Spent childhood holidays in one of those. First trip of the year was always at Easter. Dad’s favourite trip was to Herne Bay. Woke up one time to find ice on the inside of the windows. Scraping it off revealed it had snowed. Not a problem Mum did us hearty fry-ups and roast dinners. Happy Days!
Hi Andrew this was the first video of yours I watched,brought back happy memories of family holiday's & weekends in late 60's we had a bluebird Europe love to you & dougal
Fabulous Andrew takes me right back to my Monza. Kids were tiny and bathed in a plastic bath which fitted between the seats in the dinette. That’s how we started our love affair with Caravanning. Yes your right the gas mantle was always on the seat when we arrived home.
Fantastic. You are so right about the view through. It used to be a comment in most reviews or tests of the time. I spotted the Thompson T Line. Our first caravan was a Thompson Miniglen. We loved it. Gas lights. So narrow, short and light. I’m going online to look for one now. Keep up the good work.
My Dad had one of these, thanks for posting as it brings back Very Happy memories, Dad passed away two weeks ago at 88, he was a life long fan of Caravans, I am too and am about to buy my 6th van.
Another great vlog. Love the caravan, its got every thing you need. Once saw a french couple turn up on site in a van at least as old as your Alpine. Didn't worry about it being level, legs came down, 2 chairs came out with table, bottle of red wine and some bread and cheese and they had started there hols. I think they had it right
Well done Andrew those older vans were much more fun than the new stuff we must have today ! I fondly remember my first van a Monza 1000 in 1976 when the kids were very young. Such fun.
I totally love your retro caravan! Our family had a similar size 60's trailer when I was a little one. It has the gas lamps. I miss those!!! You are so lucky. I have it on my bucket list to own one again. Thanks!
Good luck with your dream of owning another retro caravan - as dreams go it’s a modest one!!! Go for it - get excited about it - your caravan will come into your life sooner than you think 😊💖
Oh that is so cool my late Father used to take us on holidays in the 60's caravanning I loved it later in life we went abroad but my best holiday was when he hired a vw campervan in the summer of 76, Dougal is adorable and secretly smiling from the inside :)
you prolly dont care at all but does anybody know of a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid forgot the password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me.
@Weston Emmett I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
My goodness Andrew , what a treat to see your new purchase , that takes me right back , my late hubbie and I started our caravanning adventures in a borrowed Sprite Alpine of similar vintage , became totally hooked and purchased a 10ft Perle 1977 in Sept 1984 , loved it , took it everywhere , one night stops and as you say life was so much simplier then , and yes the see through in the car mirror , such a bonus , enjoy getting all the little vintage thingys to make it homely , car boots great place to start to pick up some retro stuff , but once you join your first rally , all your new found friends will be a source of information , happy travels in Glynis , give Dougal a big smacher from me ATVB ps. The Hebrides Series was truly amazing , so educational and informative , loved every one and also the two articles in the CAMC mag , excellent stuff !! Well done !!
You are slowly winning me over with Glynnis, - I had a bit of "the shock of the old" from your first video! The new cushions and throws have already freshened her up enormously. Looking forward to the new curtains. Nice to see Dougal taking it all in his stride! 😃
I enjoy watching your videos. Always fun to see new places/another way of traveling. I think that price for custom cushions in 2 days was good. (I paid $100 ten years ago to get a replacement foam cushion for the deck of my sofa. ) Now here's some more unsolicited advice from someone who sews, a lot. Replace the cushion covers. You will be able to find a color and weight you like. Consider using very big sheets (preferably unfitted) as the fabric for new curtains. This can be very cost effective compared to fabric off the bolt. I see on eBay that Orla Kiely also makes sheets in great prints. Sheet fabric is very sturdy and highly washable. You might have extra fabric for a couple of pillow covers. The person who makes up the curtains will be able to get the most from several large sheets. Happy trails/roads/highways/A & B roads...
Thanks Bernadette! Funnily enough we checked out the bedding in John Lewis today, but it was the same huge print... Will keep looking though, many thanks. 👍
Hi Andrew, Funny how the lack of spark ignition on the campervan review was"almost a deal breaker" and here you seem to love the simplicty of the matches and the retro cooker!😅😅😂😂 My father also had a sprite when i was small, cant remember too much of it though, i think he swapped it for an older bigger van as we were three kids mum n dad in the van, it had a raised part on the roof with little windows in it if i remeber rightly, the storms of 70s blew the wall over onto the cravan and the street light blew over and hit my mums car! Quite a night! I remember me and my two bigger sisters cowering in the house with all hell breaking out aound us while my parents were at the pub! Lola Enjoy you retro refurbishment im sure it will be awesome.
Love the view trough, our elldis typhoon two berth, 1999 vintage allows you to drive with the washroom/toilet sliding door open and locked in that position. Brilliant being able to see traffic which is right behind you. Helps with reversing too. Being new to caravaning it's a great help. Love your videos Andrew, love dougal. Thanks, Vinny. :-)
What a fantastic update. Thank you for bringing us along. I don’t think you will be needing a full duvet coming out to Germany. We are sat by the river Rhine in Düsseldorf and it’s red hot all day and night 🥵 will catch you when you get here. 👍👍😊😊
Takes me back! We always went caravanning at least once a year to Scotland when I was a child, in our Thomson T-Line. I recall the foot pump very well!
