lass]

Hi UJ

Nope, no aluminium in sight on the body of the van. It was built with oak flooring and as far as I can tell oak framework sandwiched between inner and outer sheets of ply.... hence the need to get Ratty primed and under cover before all the wet weather set in.

Cornish Lass

[Uncle Joe]

Are you sure that its oak, and not ash?

[cornish_lass]

Hey, I'm just a girlie with as I said, no woodworking skills so how would I know The floor is definately oak, but you are probably correct, the framework is maybe made from ash, don't honestly know. By the way, the window frames, such as they are, are oak also. One thing I do know for sure..... NO ALI

Cornish Lass

[Uncle Joe]

I'm only talking about the external frame now. The old craftsmen NEVER used steel screws with oak, only brass. So thats one way to tell. Another is by looking at a piece that is curved (roof, not corners). If its one piece, its ash, built up, its oak.

[cornish_lass]

You know, you are going to think I am really thick now. As you look at a side-on picture of Ratty, around the edges there is a strip which edges the plyboard sides. Is it this you are referring to? If so all I can say is that it is quite a soft wood, fairly 'yellow' in colour with virtually no grain. I had thought that this was pine, but again aaaagggh I don't know.

Any screws which are on the outside have been painted (Primed) over now so I cannot now check.

The roof from what I remember is ply covered with canvas and then a wooden strip running along the top from front to back to hold the canvas down. Can't remember what it was, but remember it being a fairly hard wood when I was sanding it back. Unfortunately without taking off the tarp (which is an arduous task) I won't be able to find out.

Know this isn't quite the answer you wanted, but am unsure if I can be anymore help

Cornish Lass

[Barry Lord]

Hello!

I really enjoyed looking at the pictures of your caravan. I was wondering if you knew its make.

I have a 1935 Winchester caravan and wish you well with the restoration of yours.

Best wishes,

Barry.

[cornish_lass]

Hi Barry, thanks for all the words of encouragement ....think I will need loads of that along the way.

In answer to your question about the make I was told that it was made 'after a Guildford'. Have been able to find out very little about the company as it went out of production years ago. The information I gathered from the previous owner, such as it is, was that it belonged to a gypsy lady who had it specially made for her in 1932. Apparently show people would not pay Company prices for vans, so would stand outside the factory gates to try to get workers to build 'one-offs' for them. Therefore Ratty was built by Guildford workers and probably with Guildford materials, spec etc. Apparently so I gather (though I wait to be corrected) she is quite rare.

The chap I bought it from had started to work on her, which probably explains her condition, although there is just sooooo much work still to be completed. When I got her home and looked at the roof found that there were holes and deterioration in the canvas so like all unknowns there was some rotten wood to be replaced. I had to cover her with a tarp a few months ago as I knew that I would be unable to re-canvas before the wet weather set in (she's outside freezing her little wheel bearings off you see) I know, not the sort of thing you do with wooden vans, but I made sure that there were open crates between the roof and the tarp to ensure ventilation, but I had no option. Crawled under the tarp the other day and ventured tentively inside and.... hurrah no damp, mildew or rot to be seen so the plan worked.

As for the inside, will take and post some more pics as soon as I can. She is lined with ply inside, but there are water stains on some parts. The plan was to stain this and as long as I can find some way to make the water stains not so noticeable I will still go along with this. There is an s/steel sink which somebody has fitted and a floor pump also, although whether or not this works I don't know as I haven't tested it yet. There is also a gas cooker (though not from the 30s, quite old) and heaps of drawer space and cupboards. No internal lighting, but some old gas piping which obviously were for the lights. Also some veeeerrry old wiring and connection boxes, now defunct of course. As to how I picture her looking, follow this link :

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/98551962JhBiMT

The sad part is that until I can safetly get rid of both crutches any major work (ie the roof) will have to wait

The good part is that I have been able to spend loads of time thinking about where to go from here and haven't just rushed headlong into it...... therefore avoided making any major errors

Well that's enough about mine, what about your Winchester. Did you purchase her as an 'up and running' model, or have you had to complete much restoration yourself. What colour is she, what is she like inside, how big is she. So many question, so little info..... Lantern roofs great aren't they, bring a smile to my face every time I see one.

