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Bush Tucker Man
8th Mar 2004, 00:45
Our first caravan was what is euphamistically called a 'classic'.

It was a 1978 Safari 15/4, that's a name to conjure with, it's an ideal name for one to tow behind a 109 Station Wagon/'Safari'
Or even an appropriately aged Range Rover, as it was (I understand) quite a high-spec & pricey caravan its its day.

We'd been considering buying a caravan, to save paying constantly increasing B&B, or hotel, fees.

Ours came our way from a friend who'd been offered a derisory px at a dealer against the Lunar Delta he bought.

We were offered it, with a 6month old awning for £140.00.
Needless to say we said yes.

It was almost unnoticeable behind the 90CSW, but the Volvo 740 estate struggled a bit.

After a while it suffered some damage, the bro-in-law asked to borrow it to sleep in at Tong for the JEEP-Fest.
This was at the height of F&M outbreak. Dave (the landowner) had built a disinfectant bath out of concrete.
As I drove through I could hear a scraping.
On pitching up I looked & the whole back panel had split vertically for almost 2foot!

Not too chuffed about that.
And to top it all off, bro-in-law sodded off into the woods leaving me to put the awning up, get water & sort it all out.
He almost slept on the ground as I almost took it back home.


Still it lasted a good while longer & is now (to be) used as a lap-counters van for a motor-cross club.
It's replacement was a 1989 Swift Challenger 520/5TA. That caused us some grief on a couple of occasions as well.

(photos of all 3 caravans on my 'WebShots')

Janine
8th Mar 2004, 09:34
That caravan looks perfect on the back of that landrover.:yay: We had a Safari many years ago.A lot less modern than the one in the piccy.

Bush Tucker Man
9th Mar 2004, 10:00
Janine, it'd look a lot better behind a Series 3 or a Range Rover of the same vintage.

Safaris are big heavy vans, as they're a coach-built construction.
It weighed more than it's replacement - a 1989 Swift Challenger 520/5TA (a twin-axle)
That was a nice van, but starting to go a bit rotten by last summer (so was replaced with the Crusader)

si_guru
9th Mar 2004, 10:06
Found this on the WEB.

si_guru
9th Mar 2004, 10:11
Australia I believe...

Must be a fake - look at the speed!!

si_guru
9th Mar 2004, 10:12
UK, but I'd say the caravan is older than the Series 1.

Janine
10th Mar 2004, 12:10
S1guru,I reckon both of the pikeys are older than the s1s that are pulling them.The second photo looks like a 30s model,if not earlier.:p

My Lunar is a 1994,so,sits well behind a 95 Disco.........:yay:

Bush Tucker Man
10th Mar 2004, 15:08
Janine, the first picture Steve posted is a 1935 Walford, they were built in Bristol.

The second image looks like an Airstream caravan,aso presumably an American photo (or maybe Australian)

The third(colour)picture looks very much like a 'Showmans Living Van & could feasibly date from the '30's right up to the early '60's.

DEANO3528
11th Mar 2004, 00:23
Some real oldies there then.
My mate almost bought a Safari a few years back, but it was falling apart.
I first pulled my parents '68 Europa Bluebird 10' followed by my own Eldiss Whirlwind(?) 14'
Now I have the very plush '81 Avondale Osprey Super. Talk about heavy! Lovely 'van though with a great layout and even a drinks cabinet. Would love to be able to afford a modern twin axle, fixed bedroom model.

Bush Tucker Man
11th Mar 2004, 16:37
Originally posted by DEANO3528
Some real oldies there then.
My mate almost bought a Safari a few years back, but it was falling apart.

Would love to be able to afford a modern twin axle, fixed bedroom model.

Our first was a Safari, as you can see. Very plush for its age, even 'Safari' etched wine glasses in the cocktail cabinet.


Unless there's just 2 of you a fixed bed is possibly unworkable, as it reduces the 'lounging space' available.
I know there's the huge storage space under them, but it's aft of the axle.

shanno_2k
11th Mar 2004, 17:00
BT is there somethin ur not tellin us ur knowledge of pikeys is amazing


ps... whats this saturdays lottery no's

lol Geoff

Bush Tucker Man
11th Mar 2004, 17:06
Wouldn't know, I've never bought a ticket yet

Bush Tucker Man
29th Apr 2004, 23:58
Regarding the picture that 'Si Guru' (Steve) attached earlier in this topic (see below)
This selfsame van is in the June edition of 'Practical Caravan'.
It was apparantly featured on BBC's 'Antiques Roadshow' recently

It's a 1933 (though it could be as old as 1929) Eccles Showmans Living van.
Internal fixtures were made from solid Mahogany
Costing £600 back then, which (so it says) is around £35,000 today.
The owner has already turned down an offer of £12,000 for it.

Michelle
30th Apr 2004, 14:37
I always wanted one of those little cutie vans to put behind my crown; they basically almost just a bed on wheels (would fit in 6X4, or perhaps 7X5ft trailer base) and the cooking area folds out from the back.

pjkr
4th May 2004, 22:24
How about this combination then, Georges first outing with the van...






Caravan is a 1968 Cheltenham Waterbuck, George a 1961 Series 2.

Bush Tucker Man
4th May 2004, 22:48
Nice!, a darn more manageable than our 'combination'