Isn’t Glynis just stunning?! 😍😍 absolutely great to see a caravan like that get another lease of life again! Reminds me of my childhood and mum & dad having basic caravans like this! Can’t wait to see how you get on with her 👍🏻
Very nice caravan! It is in excellent shape and you are obviously doing a top-notch job on the restoration. I have a '73 U.S. Sprite 400. The cushions were perfect, though they were not comfortable. The style was much more subdued by then (gray velour), so I made flowered slipcovers with sheets, and it worked well with white lace curtains. Makes me want to go out and have a tea party.
Dear Andrew, What a new adventure, eh? My parents had a 1970 Sprite Alpine C which had a single bunk at the front with a Tygan hammock above instead of the digit dinette of the 1971 model. A tip to preserve the gas mantles before towing is to spray them with hair lacquer. Remove the glass globe, protect the wall by holding some newspaper behind the mantle, bring careful to avoid touching it, then spray the mantle liberally from all directions with hair lacquer. Allow to dry and carefully replace the glass globe. When igniting the gas next time the hair lacquer burns off rather as new mantles do.
Lovely video. Brings back some lovely memories of the Sprite Major my parents had. The original upholstery was that same orange colour. My mum recovered it all and fitted new curtains way back in the late 70's. That thing was so heavy to tow. My dad had a Morris 1800 Land Crab that used to tow it. Coincidentally in the photo you showed there was a pic of the Wolsley version of the same car. So many great holidays. How that car ever managed with I'll never know especially as we loaded the caravan with our bikes and all sorts.
Ahhh. Happy memories. Seeing through, gas lights, foot operated water pump..... amazing. One modern update I recomend is a gas fire lighter. Way easier than matches, and they still work for the cooker after the gas has run out (as long as the piezo bit works)! Loving Glynis. Not keen on the tomato fabric. I prefer the original curtains. Don't know how close to that you could get though. I like the way Dougal just settles down in whatever caravan you use. He seems easily pleased.
Yay! A wonderful trip back to the 1970s - so that's having to collect your own water, worrying about electric power and some planning to make sure the gas supply is uninterrupted :). I love the way you are keeping it real, you just need an 8-track somewhere :). For the fridge consider a £85 Table Top Fridge such as the A++ rated 'Inventor' one - uses 36W when running (I measured mine with the compressor going), suitable for running off a decent (Victron pure sine) 300W-500W inverter and perhaps adding some solar with the money saved. The heavier Victron (Low freq) have a mere 2W standby power.
ETA: I fitted a Victron Multi 500 to a van (with compressor fridge) which worked out well because the 'multi' behaves like a computer UPS (providing uninterrupted power, you can plug in an EHU when needed and it manages everything else. You'd also need a split charge from the towing electrics but you'd probably need to beef up the +ve feed wire for that, and any batteries you add should be positioned near the axle for stability, a provision for a portable flexible solar may be wise too. Whether moving to a modern 240V maintained electric system spoils the ethos of an olde-world van is a point for discussion, but when faced with £500-900 for a 'proper' 3 way fridge (without the temperature regulation of a compressor one) the budget is there for alternatives, and having 240V on tap isn't such a bad thing!. Before buying anything however see if you need to run any 1000W + items and size accordingly, sometimes a small eco toaster etc can be useful, gas toasters seem to be simple smoke generators IME.
Reminds me of the 16 ft Terry my dad bought to go to Mexico with in about '63. We also had a couple of gas lights. Since there was no fridge, just an ice box, we didn't have to worry about a vent for it. Interesting thing about the gas lights was one mantle would always fall apart while the other lasted for years. We got to where we just planned on replacing the one each time we towed. Hope you find the things you're looking for and you're really able to enjoy Glynnis.
That's a very nice Alpine you've got,mate. We had a '79 Alpine and it was the best handling caravan i ever had. Drove all over Europe with it behind my '72 Range Rover V8. Best off luck with it and i hope your Airstream gets properly sorted for you this time.
I really enjoyed that video. Retro caravanning is so much fun to watch. And some of those older vans really do remind us that newer ones can sometimes lose the plot a bit 🤔
Good Heavens, can't believe I have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in my house, never thought about my travel trailer! Thanks for mentioning it! Happy travels from the desert Southwest U.S.A.
MsSixty? They even make a Co detector CARD for small airplanes,,a spot in its middle turns BLACK when exposed, to CO, , as you get your heat from a heat exchanger from the exhaust pipe. Cheers from NJ
Reminds me of our first van, think it was an Abbey with a gas mantel at the front shelf, before we switched to motorhoming. Have finally sold our Hymer & Honda CRV & bought a Westfalia Jules Verne that we love.
Merci Andrew for this vidéo. I love your rétro caravan. It IS my dream to own a second caravan too. I would love a old eriba puck. Big kisses from France 😘
New subscriber here from the U.S., hope you don’t mind if I tag along! And your dog is a hit, I heard her say she loves the ikea throw you got for her new cushions!
I also love your caravan! I have a Freedom microlite and I bought it for its simplicity. However I am starting to complicate it by buying gadgets and crap to fill him up! I wanted the simple life. I’m now having to stop it all. I am going to go for a little trip and go empty just to see how I get on! You have a wonderful life! meala-naidheachd!!!
Beautiful vintage caravan for its age!! Love the retro look and it will look fab with those curtains or similar in the design size you want. I agree that the larger print would be too dominant so its best to scale down. Dougal is so cute but looks decidedly under-whelmed by it all, have fun x
Glynnis is about the same size as a caravan my parents had in the 60s and early 70s. I can't remember what the manufacturer was for that one. The gas lights in Glynnis really take me back to that time. My parents would take that caravan from Ireland to England each summer, then once we went across Europe to Italy. However my father found it quite scary to tow over those long distances so we got a trailer tent and used that for our expeditions across Europe.
