1974 Viscount Valiant V47779

[Deleted]

I have recently purchased a 1979 Viscount Valiant caravan. I love it! But what I need is some info about whether this model should have springs in the underside. At present it just has a single axle attached to the chassis. I figure this would make it ride pretty hard. Not sure if this is how it came out of the factory or if this is a modification it has endured along the way. I also intend to repaint it externally, plus internally as well. What I would love is some new stickers but I understand these are hard to come by. The chassis number by the way is V47779. I'm guessing that the V is maybe representative of the Valiant brand and the end of the number being 79 is representative of the year model. Any info on this model would be appreciated as I'm new to this vintage caravan ownership.

Thanks
Alison

[Deleted]

Hi Alison,
first of all you need to make sure that it is not a rubber tube suspension.Viscount used this type a lot over the years and has often been mistaken for no suspension at all!
The way to tell is that there are 2 bits hanging off the axle tube at each end that move up and down.
Cheers
hughdeani

[ForumMod]

G'day Alison, and welcome to the forum! ;D

Firstly, you'll notice I've changed the heading of the thread to reflect the correct year for your van.

I think 1974 might have been the last year that the Valiant model was built. I've not yet seen a Valiant from 1975 or later, so my hunch could well be true.

Your chassis number decodes as follows:

V = Valiant
4 = 1974
7779 = the 7,779th chassis built by Viscount in 1974, which would be towards the end of that year. Note that this doesn't mean there were 7,779 Valiants built. Rather, it means there had been 7,779 Viscount chassis built, of which some were Valiants. (make sense?)

If you want to understand more about hughdeani's information about the "independent rubber suspension" system used on some caravans, have a look at the Alko website

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Hughdeani,

Thanks for that, I will endeavour to check it out.

Al,

Thank you for the info, it is really helpful. I tried to upload some photos, but the file size is too large. I will get my son to help me shrink them down. If it is to ne a 1974 model how is that rego papers state '79, could it be that it was built in 1974 but first registered in 1979?

Cheers,
Alison

[ForumMod]

G'day Alison,

could it be that it was built in 1974 but first registered in 1979

It's possible but I very much doubt it. Usually what happens is that a van would be registered at the time it was bought, and then that rego might have been allowed to lapse for a number of years. Too many years pass before the new rego is applied for, and nobody can remember exactly what year the van was built in, so they take a stab at it. You'll often see 1970s vans listed on ebay/Gumtree/etc as a 1980s van because the only thing people can find on the van with a date on it is the gas compliance plate pop-rivetted to the van at the front. This was because the gas regulations changed in the early 1980s and people were required to get the plate fitted. In fact, the plate really has no bearing on when the van was built.

Same with your van, there might be a gas compliance plate with a 1979 date stamped on it. That might have been the only indication of a date that people could find. Orrrr...somebody just believed the original owners who said they bought it new in 1979, but who are suffering from memory loss.

There could be any number of reasons why that year appears on the rego label.

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Hi Al,

Thanks again, I guess what you say could well be true. The chassis number doesn''t lie. You are also right in that there is a gas compliance plate on the front of the van dated 28-6-88. I am also guessing that given the signifance of chassis nos. with the Viscount brand that maybe someone used the last two numbers as in, 79 to guess the year of manufacture, just my hunch.

I am yet to resolve the question of suspension, and have some photos to post, as soon as I work out how, and hopefully some knowledgeable caravaner will help solve that issue as well.

Regards

Alison.

[Deleted]

Hi Alison- I am newly joined and have recently bought a 69 Valiant Viscount, which was sold to me as a 79 van. Theres a photo of it under ''photo of the caboodle' under members photos. I feel like ive got the best of old and new, the nice shape without the wood issues; I have lots of work ahead, not registered at this stage. Cheers, Fionna