My big fat gypsy caravan

[(RIP) PLANK]

I have recently bought (just for fun) a big old Buccaneer caravan, a bit fo a mid life crisis thing i suppose to remind me of my youth. Though bear in mind the last time i toured and lived on one was only about 8 years ago.

it needs a lot of fixing and tarting up, notably uphlostery, carpets blinds etc. oh, and some misguided soul has added a sink and water pump at some time so they have to go! But my initial intention is just quick fix lash up to make it usable unit the end of the summer then work on it at my leisure.

as you know these things are 8 feet wide and this one has 36 hand cut mirrors more than i have seen in one of these before and a wood burner.

it has already had bearings brakes, including shoes cables etc replaced so is towable.

do any members have any suggestions or ideas for the rest of the project?

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

a quick photo:

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

another:

 

[extreme-4x4]

id love one ... but id have to sprey the outside to tone it down a bit

 

[makeitfit]

Hmph, I've just noticed how aweful the scenery is round here and here the local caravan sites were hit really bad in todays budget

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

id love one ... but id have to sprey the outside to tone it down a bit

i'm thinking of adding a couple of mirrored stainless bands when it's finished to jazz it up a bit :thumbs

it's all ready got a bull bar and one on the back:

 

[Paul]

A good friend lives in one over in Warton, think they are great myself..:thumb2
Have you anymore pic's of the inside?

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

hey nice van, takes me back to long chats we've had about them.

what length is she, are they wired for 24v from tug going by all
those side and indicators. perhaps swapping to led bulbs will make
life easier on the t2.

love to meet her sometime, wicksteed??

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

just 12 volt wiring, and i'm not entirely sure all the running lights work yet i have only moved it once though it was nearly 300 miles and used a trailer board for that to be on the safe side. I like the led bulb idea though.

it is approx 21/22 feet body, though being 8 feet wide as you know makes these feel huge.

inside it is perhaps the most ornate one i have ever seen so I had to have it.

I am plannign a few 21 volt reading lights and cabinet lights though to make it less mains dependant as they are all 240 volts only.

is anyone going to wicksteed this year then? if so we might come along though probalby not in my t2, not enough seats, and sadly maybe not in the bccaneer as we have 2 tourers and it might not be useable. I am planning a rough job to make it ready for the school summer holidays so if it's more than 3 weeks or so away you never know.

it would be nice to see you and yours again and finaly meet your new adition, did i tell you we have another one? a 10 month old daughter.

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

no mate, belated congrats.

sometime somewhere eh.

think will work on some sort of informal meet
as these rallies seem to spiral up and out...

somewhere we we can all just turn up and pay
our own way, like a commercial site even with
some family facilities?

 

[jims-terrano]

Wow that's a real stunner Plank!!! almost too good to use with an interior like that.

Jim

 

[wildbri]

looks very grand, makes my 12foot abi ( in which I am writing this whilst on a grand tour of the south) look poor and simple, but then it already looks like that surrounded as we are by huge motorhomes and and vast caravan with huge awnings (why do couples need so much space on holiday?) on this caravan club site in the New Forest. bri

 

[dinky]

plank when i get home will pm you number of man who bought all buccaneer parts when they closed.services my elan every year.

 

[clivvy]

I dont know how you can tow it, how do you manouvre it?? i worry over my simple little Elddis Swift

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

I dont know how you can tow it, how do you manouvre it?? i worry over my simple little Elddis Swift

well i adopt the cats whiskers theory that if can get tug and its mirrors thru, van will follow
and as a former pro bus driver, squeezing 40 foot buses thru rush hour city traffic the 'van
is generally a breeze. only thing that gets me thinking sometimes id the kick out effect
of rear of van, but generally its less than a longer over hang of a bus as the van is already
following a tighter curve thanks to articualtion than a rigid vehicle of same lenght.

give it a go, with a 4x4 like a t2/mav be good for 20 footer like Planks and mine, enjoy
the space and leave the awning at home....

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

Thanks for the contact Dinky!

Wildbri, I just hope the front tow bar holds out but it was made by a very trustworth man so i am confident!

On the manouvering and towing front, the worst bits are its width it makes it hard to see behind from a t2 een with the dreaded towing mirrors, I brought i thorugh some villages in devon and somerset and it caused quite a comotion on the roads!

On the motorway brilliant as they weight around 2 tonnes and just sit there no swaying or anything.

but when its pitched up the best bit is the width, that extra foot makes it seem twice as lare inside and with no toilet shower etc it's all livable space.

I agree with Bri on people taking too much stuff etc on holiday, but bear in mind i have only spent 3 nights inside a house in the last 2 years !

For me sitting in fonrt of a log burner with a Royal Brierley crystal glass filled with a nice drop of penny red from halfpeenny green vinyard (which is less than a mile and a half away) is priceless.

An informal weekend at wicksteed on anywhere else for that matter, would be nice! I agree planning a rally can get a bit OTT

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

Plank, caught a documentary on the Appleby fair last night on one of more
obscure sky channels maybe named community.

Made by young travellers, not seen it all yet but some nice kit on 4 wheels,
4 and 2 legs...

its on my sky+ hard drive, could try to get onto a dvd if interested...

 

[jims-terrano]

They keep repeating that prog RBRT, I keep seeing bits of it too. Get's hairier than Si n Dave up there at Fair time:lol:lol

You'd better keep posting photo's of your van Plank.:thumbs

Jim

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

i keep looking for that to see if i am on it :thumb2

hows this for an example of the local wildlife taken this year:

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

photo didn't load for some reason hold on!

no dont want to know since site upgrade it wants me to resise the photo, never done that before and i can't be arsed sorry