Dormobile on Peninsula Link

[gromit]

I was just getting on Peninsula Link at Langwarrin today and spotted a dark green Dormobile on a trailer heading towards Melbourne.
Only got a fleeting glimpse so not sure whether SII or SIII.


Colin

[CamBeer]

Hi Colin, did it happen to be behind a dark blue Colorado ute?
If so that was me! It was heading to Kilmore for a resto as it had been sitting for 30 odd years in Somers.
We've got it back some 3 or 4 months ago on full Rego
Cheers, Cam

[gromit]

Hi Colin, did it happen to be behind a dark blue Colorado ute?
If so that was me! It was heading to Kilmore for a resto as it had been sitting for 30 odd years in Somers.
We've got it back some 3 or 4 months ago on full Rego
Cheers, Cam

Hi Cam,
Too busy looking at the Dormy to notice what was towing it.

Lots of questions.....what engine, why full rego rather than a Club Permit, was the furniture complete ?

How about some pictures ??

Mine is taking time as money is tight at the moment and I'm doing all the work myself. Next job is trying to bend Masonite to make the headlining, The formers are made and a sheet of flexi-ply purchased just need to wait till my local woodwork club reopens......


Colin

[Homestar]

Hi Colin, did it happen to be behind a dark blue Colorado ute?
If so that was me! It was heading to Kilmore for a resto as it had been sitting for 30 odd years in Somers.
We've got it back some 3 or 4 months ago on full Rego
Cheers, Cam

Would love to see some pics of the resto if you documented it. :)

[CamBeer]

165152

I'll give you a better rundown and a few pics when I'm home but.
Original 2.25 diesel
Bought in England and has been through Europe and Africa and has done 2 Aussie trips.
Has been in my partners family since new.
We only got it restored engine / RWC wise so it's reliable and safe but retains the family history.
Has spent a few days in the middle of a river in cape york.
That being said it's in great nick for its travels.

Full reg was only because it was a bit hard to organise club reg with covid lock downs in place.

[gromit]

165152

I'll give you a better rundown and a few pics when I'm home but.
Original 2.25 diesel
Bought in England and has been through Europe and Africa and has done 2 Aussie trips.
Has been in my partners family since new.
We only got it restored engine / RWC wise so it's reliable and safe but retains the family history.
Has spent a few days in the middle of a river in cape york.
That being said it's in great nick for its travels.

Full reg was only because it was a bit hard to organise club reg with covid lock downs in place.


Looks like it has 'character', I think a full repaint/resto sometimes loses more than it gains.

I need to re-paint parts of mine but perhaps I'll get it back on the road first, it's already on Club Permit but not used because the brakes failed and I wanted to fit seat belts and completely go through the brake system, then there are the seats that need recovering........

Looking forward to seeing more pictures.


Colin

[grey_ghost]

Did you get it fixed up at Autofarm?

[CamBeer]

Yes it was fixed at autofarm, and I'd absolutely recommend them to anyone, it wasn't quick but I did say that I wasn't in a rush so they could keep pushing it to the back of the queue if they wanted. Quality work though and the car hasn't let us down yet.

We got lucky with our seats, no tears or deterioration at all although we also need to do the timber headlining so let us know how that goes in your car Colin.
Here's a few pics including one of a photo of it when it lived in the shed at Heathmont.

Also the plaque on the front reads
Overland England to Australia
Via
France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Persia, Afganistan, Pakistan, India
And
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rhodesia, Swaziland and South Africa

[Don 130]

Fixed that upside down one.

Don.

[gromit]

We got lucky with our seats, no tears or deterioration at all although we also need to do the timber headlining so let us know how that goes in your car Colin.


Thanks for the pictures.

Making the headlining has been drawn out due to Stage 4, I can't get access to the Woodwork Club to finish off the work on the formers.
Still not sure exactly how to bend the Masonite. The general idea is to get it wet, clamp it in the formers I'm making and hopefully when it dries it will have taken a permanent bend. Then it needs to be covered with vinyl.

I managed to get reproduction seat covers in 'Elephant Hide' which is correct for my IIa, your seats look perfectly OK. I also notice your curtains look like they are on the original rails, mine had been replaced and I had to get originals from the UK (a VW Combi parst supplier). I also need to make curtains at some point.

Dormobile in the UK have some parts available. I managed to get a sink, badges, bunks and a few other bits & pieces.


Colin

[CamBeer]

We were considering using brace ply for ours, do you happen to know Bevan from lrocv? My partner remembered him discussing a Colin with the only other Dormobile he's seen.
When your back on the road I'd love to go for a drive with you and compare dormobiles

[gromit]

We were considering using brace ply for ours, do you happen to know Bevan from lrocv? My partner remembered him discussing a Colin with the only other Dormobile he's seen.
When your back on the road I'd love to go for a drive with you and compare dormobiles

Cam,
Yes I Know Bevan Fenner, it was him who put me on to the Dormobile. I haven't seen him for a while, in fact the last time was at Cooma in 2018.

He serviced the Dormobile for the couple that purchased it from Regent Motors in the 70's (he was at ULR back then), then it passed to him then went to another couple he knew and he continued to service it for them including refurbishing the motor & gearbox. When they passed he put me onto their son & daughters who were dealing with the farm and many, many military vehicles their father had collected and I managed to buy it from them.
Have a look at my 'Walter the Dormobile' thread for some of the details.

A while ago I found a video on YouTube of a Series gathering in 2007 at Gembrook and my Dormobile features in it !!! It appears about 49seconds in and again towards the end.
Land Rover Series 1 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgawZR0S80Y)
The drivers side rear window has been blanked off, the wardrobe get in the way so most of it's blocked on the inside anyway.
I know Steve who's property the meeting was on and he remembered the Dormy.

I have a few projects on the go and need to get back to the Dormobile. There are a lot of bits that have been removed/lost plus I need to fix the seat frames then recover them and finish installing seatbelts.

Colin

[jerryd]

165152

I'll give you a better rundown and a few pics when I'm home but.
Original 2.25 diesel
Bought in England and has been through Europe and Africa and has done 2 Aussie trips.
Has been in my partners family since new.
We only got it restored engine / RWC wise so it's reliable and safe but retains the family history.
Has spent a few days in the middle of a river in cape york.
That being said it's in great nick for its travels.

Full reg was only because it was a bit hard to organise club reg with covid lock downs in place.


Mine did a similar trip from the uk, but spent 2 years in India [smilebigeye]