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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:43:24 GMT 10
General information about York caravans:
York caravans were made by Millard Caravans, and were believed to be a budget version of the more expensive Millard brand. It is not clear exactly how the York differed from the Millard to make it cheaper, because comparisons of the two models show many features/fixtures/fittings to be the same.
York caravans first appeared in the Sydney NSW market in March 1969. Advertisements trumpeted, "NEW! First Showing! New YORK Caravan..."
Three weeks later the same dealer was advertising: "OUTRIGHT WINNER IN '69. ACCLAIMED BY THE EXPERTS AS THE CARAVAN OF THE YEAR. THE NEW "YORK"..." (...Quite an achievement for a caravan that had been on the market for only 3 weeks...!  ) The models ranged from 13ft, 15ft, 17ft, 19ft and 22ft.
The York brand name carried through until the later 1970s. The original York nameplate logo consisted of the letters YORK in black on a white background with black border. In the year ?? the logo changed to just black YORK letters affixed to the cladding.
There doesn't seem to be as many York caravans on the market these days, compared with the number of Millards. Perhaps people shied away from the cheaper budget version (for status reasons?), or perhaps because they were a cheaper version they haven't lasted as well as the Millard vans.
To find out what become of Millard Caravans(manufactures of York Caravans) please read the Millard history HERE |
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:45:38 GMT 10
1970 York caravans:In June 1969, a road test was conducted with the 13ft York "Special", not long after the brand had been introduced to the market...  [ Text: "Last weekend I tested the smallest of the York caravan range - the 13ft by 7ft Special. It towed beautifully at all speeds up to 50 miles an hour. The towing vehicle I used was a Ford Cortina G.T. with a four speed manual gearbox. Even on steep hills it had plenty of power. I thought the use of a towing aid would be useful on the sharp corners on the road to Wiseman's Ferry, where I spent the weekend. The tow-aid kept the combination level by transferring some of the weight from the tow-bar towards the front wheels of the car. Towing conditions increased the fuel consumption from 27 miles per gallon to 23 m.p.g. I found the 13-footer could easily be unhitched and manoeuvred by myself. Manufactured at Smithfield by York Caravans Pty Ltd, the 13ft York Special is sold and serviced by Suttons Motors at Concord. It is built on a welded steel chassis and oregon framework. The exterior is covered in white acrylic aluminium which looked to be very durable and maintenance-free. The interior is lined with laminated veneer which does not need painting and is easily cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth or sponge. Flooring consists of marine 5-ply, covered with vinyl floor tiles. The roof is in one section, and this eliminates any chance of water leaking in. Sleeping accommodation is for four adults in a "night and day" at the back of the van and the dinette at the front converts into a double bed. Bedding and cushions are vinyl-covered foam rubber. Interior space was excellent in the van and gave me the impression I was in a much larger van. The width is 7ft with well over 6ft in headroom. Lighting was good, with plenty of glass area, and all windows had curtains, holland blinds and flyscreens. Night lighting came from two large dome lights powered by either 240v or 12v. Ventilation was excellent with a large two-way hatch in the roof. Sleeping in the van was quite comfortable, even with cold conditions outside. Interior fittings include a three cubic ft gas/electric refrigerator, 2-burner stove with griller, stainless steel sink and a large amount of wardrobe and overhead storage space. Water is drawn from a 12-gallon nylon tank mounted under the floor. Wheels are 13in mounted on a single axle and brakes are the mechanical override type. Priced at $1585 on the road, the York was made available by Suttons Motors Concord. The Cortina G.T., priced at $2595, was by courtesy of Ford Australia Pty Limited. The Tow-aid is available at Suttons at a cost of $24."] The photo above shows what the original York vans looked like. There are no photos available showing any 1970 models, so the assumption is that the original models carried through 1970. ----------------------------------------- Perhaps this advertisement from July 1970 gives some clues to the differences between the Millards and the Yorks...  The oregon frame would be cheaper than the aluminium frame. This advertisement from September 1970 implies that both the Millard and York caravans have the same features, so the frame may have been the major difference... 
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:46:04 GMT 10
1971 York caravans:Again, there are no photos to show what the York caravans looked like in the first half of 1971. In May 1971, this advertisement gives the impression that both the brands looked identical from the outside...  However, note the louvre windows on the caravan in the picture, versus the single pane windows in the 1970 advertisement in the reply above. It would appear the window design has changed some time between September 1970 and May 1971. The new windout windows are highlighted in this July 1971 advertisement...  But wait!!...Just to confuse you, this York advertisement from August 1971 shows the single pane windows. And the top of the advertisement shows what the York brand logo looked like in the early years... 
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:46:37 GMT 10
1972 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:47:07 GMT 10
1973 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:47:32 GMT 10
1974 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:48:04 GMT 10
1975 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:48:38 GMT 10
1976 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:49:06 GMT 10
1977 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:49:36 GMT 10
1978 York caravans:
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Post by millard1399 on Mar 2, 2009 6:50:15 GMT 10
1979 York caravans:
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Post by Visco on Aug 18, 2009 9:13:03 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2015 11:47:51 GMT 10
Hi Millard 1399, John here, I wonder if you could come up with a year for a 11ft York, with s/n Y8228. It has3 piece wind out windows and aluminium frame. Spud
Posted by pisces51
9 Feb 2015 at 4:26pm
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G'day John,
I used to be millard1399 in a previous life on this forum, but have changed my username a couple of times since (to keep the police off my tail  ).
The difficulty with dating York caravans, as is the case with Millard vans, is trying to work out how many they built each year. A rough guess is that your chassis number would be from around 1975. If you click on this link it will take you to the search result for all the York threads on the forum - York threads
You can have a read of those threads and see if it helps you to narrow down the date of your van.
cheers,
Al.
Posted by spud
12 Feb 2015 at 9:46am
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Thanks for your help. It would appear, by the chassis number, the triple windows, the oval York logo, and the ali. frame, I'm looking at 1975 vintage. Thanks heaps. John.
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Post by Lou on Feb 1, 2016 14:29:03 GMT 10
Hi Al, I have this same van and mine is a 1977 according to my paperwork. I am planning a reno on her soon.
From Lou
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) The models ranged from 13ft, 15ft, 17ft, 19ft and 22ft.
).