Anyone Know ???

[Val & Frank]

Back in 1976 I had a Metallic Green Ford Capri 1.6L coupe, and I think a Bucaneer Clipper Van ??? I didn't know about the 85 % issue, or nose weights, or the critical loading of a caravan. I often wonder now was I OK on the 85% issue ???. I never had a bad moment with the outfit or gave any of these issues a thought. I didn't know about them !!!. I wonder how many people are on the road now, like I was then totally ignorant of any safety aspects of caravanning??

Val & Frank

 

[Danny_5134221]

Frank,

Back in 1976 I was 6 years old ! My dad used to tow a trailer tent with a 1256cc HB Viva loaded to the gunnels with 4 of us in the car.

We used to camp at Praa Sands in Cornwall and in 1976 it was the hot summer as you may wel recall, two years ago I took my family to Praa with our caravan for old times sake, and to be honest not much has changed !

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi Danny

1976 the best summer in the UK for years, we had just came back from spending two years in Zambia. Everyone in S Wales had better tans than us!!!

Vauxhall Viva and Victors bring back memories, glad to see yours is still working OK

Val & Frank

Val & Frank

 

[Danny_5134221]

Hello Frank

Memories are better than dreams !

My vivid memory of old towcars is the Ford Cortina towing a Sprite or Monza, and back then I thought one day I'm going to get a caravan and maybe a Cortina.

Since then I've had 2 Cortina's on the road, and raced many more in my other hobby banger racing. Oh, and once a year at our track we have caravan banger racing, you should see the way a caravan falls apart ! Very entertaing I can tell you for the spectactors and for me driving !

Needless to say I dont suffer from road rage as any anger is well vented on the track.

 

[cooky1]

My dad towed with a Wolsey 6/90 and a hired caravan. We used to go skiing in Aviemore each easter.

He late had a couple of Triumph 2000's before progressing to Victor VX490.

Graeme.

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi Graeme,

I traded the Capri for an 1800 Maxi Automatic, it really was a nice car.

Val & Frank

 

[Guest]

In 1976 I towed a Mustang Pinto 4 berth caravan with a Ford Capri GT 1600 cc. It (the car) was my pride and joy as it was the first sporty car I had ever owned. Vinyl roof and fog lamps and a rev counter..bliss. Obviously as a tow car it was definitely not ideal, but we had lots of fun. Stayed in the Epping Forest site and had fun?? trying to boat on a lake with no water. Hilarious activities occurred when my wife, who was 8 months pregnant managed to trap a wasp inside her trousers. Both I, and my 5 year old son didn't know whether to help, or laugh. Ironically the Capri passed away, not because it was a poor engine match, but because the front suspension gave up the ghost. Bought a Granada Estate instead and stopped at every fuel station. I fitted a Electrolux fridge to the Pinto (you didn't get one as standard in those days) and still had the gas light as back up. We also managed?? to get the same outfit to Bavaria, and back wiothout problem so we must have been doing something right.

 

[cooky1]

We were always envious of the people on site with the Rover 2000 - we thought they were the rich ones!

A load of us lads went to France after our A levels in an Austin Princess and a Datsun 120Y.

Do you remember the Vauxhall Cresta 3.0 - lovely car.

Graeme.

 

[BigRoy]

Frank, a Ford Capri? did you have a perm and wear your shirt open to the waist with a large medallion :0)

PS and I bet you had a thick drooping moustache aka Jason King )

 

[Allyson]

My father used to pull a Sprite Musketter with a Rover (the big round type)didn't Volvo copy the grill on it, I remember the back doors use to open from the middle of the car towards the boot. He later upgraded to a Vauxhall 2300 which I learnt to drive in and we upgraded to a new Cavalier.

If I remember right we were in Cornwall in 1976, but we went to many other places during the Miners fortnight, Isle of Wight,Devon, France......

Now it's my turn to do it with my husband and children. We have been to Cornwall, Devon, Cumbria, North Wales, London, Blackpool and off to France for 3 weeks next year.

Regrets?

Yes wish we did it years ago.

Happy Caravaning everyone

 

[Val & Frank]

Allyson " I remember right we were in Cornwall in 1976, but we went to many other places during the Miners fortnight, Isle of Wight,Devon, France......"

