1978 Millard Sunrader 15ft M55130

[youngones]

Hi Everyone!

My husband James(28) and I(25) just bought our first ever caravan and we think its awesome! We saw it on the side of the road for $1000, both looked at each other and pulled up...5 min later we had bought our first van(we got it for $850).

It is a Millard Sunrader. I have been reasearching for hours and hours for the past month trying to figure out roughly what age it is. James started wrecking it about 2 weeks ago. It has suffered quite extensive water damage so we figured we would just start from scratch, not to mention the odd looking black and orange bugs that were breeding in there! We finally got the front of the caravan on the weekend and under the sheeting written on the ply was 26/02/72 Millard and what looks like a job number, we previously estimated it was about 1980. It also has 'Boris' written under all the info, does that mean anything special?

We would like to fit it out identical to how it looked when we purchased it. Taken loads of photos to help jog our memory ONe thing we are very puzzled about is the fact that it has sliding windows...all the other older vans we looked at never had sliding windows. Is anyone able to tell me if this was possibly altered by someone at a later date or the original thing.

We would be ever so grateful for any suggestions, comments advice etc you may have to offer as we are very new to this exciting world of caravans. James is panel beater by trade and is quite confident with repairing and rebuilding things like this. We are just not sure where to start.

We did start yesterday by buying a second hand fridge off ebay and picked it up this morning...I hope it works ok!

We are hoping to have it all safe and sound by next march/april to head to Melbourne with our 2 little kids.

I'm hanging out to spend my first night in our new home away from home!

[millard1399]

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

I read your post over on the Vintage forum, and am very pleased to see you found your way here. ;D ;D

Every so often we strike a little gem of information, and you finding that date written on the ply is one of those gems.

Now you need to do one more thing for us. On the front drawbar, just next to the jockey wheel, there will be some numbers either welded or stamped on an aluminium plate (most likely welded). They will start with an 'M' followed by 5 numbers. This is the chassis number of your van. Can you tell us what that chassis number is please?

There's something a bit unusual about having sliding windows on your van. Millards from the 1972 time period usually had the triple louvre windows, as per this example from an advertisement in June 1972...




It will be interesting to see some photos of your van. If you'd like to post photos onto the forum, have a read of this thread, which will explain how to do it: POSTING PHOTOS

As well as some general pictures of your van, I'd also like to see a photo of the sticker that says it's a Sunrader. I haven't heard that model name mentioned before, so it will be interesting to see what one looks like.

cheers,
Al.

[youngones]

Al,

I know the plate number off by heart! Been searching for info on it for a month! Its M55130. Will def get some photos up! Glad to help...this is all very exciting for me!!

Mel

[millard1399]

Ar gees, Mel, I was hoping you wouldn't say M55130.

Now we have a dilemma! A chassis number of M55130 puts your van up around the 1976 mark, or thereabouts. So, how do we reconcile that with a date of 26/02/72 written on the ply?? Hopefully in your collection of photos you post, you might also include one showing where the date is scribbled on the ply.

The plot thickens...

cheers,
Al.

[millard1399]

Guess what, Mel?! I searched through my computer and found this advert from April 1978...



We'd previously believed a Millard chassis number of M49000 was from around 1976, so maybe your number of M55130 does in fact belong to the 1978 time period, or thereabouts. Still doesn't explain how a date of 1972 got on the ply, though.

If your van is indeed later than the start of 1977, it will have a galvanised chassis; stabilising jacks at the front and rear; electric brakes if 16ft and over; and a fire extinguisher (or at least it would have had one when it was new).

How does this match up with your van??

cheers,
Al.

[youngones]

The plot does thicken....We did think something didnt quite fit right...*sigh* I will try my best to get the pics up today! I had gf of mind who works at Dept Transport check the number for me but it came up with nothing, which was odd as well I thought!
Thanks Al... oh the other thing is the front of the van where there is meant to b e a window, there isn't The panel is there for the window but I t hink its been welded down as there is bunks up that end of the van, James begs to differ.

