My new newest Carawagon :)

[RMS]

I emptied the back today - this is what it was like when it arrived:
(Please ignore the chicken poo everywhere - it looks like it's been used as a coop at some time )





Here it is, empty:



Seats in:



The wardrobe, with the table legs in clips:



Notice the 1970s throwback - ashtray on the side of the wardrobe

The table is a three legged affair:


The two leg end fits into these holes,

though someone has added two more plates to the bottom of the table and made an extra leg for outside use:


The cupboard, with removable door to make the table:


The fridge, which is 12V + gas


Gas bottle holders (to mount under driver's seat):


The cooker on the back door:]





I've made the bed made up, though there's something funny about the bulkhead end. I think there should be some sort of framework for the two small squabs, otherwise it's a bed for 5'6" folk only

I'll try again to see if I can make sense of it and put up pics when I'm happy with it.

The bunks are there, and the side pockets are in good condition, though of course, all the roof woodwork and probably some hinges need renewing.

Oh, and there's an awning, with the Carawagon designed pull-out poles plus centre pole, AND a side awning with poles - all original

Cheers,
Robin.

[DanC]

Looks nice and complete Robin... Have to say (and you had better sit down), the Carawagon setup looks a bit Heath Robinson next to the Dormobile.. All wood and Formica instead of space age metal and complicated mechanicals..lol.. All that lot must add a ton of weight to the vehicle? Still a bargain my friend, nice desirable motor!! I think 5' 6" seems a little on the short side, any photos with the bed down?

The fridge is kinda cool, no room in my Dormi so not worth sneaking around one night and pilfering!

[flyingant]

Well done for saving yet another camper Robin! Looks good - but like Dan, I prefer the Dormobile equipment!

Is there no sink unit, and - dare I say it - RUNNING WATER?!!

[RMS]

Ah, but that's part of the appeal of the Carawagon over the Dormobile, for me anyway.

Classic veneered wood (traditional blockboard with mahogany edging, not ply or chipboard) and aluminium - none of your modern fibreglass/plastic and office furniture

(I'll sit down now )

Actually, the wardrobe is surprisingly light - I can't see a steel wardrobe being a lot lighter
When you get yours, do you want to weigh it, just for comparison?

I did make up the bed - first attempt was wrong (small squabs on driver's side and passenger seat squab missing).
That's when I realised the small squabs probably extend the driver's and passenger's squabs forward to the dash - that should give over 6' length.



Despite the seller saying everything was present, there's actually a front seat squab missing
However, the front seats are standard deluxe ones, with a bit of extra on the seat back to make up the flat bed so I should be able to source one and add the extra bits.
As the seller lives 260+ miles away it's not worth asking him if he's still got it there

What is an advantage over my current one and Patrick's SW version is the bed is the full width of the vehicle.
In my current one and in Patrick's there's a cupboard down one side so the bed is really only 3/4 width.

The aluminium trims down the sides of the bed are actually pulled out - they were de-rivited from the tub by the previous owner to lift the sides off the tub. Once they are rivited back in position they will sit almost flush with the sides.

Ah well, plenty of work to be done before I decide which to use as my main Carawagon

Cheers,
Robin.

[RMS]

Well done for saving yet another camper Robin! Looks good - but like Dan, I prefer the Dormobile equipment!

Is there no sink unit, and - dare I say it - RUNNING WATER?!!

Yes, there's a sort-of sink and running water!

In traditional Searle style, a fitted sink was an option, but the basic setup was a plastic bowl on the worktop, hence the pump/tap spout being quite high:



After use, the bowl would be emptied outside and stored in the cupboard, with the edges of the bowl sliding into slots just under the worktop (just see one side slot in the above picture, in the right hand side cupboard).

This seems to work well, especially in this layout as there's not a lot of worktop space, so being able to put the 'sink' away gives more space.

The water comes from a 10/15 litre jerry can in the back of the cupboard, so yes, it has 'running water', but manually pumped.

