Post dump section

[Rob]

Hello ,
I've just bought this 'Clipper' Caravan here in South Australia.
I've rung around but have no idea about it.(even local wreckers)
I can't find a thing on Clipper Caravans here looking like this thing, so I have resorted to ask yourself on these matters.
I would be very thankful to get any advice on this ole ship.
Rob.

[millard1399]

Hi Rob, if you haven't already done so, have a read of the Clipper caravans thread in the Vintage forum History section. It won't tell you anything about your van but it will give you a bit of history about the Sth Aust Clipper vans, as well as a link to the Qld and NSW Clipper brands.

From research I've been doing of late, the major manufacturers switched to painted aluminium cladding around the middle of 1968. I would assume that all manufacturers made the switch after their plain aluminium stocks were exhausted.

The second major change was the introduction of the Starlight Four Seasons hatch during 1975. Check if the hatch on your van is the type that allows the four sloping sides to be opened independently of each other. If it is the box lid shape, then it is the old type.

My sources of information do not throw up a great deal at all about the South Australian brands. They don't seem to have tackled the NSW market (too far away to transport I guess), so I can only give you information in a general sense. You can narrow down the age of your van to being after 1968 with painted aluminium cladding, and up to 1975 if it's the old box lid hatch, or after 1975 if the four-seasons hatch.

The SA Caravan Industry group is apparently compiling a history of the SA caravanning industry. Don't know when (or if) it will be completed, but if so it will give us quite a bit more information than we have so far.

cheers,
Al.

[millard1399]

G'day All,

Found this van currently on ebay. It was apparently professionally converted for use as a promotional vehicle. Looks a bit like the old "woodies" cars that were around in the 1960s or so...








The van has the chassis number of E10091. The Ambassador sticker above the front window was used in the late 1960s and at the start of the 1970s...




Might give you a few ideas on how you can "customise" your van.

cheers,
Al.

[Deleted]

Hi everyone, merry christmas and happy new year to all

My brother recently purchased a caravan and the rego sticker says that its of 1979 unknown brand. Any chance anyone out there who can shed any light on what it is.

Here are some photos, as you will be able to see there is an old sticker on the back that says Fairline and the chasis # N3639.....

Hi Donnymaree,
your van is a Newlands Sundowner.
It was a budget version of Newlands,fixed back window,no front and rear overheads,minimum lights and power points and a nice clean shape.
They were made in 10ft,15ft and 18.6ft with single or tandem on the latter.The interior ply was like shiny laminex and easy to clean.
Hope this is of some help to you.
Cheers
hughdeani

Hi Donna, where you been hiding??

How's that camper coming along that was causing you a bit of grief a few months ago?


In late 1977, the Newlands brand was taken over by Coronet, who themselves don't seem to have survived beyond 1978, so I'd say your brother's van was more likely a couple of years or more before 1979. I can see the wind-out window brackets on the two little windows on the nearside, but there doesn't seem to be any brackets on the larger side window at the front. Not sure which windows are the original ones. The wind-out type were from 1973 and later.

I've seen Coronets from the latter 1970s with that same body shape (wonder where they got the idea from? ), so perhaps your brother's van is from around the mid-1970s, and Coronet "stole" the shape when they took Newlands over.

cheers,
Al.

Thanks heaps ;D

[Deleted]

These are photo's saved from posts that are getting deleted, some will be moved on to other threads and some will get deleted if not needed.