Painting a Vintage/Retro Caravan

Daisy, our 1969 Bluebird Euorpe Three Caravan. Looked a little worse for where when we picked her up. While I got on with the really important jobs, getting her safe and water tight. Things which where just to make her look pretty where pushed to one side.

Painting her chassis is very important though, to keep the metal in good working order and stop rust eating her. Lucky her a-frame and chassis where in pretty good condition and only min scrubbing back with a wire brush would be needed.

One of the things which made a huge impact was painting her wheels! Wow. A million times better.

I went with cream, looking back at old photos she would have been white or cream. White can look a little hash, so I went with cream.

One more coat to go and then all the parts you can't see will be painted black.

Already one tin of paint has made a huge impact to how she looks! 

We are currently trying to pick colours and paint types for the outside! I will update this blog when we have made up our minds!

My crazy idea for Daisy's door is something like the above. She is a 1960's van after all! 

My plan was to use a new fabric for al the pillows and curtains in Daisy but it's been discontinued. :( I was gutted as its one of my favourite patterns and I have based all her paint work around that fabric.

I would most likely have gone for a more vintage blue and creams, if not for that fabric. 

So I've had to go back to the drawing board, even though am not all that keen on the blue of Daisy's walls, it has grown on me. It's bright but not cold feeling and with all her many windows (not many vans have this amount of windows) she feels light, open and spacious. Without feeling exposed, she's still cosy. 

So I've gone with trying to find vintage fabrics, with yellows, orange and blues. (The blue matches her walls, kettle and hob. Also the beautiful 1960's table cloth from my Nana.) 

It's quite easy to find vintage/retro fabrics, it's much harder to find ones which match your brief. As many are off cuts or anything vintage on a roll is a crazy price. (It's not that it's not worth it, I just don't have the budget.) Due to my background in design, I do think one of my strengths is pattern matching/colour matching. I love putting different fabrics together which you wouldn't think would work but by adding in another, pull it all together. 

People looking round Daisy (when we had pink polkadot fabric as a temporarily curtain was even worse!) couldn't see my whole vision and she looked a little bit of a hodgepodge!

I've got a lot of colours going on in Daisy. 

My main rule when doing anything with colour, is a rule of about 3. Be that a bedroom, or an outfit. 3 colours and then picking cream, white or black, and sliver or gold. So our bedroom is Grey, black, sliver and white. 

Dots room is Pink (light and dark) cream and sliver. 

The boys is blue (light and dark) white and sliver. 

Our living room/kitchen is Grey, black white and sliver. 

That way if you pick a lamp or pillows, you will know it will work without having to colour match. One colour is too much, 2 is ok but to get it perfect 3!

But with Daisy.....I've gone a little crazy!

Cream

Orange

Yellow

Light blue

Dark blue

It's quite close to my rule of 3, orange, blue and yellow. Then cream and sliver fittings. So it's not to hard but when am looking at fabrics, the 1970's one almost always add in brown...or green...it's quite hard to find just orange or orange and cream. I missed out bidding on orange and cream beautiful curtains which once cut up would have worked for all of her windows. Ebay is an exciting and frustrating place! Outbid at 4 secs to go! Thanks internet.....

If you have time on your side, the right fabric will come along. I wanted to be a little more finished by Retro Fest but I managed to get two curtains up (not hemed but up!) 

It can be a lot harder working with vintage fabrics, most are much more fragile. Where I have joined the fabric to widen the curtains has already pulled apart, so I will have to redo this or back the fabric to make it stronger.

Before you rip out old curtains, hand wash or soak them. You will be surprised how wonderful they can be after a wash and press! 

I will update this blog as soon as I get painting! 

In the meantime, I've found this amazing ap from Dulux. Its been so hard to think about what colours would look best on Daisy! 

 Its lots of fun......but.....so far its not helped me make up mind.........it has given me a great way of seeing what different colours could look like. I still have no idea which one though! 

I quite like the idea of all one colour!

I just can't make up my mind!! 

We have made up our minds, and due to a huge problem with fabrics.....There have been some big changes. Click here to read all about going back to the drawing board!

Wanna read all about doing up Daisy? Click here

Retro Festival

We where so proud to be apart of the Retro Caravan display, for the Retro Festival in Newbury.

