MH Nostalgia - They don't make them like they used to.. (1 Viewer)

magicsurfbus

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..which is probably just as well really, having owned one of them.

I've been literally tearing through a pile of old magazines from the 60s and 70s to extract the adverts for resale, and I happened upon these little gems of Motorhoming nostalgia which I thought I'd share with you. From 1974 and 1978 respectively:

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Badknee

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The Commer van was a nightmare, I owned one for three months and couldn't get rid of it quick enough!
 
Mar 23, 2012
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It was that sort of van the CC cater for on their big sites no toilet or shower its time they moved on.

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Jan 25, 2013
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I had a Bedford based "thing" with sliding driver/passenger doors which leaked like sieves, no, sieves held more water! Hideous thing but managed to part exchange it for a (by comparison) a luxury Holdsworth Villa on a VW T2. Ever thought how dated our current pride and joys will look in 40 years' time?
 

Muddibootz

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I used to drive a yellow commer van for work occasionally. The cornering was amazing - more like being in a boat -and a feeling you were about to capsize. :)

My Parents had an Autohome like the one in the advert except it was Bedford CF. I had many happy trips with them in that.

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Jim

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Ive seen a few of those Advantura's. Some are still around. The ones i've seen have almost always been on Ford chassis
 
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deleted-member02

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Look at those prices - goes to show what a good investment a campervan / motorhome is (y)
 
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magicsurfbus

magicsurfbus

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Look at those prices - goes to show what a good investment a campervan / motorhome is (y)

A 1978 VW Type 2 Devon in decent used condition would still cost you over £4,000 today. Our '75 VW had zero depreciation over the 7 years we owned it.

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magicsurfbus

magicsurfbus

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I'm sure I once heard Boy George of Culture Club saying he used to drive a Commer Chameleon.

Neil Sedaka used to drive a Commer Downdoobydoodowndown. They were obviously popular among music stars.

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Badknee

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I used to drive a yellow commer van for work occasionally. The cornering was amazing - more like being in a boat -and a feeling you were about to capsize. :)

My Parents had an Autohome like the one in the advert except it was Bedford CF. I had many happy trips with them in that.
Spot on! 2500cc engine wouldn't pull the skin off a milky rice pudding. I'm sure the track was narrower on the front axle than the rear, used to steer like a drunken pig!
 
Aug 18, 2011
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The Commer van was a nightmare, I owned one for three months and couldn't get rid of it quick enough!
We went to Sweden in one,,,brilliant,,,,,BUSBY,,,

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Aug 18, 2011
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Spot on! 2500cc engine wouldn't pull the skin off a milky rice pudding. I'm sure the track was narrower on the front axle than the rear, used to steer like a drunken pig!
Petrol was a 1750 cc,,same engine as Hillman Minx,,,,,BUSBY,,,
 
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Aug 27, 2014
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Actually, if the CF is a bit too "normal" for you.....



Seems like a good buy at that price, it's certainly unusual!
 

Allanm

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First camper van I remember being in was our Bedford Dormobile. Must have been around 1962 or so.
We had Commer vans at work, one lad found out the hard way, when he tried to do a handbrake turn, that the handbrake operated on the front wheels.

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Autowbars

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First van I bought for work was a commercial, not a camper but a van.
Brings back happy memories
 
Jun 18, 2013
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This thread brings back a memory or two for me too, as my uncle worked for Birtwistles in Hartford (second ad) and we used to drive past the garage and showroom every day on the way to and from Hartford and Greenbank station to get the train to school. The garage survives as an MoT centre but the showroom has long gone.

Tony
 

roamingman

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The Commer van was a nightmare, I owned one for three months and couldn't get rid of it quick enough!
We had one first campervan, loved it, great for weekends away.

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Popeye

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That Commer was the first vehicle I took the engine out of. I was apprenticed in a Rootes Dealership and whilst the engine was removed I had to degrease the engine bay and hand paint it in a Rootes Group light-grey.

Rather like the series 3b Minx it had a 4 speed gear-box, Ist 2nd and 3rd, 3rd being a straight through top-gear.

EL was extra low for really steep hills mostly on a column gear change. It had Lockheed Hydraulic drum twin leading shoe front brakes and cable rear brakes. What a truly bloody awful thing it was to drive.
 
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6 berth in a Commer, were people smaller in those days ? (n)

The Commer was a wide van,,you could sleep across them width ways,,BUSBY.

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PeteH

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Saw a Highwayman recently

There Not that new?.:D Or that fast, and dont have any facilities?.(n)

DickTurpin_on_BlackBess.png

:whistle::whistle::whistle:
 
Aug 18, 2011
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We went to Sweden in the early 80 s,in a Commer,,,ex British Rail 12 seater mini bus. Six adults and two teenagers plus all the camping gear and two weeks beer supply,,,,It never missed a beat but 50 mph was its cruising speed,,,,BUSBY.
 
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Spot on! 2500cc engine wouldn't pull the skin off a milky rice pudding. I'm sure the track was narrower on the front axle than the rear, used to steer like a drunken pig!
My Fiat wide track is wider at the back than the front, which was fine until I got on the German autobahns and stuck in the two truck carved tyre grooves on most of the inside lanes. The MH really wants to turn itself inside out on those :(

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