Andrew, have you thought about a simple small computer fan to improve the ventilation? They are available for about $10 (US) online or at a computer shop, use very little electricity and last years. If you have access to the rear or inside of that vent it would be easy to attach 2-4 on its length. I’d put one facing in and the rest facing out to expel the air outside. Computers can adjust the fan speed as needed based on the heat level, so you could optionally get a small thumb type rheostat to adjust the fan speed to your liking from an electronics store or online. Just a thought.
My first caravan was a '74 Alpine. No frills but we had some good times. Advertised as a 5 berth but 4 was a bit 'comfortable'. It had a front toilet compartment with a double hinged door which opened up to encompass the main door. O.k. If you remembered to lock it before being used in anger. That was in 1975' still have a touring caravan but with a few more refinements.
Hi Andrew, loving Glynis! Have you looked at Orla Kiely tablecloths. They might be in the smaller scale, like the cushions, and will have enough depth of fabric to make curtains from. Now.... when you go to Dusseldorf can you show us some of the european caravans (please not motorhomes!). We are really interested in seeing what they have to offer and how it differs from the UK. We were pleased to hear you mention this when you were taking in your recent video. Thanks Pamela
Loved the video (and the Dougal kisses!). I think you need to replace 50 year old fabric--don't just restuff. Hope you can find material that closely matches the original. Continued safe travels!!
Talking of view through, do yo remember the periscope Retrovisor that fitted to the roof of the tow car with suction cups? Loved this vid. My Mum and dad bought a 1969 Alpine C brand new. Many happy memories. I wish still had it now.
Keith Hicks - Dougle does seem a bit unenthusiastic at times, but in many of Andrews videos you can see Dougle having a blast happy as can be playing. I just think Dougle doesn’t understand what’s going on when he is filming. Kind of like when I trim my dogs toenails, she’s not happy and has this look of humorous toleration that’s as if she’s thinking "Stupid Humans." 😎
Oh, she's a peach! I'll keep an eye out for your fabric at my local shops,,,,,are you interested in other vintage designs? Or just the tomato flower? I can tell Dougal is over the moon excited about the new digs,,,,he's absolutly giddy!
I emailed my friend, (she renovated her grandparents' truck camper,) because I remembered her fabric being FANTASTICALLY 50's. She used Covington Fiesta Carson design, so I Googled it,,,and it's just as wonderful as I remembered! She used a complimentary stripe for the accent pillows. Just saying,,,,,
Love the fabric choice you describe. Keep in mind when blending fabric "patterns" you must vary the pattern sizes...so if your curtains are a certain scale in pattern it's best to go with a different scale size pattern in a complementing choice. For instance, if you have an average smallish size floral calico, you need to pair that with a bit larger pattern stripe, or tiny dot. Does this make sense? I may not have explained it well. The thinking is even if you have complementing fabrics, if they're all the same scale you won't get the effect you desire.
Thanks Sue. The seat fabric I’m after is a plain orange like the original, so hopefully that will offset the slightly ‘busy’ curtains, just as it did in that pics from the original brochure. Many thanks for your good advice. 👍
Hello, If You want you can make your own curtains very easy. Please get some white cotton fabric and measure,cut and sew to size needed. Then get some fabric paint with some rubber stamps in the shape you wish along with the colors you wish. Then stamp till your heart is content and hang them up and you will be so happy with you own personal curtains.
You should strongly consider a compressor fridge. They're just better, as long as you have decent battery capacity. Although you could consider something like a Dometic CFX chest-style compressor one, too. The benefit of that being that now you have a small portable fridge - or freezer, they can be either - which is something that could come in handy in any motorhome or caravan as secondary cold storage in the future, when you go back to the Airstream or a loaner van or whatever. Just a thought.
I spent many a happy childhood holiday in a similar vintage sprite caravan. Ours had the toilet by the door and a long bench opposite I recall. Mum and dad then upgraded to an Alpine SV which I used once or twice after dad passed away. We had neither electricity or a fridge but still enjoyed ourselves. Happy times Andrew 👍 Edited to say I am sure I have a spare gas mantle but I can't at the moment remember where it is. One of those things that was kept in a spares box in the caravan. If I find it do you want it?
Wow !!!! I can't believe how similar you dog is to mine. They could be brother and sister ( if your dog is 13 that is ) I hope you have insurance for him as ours needed two operations for cruciate ligament problems ( back legs ) £1000 per op.
Found Orly Kiely, "colorful leaf" in the small pattern, not tomato stem (leaf color slightly different but same pattern). It's a 72"x72" polyester water & mildew resistant curtain. Amazon, sold by Cloud Dream Home, $18. Looks like could be sewn into caravan curtains.
Just found your channel via Caravan Salon research - really nice channel, thank you. Charming little van - eco to have given it a new lease of life, and I don't suppose it has that much impact on the Navara's fuel consumption. Many electric vehicles could tow this I suspect - there must be a market for new light and compact caravans as electric vehicles gain market share. I remember the gas lights in my parent's old Alpine - so evocative of childhood holidays! If you are still at Caravan Salon did you spot the Hymer Eriba Nova L? It's not widely available in the UK, but strikes a nice balance between space and towability...
Welcome! Glad you like the channel. Yes, Glynnis has a small impact on the Navara's consumption - from 35mpg to 30mpg. It is electric cars I am thinking of when I say this Retro caravan is the caravan of the future! All the best.