You must have been amongst the wealthy with a Rover 95 or 105. We used to go to Barry or Portcawl for the Miners fortnight, even if it was only for the day!!!!

Val & Frank

 

[Allyson]

It was the rover 110, 1964 last model they made, 24 miles per gallon towing and the vauxhall was a victor 2300, with ventor seats limited edition (I stand corrected by dad).

I remember spending the Silver Julibee in Hendra Holiday Park, Newquay very good weather then if I remember right and I also watched Princess Diana get married on a televsion in the Reception on a campsite in France.

I do feel lucky that I was able to go to all these places, but we weren't well off, both my parents worked and my mum still works to date even at pensionable age, she enjoys the company. They still holiday today but they enjoy Spain more nowadays and try to go away at least three times a year.

 

[emmerson2]

We had hire vans for the first couple of years in the late 60s, but the first van we bought was an Eccles Moonstone. We towed it with a Citroen DS 19 Safari estate car. the car was 16ft long, and 14ft overall of caravan made a ginormous outfit at that time. In 1976 we still had the Moonstone, but had upgraded the car to a Citroen CX Safari. Boy were we posh in those days!!!We stuck with Citroens until they became badge engineered Peugeots then switched to Range Rovers which we've had ever since. The Moonstone went in p/ex for a new Cavalier, then we got bitten by the Royale bug, and stayed loyal ever since. Great thread, Frank,well done!!

 

[Heidi_374226052]

Hi,

I remember '76 was eleven.

Dad had a Vauxhall Cresta 3.0,Column change and huge bench seats.We towed a 1970-71 Sprite Major and went to Isle of White.

Should only have gone for two weeks but Dad got Gout? so we ended up staying for nearly four instead.

Best holiday I ever had as a kid,First romance and all that.

 

[cooky1]

Heidi, my dad had a Cresta as well, I remember when there was snow in our street, it was so bad (being rear wheel drive) that 4 of us used to sit in the huge boot, with the lid up so my dad could get the car onto the drive.

Graeme.

 

[BrianStAlbans]

In 1976 I was 18 and driving a 1960 Austin Healy "Frogeyed" sprite.The car is still in the family and is currently being restored by my brother. Its replacement probably put the idea of caravans into my head , a 1967 Rover 3lt coupe ,complete with cocktail cabinet and a towbar.I feel sorry for 18 year olds today with their Corsas and Saxos, they'll never know what a proper car feels like.

Brian

 

[CliveV]

Oh I don't know Brian - a Spannish built Nova/Corsa rusts just as well as the old Cresta!

The frightening thing I remember was my dad stuffing newspapers into the sills and glassfibreing over it all then it passing its MOT!.

We used that car to go everywhere in the UK on holidays and it was almost certainly a death trap by todays standards.

 

[Tony A.]

my first van was a 16ft beast I don`t know the make, but it was very heavy, I had a 1600cc cortina at the time, and made up some extra springs to fit between the axle and chassis, the car was jacked up, the springs put in place, then let the car down and hitch on the van, the car was level,when we arrived on site, take the van off, jack up the car and remove springs, with out these springs the car was on its knees, at only 1600cc it was hard work to drive with the van on the back, and it was 1st gear up most hills, no wonder we only made a couple of trips of about 70 to 80 miles, but as has been said in those days if it went it was ok, and mine went but only just.

happy dangerous days

Tony A.

 

[DavidW1]

Frank,

Funny I was thinking the same thing a few days ago - about the same time as you were towing our first van with a Viva HC 1.3, like you didn't know anything about 85%, in fact I didn't even know what the weight of our van was. We bought it cos it was all we could aford and it seemed about the right size for the car. It was a "Glendale" of uncertain vintage and we spent many happy holidays in it untill the kids didn't want to come with us any more. Sound familiar to anyone?

The poor old Viva did struggle a bit though and I remmember planning routes that avoided hills and dreaded having to stop on an incline in case we couldnt re-start.

It never let us down though and the clutch survived well past 100k, in fact the only towing related problem with the car was nackerd rear springs.

Happy days indeed!