Our Touring Past

Good advice Reddo

I too found the Velox suffered quite badly from exposure on this trip. I would normally at least polish the flat surfaces, especially the white as the old girl is still sporting its 'Magic Mirror' acrylic from 1961.

The bonnet and boot have quite a few scratches that you normally can't see, but after only two nights in the open (it is normally garaged) it looked like your red in the whites of your eyes the morning after. Fine brown lines of rust showing up every scratch and stone chip.

It took a day of polishing to restore it to looking presentable, it was looking quite 2nd hand by the time I got back. A partial repaint is in the wings one day.

No obvious problem with the van however, all seems to be ok, but I wasn't as close to the salt water as you.

Nice to be a bit wiser for next time.

George

Too right George.
The panelvan survived quite well. Knowing what the salt is capabale of I had waxed and polished every inch of it before i went away.
and repeated the process after i got home. washed the car again in water with a cap full of Kero dropped in it. Then waxed it again..
Alas .. the poor old TD just got all the clothes and perishable food removed and stuffed back in the carport.

I can see now why Phillmac use to get out every morning of the tour and at SWR and chamois his beautiful black C10 Chev ute !!!

Mental note to self.. do both car and van on return from coastal holidays.


Regards
Reddo

gday reddo
,
had to buy into this topic as it,s up my ally.but nothing beats the hard work.
Your spot on about the salt as I gave everything a good hosing as soon as I pulled into
the driveway but it was still a bit like me ,,,,shiny on top but still some crap underneath!!!
Ive had to give everything a good going over again top and bottom to clean it right up
At the end of the it gives you a reason for another beer


cheers phil

While the van didn't seem to suffer I forgot to mention the bright new chrome towel rail fitted across the front just before the trip is stuffed after a few weeks. It came from Bunnings, made in Taiwan, but I think they just move it through the fumes of the plating shop to get the chrome on it. If I still had the receipt I'd be taking it back, they didn't say I had to leave the plastic sleeve on if I wanted it to stay nice! Purple has taken most of the crud off for the moment but you can actually see the black spots where the chrome has broken down. Will have to look for an alternative.

On a different note here are a few more vans from the Tourist Park that took my fancy.
This Viscount I reckon was the prettiest van there in an original gold and blue finish. Tow car was a similar blue HZ Holden, smick!! Baravan was nice too. Didn't get to talk Dolly wheels with Brenton, I couldn't track him down in my two days. I did suggest to Strugglebrook that we start a 'Blokes with Dollies' Forum, but he thought it might attract some less savoury types!! And at our first stop on the way up at Hawkesbury someone was into a bit of free camping with this Viscount Royal. There is still debate about the legalities of Dolly Wheels and on the way up at Raymond Terrace I thought it might be put to the test as a couple of RMS Inspectors went past in their ute then pulled up a few hundred metres up the road. They came out after I passed and went past again, the passenger giving me a big smile and a thumbs up, so I figure I have RMS approval. I had stated elsewhere if there was a problem and I'd stick them in the boot of the Velox if not allowed to use them. I thought I'd best check that and I'm pleased to say with some of the usual junk in the boot relegated to the back seat they will fit nicely

George

Hiya George..
At the risk of starting a "Towel Rail" show n tell..
I will mention that i have tried that Bunnings Junk in the past.. Its crap. I ended up getting a 1800mm length of 19mm stainless tubing from Bunnings for the TD. Havent had a problem with crud since.

I thought i would be smart and do the same thing on the supalite i am working on... but was dissapointed to find that 1800 is the longest they keep in staino tube.. The Supalite is 2 metres wide.. I could buy a longer length at a plumbing supplies place .. but i aint that concerned about what i hang my towels on !!
So.. rather than slump to using Tiawanese chrome tube i used 19mm Tassie Oak dowel. It looks good with a few clear coats of lacquer on it... and.. if it starts to look shabby just give it a light sand and repaint it.
Had a giggle at one van at SWR. It had a rear towel rail and the bum of the van stuck out about a further 6" from where the rail was mounted below the rear window ???. It meant that if ya hung a towel on the rail it would lay on the timber below the rail...totally useless

I came across Brenton and FJ towing bondwood with Hitch down near Buladelah on the way home from the OTP Rally. He was setting a moderate pace of around 85 /90KPH when i came up behind him.
I sat and watched the van for a while.. It seemed to be doing a bit of tailwagging??
Not sure if it was the hitch upsetting the straight tow due to truck grooves in the highway.. or maybe a bit of slop in the steering of the Holden which need constant correction to keep the whole show in a straight line.
Its times like that i am glad i only have the TD on behind the EH Panno.. sits comfy on 110 all day.

I think if push come to shove you will find that the hitches are illegal. Just have to keep that in mind and be prepared to unhitch the hitch if ya draw attention from the wrong Policeman .
As it stands at the moment i think most of em would just say to themselves "What the @#$% is that "???

Cheers
Reddo