Daisy was not the prettiest looking van on display but I was still so proud of how much we have done so far. So many people where amazed that all our vans are not just for shows but used and loved. All Daisy's 'props' are used when we go away. We drove straight from three days camping in Derby, so it was a little stressful getting show ready! (I will be uploading a blog all about our amazing adventures from toasting Jaffa Cakes on the campfire, to scary walks up long forgotten steps!)

We where part of a display of 39 retro caravans, starting in the 1930's all the way to the 80's. I think another 9 where dotted through the fields. 

It was so lovely to meet lots members and meet up with members we have already become friends with. I love chatting to people about Daisy, I know am a bit of a show off sometimes but am so proud of what we have got done and want people to see - that if I can do it, anyone can! 

Our three children 5 and under, had come from a really relaxed camping trip. With about 17 other childern, all playing and running free around the huge field. So it was a little stressful going from that, too, don't touch that, no sorry you can't go in Daisy right now, and stop running up to people and hugging them! 

We are lucky that the other club members are so lovely, they would go from van to van being entertained with bike rides on vintage bikes, cakes and games! 

I need to update the information on Daisy, people always stop to look at her so it stays on her all the time, not just at shows. It's amazing to think she's 47yrs old and has three kids jumping up and down in her (Bear likes to stump up and down, which am trying to stop as Daisy shakes!) I cook in her on her 1960's oven, we use her just as she would have been used when she was first brought! 

That's one of the many things I love about the club, our vans are used and loved. Not just sat in a museum or rotting away forgotten about in a field. Makes me really sad to thing of all the unloved forgotten ones still out there not being used. 

It was really interesting to see how many people didn't believe the vans where used! (Daisy looked used bless her! She's not as pristine as the other vans right now!) I loved telling people about the bath in the Winchester or that we had driven straight from a camping trip! 

I just managed to get one coat of hammerwright paint on her a frame before the show, the difference was huge!

Looking back over the old photos of Daisy I have, her chassis and wheels would have been white/cream. I think white can look a little hash, so went for cream. Doing her wheels has made a huge difference to how she looks on the outside! 

Keeping little ones busy at shows is quite hardwork. Pops is already great at talking to people about Daisy and he was even showing someone how all the beds work and where he sleeps! I was quite shocked at how much everlything was at the show. I really thought that things like the fair was part of the ticket price so was a little shocked to see it was £2 a ride, x3 children it quite quickly could have got far to expensive for us! My husband spent £16 just on icecream!!! (Am still in shock but what do you do when they have just handed your excited child an icecream, say no!?) We helped to save a little by making dinner and breakfast in Daisy. (Just out of show hours.) I made us a pack lunch in the morning but we where walking so far in the day that we had eaten that quite quickly. So just brought chips to share. (They where lovely chips, £2.50-£3 for a small portion but as a snack not main meal they did the job.) 

I was really disappointed with what they had for childern, (there was lots for them to see and do) but we are used to festivals where extra costs are low and the childern activities are free/part of the cost of your ticket. (See my blog about Into The Wild, I highly recommend it for families.)

This amazing slide was £2 for 5mins, lucky one of the mini people was napping at the time so cost £4. (I know I may be sounding a little penny pitching here but to me we feel a little henpecked into having to spent a lot of extra money for a ticketed event.)

Unfortunately this ride had no signs saying socks where needed (I should have thought about it, but I couldn't even hold them back before I could pay, as they where so excited.) Our poor boys came off with carpet burns all over the ankles, which haven't yet healed. They where both very upset and hurt with them. Hours of tears and hugs. So make sure you take socks in your bag, even on hot days for such rides.....

By far some of the best things where the free things. Bear is abscessed with trains (he takes my childhood train to bed with him.) So seeing these mini road steam engines was like a dream come true. Thank you so much to all the lovely owners who let my children sit on them and pulled the whistle for them! They made a little boy very happy in deed!! 

Dot and I, loved this little walking band and did stalk them waiting for them to stop and play again. They where fab! Dot had got a little upset (sleepy and didn't want to sit in the buggy) and she stopped crying as soon as they started playing. It was great fun watching the steam engines wondering by too.

We where very disappointed that many of the main big acts/events where pulled last minute. Understanding that things do change outside of organisers control but it did feel many things had changed. One of these was the record-breaking jump. I was really quite looking forward to all the record-breaking events lined up and to be apart of the camping one.

