Post by Brian M on Jan 29, 2009 14:23:04 GMT
From: Brian (Original Message) Sent: 29/02/2004 23:10
Doing a search through Google groups for Safaris, I came across a message from 1999 from George in California seeking information about his Safari Caravan. No-one had replied to the message, so I sent an email, not really expecting a reply after 5 years. I was delighted when George came straight back to me and he still owned his Safari 12-2.
George has been a bit busy recently, as he has just got married - Congratulations. He took time to write the following and will join the group shortly.
My serial number is 73312. I am located in Vallejo, California which is about 30 miles north of San Francisco. The van was originally brought over by a Doctor and his wife, from England who bought it new and traveled around the UK and Europe before shipping it over to Canada and traveling across Canada and the US. When they arrived in California, aprox. 2 1/2 - 3 years later, the plan was to ship it on to Australia but the cost was such that thay decided to sell it and buy a new one in Aussie. It was sold to a couple in Fairfax Calif. (same S.F. area) who kept it for the next 17 years. I bought it in July of 1993.
There were a number of travel stickers on the back but most were pretty faded or peeling and have since had to be removed. Most were no longer or barely readable, but from the stickers we determined that the caravan had been in Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and France and likley Holland, Switzerland and Italy. I have replaced some of them with as similar ones as possible from the UK but have not been able to get any of the Europe ones yet.
When the Husband (of the second owners) passed away his wife did not know how to move it so it sat behind the house for a while but under a cover that was made for it. I spotted it while on a plumbing call and when i asked her about it she was happy to sell, although she was very cut up about it. She was very attatched to the caravan as they had used it often and had maintained it in beautiful condition.
She sold it completelyy stocked with everything. Including a set silverwere with handles that match the cabinet pulls, original plates, cups, etc. and a set of wine glasses with "Safari" engraved on them among other things. All the original brochours are still with it including a small catalogue from Pearman-Briggs that all of the accessories were ordered from. It also has a full awning.
Funny thing is that the original owners were English, the Husband of the second owners was English and my wife is English! Some things were just meant to be!
We use it several times a year and have been all up and down the west coast. I figure the Caravan has somewhere between 90-130,000 thousand miles on it based on our use and what the previous owners told us about there travels. They had a regular routine that they followed every year for most of the time they owned it so it is fairly easy to estimate the milage.
We get a lot of attention with it! It is likely the only one in this country and doesn't look anything like the American trailers. We love the fact that is has everything we need for year-round travel and is so well built yet so small and light weight. We try to travel only on the smaller secondary roads and avoid the freeways and large cities and towns as best we can. This means many narrow mountain roads where the small size of the Safari allows us to go to places others can't. (I can tell you some stories on that later!) I pull it with a 1988 Isuzu Trooper with a 4 cyl.
We will be taking our honeymoon in the beginning of April and we will be taking a road trip in the Caravan for two weeks up into Northern California. The little Safari is just our favorite place to be!
I will try to dig up some pictures of the van to send to you. One of the wedding gifts was a digital camera, so when we take our trip next month I will definitely get some for you then.
I will join the group shortly. I looks like you have to have that passport thing to join.
I am curious as to what kind of parts are available? I need a side running light and the original taillights are gone.
Thanks again for contacting me. I dont use my e-mail very much so sometimes there may be a delay in response because I dont always check it very often.
All the Best!
George
Interesting that in the USA a Safari is considered small and light-weight - everything is relative!
Can Paul or Wayne and Wendy help with the missing lights? George's email is Ghale@jps.net
Brian
Doing a search through Google groups for Safaris, I came across a message from 1999 from George in California seeking information about his Safari Caravan. No-one had replied to the message, so I sent an email, not really expecting a reply after 5 years. I was delighted when George came straight back to me and he still owned his Safari 12-2.
George has been a bit busy recently, as he has just got married - Congratulations. He took time to write the following and will join the group shortly.
My serial number is 73312. I am located in Vallejo, California which is about 30 miles north of San Francisco. The van was originally brought over by a Doctor and his wife, from England who bought it new and traveled around the UK and Europe before shipping it over to Canada and traveling across Canada and the US. When they arrived in California, aprox. 2 1/2 - 3 years later, the plan was to ship it on to Australia but the cost was such that thay decided to sell it and buy a new one in Aussie. It was sold to a couple in Fairfax Calif. (same S.F. area) who kept it for the next 17 years. I bought it in July of 1993.
There were a number of travel stickers on the back but most were pretty faded or peeling and have since had to be removed. Most were no longer or barely readable, but from the stickers we determined that the caravan had been in Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and France and likley Holland, Switzerland and Italy. I have replaced some of them with as similar ones as possible from the UK but have not been able to get any of the Europe ones yet.
When the Husband (of the second owners) passed away his wife did not know how to move it so it sat behind the house for a while but under a cover that was made for it. I spotted it while on a plumbing call and when i asked her about it she was happy to sell, although she was very cut up about it. She was very attatched to the caravan as they had used it often and had maintained it in beautiful condition.
She sold it completelyy stocked with everything. Including a set silverwere with handles that match the cabinet pulls, original plates, cups, etc. and a set of wine glasses with "Safari" engraved on them among other things. All the original brochours are still with it including a small catalogue from Pearman-Briggs that all of the accessories were ordered from. It also has a full awning.
Funny thing is that the original owners were English, the Husband of the second owners was English and my wife is English! Some things were just meant to be!
We use it several times a year and have been all up and down the west coast. I figure the Caravan has somewhere between 90-130,000 thousand miles on it based on our use and what the previous owners told us about there travels. They had a regular routine that they followed every year for most of the time they owned it so it is fairly easy to estimate the milage.
We get a lot of attention with it! It is likely the only one in this country and doesn't look anything like the American trailers. We love the fact that is has everything we need for year-round travel and is so well built yet so small and light weight. We try to travel only on the smaller secondary roads and avoid the freeways and large cities and towns as best we can. This means many narrow mountain roads where the small size of the Safari allows us to go to places others can't. (I can tell you some stories on that later!) I pull it with a 1988 Isuzu Trooper with a 4 cyl.
We will be taking our honeymoon in the beginning of April and we will be taking a road trip in the Caravan for two weeks up into Northern California. The little Safari is just our favorite place to be!
I will try to dig up some pictures of the van to send to you. One of the wedding gifts was a digital camera, so when we take our trip next month I will definitely get some for you then.
I will join the group shortly. I looks like you have to have that passport thing to join.
I am curious as to what kind of parts are available? I need a side running light and the original taillights are gone.
Thanks again for contacting me. I dont use my e-mail very much so sometimes there may be a delay in response because I dont always check it very often.
All the Best!
George
Interesting that in the USA a Safari is considered small and light-weight - everything is relative!
Can Paul or Wayne and Wendy help with the missing lights? George's email is Ghale@jps.net
Brian