LRCC

RMS wrote:I wonder if we'll get a volunteer to check the records for Searle vehicles

Do you know if MW also sold 'standard' Land Rovers? I know Searle/Carawagon International sold non-Carawagons! Eg. Patrick's SWB was supplied by Searle, though it has never been a Carawagon or Safari Sleeper - just has a "Supplied by Searle" badge on the back

Maybe........I did check a few Searle numbers while at Gaydon and did confirm that a similar methodology could be applied, but I think the assumption that all Land Rovers going from Solihull to Searle must be Carawagons is probably flawed for just the reason you mention. Searle converted and supplied Land Rovers a number of those would have been standard vehicles.

However Martin Walter converted LandRovers, Bedfords, VW etc but did not operate as a direct retail outlet, hence in my humble opinion did not sell standard Land Rovers or any other marque. When you bought a Dormobile it was bought from a local dealer and this is where the Land Rover factory records are less than useful as there is no way of knowing where a Dormobile was eventually retailed from.

To trace where any standard Land Rover was supplied from is simple, the Factory Records tell you which dealer or organisation it was despatched to (some of these despatches are very interesting in their own right, with vehicles sent to every corner of the British Empire) however tracing a LandRover Dormobile post conversion is impossible from the Factory records as the entry is to MW Folkestone not the retailing dealer. I can still remember as a youngster in the early 70s watching my father drive down the road after collecting our first Dormobile which came via Westover Motors in Poole.

Kind regards
Phil

overlander wrote:My God you're back, the rumours were unfounded!! I keep getting grilled by a couple of former neighbours of yours, names unknown, who turn up at the Classic Car meets at Ripon and Ripley from time to time.. Hope you can join us 'camping it up' one weekend.

Hello John,

Intrigued as to the rumors? Never reached me unfounded or not!
Was going to pop and see you all t'other week near Helmsley as I'm only a couple of miles away but think you had disappeared by the time I got mobile.

Kind regards
Phil

that is very interesting to see the
no's for dormobiles.

we must have the no's for carawagons

so robin when are we going to gayden?

regards

phillip

I suppose if someone does find time to peruse the records, if all the LWB RHD export models which went to Searle were counted, we wouldn't be too far off.

I've not heard of anyone with a 2 door LWB with a "Supplied by Searle" badge, just a few SWB.

Of course, that won't help with the numbers of Searle Safari Sleepers or 88" Carawagons as it looks like Searle were converting some SWB and selling others as stock + badge

I wonder if everyone on here with a Carawagon could check their chassis number with CalVIN HERE to see if theirs is an export model, please?

All 4 of ours are marked as RHD Export so I suspect that like the MW ones, those destined for MW or Searle for conversion were marked as such

It might also be interesting to find out how many 5 door were sent to Searle - we've only seen 4 or 5 LWB SW Carawagons pop up in the last few years including Patrick's, so they must be uber-rare!

Cheers,
Robin.

Hi Phil

Good to see you haven't sunk and good to hear that the Dormobile is still in action. Looking forward to catching up.

Barney is having another gearbox rebuild this week, after a couple of teeth fell off first gear. Should get it split tomorrow and see what the damage is!!! Hope this gearbox last long enough for me to save up enough money to pay for s 5 speed gearbox and Ashcroft conversion. Plan is to take Barney off the road next Easter and fit the five speed. As the engine has to go forward, the Mazda engine is an option as it is 4" shorter than the TDi.

Mick

hi robin

i have checked my chassis no,and
it is export rhd.

it will be interesting if that applies
to all the carawagons we know.

regards

phillip

Hi Robin

My Carawagon is a 252, which makes her an Export Right Hand Drive 109" Petrol, which is what she still is.

Cheers Mick

Phil, I messages you details of mine a while back. Any details you have from Gaydon would be useful, my understanding is it was registered in jan/feb 1962, would like to know when it went to MW.

In other news, snapped my rear half shaft on Sunday so that's a job before I can go anywhere. It was my first one, pulled out of a junction at low speed and a non-descript noise and no drive, very annoying. Mick, did you get my message about you metal boxes? Have to go down to Alex's in November (sorry for delay Alex) if you still have one?

Dan

Very interested to read your post.
I have owned 26203628B fo a very long time now, originally as a family camper, then used as a mobile workshop in the dales for 18 years!, then arrived foot and mouth and moved to Italy where it has been converted to 200Tdi and 5 speed and is awaiting return to the road as a camper.
You can update your records but I intend to keep it and am looking for a cemetery where I can be buried in it (eventually).
Best regards
Dick

And this is Richards for those who don't know it ;)