Web Copy

Onehundred and twentysix.
Journal of the Dormobile Owners’ Club.
March/April. 2015
Web Copy
We were
lucky up here in Cheshire that there was no ice and
snow on the second Sunday in January, the day of our
first get together of 2015.
Numbers were a bit down this time as we met at the very nice Leigh Arms, but it
meant we got served more quickly.
Page four >>.
Tony Hall, from Northampton, took part in a photoshoot for a book called
`My Cool Campervan’. Obviously, he did a bit better with the weather than I did when
they did the shoot for the Debonair and the Roma. I got soaked. We were luckier with the
weather for the Telegraph shoot. See page 7 for full story.
2
Inside your
Digest
From Your Editor ( and Secretary )..........
websites for clubs and
Like so manyeven
government
departments, our website has got tired. This, I must
admit, is partially due to me not passing items on to Paul,
our webmaster. Then again, I struggle to fill the Digest
every two months with lack of input. You can’t make a
cake, or even an omelette, without ingredients.
The matter was raised at the last AGM, and club member
Debbie Rogers has expressed her concerns, so…
Danny Chatburn has volunteered to take over the
website, and Paul Savage, who has looked after this
thankless task for several years will be handing it over as
soon as possible.
Thanks to Paul and to Danny.
It was also suggested that the Digest be put on the
website every month, rather than sending it out by post.
As I said, many times, I struggle to fill it bi-monthly, let
alone producing it every month ! I will ensure that a PDF
copy goes to Danny as soon as it is published, but from
chats to club members, the idea of keeping it website
only, with no hard copy, is not very popular.
Send items of interest to me please, and
I will include them in the Digest, and
forward them to our new Webmaster.
Allan.
The Christmas Get-together
P 2. `Cool Campers’ Item.
P 3.
From your Editor.
P 4.
Round and about.
P 5.
Chairman’s Chat.
P 6.
What’s New.
P.9.
`Telegraph Cars’ Item.
Cover Story.
The Roma.
P.13
Events Calendar.
P.14. FBHVC News.
Mike and Deb’s engine
P.17.
Drive It Day.
P.18.
Lives and Loves. Martin’s Roma.
COPY DEADLINE
We very much welcome
your contributions.
Please get them to me by
10th MAY for the
23, Fairmile,
AYLESBURY,
who are proud owners of a Bedford CA Dormobile
Bucks.HP21 7JS.
Deauville. Now quite rare.
Tel. 01296 428580
Melvyn Martin of Great Barr, Birmingham joins us
with another rare Dormobile. This time on a BMC
J4..
Jim and Lynn had travelled the furthest from Newtown in Powys and Bill and Freda
were next from Cannock. Stuart and Doreen came from Oswestry, Rob and Ellen
from Stoke on Trent, Danny and Sue from Manchester, Michael and Debbie from
Liverpool and us from Widnes.. Past members Carole and Pete joined us from
Abergele and Michael’s friend from nearby Northwich.
We had a lovely meal and the usual raffle with plenty of useful prizes to go round
thanks to members’ generosity. I had printed my 2015 Calendar of Events and
everyone received one so that rallies could be planned.
John took the big selfie outside the pub before we all headed for home.
Looking forward to Easter now for the first rally of the year at Weston Park.
Join us if you can,
Jean
All the best,
swap.
Editor, Dormobile Digest
Paul and Frances Jackson of Milton, Stoke on Trent
(Cover story.)
P.16. Lives and Loves.—
NEXT DIGEST.
A warm welcome to
Round and about............
[email protected]
SPEKE HALL VINTAGE RALLY 18TH AND 19TH JULY 2015
Just thought I would give this show a mention as a couple of members (Dave,
Danny and Sue, Michael and me) attended it last year.
Last year was only the 3rd show at Speke Hall but given that it's fairly new, it was
very well attended. Especially on the Sunday when the sun was shining, there were
close to 200 exhibits and lots of punters.
There were also some nice vintage stalls, burger vans and live entertainment
during the day. They allow you to arrive late afternoon on Friday and stay over until
Sunday. There isn't much happening after 6pm - it all goes quiet and the only
entertainment is watching the rabbits in the field (oops that could sound rude that!
Not intentional).
