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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2012 10:21:15 GMT 10
hi guys
new member but long time reader I purchased an old franklin 16ft a couple of years a go and this site was really helpful during its fix up now i find myself the proud owner of a 1979 viscount supreme deluxe ( thats what the sticker on the side says ) this is to house my brother in for about a year - my franklin van just wasnt big enough..
The viscount had been sitting unused in a caravan park for many years so was pretty filthy and full of spiders anyway my brother arrives in 3 weeks so today the fun begins. ill get some pics up today . Was very impressed to find the original owners handbook in one of the cupbords with a polaroid of when it was new. Not doing major reno, just fixing up lots broken latches ect one leak needs fixing im sure i will find more as time goes on so any advise would be great . thanks
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Post by viscount6116 on Jul 24, 2012 12:43:10 GMT 10
Gday lerjo6 and welcome to the forum from me I for one look forward to seeing the pics of your van as I have a similiar van of the same vintage to you .If you get time maybe you could scan copies of the original handbook and the original poloroid pic into the forum as well ( you will find that people here love piccys) Cheers Andy  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2012 15:56:34 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2012 18:18:15 GMT 10
Hello lerjo6, and welcome to the forum. Great looking van - I, too, have a Supreme (21') of the same age as yours, however mine is the older shape - and in much poorer condition than yours. I purchased mine to live in a few months ago, and have been living within my rebuild since then - a very slow process, but also very rewarding. There are a lot of great people on this site with solutions to almost every problem you could ever encounter with a Viscount.  Chris |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2012 23:27:06 GMT 10
well arent these evil little things,    did my research understand these are not available any more. my van was in the riverland for quite a while and everything is enveloped in this crappy red sandy dirt/dust including these. three are broken the rest are stuck fast so i took them all off soaked them in warm soapy water worked on each one till working then dried and lubed - all working but now think will only keep them for the hanging doors that will swing open and just put knobs for all the draws, will leave me bout 5 spares . a few of the draws have already been replaced with the millard 3 screw equivilant . want it all to look neat so any opinions??? |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2012 20:29:13 GMT 10
Hello lerjo6,
Due to many broken catches, and the fact that my van is primarily on-site, I have removed all Viscount catches, replacing them with 'strong' magnetic catches - the magnets are strong enough to hold doors as long as there is nothing in the cupboards that can impact them while travelling.
The drawers are a combination of self-closing runners and magnetic catches. My personal opinion would be to continue with the Millard catches on the drawers as some have already been done - If you decide to change all drawer catches, you will most probably end up with more holes and more work to get the new type of catch to fit ----- one of many dilemmas faced when working on a classic caravan.
Good luck with your endeavours.
Chris
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Post by viscount6116 on Jul 26, 2012 17:14:50 GMT 10
Gday Lerjo6 Great looking van (your brother should be very comfortable in there)your van looks to be similar size to mine and has everything that mine has(no roughing it ;D)  One thing about the shower "is that a power point in there ?,could be a shocking experience if it is! ;D ;D" Your chassis number has got me confused as well S86779 should be S for supreme, 8 for 1978 with the rest being the frame build number however the side sticker displays 1979....oh well adds a bit of mystic I suppose ;D You say that you picked up the van from the riverland (is that the Riverland in SA)if so I know what you mean about that dust cause I lived in Waikerie for about 20 years(great spot but very dry and dusty) Have to agree with Chris about keeping similar catches in one area(that way it doesnt look odd)Also you probably will need catches on the drawers on the drivers side of the van as the camber on the road will make the drawers slide out by themselves if its a rough road. If you want an easy fix for your 4 seasons hatch leak try Flashtac around the base on the outside and use two runs to bring it up the side on to the plastic piece ,just make sure that you clean all loose silicon ,dirt,mould etc and powdery paint etc off first. once its there its permanent and the longer its there the more permanant it is. I have used this product for many years and it works well and is fully paintable (can get it at Bunnings) Just dont use it in areas that you can see(ie top of roof only) Otherwise there are plenty of good posts on the forum if you want to go the whole hog and pull the whole thing apart and rebuild it!(Up to you and your brother i suppose  )   Cheers Andy |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2012 23:09:28 GMT 10
thanks Andy
i was up on the roof today to check it out it has been sealed with some sort of paint on sealant that is barely hanging on not sure how to get it all off , and yes riverland SA the van came from wakerie caravan park. in the shower is the light and pump switches my brother wont be using the shower Ive been trying to think of a use for that space. any suggestions anyone.
jodes
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Post by viscount6116 on Jul 28, 2012 11:25:14 GMT 10
Hi Jodes I suppose old attempts at sealing these old caravans is the bain of classic caravan owners.Whether it be silkaflex,silastic ,flashtac or paint on sealants its generally all the same 'if its leaking its got to be fixed." Previous attempts have to be taken back to something thats basically a solid base to work from in order to reseal whichever way you go. On caravan roofs they generally leak at the 4 seasons hatches, the roof seams where the sheeting meets and under the J molds on the edge of the roof as well as the screws that hold the J molds on.These are the areas where water can come in and so concentrate on these spots. On the walls the water will most generally enter via the window frames but can enter via pop rivets etc so check for loose rivets holding the wall cladding on(use aluminum rivets not steel ones) If your only keeping the van as a bedroom concentrate on the places that you know leak without disturbing what doesn't(you can always fix what doesn't at another time if it starts to leak) If you are going to keep and use the van for touring in the future personally I'd do a good job of it because your van looks to be in pretty good nick Plenty of good posts to help you guys out here ! Cheers Andy |
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Post by Rick on Sept 1, 2013 21:22:40 GMT 10
It would be great if you could possibly scan that handbook and post it here, I have the exact same model but have never seen it anywhere else.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2013 21:49:48 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2013 22:33:57 GMT 10
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Post by supreme78 on Sept 3, 2013 23:26:01 GMT 10
The viscount catches are available on eBay at $12 each or you can buy franklin ones off caravans plus that are very similar and are a lot cheaper. I bought some from eBay and the quality is good with thicker base around the screw holes.
I have a 1978 supreme 16.5 ft with shower and its like half your van haha.
Good luck with the Reno.
I have posted pics in hall of fame under supreme with options
Regards
Paul
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