Anyway, more pics to follow, hopefully now that I have conquered Photobucket it should be easier. How about some pictures of your Winchester, would really appreciate seeing it. Also I noticed that you have another four vans.... what are they, and any chance of pictures of them also would be good.

Cornish Lass

[Barry Lord]

Hello!

My Winchester caravan was purchased intact and ready to go - off eBay, believe it or not. I just happened to type in "Winchester caravan", and there it was. There then followed few days of fairly tense computer-watching, not least the final evening of bidding, when I was convinced somebody else would beat me to it as far as bidding was concerned!

The caravan is lovely, with the majority of its original features intact. It was restored a few years ago, having been neglected for some time, and is a very useable caravan - for showing as well as for ordinary holidays. Its appearance on ordinary caravan sites always causes heads to turn. It was built in 1935 to the specific design of its owner, a one Mr. Dolman who wrote for one of the caravan magazines. The caravan came complete with a photcopy of an article he wrote about it in 1938.

I also have a 1958 Freeman Leveret - very unusual in terms of exterior shape, the shell being moulded entirely of fibre glass. The interior is pretty much in its original condition - has a beautiful fireplace (mantle piece and mirror above!) with original gas fire which still works. It still has its gas lights which are in full working order and which are still used. It's brilliant caravan for holidays, not least because it tows a little more easily than the Winchester.

Until recently, I also had a 1948 Berkeley Baronet, which originally belonged to the ventriloquist, Albert Saveen and his dummy, Daisy May. I bought this caravan, having seen it for sale in a lay-by in the village of Welshhampton, near Ellesmere in Shropshire. Again it was a very useable caravan, one of its features being the full-width opening panel in the rear wall - great in hot weather. I've sold that caravan, however, as it wasn't getting used very much.

I also have two Royales from the early 1970's, both of which are used for holidays, to include island-hopping in Scotland.

I'll try and get more precise address details of the 1930's Cheltenham caravan near Telford, although I'm not sure if the lady who owns it would part with it - a friend and I enquired a couple of years ago. It's pity really, as it's steadily decaying. I moved to Shropshire from Lancashire about ten years ago, and it appeared to be in quite good condition then. Its owner told me that she was having a branch removed from the tree underneath which it stands a few years ago, the branch falling on the lantern roof just as it became detached from the tree, casuing the middle part of the lantern roof to sag somewhat.

I also know of a thirties caravan abandoned in a field near the River Severn on the way to Bridgnorth. It's quite far gone and you can't really see it properly until this time of the year once all the brambles and nettles surrounding it have died down. It's quite small - probably only ten - eleven foot - but there's enough left of its interior to suggest it was a cosy, well-fitted van.

Barry.

[cornish_lass]

Hi Barry

Sorry to take so long to get back... been busy with Christmas and all that it entails.... bah humbug

It certainly sounds as if you are pretty experienced at being a classic van owner and would love to see some pics. It seems a real shame about the two vans you told about. I really can't understand why people just let things go to rot (literally) because they can't let go. If you could come up with any useful addresses for me that would be great, but if not, hey, just have to try another avenue

You were really lucky with the Winchester. The only time I ever saw one advertised it was held together with gaffa tape, starting bid at £1.00 (also ended with no bids). Problem for me was that it was just toooo far for me to attempt to get back home for a sensible price.... another avenue of pleasure denied

Hope you have a lovely Christmas and a good 2007. Happy Vanning.

Cornish Lass

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I may be having a completely dumb moment but can you tell me what the two things are that are parked up infront of the caravan in the first photo on this thread, the things with the large wheels?

Cheers

Dave

[alfanut]

I think it's back to the old lawn mower site :
http://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/moms/mom14-as.htm