There are toilet facilities, although I didn't see a water supply? But this may have
just been over-looked, as we didn't need a top up.
Obviously those who are interested could visit Speke Hall itself (a beautiful Tudor
mansion and with 400 years of history) and I believe if you are a member of the
National Trust it’s free entry, or so I'm told…
Anyone who's interested in attending should contact Kenny for an application form:
[email protected]
Please mention you are members of the Dormobile Owners’ Club to ensure we are
situated together and make our mark :-D
Hope to see you there.
Thanks
Debbie
4
3
What’s New ?
What News ?
Hello everyone,
It’s time to get your Dormobiles spruced up and ready for action. Allan
has included the provisional calendar of events in this Digest and where
possible I have included contact details for the Rallies.
If you have not attended a Rally before and want some advice or more
information do not hesitate to call me on 0151 424 3732 and I will be more than
happy to have a natter. The AGM is at the Mid Shropshire Vintage Rally on
the Shrewsbury Show Ground over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of June.
It is a great show and within walking distance of the town and also has a very
good car boot sale over the weekend. Do try to attend if you can and contact
Stuart Burrows on 01691 653 045 to let him know.
Tony's story about his trip to Wales made me chuckle, especially the part
about not buying new shoes any more.
I can see his point but I don't think it applies to ladies!
If you have visited some interesting places please share your
experiences with us . Hope to see some of you at Rallies this year. At least the
price of fuel has gone down which will be a help.
News from SHB in Romsey, who convert the new Dormobiles.
Hi Allan
I would like to introduce you to Steve Dalton who has joined us
He will be a working manager for Dormobile so will take some pressure off of me! He has
worked at SHB for a while and previously at Main dealers. He is also a keen classic vehicle
fan so ticks a lot of boxes. If you would like to introduce him in the newsletter that would be
great as he will be answering the phone most of the time to customers.
There will be some more memberships coming through this month as we intend to keep
the offer running as it seems to have been quite a success.
Regards
Jim Bullock
Can club members make an effort to recruit new members, with original Folkestone built
Dormobiles ? At this rate, Jim’s (or Steve’s) newbuilds will outnumber us ! AH
Happy Camping,
Jean
Calling all dormant Dormobilers. An ode by our new Bard, John Beesley.
Is anybody out there? Feel free to get in touch,
You can tweet , text or email, it won’t cost you much.
You won’t need a hash tag, it only takes a click.
Now spelling’s not a problem, if like me you’re a bit thick.
Just grab yourself a keyboard, don’t worry about the distance.
Could be a tablet or an iphone, your story makes a difference.
Ok, you’re not computer savvy, snailmail’s another way.
You must have things to tell us, it’s best to have your say.
You don’t have to be a poet, Shakespeare, Wordsworth or Keats.
Just put it in your own words, forget downloads, blogs and tweets.
It would also be nice to see you, so buckle up your belts.
Join us at a meeting, every little helps.
5
AGM 2015
Any member wishing to attend the AGM in their
Dormobile will need an entry form for the show.
Please send a sae to:-
S. Burrows, 27, Windsor Close, Oswestry,
Shropshire. SY11 2UA.
Please note all forms have to be retuned by
4th April.
The date of the AGM is
Saturday 6th June at 7pm.
6
Lives & Loves......
How to make the newspapers (or even films and television, and
books and magazines.)
Over the years, club members and their vehicle have appeared in several newspapers,
motor magazines, etc. etc. I even appeared in a video that can still be purchased at
Classic Car Show, doing a rundown on historic motorcaravans, and Dormobiles in
particular.
How? Well, editors contact the club office (That’s me…) and request a Dormobile. I can
then give them a name of anyone with a reasonable original vehicle, and the rest, as they
say…
(In fact, we just had a request from Germany, and one from the UK. Germany, no go, no
members over there now, but UK, will try.)
It does not always go to plan though. The BBC were making a film about Anthony
Burgess (the Clockwork Orange author) and requested a Dormobile. I sent them
pictures, and they selected a Romany. After negotiations, Dave Eckett from North
London duly arrived for filming, and spent the day driving about with a cameraman filming
his front wheel.
He told us about all the Carry On films he had been involved with, all the stars.
And the Roma ? – hardly anything—no questions.
