Where to Start with a Vintage Caravan Restoration
A practical guide to assessing a vintage van before you buy, planning your restoration, setting a realistic budget and deciding how much work to DIY versus outsource to specialists.
Restoration guides, identification help and parts sourcing for lovers of classic Australian vans. Whether you have a Millard, a Franklin, a Viscount or a mystery model, we can help.
A practical guide to assessing a vintage van before you buy, planning your restoration, setting a realistic budget and deciding how much work to DIY versus outsource to specialists.
From tracking down a barn find to returning a classic to the road, our guides cover every stage of the vintage van journey.
Where to look for classic vans online, at swap meets and through caravan clubs. What to inspect before you commit, and the telltale signs of structural damage, rot and rust that make a van unviable.
A guide to identifying vintage Australian-manufactured caravans including Franklin, Millard, Viscount, Sprite, Chesney and other beloved brands. Compliance plates, build dates and identifying features.
Finding original and reproduction parts for classic Australian vans. Online suppliers, specialist restorers, caravan club networks and what to fabricate yourself when parts are simply no longer available.
Rotted floors and rusty frames are common in vintage vans. This guide covers timber and aluminium frame repair, plywood floor replacement, wall panel patching and keeping the original structure intact.
Restore the interior of a vintage van sympathetically. Sourcing period-matching laminates, vinyl, upholstery fabrics and fittings. How to decide between a faithful restoration and a sympathetic modernisation.
Old wiring is a fire risk. This guide covers inspecting original wiring, understanding vintage 6V and 12V systems, full rewiring to modern standards and installing a 240V hookup safely.
A look back at the golden age of Australian caravan manufacturing from the 1940s to the 1980s. The rise of Franklin, Millard and Viscount, and how the industry transformed over the decades.
Our full DIY hub covers modern and vintage vans, from solar installs to chassis maintenance and interior renovations.
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