If you can’t find fabric commercially, consider checking out Spoonflower.com where there are many many designs. You could even design your own and have Spoonflower produce your yardage!🙂
Hello Andrew and cute sidekick! I don’t want to steer you wrong but is the fabric at Dunelm @£18 per meter the right size? (Hard to tell on the website). I was lucky with my vintage trailer because all the upholstery and curtains had been done top notch (yellow/gray/white/black with bird motif on curtains) I did however cover one of the two bunk beds with a black ultra suede curtain that I pinned with large safety pins from the local fabric shop. Worked very well. You are making me heart sick for selling my vintage fg trailer Bertie 😩. After a one day shakedown trip in my new Class B I already pine for simpler days and the personality of vintage RV’s. Will love living vicariously through you now!
Very nice little van So how did they manage to make that last so long when so many new wonderful vans these days leak after a few years? Personally I think I'd go with cutting a flue and having a gas fridge, I'm sure you can source, or maybe colour , the new flue plastic vent to look old and in keeping. Personally I hate compressor fridges , noisy and consume loads of amps. We rented a campervan recently with a compressor fridge, I turned it off each night as I couldn't put up with the noise.......to be fair I ran it at it's coldest setting all day so even when it was switched off overnight it still kept the items cold by the following morning.
"Dougal, what do you think of retro Glynnis?".... Don't know. Already satisfied with retro Andrew 😊 Unfortunately no idea of where to find small Orla Kielys :-(
When I checked in at Düsseldorf yesterday, I told the Reception lady it was an 'OldTimer' caravan. Then I said I was an 'OldTimer' caravanner and she almost cried laughing. She appreciated British style humour :)
Spent childhood holidays in one of those. First trip of the year was always at Easter. Dad’s favourite trip was to Herne Bay. Woke up one time to find ice on the inside of the windows. Scraping it off revealed it had snowed. Not a problem Mum did us hearty fry-ups and roast dinners. Happy Days!
We used to summer at Swalecliffe in our caravan! Sometimes Easter too. Yes, happy and simple days!
That's the exact same model my young cousin's had... which I used to covet ! :-(
Hi Andrew this was the first video of yours I watched,brought back happy memories of family holiday's & weekends in late 60's we had a bluebird Europe love to you & dougal
That brings back memories. In the 1970s we owned one of these and it took us on trips to visit my granny and holidays at the Edinburgh festival.
Fabulous Andrew takes me right back to my Monza. Kids were tiny and bathed in a plastic bath which fitted between the seats in the dinette. That’s how we started our love affair with Caravanning. Yes your right the gas mantle was always on the seat when we arrived home.
Fantastic. You are so right about the view through. It used to be a comment in most reviews or tests of the time. I spotted the Thompson T Line. Our first caravan was a Thompson Miniglen. We loved it. Gas lights. So narrow, short and light. I’m going online to look for one now. Keep up the good work.
Good luck with your search - the MiniGlen is the most widely available Thomson I notice on eBay. We had a '69 Glenmore back in the day.
My Dad had one of these, thanks for posting as it brings back Very Happy memories, Dad passed away two weeks ago at 88, he was a life long fan of Caravans, I am too and am about to buy my 6th van.
Sorry to hear about your Dad, glad this helped bring back some happy memories. All the best.
Another great vlog. Love the caravan, its got every thing you need. Once saw a french couple turn up on site in a van at least as old as your Alpine. Didn't worry about it being level, legs came down, 2 chairs came out with table, bottle of red wine and some bread and cheese and they had started there hols. I think they had it right
Yes, there is a lot to be said for keeping it simple!
I’m liking Glynis . What a lovely video, looking forward to moreTFS
Well done Andrew those older vans were much more fun than the new stuff we must have today ! I fondly remember my first van a Monza 1000 in 1976 when the kids were very young. Such fun.
I totally love your retro caravan! Our family had a similar size 60's trailer when I was a little one. It has the gas lamps. I miss those!!! You are so lucky. I have it on my bucket list to own one again. Thanks!
Good luck with your dream of owning another retro caravan - as dreams go it’s a modest one!!! Go for it - get excited about it - your caravan will come into your life sooner than you think 😊💖
Beautiful wee Sprite. I've just been offered a little Sprite but I can't view it for 2 more days 😭😂 I'm so excited!!
Thanks for the update Andrew really fascinating to see your enthusiasm. Can't wait for more.
Cheers John!
This is the dream - love, love, love Glynnis! Enjoying your videos, thank you.
Oh that is so cool my late Father used to take us on holidays in the 60's caravanning I loved it later in life we went abroad but my best holiday was when he hired a vw campervan in the summer of 76, Dougal is adorable and secretly smiling from the inside :)
you prolly dont care at all but does anybody know of a method to get back into an Instagram account..?
I was stupid forgot the password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me.
@Santiago Cassius Instablaster =)
@Weston Emmett I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im in the hacking process now.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Weston Emmett It worked and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much you really help me out!
@Santiago Cassius glad I could help :)
My goodness Andrew , what a treat to see your new purchase , that takes me right back , my late hubbie and I started our caravanning adventures in a borrowed Sprite Alpine of similar vintage , became totally hooked and purchased a 10ft Perle 1977 in Sept 1984 , loved it , took it everywhere , one night stops and as you say life was so much simplier then , and yes the see through in the car mirror , such a bonus , enjoy getting all the little vintage thingys to make it homely , car boots great place to start to pick up some retro stuff , but once you join your first rally , all your new found friends will be a source of information , happy travels in Glynis , give Dougal a big smacher from me ATVB ps. The Hebrides Series was truly amazing , so educational and informative , loved every one and also the two articles in the CAMC mag , excellent stuff !! Well done !!
