Post by liz on Jul 20, 2014 9:45:44 GMT
Hi Everyone,
I am currently custodian of a 1948 Safari Minor and am wondering whether to sell her as I do not use it and it seems a shame. I’ve been to Weeting Steam Engine show this weekend and saw quite a few vintage caravan outfits and think that my Minor would be great for someone to get pleasure from.
The history behind the caravan is that I bought a 1975 Range Rover in 2007 from a dealer in Maidstone. The dealer passed on the previous owner details at his request who had asked the new RR owner to contact him.
A lovely retired gentleman named Clive was the previous owner and to cut a long story short I acquired the caravan from him which he had towed with the Range Rover as he was too elderly for caravanning and favoured B&Bs.
The caravan is a Safari Minor which Clive told me was made in 1948. He and his wife had used it for holidays although he did say that his wife had not been very keen on caravanning and in his later caravanning days he had tended to go by himself.
Along with the service history of the Range Rover came a cash book noting all mileage and petrol consumption which includes a note of all of his caravanning trips all over the UK. I think this dates back to 1978 when Clive bought the RR but I will need to dig it out to check the exact date and can also spend a bit of time and copy this interesting caravan history out of the book. Clive was also a regular attendee at a classic caravan meet in March in Cambridgeshire and won the “Most interesting caravan” award.
On the Easter weekend of 2008 I visited Clive at his home in Manchester in the RR and towed the caravan back home to Newmarket near Cambridge. Whilst this long trip took a while, she towed very well indeed and much better than any modern vans I have towed, possibly due to combination of the heavy wooden floor giving her a low centre of gravity and the short 9ft length.
I am no expert in the caravan model but as far as I can tell she is very original with the exception of the following known works carried out by Clive:
Some remaining features which look original are:
Apart from the last year when I lost my storage, both myself and Clive dry stored the caravan in barns. Consequently, she is in good condition and would only need a clean and some TLC to bring her back to former glory. Perhaps a lick of paint over the cupboards, some new curtains and cushion covers.
I am currently using the caravan for storage of some Range Rover doors, so when I have a bit of time I will get these out and inspect more closely, certainly there weren't any leaks and I don’t see why there should be now. The wooden floor still looks good from underneath.
She would however need to be trailered to be moved as the tyres are badly cracked (they weren’t in tip top condition when I towed back from Manchester!) and I have not tested the brakes since she was last moved to my garden just over a year ago.
I still have the Range Rover but this is now regrettably a restoration project owing to body/chassis rot and it is quite entertaining although not very surprising that the caravan is in much better condition that the RR! I have to be realistic that even after restoring the RR I am never likely to use the caravan.
Even though I haven’t used the caravan I feel somewhat sentimentally attached and I guess I’m wondering what to do with her. I would like to see her go to a good home so thought I would ask advices here rather than just list on eBay.
I will post photos later in the week. If anyone would like to come and have a look, she is now in my garden about half way between Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Thanks
Liz
Here are some photos. There were a few RR spares than a couple of doors inside so I didn't empty it out, so please ignore these on the interior shots. I am hoping to sell these along with another RR so will take extra photos once empty.
Front showing additional windows:
Draw bar is longer than original and larger front step added:
Interior shots:
Cooking facilities located in right hand cupboard with pull out sink closed to use as food preparation area. You can also see the washing facilities - soap tray and mirror (with reflection of my elbow) mounted on the inside cupboard door:
Picture of sink with work top slid back. There is a cupboard underneath this which holds an old Elsan but there were a few things in the way to open it.
Gas light burns on roof!
I am currently custodian of a 1948 Safari Minor and am wondering whether to sell her as I do not use it and it seems a shame. I’ve been to Weeting Steam Engine show this weekend and saw quite a few vintage caravan outfits and think that my Minor would be great for someone to get pleasure from.
The history behind the caravan is that I bought a 1975 Range Rover in 2007 from a dealer in Maidstone. The dealer passed on the previous owner details at his request who had asked the new RR owner to contact him.
A lovely retired gentleman named Clive was the previous owner and to cut a long story short I acquired the caravan from him which he had towed with the Range Rover as he was too elderly for caravanning and favoured B&Bs.
The caravan is a Safari Minor which Clive told me was made in 1948. He and his wife had used it for holidays although he did say that his wife had not been very keen on caravanning and in his later caravanning days he had tended to go by himself.
Along with the service history of the Range Rover came a cash book noting all mileage and petrol consumption which includes a note of all of his caravanning trips all over the UK. I think this dates back to 1978 when Clive bought the RR but I will need to dig it out to check the exact date and can also spend a bit of time and copy this interesting caravan history out of the book. Clive was also a regular attendee at a classic caravan meet in March in Cambridgeshire and won the “Most interesting caravan” award.
On the Easter weekend of 2008 I visited Clive at his home in Manchester in the RR and towed the caravan back home to Newmarket near Cambridge. Whilst this long trip took a while, she towed very well indeed and much better than any modern vans I have towed, possibly due to combination of the heavy wooden floor giving her a low centre of gravity and the short 9ft length.
I am no expert in the caravan model but as far as I can tell she is very original with the exception of the following known works carried out by Clive:
- Complete repaint in Lincoln Green to match the Range Rover
- Extension of the draw bar and larger front step
- Windows added to the front doors
- Removable plywood window inserts acting like solid blinds added for extra privacy
- Removable table is melamine and obviously newer but a replacement could easily be made in plywood and painted to look more period
- 12V electric lighting fitted
- Painted wooden cupboards all look identical to the limited pictures I can find on the internet
- Sliding pull out sink
- Gas cooker
- Gas lamp
- I’m not sure if some holes drilled through in the floor with a grill over in the bottom cupboard on the left hand side are an original “fridge” feature for keeping food cool on the move or whether this was a function Clive added
Apart from the last year when I lost my storage, both myself and Clive dry stored the caravan in barns. Consequently, she is in good condition and would only need a clean and some TLC to bring her back to former glory. Perhaps a lick of paint over the cupboards, some new curtains and cushion covers.
I am currently using the caravan for storage of some Range Rover doors, so when I have a bit of time I will get these out and inspect more closely, certainly there weren't any leaks and I don’t see why there should be now. The wooden floor still looks good from underneath.
She would however need to be trailered to be moved as the tyres are badly cracked (they weren’t in tip top condition when I towed back from Manchester!) and I have not tested the brakes since she was last moved to my garden just over a year ago.
I still have the Range Rover but this is now regrettably a restoration project owing to body/chassis rot and it is quite entertaining although not very surprising that the caravan is in much better condition that the RR! I have to be realistic that even after restoring the RR I am never likely to use the caravan.
Even though I haven’t used the caravan I feel somewhat sentimentally attached and I guess I’m wondering what to do with her. I would like to see her go to a good home so thought I would ask advices here rather than just list on eBay.
I will post photos later in the week. If anyone would like to come and have a look, she is now in my garden about half way between Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Thanks
Liz
Here are some photos. There were a few RR spares than a couple of doors inside so I didn't empty it out, so please ignore these on the interior shots. I am hoping to sell these along with another RR so will take extra photos once empty.
Front showing additional windows:
Draw bar is longer than original and larger front step added:
Interior shots:
Cooking facilities located in right hand cupboard with pull out sink closed to use as food preparation area. You can also see the washing facilities - soap tray and mirror (with reflection of my elbow) mounted on the inside cupboard door:
Picture of sink with work top slid back. There is a cupboard underneath this which holds an old Elsan but there were a few things in the way to open it.
Gas light burns on roof!