The kids did love the motorbike show which I think was a last minute change but they where good. We found a great place to sit close and watch. With a pinic and blanket. My husband and I even got to sit for a moment!

For this sort of event, where it's very busy and you are wondering around a lot. I highly recommend a baby carrier. Dot is at the age where she mostly wants to walk but her Hypermobility means she does get very tired, so popping her up in the carrier really helps. Also two very excited boys wanting to run off was a little stressful, so having one happy in a carrier did really help. We also had the buggy which we put back in the car by day two as Dot really isn't a fan of it and it was hard to get round the busy marquees.

Having been to the Beaulieu Autojumble a few months ago with the RCC (Retro Caravan Club.) I must say I was disappointed with the amount of traders at Retro Fest. I had got round them all very quickly, though I was so excited to find this retro heater which will be perfect for Daisy. I can't wait to get it safely tested/tryed out. We had got very cold on our Into The Wild trip, so I have been looking for a little heater since! 

If you hunted and bargained, there where a few good deals to be made. But I did noticed that over all the club members had brought a lot less than they had at Beaulieu. I only brought the heater and a record! 

I was so proud about how fab Daisy looked on the inside. Now I've started to find material to make curtains and pillows, she feels like she is at last coming together! (Look out for my blog review on our new record player!)

I know she didn't draw the crowds quite like some of the other amazing finished vans but am still so proud of her!

One of the days I showed her with her 6x6 (very unusual to have such a big bed)    

bed and the other with her set up as a dinning table. I thought it was good to show her, how we use her. When we are away the main bed mostly stays up and we just put away the boys beds. 

I love how Daisy is full of our family things, the table cloth is my Nana's 1960's one, which I have loved and used for many years. The pininc table was passed down through the family from the 1960's. The bunting, I made for Pop's christening and fits round Daisy perfectly! The 1960's coffee set was a gift from my Great Uncle, which am hoping to find a dinning set to match. (Yes we use china in Daisy, it's not just for show.) This last trip away, I used my Nana's 1960's plates, which I nicked out of my kitchen cupboard as we eat on them anyway! 

I really haven't brought many items (apart from lights, wood, paint etc) for Daisy at all, most is family hand-me-downs, which I love! 

  

The evenings where great, we managed to get the mini people down and join the rest of the club around the campfire. We are all so different, I think our oldest member is 93! (Don't quote me, he could be older!) From singles, couples and families. We all get on so well, with our common love of these retro caravans!

Here's a photo of some of us, nicked from the club page. We signed up lots of new members, who wouldn't want to join for £15 for a year, railles and events! Let alone the amazing magazine (in which Daisy is featuring this month!)

This could have been taken in the 1970/80's! No it was yesterday! So much more fun, than lots of square white modern boxes! (Taken from the club page.) 

It was a great event, I massively underestimated how much extra money it would cost us though. That did put quite a big dampener on the weekend. I think if we had been childless, we could have sat and had a beer and a dance in the evening. I may have felt differently. Though the children and I, did love having a dance in the tents! 

It did at points feel like it had lost a bit of the love and the 'making money' had taken over a little. So my advice when attending is to take extra cash for rides and maybe a picnic.

The things which the kids loved where meeting and trying out things. (Free!) The love the owners had for what they had on display was great and that really came across. Not everyone was friendly and ok with little people sitting on things, but I can understand that and wasn't upset by it. We just made sure the kids always asked and didn't touch till they had the owners permission. 

Some owners shut their doors early and wouldn't let people look inside as they where cooking dinner. I was cooking spaghetti bolognese and chatting away to people. (Was out of main show hours.) Daisy is used and loved, she has given us so much freedom. We didn't buy her to look perfect at shows. We are however so happy to be apart of them and hope we do Daisy and the club proud!

If you want to know more about the festival, here's the link:

http://www.retrofestival.co.uk

And here is a link to the RCC:

http://www.retrocaravanclub.co.uk

If anyone has any matching poppy dinner sets sitting around unloved, please email me! 

Overall we really enjoyed the show and would like to go back next year. A few things we where upset over. Like the lack of Guinness World Record breaking adjudicators, to sign off on our Record Breaking attempt. Am sure we would have smashed the 104 record number of caravans slept in over night record! Would have been great to have called Daisy a record braking caravan!