Home at last, and after many weeks, a phone call to ask a few questions at last.
We would be in the paper very soon, so we spent a few shillings week after week,
buying the Telegraph every Saturday. Having used all my pocket money, I went
onto looking at the web. Still nothing.
2014 went, still nothing, so I gave up looking at the web too.
We got our friends who subscribed to the Telegraph to check for us, and then, just
when we had major family problems with non-stop visits to a hospital the other
side of London, our friends rang to say it was in, and they had a copy for us. Just
as well, as it was too late to buy one. NO EXPENSES EITHER !
Well, that’s it. Read it through, look at the posing, and the high speed shot if you
can find it on the web, and let me know if you want us to put your name forward for
such an adventure.
See what you think…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classics/bedford-roma/
Gerry’s Laugh
When the film was shown, they showed a photo of my CA Debonair (the picture I had
sent them) and several shots of a CA front wheel going down the road. It appears that
Anthony Burgess spent a year touring in a Debonair, not a Romany.
He’d tell you a tale, he’d string you along,
The other Burgess – of Burgess and McLean fame- A film company wanted a CA
Romany, because Burgess had got through customs by hiding under one of the seats in
such a `campervan’ – I pointed out that there is nowhere in a Romany to hide, so we lost
that one.
On his face an enormous grin.
In this Digest is an item from the Telegraph. A gentleman (with all the beggaring
about, I am not sure if I should use that term) rang and asked if I knew an owner of a
Dormobile Roma. I intimated that I owned such a vehicle – why ?
And that infectious laugh of a wonderful bloke.
The Telegraph was mentioned – a page in the Saturday `Cars’ magazine. He would ring
back with details. Weeks passed, nay, over a month. Suddenly, a call. How about the
Pinewood Studios so we can do a `Carry on Camping’ item ? Well….
A week or two later. How about Henley-on-Thames ? Yes. “How about expenses ?” Will
be paid, he said. – HE LIED !
Many more weeks later, we arrived at the campsite in Henley, and waited over cups of
Hot Choc. An hour later, another man bought coffee, and we chatted. He was a freelance
photographer looking for the owners of a Roma. Good, we are getting somewhere.
You’d believe every word, he couldn’t go wrong.
And when he finally hooked you in,
At first he smiled and then he laughed,
He’d caught you out, you felt quite daft.
But all was forgiven when you heard the joke
From John Beesley, on the loss of a friend,.
Humour.
Just to fill a
page while I wait
for YOU to send
me something
for the Digest.
8
7
Bedford Roma: the
socks-and-sandals
camper.
The Bedford Roma was truly a vehicle of its time,
but it helped sow the seeds of adventure among the
British public, says Andrew Roberts.
The Bedford HA Roma Home is truly a vehicle of this Sixties
reality, one where Carnaby Street was just an Eastmancolor
myth. The brochure showed a Roma owner as smart but
approachable, in the manner of a Ladybird book illustration, but
the HA was aimed at the sort of holidaymaker who would wear
black socks with their sandals. This was a camper for the sort
of British holidaymakers who would stock up with Wonderloaf
before a two-week tour of Brittany for fear of Continental food.
The restored 1969 example you see here belongs to Allan
Horne, who acquired it in 2001. “The inside was OK but the
outside was rusty,” he says with, we suspect, massive
understatement. The restoration ended up taking three years.
Horne says that although he mainly drives the Bedford to classic
car shows, it still occasionally gets used as its maker intended.
“My daughter still sometimes uses it as a camper.”
Bedford Roma's were fitted with an extending roof finished in Terylene 'Candy stripe' /
Photo: Philip Hollis
Think of an end-of-the-pier show somewhere on the Dorset coast
starring Dickie Henderson Jr supported by Shane Fenton & the Fentones.
Think of newspaper articles describing how hippies and impending
decimalisation will bring about the end of civilisation. Think of holidays
where the highlight was a dinner of chips, beefburgers and a pint of
Watney’s Red Barrel before watching a Norman Wisdom film in the
camp’s cinema.
