Sportline caravan

[iragless]

Hi All

What a great forum. Hope to use it a lot in my efforts to get out and about in this van I inherited from my Grandfather.

It hasn't been used for many years but has been kept under cover and is in pretty good condition.

Anyone have any ideas about what this might be. Rego has it listed as ZZunlisted and 1972, also no stickers, markings or compliance plates I can find.





Any suggestions on what I should tackle first in the 'renovation'? Wheel bearings and brakes are probably high on the list as is checking electrical and plumbing.

Appreciate any assistance
Ian

[millard1399]

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

Forum member hughdeani might have an idea what brand of van you have. It looks a bit like the Harris vans from the 1960s, but I've got no idea whether Harris was still making them into the '70s.

You are on the right track with your list of things to check. All the running gear; tyres; lights; etc.

Biggest killer of vans is water leaks, so check all around closely for any signs of water getting in.

Don't forget the safety side of things before you venture out in it. Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire blankets, etc.

Electrical safety switches are a worthwhile addition if your budget stretches that far.

Looks like your van has been well looked after, so probably not a great deal of work required to get it ship-shape.

cheers,
Al.

[iragless]

Thanks Al

We had a deluge here in SA last night. Had a quick look today and there are no apparent leaks. Will give it a more detailed look when I have got some time and will organise a cover soon.

Great advice on the fire safety equipment, I hadn't thought about a smoke alarm. Also the safety switch is a great idea.

I think it should be fairly quick to get it road worthy and a couple of local trips to try everything out before we travel further afield.

Hopefully hughdeani or another member might be able to shed some light on its origins. Here are a couple of interior shots that might help someone.





Ian

[Deleted]

Lovely looking van,but I think its a bit older than 1972,possibly 1970,but I could be wrong!
And yes Al it looks like a Harris van.
Cheers
hughdeani

[iragless]

Cheers Hughdeani.

The only information I have to go by is the date on the old rego papers which I'm sure could be wrong.

Looking at some of the pictures I could find of harris vans it does have some resemblance to them. I had a pretty good look through it to find any kind of brand or model without any luck. Perhaps something might turn up when I start getting stuck into getting it roadworthy.

Appreciate your assistance.
Ian

[Deleted]

Its a Sportline!!!Must be one of the last ones built.Had one beside me in SA at Christmas and looking at my photos realised where I had seen one before!
Cheers
hughdeani

[iragless]

Wow, thanks hughdeani

I had someone else mention that they thought it might be a Sportline too so hopefully that confirms it.

I read on a post on the vintage caravan site that the SA Caravan Association was looking into the history of SA caravan manufacturers so I might try and get in touch with them and see if they have any further information.

Regards
Ian

[millard1399]

G'day Ian,

You can read a bit about the Sportline history in the Vintage Caravan forum history section. Click on this link.

Now I understand why your van looks a bit like a Harris van. Fred Schrader made Sportline vans, and some Harris vans could possibly be Sportline vans that are rebadged.

For the Harris van info in their history section, click here.

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Hi All

Lost my registration but I'm back 

Would love some advice on repairing the damage from a leak in my 1972 Sportline.  Looks like the old sicaflex had given away under the aluminium rim and the top and leaked down the side eventually rotting the wood.  Primarily the bottom frame that needs to be repaired but I was wanting some advice on the best way to get there.  Straight stuff is ok but no idea how I'd curve the wood to match the shape or whether I'm better off using aluminium.  Any suggestions?  

Also in re-sealing the aluminium rim around the edge (and screw heads) is sicaflex my best option or some kind of silicone.  She'll have a cover on her from now on so won't be excessively exposed to the weather from now on.  

Cheers
Ian

[youngdazza]

Wood obviously doesn't bend, but its pretty easy to cut into the curved shape that you need. I'd personally stick with wood simply because its easy to work with and screw into.

Regarding what sealer to use there are several discussion threads about this already, which I recommend that you review before making your final decision.

Let us know how you go!

Cheers

[ForumMod]

G'day iragless,

I get the impression from your photos that the curved timber is made from strips of approx 7mm thick timber that has been laminated together. Is it possible for you to replicate that process?

The are more ways of replacing the timber than you can poke a stick at. Whether you do laminated strips; or whether you use any of the various methods of block timber; really depends on what materials you can access, and what your skills are like. It doesn't really matter what method you use, as long as it ends up being structurally sound and allows you to nail or screw the cladding back onto it. Anything you do will be better than what you've got at the moment, and since the van hasn't collapsed with it being the way it is, it's not gonna collapse if you make it better.

You can also give yourself a big headache trying to work out what to do about the sealant side of things. Your main aim is to make the van 100% waterproof, so any sealant applied correctly will achieve that. The big decider is whether you think you'll ever have to remove any of the sealed parts again in the future. That's when you wish you'd used a sealant that is easily scraped back off.

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Thanks youngdazza and Al. I think you might be right about the 7mm timber laminated. It's a big curve so cutting it from one piece of wood might be tricky. My best bet might be to try and laminate timber together on a jig of some description. My skills aren't awesome but I'm willing to give it a go and google/youtube is my friend :-)

As far as the sealing goes, I think I'd be better off going with something that can be removed if needed as I'm sure there will be other jobs that require removing the side at some stage. Had a brief look through the forums but need to spend a bit more time understanding the difference between the sealants.

Cheers
Ian

[ForumMod]

Ian it's worth having a read of a thread on the Vintage caravan forum about the restoration of a Harris caravan... click here

You can read the whole thread if you wish (it's quite interesting, and quite a quick restoration, for somebody who had never done one before), but at the very least you should scroll down the first page to Reply #19 and see how he managed to replace the curved timber at the rear.


Another option is to use a process known as "kerfing" (you can Google that word, and you'll see it's used commonly used in making musical instrument cases). Again, if you click on this link, it will take you to another thread on the Vintage forum about bending timber. You can read it all, but the important bit is the link in Reply #6 to the Pink Poodle bondwood caravan.

At least these will give you various options to explore.

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Thanks Al.

Some great information there. I think I'll do some testing of both methods on scrap timber before deciding on the final method.

Anyone know of a good outlet south of adelaide to buy timber other than Bunning$$?

Ian

[Caprinut]

Hi, Peter here ( Caprinut ) I found that by buying a sheet of construction ply -formply is cheap -comes in 16mm and various other thicknesses, cutting it to the curve with a hand jigsaw and glueing it with woodglue to the back of the inner wall using some g-clamps you have a rigid and not too heavy repair that will also brace the corners of the van forever. I cut the ply height to the full height of the van so it re-inforces the entire corner for re-attaching the beading trim screws etc. You can choose any width to maybe reach the window frame and so strengthen the usually flimsy frame tremendously! No need to bother with splines and kerfs and silly staples. That is how houses are braced, and the repair will not show after the cladding is put back on. I did all four corners and feel much more confident of the integrity of my van. Cheers

[Deleted]

Thanks Peter. That's a great idea I hadn't even thought about. In my case it might mean adjusting the existing frame, probably removing parts and replacing with wood that allows for the depth of the ply. This seems like less work than trying to bend the timber and as you say probably stronger.

Cheers