Mel

[philouise]

G'day youngones.

And my welcome to the forum too.

You have picked the best way to take the kids holidaying.

I have a 1978 Millard with M53664 .

It is odd to see the dated ply and the slide windows on yours.

All the best with fitting her out & finding out about her.

Phil.

[youngones]

Hey Everyone,

Having dramas with Photo Bucket, think it might be our computer its a server error. I will keep trying, in the mean time if you would like I could e-mail you the photos.

Cheers
Mel

[youngones]

I hope i've done this right... Please let me know if I haven't!!


s767.photobucket.com/albums/xx314/MillardM55130/Our%20Van/

[jacko14]

Just looked at your pictures. Enjoy your re-build, it makes you appreciate these classic vans. They are much better than modern plastic vans and will probably outlast them. looking forward to more photos.

Cheers
Bob

[youngones]

thanks bob we need all the encouragement we can get, when i get some more done i will take some more photos.


cheers james

[youngones]

Al,

Our van has no stabailisers, or gal draw bar, it has had elec brakes at some stage, can't seem to see a bracket for fire extinguisher. My only thoughts is that maybe the windows were a speical order/trial and maybe the van was built by an employee on the side and took some years to complete, thus later chassis date.....

cheers James

[millard1399]

G'day James and Mel,

I'm inclined to think you've got what we think you've got. ('scuse the double dutch ). I think you do in fact have a 1978 Millard, irrespective of the date scribbled on the ply. If we go by the advertisement I posted above, the Sunrader was a budget priced van, which means it would have been the cheapest they could make (and I'm not devaluing your van, by any means ).

I'm guessing Millard dropped the galvanised chassis for this model (too expensive) and also the front stabilisers. The sliding windows would have been cheaper than the double hung windows that other Millards got at that time. The door facings on the kitchen drawer and cupboard are plain flat-faced, rather than the more expensive routered designs on the other Millards. The hatch is the four-seasons hatch, rather than the fibreglass hatch used in the latter years.

So, it looks like the Sales and Marketing team in Millard sat down and worked out how to make the cheapest possible van for those in the market that wanted it.

The Sunrader/Millard sticker is similar but different to the normal Millard sticker used in the 1976-and-later period. By that I mean it contains the setting sun and orange/red colours.

I've never seen another Sunrader to know if they also have sliding windows, etc, so at least you are the first to show us what they look like. ;D What is the length of the cabin? Is yours the 15ft model??

The covered front is not unusual. When double bunks were put at the front of vans, they usually missed out on getting windows there. Some manufacturers would put a wide double hopper window in, but again as yours is a budget model, leaving the window out would have been a "no-brainer" cost saving.

Looks like you've been very busy on the van already! ;D ;D

-------------------------------------------------
Just a little bit of "insider information"...the Vintage forum that you've also been posting on, is for vans manufactured before 1970. Once they realise you've got a 1978 Millard, they'll show very little interest in your van. Better you should stick with us on this Classic forum, and hang out with this great bunch of people. ;D ;D

In the next 24 hours, I'm going to change the original heading of this thread, to read: 1978 Millard Sunrader M55130 , and then I'll transfer the whole thread over to the "Hall Of Fame" section. As you work your way through the restoration, you can just keep adding information and photos to the same thread. Keeps everything together nicely.



Wonder who Boris was??

cheers,
Al.

[youngones]

Thanks Al,

Trust us to get the 'tight arse' model!
James must have smelt it a mile away:)

Yes I'll leave all the technical stuff to you!, I'll also stop harrassing the people on Vintage

As for Boris, he has a lot of explaining to do!

Cheers
Mel

Oh and did I mention how expensive the ply for the van is!?!?! I need to go work at Bunnings for a while!!

[philouise]

G'day youngones.

Might this van have already been renovated or altered using 2nd hand ply and sliding windows and the front window replaced with an aluminium sheet ?

Anyway - good job your doing - all the best.

Phil.