9
The Bedford Roma is a well packaged, if quirky, piece of machinery / Photo:
Philip Hollis
The Bedford HA van was derived from the original Vauxhall Viva
and was available in 8cwt (not much as standard) and 6cwt
(even less) forms. Between 1963 and 1983, when it was
10
replaced by the Bedford Chevanne, the HA was the staple transport of
the Gas Board, BEA, British Telecom and woodwork teachers. It also
provided the basis for a station wagon converted by Martin Walter of
Folkestone as the Bedford Beagle (“Combining Vauxhall Economy and
Performance with the versatility of an Estate Car”) and in 1968 the
coachbuilder offered the Roma three-berth motor caravan for a mere
£600.
The Roma’s driver is faced with a not especially elaborate facia of bare
metal, reminding him or her that the “HA is made to make money”, in
the words of Bedford’s questionable publicity. At least the De Luxe
version was fitted with a heater and padded seats as standard, and all
Romas were fitted with an extending roof finished in the finest
Terylene “Candy stripe”. This gave 6ft 4in of headroom when
preparing baked beans on toast, although tall occupants found the
early Romas to be a not especially comfortable master bedroom; their
feet were accommodated via a box mounted on the glass-fibre
tailgate.
Fortunately, our test Bedford is a prime example of the Roma in 1969
Mk2 form, with a slightly more conventional sleeping arrangement in
the form of a “specially designed annexe tent” on the rear door that
was reassuringly “stormproof”.
1,159cc engine gives less than thrilling performance.
Where the Bedford really impresses is as a masterpiece of
packaging ly stable-looking “occasional seat” attached to the rear
of the front passenger seat, a hanging wardrobe and even a
vanity mirror in the extending roof.
The single-burner cooker and the plastic sink also fold away when
not needed, turning a mobile living room into a four-seater estate
finished in Persian Blue Vynide (a leather-effect synthetic) with
fittings in “woodgrained melamine-faced timber”.
Roma survivors are few in number – the HA van on which it was
based was prone to tin worm.
But as an example of British motoring history that really does look
like an automotive bit-part player from Carry On Camping, the HA
Roma is priceless – especially as the cooker is “readily accessible
for that refreshing lay
-by tea stop”.
Thanks to the Dormobile
Owners’ Club
(dormobile.org.uk) and
Swiss Farm Touring &
Camping
“
It drives as conveniently as a small car,” claimed Martin Walter’s
brochures, which is true if you accept that the power from the
swissfarmcamping.co.uk)
From the Telegraph Cars,
published Saturday, 17th January. Our thanks to the
Telegraph for allowing us to publish this item.
11
12
FBHVC News. Issue 1. 2015
Discontinuance of the Tax Disc
The good news is that we are not hearing any substantial issues arising
from the changes introduced to deal with the discontinuance of the
tax disc, though there could still be a few curiosities out there which
we will keep an eye on.
Of course the absence of the tax disc means that the Vehicle
Enquiry System has become the primary route for checking on the tax
status of a vehicle. It is being improved and has been running as a
Beta site. It is our view that this means that a way has to be found to
correct longstanding known errors in the data held by DVLA,
especially as they concern historic vehicles. Ian Edmunds describes
elsewhere in more detail how we are undertaking this dialogue.
We have done some research on the question of whether, if
members take their cars abroad, overseas law enforcement officers
will recognise the new position where keepers have no actual
documentary proof of the existence of valid taxation. The position of
DVLA is clear. They have notified our ED partners of the change and
they think that exhausts their legal obligations. They are probably
right. So our advice to members is that it would be prudent to carry
the best available evidence.
On examination, that is probably the confirmation page which appears
at the conclusion of the online taxation process. It can be printed off and does
carry the required information in a pretty clear format.
But we know we have members who, either because they are not online
users, or because they consider that we ought to use the Post Office service, will
wish to renew their tax at a Post Office counter. In that case, despite the
suggestion we had received from a few members just after the changeover, the
Post Office always prints out a till receipt. That is the case even if the vehicle is
exempt from VED. In that case the till receipt is Nil Value. The counter clerk
should always hand the till receipt (even if Nil Value) to the applicant. We would
recommend that receipt be accepted from the counter clerk and carefully
retained.