Thanks Linda!
Falling in love with Glynnis and your wonderful choice of retro material for the curtains. Interior Design another one of your many talents!! ;-)
Thank you :)
You are slowly winning me over with Glynnis, - I had a bit of "the shock of the old" from your first video! The new cushions and throws have already freshened her up enormously. Looking forward to the new curtains. Nice to see Dougal taking it all in his stride! 😃
I can't wait to see the finished product. You have such great taste. Love your life style and your doggie.
Awww, thank you! :)
Great update. Great memories of 1970’s road trips with our 16 ft. Coachmen...and playing UNO by the gas lights. Glynnis is a keeper!
I enjoy watching your videos. Always fun to see new places/another way of traveling. I think that price for custom cushions in 2 days was good. (I paid $100 ten years ago to get a replacement foam cushion for the deck of my sofa. ) Now here's some more unsolicited advice from someone who sews, a lot. Replace the cushion covers. You will be able to find a color and weight you like. Consider using very big sheets (preferably unfitted) as the fabric for new curtains. This can be very cost effective compared to fabric off the bolt. I see on eBay that Orla Kiely also makes sheets in great prints. Sheet fabric is very sturdy and highly washable. You might have extra fabric for a couple of pillow covers. The person who makes up the curtains will be able to get the most from several large sheets. Happy trails/roads/highways/A & B roads...
Thanks Bernadette! Funnily enough we checked out the bedding in John Lewis today, but it was the same huge print... Will keep looking though, many thanks. 👍
Hi Andrew,
Funny how the lack of spark ignition on the campervan review was"almost a deal breaker" and here you seem to love the simplicty of the matches and the retro cooker!😅😅😂😂
My father also had a sprite when i was small, cant remember too much of it though, i think he swapped it for an older bigger van as we were three kids mum n dad in the van, it had a raised part on the roof with little windows in it if i remeber rightly, the storms of 70s blew the wall over onto the cravan and the street light blew over and hit my mums car! Quite a night! I remember me and my two bigger sisters cowering in the house with all hell breaking out aound us while my parents were at the pub! Lola
Enjoy you retro refurbishment im sure it will be awesome.
Our 2nd caravan, a Bailey, blew over, while 'in storage'.
Well, fancy storing your caravan on an airfield - plenty of free wind there !
Love the view trough, our elldis typhoon two berth, 1999 vintage allows you to drive with the washroom/toilet sliding door open and locked in that position. Brilliant being able to see traffic which is right behind you. Helps with reversing too. Being new to caravaning it's a great help. Love your videos Andrew, love dougal. Thanks, Vinny. :-)
What a fantastic update. Thank you for bringing us along. I don’t think you will be needing a full duvet coming out to Germany. We are sat by the river Rhine in Düsseldorf and it’s red hot all day and night 🥵 will catch you when you get here. 👍👍😊😊
Great vid. We used efoam last week for sofa cushions. Great service and price.
Good stuff! They seem a nice and efficient company to deal with.
Takes me back! We always went caravanning at least once a year to Scotland when I was a child, in our Thomson T-Line. I recall the foot pump very well!
Isn’t Glynis just stunning?! 😍😍 absolutely great to see a caravan like that get another lease of life again! Reminds me of my childhood and mum & dad having basic caravans like this! Can’t wait to see how you get on with her 👍🏻
😎 Loving the old school caravan Andrew brilliant vlog 👍😎
Very nice caravan! It is in excellent shape and you are obviously doing a top-notch job on the restoration. I have a '73 U.S. Sprite 400. The cushions were perfect, though they were not comfortable. The style was much more subdued by then (gray velour), so I made flowered slipcovers with sheets, and it worked well with white lace curtains. Makes me want to go out and have a tea party.
English Breakfast for me please Mary! :)
Dear Andrew, What a new adventure, eh? My parents had a 1970 Sprite Alpine C which had a single bunk at the front with a Tygan hammock above instead of the digit dinette of the 1971 model. A tip to preserve the gas mantles before towing is to spray them with hair lacquer. Remove the glass globe, protect the wall by holding some newspaper behind the mantle, bring careful to avoid touching it, then spray the mantle liberally from all directions with hair lacquer. Allow to dry and carefully replace the glass globe. When igniting the gas next time the hair lacquer burns off rather as new mantles do.
Great tip thanks! So far so good with the one mantle... it's made it all the way to Germany intact!
Lovely video. Brings back some lovely memories of the Sprite Major my parents had. The original upholstery was that same orange colour. My mum recovered it all and fitted new curtains way back in the late 70's. That thing was so heavy to tow. My dad had a Morris 1800 Land Crab that used to tow it. Coincidentally in the photo you showed there was a pic of the Wolsley version of the same car. So many great holidays. How that car ever managed with I'll never know especially as we loaded the caravan with our bikes and all sorts.
Fab memories, cheers Jason!
What a great camper! Love it. Hope you have many happy trips.
Ahhh. Happy memories. Seeing through, gas lights, foot operated water pump..... amazing. One modern update I recomend is a gas fire lighter. Way easier than matches, and they still work for the cooker after the gas has run out (as long as the piezo bit works)! Loving Glynis. Not keen on the tomato fabric. I prefer the original curtains. Don't know how close to that you could get though. I like the way Dougal just settles down in whatever caravan you use. He seems easily pleased.