[youngones]

Hi phil,

Well i guess anything is possible when it comes to our van and what makes it all the more exciting for us is the mystery of it all. If only these old vans could talk.

cheers James

[youngones]

Hi Al,

When i measured the cabin it was approx 15ft, on the ply & other materials in the van such as the other sheeting and the alloy frame it had the number ME158-2 now guessing this number being a job/order number???

Thanks for the info & your time.

Cheers James

[millard1399]

G'day James,

ME158-2 is the model number and internal layout number.

M is Millard

E is ??

158 is 15ft x 8ft

-2 is the internal layout arrangement (but I don't know exactly what each layout number relates to.)

Look at the Model column in the following advertisement from October 1978. You'll see how the different size vans were designated, along with the layout number. 137 = 13ft x 7ft, etc...




I never seen another brand who chopped and changed the outward appearance of their vans as much as Millard did. You can have more combinations of window appearances than you can poke a stick at.

Here are a couple of examples showing how windows differed, depending on the model number...





...and here is Millard chassis number M52117 (only three thousand before yours - about a year's production). Do you think that looks like a big sliding window on the side of the van? I do.
Does it look like it was there originally? It does to me...




Boris...where ARE you??!!

cheers,
Al.

[millard1399]

G'day Mel and James,

There is a Millard van currently listed on ebay, and it looks very similar to your van...



Note the Millard sticker is typical of the stickers used at that time, and doesn't include the "Sunrader" name. The front (window) section is blanked off, where there are double bunks inside...




I've asked the seller for the chassis number of this van, so we can see how close it is to yours. However, it does look like Millard were making vans with sliding windows towards the end of the Millard era.

Very interesting!!

cheers,
Al.

[youngones]

Hi Al,

Yep it looks the same alright. Well i think it's safe to say that the windows in my van are original now. It will be very intresting to see what chassis number you come back with is. The only difference seems to be is that my van has a rear bumper/spare wheel bar. Something that I have noticed since we got the Millard is, every where i seem to go now Im looking for old vans in peoples back yards and it amazes me how many people have an old van for storage or a room for the kids to play in.

I didn't get anything done on the van this week due to my family coming down with the flue, I got a chance though Al to have a look through your thread about your resto on your pop top. Mate great job!

Cheers James

[Deleted]

Hi young ones and every other Classic van lover,

I am also new to this forum having just purchased a very similar van. I am just about to start a resto thread myself so it will be good to have somebody to compare to. My van is the exact same layout as yours but has the two front double louvre windows that are off set to the drivers side sue to the front wardrobe. I can't find a chassis number on mine so I don't know what year it is. Mine has an aluminium frame but doesn't have a gal chasis. The ceiling is framed in timber which has rotted out. Does yours have a timber frames ceiling? It seems strange to use timber when the rest of the frame is alloy.

[youngones]

Hi Vanjun,

Yes our van has a timber framed roof that is rotted out too, all i can say is lucky it does have a alumimium frame, because before buying this van I knew notihing at all about carvans the quickest lesson i learnt is that there is no such thing as slight water damage when it comes to a 1978 ish millard van.

If you can't find youre chassis number look for a gas compliance plate ours had been painted over and hard to see it had our chassis number on there too. Does the van still have rego plates on it??? If it does you could maybe get some details off youre mainroads department.

Can't wait to see some photos.

Cheers James & Mel

[Deleted]

James & Mel,
My thread is up and there are photo's. Thanks for the tip about the gas plate but I just checked. The plated is riveted to the front of the van but doesn't give a chassis number but states that it was tested on 14/4/84. I'm in the Newcastle area, what area are you from?

Paul

[kylarama]

Welcome guy's,

As I said in vanjun's thread. Another Millard!

This should help the creative juices with all the Millards on the forum now.

Good luck.

[youngones]

Hi Paul,

Bummer about no number on the gas tag. Yeah I checked out your thread and looks like we are in the same boat.

We are about 20k's east of Toowoomba and folk in my area usally only use carvans for storage or as an extra bed room for there house.

Cheers James