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Post by bambang on Sept 18, 2011 23:32:30 GMT 10
G'day everyone, I've got a mid-70's ACT Cruiser ( almost identical to the one in the first post ) and have been slowly renovating it for several months now. Great little camper...will be taking SWMBO & the kids away for a week now she's finally ready. She's in fantastic nick for a 35+ year-old unit , and very light to tow at 550kg, and came with the original factory annex. Will eventually add some pics after the trip away...if I can work out how to upload !! Cheers - Steve.
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Post by bambang on Oct 2, 2011 14:05:19 GMT 10
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Post by bambang on Oct 2, 2011 14:14:00 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2012 13:44:13 GMT 10
Hi all just got the one pic at the moment. might have to put a new roof on as all the ply in between the skins on the sides is cactus. I found the chassis number it is R78T012523U. It was located on l/h side of the plate where the tow hitch bolts too. It might be helpfull for others. Cheers Darren Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2013 22:46:28 GMT 10
Hi all new to site, stumbled across while doing some research on the ACT Cruiser I have. I have not heard much about these campers and was wandering what value they are going for? I was looking at selling but after a clean up (was sitting in middle of block for 5 years) I am thinking of keeping and spending some value time with the family in it
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Post by ForumMod on Jan 3, 2013 23:03:36 GMT 10
G'day benserena, and welcome to the forum! ;D Unfortunately, you won't find any hard-and-fast info about caravan/camper valuations. It depends on soooo many factors, and prices can vary wildly for no apparent reason. I would recommend you use it to spend value time with the family. As long as the canvas covers don't leak, you'll have a wow of a time (and if they do leak, buy a cheap plastic tarpaulin to use until the rain stops ). cheers, Al.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2013 23:07:29 GMT 10
Al
Thanks for the tip, the more I look at her the more I am swayed to use her. In the process of transferring from SA rego to WA thanks to the new generous laws that allow you to transfer without having an inspection carried out. I like the idea of a tarp and my kids love the fact they can have tea parties in it.
Ben & Serena
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2013 11:47:42 GMT 10
Hello, I have just purchased on old ACT Camper and am looking for a bit of advice. I want to get it serviced to check the bearings and running gear etc so I hopefully avoid any major issues on our maiden trip. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good mechanic? I am in North Melbourne. Secondly, I was thinking of replacing the tyres, they are the small ones (not sure of the exact size). anything I should know, is there a particular brand I should look for? Finally, the camper didn't come with an annexe so if anyone has a lead on something that will I would be very interested to hear it. Thankyou in advance for your help. Andy Attachments:
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Post by ForumMod on Jan 24, 2013 11:09:47 GMT 10
G'day Andy, and welcome to the forum! ;D Sorry for the tardy response, but your post slipped by me somehow... Any decent mechanic will be able to sort out the wheels/bearings side of things. You don't need a caravan/trailer specialist as such. Even your friendly mechanic for your car would be able to help you out. Tyres? For such a lightweight camper, it probably doesn't matter which type of tyre you buy. Light truck tyres are good for the heavier vans, but for a camper you could probably get away with any decent quality tyre. Annexes often get listed on ebay for various size caravans. It's a matter of keeping an eye on the listings and seeing if there's something suitable. You could even get one remodelled at a canvasmakers if it wasn't the right size, providing you got it cheap enough. cheers, Al.
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Post by bambang on Jan 27, 2013 10:42:24 GMT 10
G'day Andy , I have 175/70R13 tyres on mine and all good, but if you can get 165/80R13 would probably be better. The wheels are 13" early Holden stud-pattern ( Torana, HR etc ) and I would advise against getting anything bigger as there is very little vertical clearance for removing the wheel. The longitudinal chassis rail outside the wheel is so close that it prevents getting the wheel off the studs until you have the body jacked-up pretty high away from the axle ( in fact you won't be able to get the wheel off if you just put your jack under the axle....you need to jack under the chassis and let the suspension drop fully ). Your axles should be running standard Holden bearings so easy to come by if necessary. They're a nice light trailer and mine tows very well even up to 100 - 110 km/hr. Have a look at coating underside of the floor for waterproofing purposes - as it seemed pretty porous on mine beforehand, and a little soft in places. Anyways, good luck with it....and enjoy. Cheers - Steve.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 8:02:25 GMT 10
Thanks for the info guys, I just got back from the first trip away and absolutely loved it. It certainly towed really well.
I had a mechanic change the bearings and he reckoned my tires were fine so I left them alone. We got some new foam for the beds and seats, adjusted a few screws here and there and that was it.
I am now seriously looking for an annexe and planning our next getaway.
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Post by ForumMod on Feb 11, 2013 8:54:47 GMT 10
G'day Andy, Great to hear that the first trip went so well. Nothing like a good first experience to whet your appetite for more adventures! ;D Search ebay for "caravan annexes" on a regular basis. There are four currently listed, and there'll be more for sure. Also search for "Old style Cub camper trailer,Hard floor, Near new annex. Very light. Registered.", and you'll see some photos of an annexe made for the smaller camper sizes. cheers, Al.