A few kind folks have told me that I can try and get the original design re-printed so I might just do that.
@@andrewjditton That would be great!
Glynnis will be looking lovely, ah simplicity it's lacking all over the world Tks for Sharing enjoyed
Brings back memories to me as we had a 1968 model in 1969 and had it for 20 years .
So glad you are loving your “retro” revisit.......👍🇮🇲❤️
Good luck on your trip look forward to seeing your adventures 😎
Great vlog Andrew. Very informative and loving the retro caravan!
Cheers James!
My parents’ Dormobile had gas lights.. The sound and smell as they were lit evokes my childhood
Yay! A wonderful trip back to the 1970s - so that's having to collect your own water, worrying about electric power and some planning to make sure the gas supply is uninterrupted :). I love the way you are keeping it real, you just need an 8-track somewhere :). For the fridge consider a £85 Table Top Fridge such as the A++ rated 'Inventor' one - uses 36W when running (I measured mine with the compressor going), suitable for running off a decent (Victron pure sine) 300W-500W inverter and perhaps adding some solar with the money saved. The heavier Victron (Low freq) have a mere 2W standby power.
ETA: I fitted a Victron Multi 500 to a van (with compressor fridge) which worked out well because the 'multi' behaves like a computer UPS (providing uninterrupted power, you can plug in an EHU when needed and it manages everything else. You'd also need a split charge from the towing electrics but you'd probably need to beef up the +ve feed wire for that, and any batteries you add should be positioned near the axle for stability, a provision for a portable flexible solar may be wise too.
Whether moving to a modern 240V maintained electric system spoils the ethos of an olde-world van is a point for discussion, but when faced with £500-900 for a 'proper' 3 way fridge (without the temperature regulation of a compressor one) the budget is there for alternatives, and having 240V on tap isn't such a bad thing!.
Before buying anything however see if you need to run any 1000W + items and size accordingly, sometimes a small eco toaster etc can be useful, gas toasters seem to be simple smoke generators IME.
Reminds me of the 16 ft Terry my dad bought to go to Mexico with in about '63. We also had a couple of gas lights. Since there was no fridge, just an ice box, we didn't have to worry about a vent for it. Interesting thing about the gas lights was one mantle would always fall apart while the other lasted for years. We got to where we just planned on replacing the one each time we towed. Hope you find the things you're looking for and you're really able to enjoy Glynnis.
Thanks! And so far so good with the one mantle I have...
Happy Birthday Andrew!Your birthday cake looks very beautiful.I hope you have a great time in Dusseldorf with Glynnis.
We had a sprite major, our first caravan we loved it, enjoy your trip to Düsseldorf both of you 👍👍
That's a very nice Alpine you've got,mate.
We had a '79 Alpine and it was the best handling caravan i ever had. Drove all over Europe with it behind my '72 Range Rover V8.
Best off luck with it and i hope your Airstream gets properly sorted for you this time.
Oh wow that rig sounds amazing! Cheers 👍
@@andrewjditton Yes it was,but getting 10 MPG on petrol wasn't (; It made for great times AND memories tho and these are priceless.
M Slagter . And you’re still paying off the bank loan you got for paying for the petrol. 😁
@@okcantbelieveit294 Naah,different times and no kids at the time.But it was kinda ridicoules compared to power it got.
This is what I have been waiting for a good caravan vlog! Great content for caravan enthusiasts an that’s me 🤗 can’t wait for next vlog 👍🏼
Cheers Lee!
Andrew Ditton I have sent you a pic of some fabric on Instagram from are local fabric shop 👍🏼🎩
I really enjoyed that video. Retro caravanning is so much fun to watch. And some of those older vans really do remind us that newer ones can sometimes lose the plot a bit 🤔
Good Heavens, can't believe I have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in my house, never thought about my travel trailer! Thanks for mentioning it! Happy travels from the desert Southwest U.S.A.
MsSixty? They even make a Co detector CARD for small airplanes,,a spot in its middle turns BLACK when exposed, to CO, , as you get your heat from a heat exchanger from the exhaust pipe.
Cheers from NJ
@@flybyairplane3528 pilotshq.com/images/CODHiRes.jpg
Paranoid !
My Dad had a Sprite Alpine here in Canada. Took the thing to Florida every year.
WOW! That is one hell of a trek!
Might not smile, unless you are throwing his ball, but he seems a good sport in whatever rig you travel in😁. 🙋♀️🐶🇨🇦
Loving Glynis,
safe trip 😀
Dougal
Come on out let's just go play ball
Van looks great
You should do a retro festival 😍
love those retro curtains hope you get them
Looking great!
Cheers Tom!
Reminds me of our first van, think it was an Abbey with a gas mantel at the front shelf, before we switched to motorhoming. Have finally sold our Hymer & Honda CRV & bought a Westfalia Jules Verne that we love.
Nice one, cheers Roger!
Merci Andrew for this vidéo. I love your rétro caravan. It IS my dream to own a second caravan too. I would love a old eriba puck. Big kisses from France 😘
Merci mon ami! 👍
Great video 😊
Best of luck in finding your fabric in the smaller pattern. It's really great.
Am loving by retro caravan reminds me of my childhood. Enjoy Düsseldorf I’ll be there working on the Concorde stand pop over say hello.
Will do Owen! 👍
Great site. .has become are favourite local site for us. ..Alan
We initially had Sprite Musketeers in the 1980,s my favourite caravan.