Members who might be taking their vehicles abroad should
really give consideration to whether in that case using the online
system, with its clear A4 size final page, is preferable to the Post
Office till receipt
13
14
FBHVC News. Issue 1. 2015
FBHVC ELECTION MANIFESTO
While the important matters of state will predominate in the forthcoming
election campaign it is incumbent on special interest groups like FBHVC to ensure that
all the parties are fully informed of their stance and that likewise they themselves are
informed how the various parties view them and their particular views.
The Federation's Election Manifesto gives the FBHVC Board the opportunity to
communicate what we stand for to all our member organisations and we are only
mandated to represent the member clubs where we accurately represent the common
good.
Copies will be made widely available to all members, MPs, MEPs and all other
groups with an interest in historic vehicles and their rights of access to the public
highway.
The power of the historic vehicle movement -The FBHVC Manifesto
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) represents 530+ clubs and
250,000 historic vehicle enthusiasts. These enthusiasts embrace all forms of powered road
vehicles which are 30 or more years old including motor cars, motorcycles, buses and
coaches, commercial vehicles, steam, agricultural and military vehicles.
Research conducted by the University of Brighton and Historic Vehicle Research
Institute in 201*1 valued the historic vehicle movement at f#.3bn per annum, employing
28,000 people in the UK. Retention of specialist skills is fundamental to our work and in
2014 the Federation launched an Ofqual' accredited course in Historic Vehicle Restoration.
Simply stated, our objective is to 'Maintain the freedom to use Yesterday's Vehicles
on Tomorrow's Roads'
1.
Recognise the economic significance of the historic vehicle movement and
engage accordingly with it.
2.
Support our activities to gain heritage recognition of historic vehicles.
3.
Continue to support young people who wish to participate in Historic Vehicle
Restoration Apprenticeships.
4.
Implement the EU Roadworthiness Directive sympathetically.
5.
Extend the historic vehicle Excise Duty exemption.
Lives & Loves......
Mike and Debs new Dormobile
Landcruiser (Larry) was a bit
flat when driving (engine felt very tight). However they used it for quite a few shows
last season and managed to get to the shows without too much agro. But me and
Michael decided, that in the winter we would replace the engine if one could be
found.
We started looking on eBay for weeks for a donor engine then bingo, we found one
in Manchester for the bargain price of £61.We made our way to Danny Chatburn’s
as he knew the address and he took us to a scrap yard.
The owner took us across a very muddy yard to where the engine was resting, with
scrap metal and old
oil drums. We
looked at each
other thinking the
same thing (this is
not looking good)
but the owner of
the scrap yard told
us the donor
vehicle looked like
it had been cared
for.
We headed back to
our workshop with
the engine and a
few spare parts thrown in for free. We cleaned the engine and replaced the cam
belt and rocker cover, as the old ones
were damaged - then swopped the
electronic ignition over from the old
engine.
The Federation asked members to print their manifesto in their club magazine, but
unfortunately, we did not have space for all the detail, hence these headings. For full
We removed the front panel and pulled
the old engine and gearbox out, then
proceeded fitting the new engine with my
mate Phil. It was a very tight fit indeed but
after Mr. wonderful (Dave Smith) cast his
magic hands over the engine bay it sat in
on its mounts.
Then we fitted the gear box. We spent the
next day fitting all the other parts i.e.
exhaust manifolds, alternator, radiator and
carb etc etc.
details, go onto their website at www.fbhvc.co.uk
Fuel and water topped up and battery
To realise the potential of the historic vehicle movement, we call on all political
15
16
Fuel and water topped up and battery charged. We turned her over and it fired up and ran
like a dream. No knocks or rattles, with great oil pressure. What a bargain (well spotted
Michael). The engine was left running for about 30-40 minutes to test head gasket and to
make sure there were no problems.
This has got to be one of the best 2.3 engines I have seen for a while.
Regards,
Michael and Dave.
FBHVC Drive It Day, Sunday 26 April 2015
The event format differs slightly from 2014; the Federation of British Historic Vehicle
Clubs will not be involved in organising any particular venues. In effect we will be
reverting to the previous format, leaving routes and meeting points to the discretion of
individual clubs.
Some members of the FBHVC team may attend certain venues basically to keep in touch
with the membership, as well as enjoying the day.
Lives & Loves......
Martin Palmer’s Roma.
Happy New Year. Thanks for the Dormobile Digest. Always interesting to read of
other Dormobiles.