With a little pre-planing on having a picnic and being prepared for the extra stress of being show ready, we really did have a great weekend! 

Very much looking forward to our next RCC event!

Renovating a Retro/Vintage Caravan- Plyboarding

This job sounded mega easy.....make sure you keep what ever you pull out so you can use it as a template!! 

My problem, was that Daisy had been patched loads. A few bits of missing ply and what was left was horrible and rotten. I did keep it for ages but in the end I binned it......

Before adding back the ply board I needed to insolate. 

Where Daisy's lights are, she wasn't plyboarded. They had screwed in a strong board. Which could be easily removed to check the lights. So I made another one to match it over the extension (where the bathroom was.) 

The window was quite tricky but it came out really well. (Unlike other areas.) my Grandpa had the great plan of using thick beading, which hid where I had made one section to small for the gap. Once it was cut out, I double checked it fitted and then painted it. 

So much quicker and easier to do this out of the van. I knew I could touch up and bits which chipped.

Once they where dry, I nailed them into place and where they joined I used a bead to cover. 

You can see I have just rested the boards which cover up the lights.

The pillows cover this up ;) just need to cover these pillows and add a few more. It's such a lovely place to sit. Soon as the plyboard goes on, she suddenly looks so different! It's amazing what paint can do! 

Click here to see what else we have done to our Daisy!

Renovating a Retro/Vintage Caravan - Almost Ready

8wks, wasn't much time at all! 

I had begun to really panic about getting Daisy perfect in time for our very first outing. Then I thought about how my mothers boat has a big list of jobs for the months she's on winter layup. I thought to my self, I should treat her like an on going project. Any boat, old car or even house needs maintenance. So I began looking at Daisy differently. What are the main things we need to do, so she's safe and dry. 

Then what do we need so it's nice to sleep in her, what can wait? In 8wks, we have managed to get her useable, not perfect but useable and safe! With all our pennies going on things like hooking back up the cooker, replacing wood, plyboard (was much more expensive than I thought.) It hasn't left us much left over for fabrics and pretty bits. So I've managed to use some left over fabric to pin up at the Windows. (Until I can rebuild the window curtain rails and curtains.)

It won't look perfect but will mean I can come back to that job!

I love bunting, I've run out of the fabric!!! It's been discontinued, fingers crossed I can find more!! (Nope, none, nothing. Click here to see what the new plan is for Daisy, colours, curtains and fabrics...)

Henry and I had a big clean up today. There is more to build inside Daisy but will most likely be after her first trip!

I got to put up my feet for a moment today, you can see I've been painting in these jeans!! It was so wonderful to at last sit on the bunk I've built! 

I couldn't have done this build without help from a baby carrier and my amazing Grandpa!!

He's been a superstar! Helping to get the window trim on, fixing a brake away cable, rebuilding the handbrake (at some point in her life time it was welded to the off position!) and helping me wire in all the back lights. In his 80's he maybe, but he was laying under Daisy wiring in her earthing wire like a pro! I've learnt so much and really enjoyed him popping over to help. Am a very lucky girl to have him to call on! 

Everyone needs a good Grandpa in their life's, Daisy and I are very lucky!!

I have done a lot of work my self, but Daisy has really brought us together as a family, working on her. It's been so much fun, hard work and wonderful seeing how much the children love her.

Our boys are very behind with their learning and understanding. So it's really good to hear them saying things like 'hello Daisy' when our oldest comes home from school. Or 'let's play in Daisy.'

Bear with his favourite toy, my old Fisher Price train. Over 30yrs old, goes everywhere with him, even bed!  

She has not only given us a way of having fun cheap holidays but an extra playroom! She has become an extension to the house. Having a meal in Daisy is such a big treat for the children. 

She has come such a long way since we brought her home. She still looks knackered from the outside but we are coming back to working on her looks. We just needed her to be usable and what she looks like outside is not a top priority. 

Everly time I look at her I smile, she makes me so happy. Knowing all the fun family times we are going to have together. Family out doors fun is so important. It's easy to put a film on and clean the house, but being off in Daisy no washing to do, minimal cleaning. I can't wait! 

She looks very different to my first video, no more holes in the floor or rotten wood!!

Click here to see what else we have got done on Daisy.

Wanna see what she looks like now, off on her adventures, click here!