New subscriber here from the U.S., hope you don’t mind if I tag along! And your dog is a hit, I heard her say she loves the ikea throw you got for her new cushions!
Hey Nana Betty, thanks for joining us! 😁
I also love your caravan! I have a Freedom microlite and I bought it for its simplicity. However I am starting to complicate it by buying gadgets and crap to fill him up! I wanted the simple life. I’m now having to stop it all. I am going to go for a little trip and go empty just to see how I get on! You have a wonderful life! meala-naidheachd!!!
Beautiful vintage caravan for its age!! Love the retro look and it will look fab with those curtains or similar in the design size you want. I agree that the larger print would be too dominant so its best to scale down. Dougal is so cute but looks decidedly under-whelmed by it all, have fun x
Hi Andrew we have some 1970's Tupperware drinks coasters that would look great in the van. Will show you next time we see you. 🙂 P&J
Try Stead McAlpin Fabric Mill Shop Carlisle Cumbria I enjoy your volgs and I also follow TravellingK so pleased to see that you have both now met.
Thanks Patricia! Will do.
Glynnis is about the same size as a caravan my parents had in the 60s and early 70s. I can't remember what the manufacturer was for that one. The gas lights in Glynnis really take me back to that time. My parents would take that caravan from Ireland to England each summer, then once we went across Europe to Italy. However my father found it quite scary to tow over those long distances so we got a trailer tent and used that for our expeditions across Europe.
Andrew, have you thought about a simple small computer fan to improve the ventilation? They are available for about $10 (US) online or at a computer shop, use very little electricity and last years. If you have access to the rear or inside of that vent it would be easy to attach 2-4 on its length. I’d put one facing in and the rest facing out to expel the air outside. Computers can adjust the fan speed as needed based on the heat level, so you could optionally get a small thumb type rheostat to adjust the fan speed to your liking from an electronics store or online. Just a thought.
Hi, love Glynis, layout is similar to our eriba troll.
The layout is working so well for me!
My first caravan was a '74 Alpine. No frills but we had some good times. Advertised as a 5 berth but 4 was a bit 'comfortable'. It had a front toilet compartment with a double hinged door which opened up to encompass the main door. O.k. If you remembered to lock it before being used in anger. That was in 1975' still have a touring caravan but with a few more refinements.
Hi Andrew, loving Glynis! Have you looked at Orla Kiely tablecloths. They might be in the smaller scale, like the cushions, and will have enough depth of fabric to make curtains from.
Now.... when you go to Dusseldorf can you show us some of the european caravans (please not motorhomes!). We are really interested in seeing what they have to offer and how it differs from the UK. We were pleased to hear you mention this when you were taking in your recent video. Thanks Pamela
Loved the video (and the Dougal kisses!). I think you need to replace 50 year old fabric--don't just restuff. Hope you can find material that closely matches the original. Continued safe travels!!
Absolutely Jo Ann, I didn't want to spend a few hundred pounds on new foam then have the material disintegrate!
I forgot all about having beans and toast for meal. Haven't had that since I was a child.
Really useful Vlog. As you say with the weight and the inevitable move to towing with smaller fossil fuel or EV's a nod to the future.
You can see where this project might be going, eh David? ;)
Talking of view through, do yo remember the periscope Retrovisor that fitted to the roof of the tow car with suction cups? Loved this vid. My Mum and dad bought a 1969 Alpine C brand new. Many happy memories. I wish still had it now.
I don't remember these first hand, but I do remember these horrendously large towing mirrors with suckers that attached to the ROOF of the car! ;@)
I must admit it looks great fun. Have you ever thought that perhaps Dougle doesn’t like caravaning or being a super star. 😂🚐
Keith Hicks - Dougle does seem a bit unenthusiastic at times, but in many of Andrews videos you can see Dougle having a blast happy as can be playing. I just think Dougle doesn’t understand what’s going on when he is filming. Kind of like when I trim my dogs toenails, she’s not happy and has this look of humorous toleration that’s as if she’s thinking "Stupid Humans." 😎
Yeah dead right Erin. Our dogs are the same I guess.
Keith Hicks - I have an old Golden Retriever who thinks she is human. Seriously, she does.
Love the living space
Oh, she's a peach! I'll keep an eye out for your fabric at my local shops,,,,,are you interested in other vintage designs? Or just the tomato flower? I can tell Dougal is over the moon excited about the new digs,,,,he's absolutly giddy!
I emailed my friend, (she renovated her grandparents' truck camper,) because I remembered her fabric being FANTASTICALLY 50's. She used Covington Fiesta Carson design, so I Googled it,,,and it's just as wonderful as I remembered! She used a complimentary stripe for the accent pillows. Just saying,,,,,
Hi,see you in Düsseldorf.
Great Luc! Hall 18 at 1630 on Saturday 31st, I’ll be there with lots of other TH-camrs 👍
Love the fabric choice you describe. Keep in mind when blending fabric "patterns" you must vary the pattern sizes...so if your curtains are a certain scale in pattern it's best to go with a different scale size pattern in a complementing choice. For instance, if you have an average smallish size floral calico, you need to pair that with a bit larger pattern stripe, or tiny dot. Does this make sense? I may not have explained it well. The thinking is even if you have complementing fabrics, if they're all the same scale you won't get the effect you desire.
Great advice.