Progress on the Roma suffered a setback in October when, after it being parked for 3
weeks while we were away the clutch had stuck. I couldn't free it so had to remove
the gearbox from the engine and then replace the clutch-plate. Overall this took me
nearly 2 months! Anyway the Roma was back on the road just before Christmas.
I have decided to redesign the interior as I can't recreate the original Dormobile
layout with out having all the panels for the rear extension. So far I have made a new
folding rear seat using the original Dormobile rear seat squab. I rearranged the lifting
tailgate so it raises higher. This means I now have a 4 seater hatchback! Not many
of them with 1968 registrations.
I am going for a single bed layout with a roof bunk. To do that I have fitted a swivel
to the front passenger seat so that when rotated can be the main seat in the
campervan and also forms the foot of the bed. As that raised the passenger seat by
about 1" I raised the drivers seat to match.
This annual day commemorates 64 cars that left London on the first day of the Thousand
Mile UK Trial that took place in April 1900. DID is an occasion when vehicles of over 30
years of age, have the opportunity to collectively show their prowess on UK roads and
display them to the public. These include cars, motor cycles, commercial, agricultural and
military vehicles.
On the vehicle, apart from replacing the clutch I have had the radiator re-cored and
have fitted an electric fan with a thermostatic switch with a manual override and
warning light. I replaced the generator with a 45am alternator that looks just like a
generator. To this I fitted a split charge and I managed to find a 50AH leisure battery
that would juts fit with the vehicle battery on the battery tray under the bonnet. New
wiring has been put through to the camper part for lights and to power the fridge. I'm
now fitting a mains hook-up and a charger.
In order to perpetuate the name, the FBHVC request all member clubs, museums
and trade supporters promoting the event use the ‘Drive it Day’ logo on
promotional material thus maintaining and identifying the origination of the event. Logo
details are available – see www.fbhvc.co.uk. Please note this is password protected you
will need to register for access if you have not already done so. Rally plates will also be
available through the website.
Doubtless some will say I shouldn't make these sorts of changes and should keep it
original but without the correct parts a restoration simply isn't practical. I do intend to
use the Roma as a campervan so I need it to be practical, hence hook-up, leisure
battery, fridge and porta-potty etc.
Many other vehicles of younger vintage, which themselves could be ‘historic-in-waiting’
could also take to the roads in support of the event.
A memorable day with so much to see: Sunday 26 April 2015 is a special opportunity for
spectator and participants to get involved.
This brings me to my question. As I need a target to work to I thought I would try and
come down in the Roma to either the AGM or to another Dormobile meet this
year. The Roma may not be finished by then but it will be usable. Do you have any
dates/locations of either the AGM or any other meets that there will be a number of
Dormobiles at?
Martin Palmer. Isle of Lewis.
17
18
You got me to go out and take some of
what I had done so far, thanks.
Rear seat.
. If you look at the bottom of the one
showing the batteries, charger, fuses etc.
you can just see the alternator that looks
like a dynamo. I thought you would find
them interesting as you have a Roma
yourself.
Next job is to replace the front O/S brake
as it had seized and though I got it freed
off for the MOT but I am going to replace
the back-plate and cylinders so it won't
Front passenger seat swivel.
Rear with seat folded.
Roma Jan 2015. Engine
Compartment No fan.
happen again.
All this work in the long winter nights on the
Isle of Lewis. At least it is in a garage, unlike
our other club member rebuilding his
Romany. AH.
Front passenger
seat swivelled.
Rear with seat up.
Tailgate made to lift higher.
Lower bed layout.
Dear Members..
Rear seat. Storage space
under.
Batteries and fuses.
<<<<
Humour
Just to fill
this
space.
19
Editorial and Design. Allan Horne.
Hi there,
I am working on a farm closely to where I live
cutting trees for the land owner and I have come
across a Bedford CA Dormobile Caravan from
what I can assume and I have spoken to the land
owner and he is on about recycling it, its not in
the very best of conditions there is very little
salvageable from it but I was just wondering if
you would be willing to free some time to come
down and have a look
Harry.
I have been in touch, and the CA Porthole is in
Virginia Water, Surrey.
Interested ? Contact
[email protected]
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