Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all the followers and readers of my blog. It's been an amazing 2013 and fingers crossed that 2014 will be even better. I started 2013 with only one caravan end ended the year with four! Anyway, thought it was time I gave you all an update...

Firstly, meet my Christmas Present; a 1962 Sprite Musketeer. She'd been laid up in a garden for 21 years - thankfully properly laid up jacked up off the ground with the A-frame and running gear protected. The owner said it was her husband's pride and joy; he laid it up 21 years ago when he became ill and died a year later. So it sat for 20 years completely untouched. Understandably, the lady was attached to it, but agreed to sell on the basis that it would be getting looked after and would live on.

**CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM**

This particular example was pretty much all original, aside from the paint job. She will be getting a thorough restoration and work has already begun to repair the damp inside. 

She was well and truly bedded down in the garden - it took an hour to get her out with the following:

1x can of WD40
2x hydraulic jacks
4x lengths of wood
2x paving slabs to cover soft ground
1x ruined lawn

The neighbours soon gathered to witness the day they never thought they'd see: this monstrosity leaving their sights. Their loss is my gain!

As soon as I got her back to storage the cleaning job began. What a difference a bucket of water and a sponge makes! 

The upholstery is not original, but the original seat cushion material and original lino were lurking underneath! The lino will be cleaned up and salvaged, but I will be putting in new curtains and reupholstering the seats.

The kitchen comes with a retrofitted 1960's Calor cooker complete with the original enamel grill pan. There's also a footpump for the water tap and plenty of storage! A workable kitchen but it needs a bit of TLC to bring it up to scratch.

And here's the main feature of this caravan: a fold down double bed! It hinges down from the wall at night and by day pushes back to reveal a dinette:

Obviously I'll need to get a new mattress!

But all in all, I'm absolutely delighted with my 1962 Sprite Musketeer. She's a very welcome addition to my fleet. Can't wait to get her finished and get out and about using her.


In other news, some sad news. My 1969 Sprite 400 ("Dylan") has moved on to new owners.

But it's not all sad; he's got loving new owners who can't wait to get out and start using him AND they swapped me for their all original 1964 Sprite 400! 

I've saved my 1969 400, so it's time to pass it on to be enjoyed and for me to save this one. Except this one really is a keeper now. She's untouched: was laid up in 1972 and rescued from the same spot last year. The couple I got it from attended to the chassis but never got around to anything else. 

Can you believe it: this Sprite 400 was still on it's ORIGINAL 1964 crossply tyres?! Sadly the roadlights had rusted beyond repair, hence the trailerboard, and also the jockeywheel had rusted solid so needed cutting off with an angle grinder. Luckily I had another 1960's genuine Sprite jockeywheel in my pile of caravan spares. 

Inside she's pretty much as she was in 1964. I made these new curtains as she had none when I got her. The curtains actually came from a 1967 Sprite Major that I saved the interior from, so these are genuine. The gas lamp is also not original, but is a genuine Sprite one so that's okay. The seat cushions and lino are all original and in amazing condition!

The kitchen is all original - it even has the original Dudley hob. The kitchen will get the woodwork revarnished and I will also fit a genuine Sprite footpump and tap for the sink, which was an optional extra when this caravan was new.

I also bought this charming gas heater for my 1963 Sprite Alpine ("Jennifer") but look how well it goes in my new 400! This will get plumbed in so I have heating. This caravan will be a museum quality timewarp when it's done - she'll remain unmodified!

So that brings me up to date. As you can see, it was a crazy few weeks over Christmas for me. Lots more exciting things planned this year, I'm currently booking a few holidays away, so I need to get on and get my caravans finished!