Thanks Sue. The seat fabric I’m after is a plain orange like the original, so hopefully that will offset the slightly ‘busy’ curtains, just as it did in that pics from the original brochure. Many thanks for your good advice. 👍
Hi Andrew. Please Please change the screw caps which are white to a more in keeping wood colour. Cheers from George and Jane
Loving the retro caravan, but being so light you might just blow away in those Scottish winds 💨💨
Old Reno Caeavans or travel trailers here in north America are becoming big thing you have nice little one it be funny if dogs could smile
Hello, If You want you can make your own curtains very easy. Please get some white cotton fabric and measure,cut and sew to size needed. Then get some fabric paint with some rubber stamps in the shape you wish along with the colors you wish. Then stamp till your heart is content and hang them up and you will be so happy with you own personal curtains.
Cool idea, thank you!
Jill suggests you look at Orla Kiely Sweet Pea Orange, 16cm repeat, now half price at curtain factory outlet!
Will do, thanks Paul! 👍
Jill has also found
Wallace natural/multi natural fibre by Laura Ashley
You should strongly consider a compressor fridge. They're just better, as long as you have decent battery capacity. Although you could consider something like a Dometic CFX chest-style compressor one, too. The benefit of that being that now you have a small portable fridge - or freezer, they can be either - which is something that could come in handy in any motorhome or caravan as secondary cold storage in the future, when you go back to the Airstream or a loaner van or whatever. Just a thought.
Good idea, thank you!
I spent many a happy childhood holiday in a similar vintage sprite caravan. Ours had the toilet by the door and a long bench opposite I recall. Mum and dad then upgraded to an Alpine SV which I used once or twice after dad passed away. We had neither electricity or a fridge but still enjoyed ourselves.
Happy times Andrew 👍
Edited to say I am sure I have a spare gas mantle but I can't at the moment remember where it is. One of those things that was kept in a spares box in the caravan. If I find it do you want it?
If it’s a No.2 or a Bijou fitting I’ll gladly refund your postage, thank you!
@@andrewjditton sent you a tweet with pictures. Hope its fits.
Now you have 2 cuties in your life Dougal and Glynis 😉
Wow !!!! I can't believe how similar you dog is to mine. They could be brother and sister ( if your dog is 13 that is ) I hope you have insurance for him as ours needed two operations for cruciate ligament problems ( back legs ) £1000 per op.
Found Orly Kiely, "colorful leaf" in the small pattern, not tomato stem (leaf color slightly different but same pattern). It's a 72"x72" polyester water & mildew resistant curtain. Amazon, sold by Cloud Dream Home, $18. Looks like could be sewn into caravan curtains.
Just found your channel via Caravan Salon research - really nice channel, thank you.
Charming little van - eco to have given it a new lease of life, and I don't suppose it has that much impact on the Navara's fuel consumption.
Many electric vehicles could tow this I suspect - there must be a market for new light and compact caravans as electric vehicles gain market share.
I remember the gas lights in my parent's old Alpine - so evocative of childhood holidays!
If you are still at Caravan Salon did you spot the Hymer Eriba Nova L? It's not widely available in the UK, but strikes a nice balance between space and towability...
Welcome! Glad you like the channel. Yes, Glynnis has a small impact on the Navara's consumption - from 35mpg to 30mpg. It is electric cars I am thinking of when I say this Retro caravan is the caravan of the future! All the best.
hello, hello! :)
Followed 😊
If you can’t find fabric commercially, consider checking out Spoonflower.com where there are many many designs. You could even design your own and have Spoonflower produce your yardage!🙂
That sounds like a great idea Faye, I could even try and replicate the original design! Thank you 👍
Andrew Ditton Good luck!
Hello Andrew and cute sidekick! I don’t want to steer you wrong but is the fabric at Dunelm @£18 per meter the right size? (Hard to tell on the website). I was lucky with my vintage trailer because all the upholstery and curtains had been done top notch (yellow/gray/white/black with bird motif on curtains) I did however cover one of the two bunk beds with a black ultra suede curtain that I pinned with large safety pins from the local fabric shop. Worked very well.
You are making me heart sick for selling my vintage fg trailer Bertie 😩. After a one day shakedown trip in my new Class B I already pine for simpler days and the personality of vintage RV’s. Will love living vicariously through you now!
Very nice little van
So how did they manage to make that last so long when so many new wonderful vans these days leak after a few years?
Personally I think I'd go with cutting a flue and having a gas fridge, I'm sure you can source, or maybe colour , the new flue plastic vent to look old and in keeping. Personally I hate compressor fridges , noisy and consume loads of amps. We rented a campervan recently with a compressor fridge, I turned it off each night as I couldn't put up with the noise.......to be fair I ran it at it's coldest setting all day so even when it was switched off overnight it still kept the items cold by the following morning.
Ikea also do 30 inch wide mattresses
Thanks Andrew. Enjoy your new cutie! Good thing you are not 3 inches shorter with a booty or navigating the dinette might pinch a bit. Lol. xx
Wife and daughter said, try Dunelm or EBay for fabric.😊
"Dougal, what do you think of retro Glynnis?".... Don't know. Already satisfied with retro Andrew 😊 Unfortunately no idea of where to find small Orla Kielys :-(
When I checked in at Düsseldorf yesterday, I told the Reception lady it was an 'OldTimer' caravan. Then I said I was an 'OldTimer' caravanner and she almost cried laughing. She appreciated British style humour :)
Great vlog as usual.
Love Glynis she's a keeper.
Is the saucepan at the end a genuine 1970s item as well?🤣
Yes Andy, that’s an original saucepan from our 1969 Thomson 😁