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Post by bambang on Feb 11, 2013 17:38:11 GMT 10
Andy, is the rope-track already fitted to your roof ? if so, then any annex which attaches via rope-track should fit ( depending on length )....pretty common & simple setup. Otherwise in the meantime you could just get a BIG poly tarp and set it up over the whole trailer with extra on one side to form an awning ( just missing walls - if you really need privacy & shelter from wind ). I always put the tarp over everything this way to keep everything cooler in summer and avoid having to pack up wet canvas in the event of rain.....see the last photo in my previous post. Only downside is that you have to carry around an extra 8 - 10 poles for the tarp setup. Anyway, good luck with the annex search....and happy camping !! cheers - Steve.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2013 12:34:18 GMT 10
Thanks for the great info Steve and Al, I will keep checking eBay (and gumtree) and hopefully something suitable comes up. I have the blue canvas on my camper so I'd really like to find something matching if possible.
The camper doesn't have the rope track fitted but it does have a glue line where presumably a rope track used to be. I can't imagine this is too difficult an item to have refitted. I really like the annexe on the Cub camper ad, hopefully something similar will come up soon.
Thanks also for the suggestion about the tarp. I think once I get the annexe sorted that will be next on my list.
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2013 7:35:05 GMT 10
Hi Andy. When I bought tyres I purchased 10 inch mini tyres. ie. tyres made for the Morris mini 850. They had to order them in because these days they are an unusual size. I bought my cruiser about 10 years ago and I have never used the annex as we tend to move every few days and it is too much trouble putting it up. If you are interested I am sure we could come to some arrangement. I am in Lethbridge, half way between Geelong and Ballarat. Bert
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2013 13:07:32 GMT 10
Hi Andy, I read your post regarding a caravan mechanic a little too late, but if you ever need any advice or work done in the future you could try Northern Caravan in Thomastown, here's there website www.caravanparts.net.au/ We found the owner very helpful and has a wealth of knowledge. Subbie
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 16:10:25 GMT 10
Bert,
Thankyou for the info on the tyres. I had the mechanic inspect mine and he reckons they are still ok for the moment. I
I am very interested in the annexe. You can call me on 0404 446955.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 16:14:32 GMT 10
Thanks for the tip Subbie,
I wouldn't mind getting someone to look at my cables as one corner sits slightly lower than the rest, nothing major but just noticeable.
I do have an old manual here so depending on time I might just summon up the courage to have a go at it myself.
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 16:37:37 GMT 10
Steve,
Can you tell me what size tarp you are using to cover everything? I notice that you have a nice little porch set up out the front too!
Thankyou, Andy
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2013 8:40:17 GMT 10
Guys I'm back looking for more help please!
Bert kindly helped me out with his old ACT Cruiser annexe that he wasn't using but unfortunately the poles are long gone.
Hopefully this isn't a huge problem, it just makes it a bit more of a challenge. The thing is, I'm not sure if I need just normal poles or whether there are some kind of bent poles with special mounts that I need to get made up.
If anyone has any photos or thoughts I'd really appreciate the help!
Thanks again, Andy
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2013 9:25:42 GMT 10
Hello, I did have one of these 4 years ago. I will try and find my old photos. I renovated the inside but found the fiberglass was giving way and it was beyond my capacity at the time. I have some good photos though. Gosh I sold mine for next to nothing with an unused annex! I had a quote to redo the zippers on the doors and windows. $45 each from Little Yarra Canvas but she would have to charge a bit extra to take the canvas off then put back on and allow for stretch/shrinkage issues. I didn't go ahead with it in the end. New canvas & fly screens etc is around $2000. It was a great little camper though. We had many good trips in it. I didn't know about this forum then and perhaps I should have held on to it :-)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2013 9:30:00 GMT 10
Further, I have just discovered Pick a Part near bayswater and I believe there is another one on the Hume Hwy somewhere near Nth of Melbourne. They sell wheels - you mostly have to go get them yourself, but they cost $10 each and $10 if the tyre is good. So, if you can find out what your wheels are, you can find similar at Pick a Part. Its a bit of mucking around though but I'm on a budget with my caravan project. Cheers
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2013 14:38:02 GMT 10
;D iam a proud owner of a ACT camper needs a bit of work but the overall condition is good for this old camper what model is it i dont know but one thing the roof is so damm heavy Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2013 15:46:14 GMT 10
Nice camper Jason,
I'm new to this forum and to campers in general but it looks the same as mine which is an ACT cruiser. Mine is a wind-up which at first I thought was a bit dodgy but after hearing a few people complain about the heaviness of the roof I'm realising its a good thing.
I don't know if the wind-up is standard or a modification, anyone got any info on that?
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2013 20:47:04 GMT 10
thanks actandy what size wheels have you got on yours cheers
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