This is the same setup as the Carawagon I restored last year. Patrick's SW Carawagon and the one I got late last year to restore both have stainless steel sinks built in, though the pump/tap is the same.

Yet another example of Searle's multiple option list

Cheers,
Robin.

[flyingant]

Chacun a son gout

as the French say. Don't forget that the Dormobile interior was designed in in the early 50s, and was years ahead in it's conception. The Carawagon furniture is primitive in comparison, and reminiscent of a 1930s Norfolk Broads sailing cruiser, but I can understand someone of Robin's mature years being more attracted to it! If you are comparing the weights of wardrobes, don't forget that the Dormobile's is about 3x larger,and contains a combination ladder (for access to the bunks) and stool (for the cook) plus attachment for the tanks which provide RUNNING WATER! A far more elegant solution IMHO!

OK - rant over - I'm only jealous Robin!!

[DanC]

Yup, all interesting stuff Robin, I guess half the fun is discovering the layout!! Shame about the missing seat, it is a pain isn't it

It would be interesting to weigh the corresponding kit to see what the difference is! I guess the Carawagon must save on seats as it doesn't have the dormatic mechanism, but regardless of metal, I would have thought the Dormobile furniture would generally be a bit lighter??? The thing with wood of course is it isn't great around water but is easy to replace!

I would say I prefer my Dormi, mainly because it is a hell of a good vehicle in terms of daily use, with rear doors and decent back seats. I also dare I say it, think that the Dormi system is a bit cleverer in terms of construction, but it would be interesting to sleep in a carawagon with the wooden roof, more like a solid enclosure? Either way, both models have a hell of a lot going for them and many more should see you write a definitive guide to Carawagons! What is the purpose of the aluminium side panels btw? I was thinking of fitting a pump tap to my Dormi as I do think that is a good idea.

Dan

[flyingant]

I was thinking of fitting a pump tap to my Dormi as I do think that is a good idea.

Dan

Dan I think you've got a serious obsession with RUNNING WATER!!

Seriously, for me the beauty of the Dormobile furniture is that with undoing 3 bolts, each unit of furniture can be removed. The rear seats can be folded flush with the sides, and you are ready to trransport a considerable volume of material. If you introduce pumped water to the kitchen unit, you sacrifice this versatility. The original Dormobile conversions on Bedfords, were designed for artisans who needed their vehicles for commercial use during the working week, and for leisure, with their families at weekends. The Carawagons were aimed more at the wealthy aristocrats like Robin!

[DanC]

I was just thinking aloud... I will probably just use a water bottle..lol.. Fantastic comparison though and quite right. Sadly, as i design and detail buildings my artisan opportunities are limited.. Given the current state of construction this might yet change...

[RMS]

I think what you've got to remember about the materials Searle used was that they were traditional boat builders, (hence the 1930s Norfolk Broads cruiser designs ) dipping into the market of bespoke conversions.
They probably couldn't have offered what they did, ie. building to customer specifications and wants, without using wood for one-off designs.

Dormobile were mass producers of conversions - I don't think they offered options on cabinets, seats etc.
That meant they could produce hundreds of units, all the same, and do quick conversions. Tooling for steel pressings would have been expensive to set up initially, so I would have thought that they wouldn't have wanted to make more than one design.

I agree that the Dormatic seat system is great - far better than some of the Carawagon setups - the bed in Patrick's SW version is made up from 6 separate seat cushions and is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle!

I would say I prefer my Dormi, mainly because it is a hell of a good vehicle in terms of daily use, with rear doors and decent back seats.

Dan, don't forget that Carawagon also converted Station Wagons, with rear doors and decent, forward facing, rear seats so that's not really a Dormobile vs Carawagon issue. You don't see many though - apart from Patrick's, I think we've only seen 2-3 others.

The Carawagons were aimed more at the wealthy aristocrats like Robin!

I like that thought