Reluctant ex tenter

[Alcudia60]

Hi all, after many years of camping I have been forced to move over to a caravan. When I say forced, it's down to our 3 yr old being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a year ago. Basically the cold up here in the Highlands mixed with camping made her prone to falling blood glucose levels.
Anyway. As a first caravan we were given an old ci Europa 5 berth. I'm currently repairing / restoring it. New insulation , window frames , hardwood ply. It's been rewired and I'm about to start the plumbing.
My main problem is that I can't find an ounce of information anywhere about it. I believe it's an 82 however the plate is so badly corroded I could be wrong.
If anyone remembers these then please please pass on any information you have.
I'd hate to see the old girl go for scrap. Too many people seem to let their old vans rot away these days.
Cheers Dave.

 

[Parksy]

Hi Dave
Welcome to the Practical Caravan forum.

I'm sorry that your young daughter has diabetes and wish her well but I'm sure that in the long term you won't regret becoming a tin tenter.
There are one or two old topics about caravan repair and restoration in the archives, long time forumite Gagakev carried out extensive repairs and added pictures to a topic about three years ago (Click Here) and Practical Caravan magazine editor Nigel Donnelly repaired the Practical Caravan project 1986 Sprite Alpine and wrote a series of magazine articles with the details in 2010.
I'm sorry that I can't be of much help with your Europa but your best bet would be to ask on the general message board.
More forum members will see your request and somebody might be able to help with information about your caravan, where to buy spares and how to upgrade to modern standards to keep your little girl snug after spending some great times away with you enjoying the wildlife and scenery and making lots of friends.

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Dave, welcome to the world of caravanning, cant help with any info regards your van sorry, welcome also to the forum.

 

[Mel]

Hi dave, welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear your reasons for coming over to caravanning, but, those aside, it really is great. Good luck with your refurb, You could try posting specific queries in the Technical section of this forum, and you you may get the answers you need. Many caravans use similar systems (carver heaters, pressure switches etc) so that even if folks have not had the same model of van, there is transferable knowledge.
mel

 

[Beachball]

Hi Dave welcome to the practical caravan forum .....

 

[Alcudia60]

Thanks for all the welcomes. The Europa has had major repair work over the winter and is almost ready for our first weekend away. All the bathroom damp has been removed. The insulation has been replaced with xtratherm foil back insulation. Window frames replaced with 25 x 38 treated timber. I just need to put up the 4mm ply and refit the beautiful dark brown shower tray etc. 2nd hand window stays have been purchased and new pull toggle catches are ready to fit.
Shes never going to be a new van. But as long as she's wind and watertight we'll be happy. With so many beautiful sites to visit up here in the highlands I think a more modern lighter van will be needed for next year. If we can get just this season out of the old Europa I'll be more than happy

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi Dave.
Welcome to the forum,and the world of caravanning, " the highlands in a tent" your a hardy bunch you Scots

and thats for sure.
sorry to hear about your daughter, Diabetes in one so young is difficult to manage, but as she gets older and more self aware it will get easier, trust me!!.
as for the"old girl" good luck with the restoration, I have done two in my time, once on a fleetwood colchester that I converted into a 6 berth that started out as a damp filled musty wreck, and a LT35 motor home that I gutted and rebuilt inside and out, it's a lot of work but very satisfying as you sit there glass in hand on a summer evening thinking "I built this" .
also a couple of points to mention before I go, if you do any outside seams make sure you use a good quality sealer like sealastik or similar and get all the old sealant off the joints, after all that work the last thing you need is any more damp,
and when the project is finished. take the van to a weightbridge if you have one nearby and get it weighed. I think you may find the van weighs quite a lot more than when you started, this extra weight will have to be deducted off the user payload. to keep within it's MTPLM, the colchester weighed 42kg over the MIRO by the time I had finished,
just a thought,

 

[mealsonwheels]

Hi Alcudia and welcome to the forum. Any problems/questions you may have, just post in the appropriate section for your query and I'm sure someone will have an answer. You'll find the move into a caravan from a tent was a wise decision.
We lived in the Highlands for 6 years, many years ago now and cut our caravanning teeth on remote single track roads. There was no Skye bridge then, we used to get the ferry across to Kyleakin, the only traffic jams we had in the 6 years were when shepherds moved their sheep. No electric hook-ups on sites then, gas lighting, a bucket to collect waste water, no Aquarolls and waste containers in those days. Water was pumped to the kitchen taps by pressing your foot up and down on a rubber disc on the floor and the loo was the latest invention called a porta-potti! Our caravan was a Mustang Stallion and our tug was a Renault 20, which had just been named tow-car of the year. They were really happy days and we went back for 6 weeks to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, instead of having a 'do' in the village hall. Seeing familiar mountains again, many of which we had climbed, was like meeting old friends.
Happy and safe caravanning to you all