1972 classic caravan cavalier 1200s

I take a look at this superb classic tourer from 1972, Cavalier were medium priced tourers made in Suffolk and became one of the UK's popular tourer ranges from the late 60s to the late 70s. This is a video for those who want a look back at how caravans were back in the 1970s - check out my latest book Caravanning in the 1970's Amberley publishing

[@paulbower5274]

enjoyed that again. thankyou

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Great Paul - thank you for feed back and that your liked it part two on its way!

[@fionastuart7825]

WoW!! It's absolutely gorgeous!

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

its fantastic Fiona a real gem you would love a look inside it - hope to come video your Silverline at some stage just books are on deadlines!

[@iainmclean8509]

Fantastic. My parents really thought they had made it when they got their Cavalier 1200T. Bought from a long gone dealer Travelmore Caravans who's premises we can now see from our sitting room window

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Thanks Iain - they were so popular many around but sadly few now, I am chasing a guy who has two twin axle GT's which could be good to do love to get on a site and video too ! Scotland did have a lot of dealers at one time shame few are left

[@michaelwade1092]

Lovely Caravan! It brought back memories of going with my Mates Family with a Caravan Similar to that in the 80s Foot pump cold water etc. They had it years, we would sleep in a tent n they would stay in the Caravan. Infact i Towed it for his mum when i was 17 so they could have a Holiday as his dad lost his Licence for a couple of years! 🍺

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Michael what great memories and I am glad I brought some back - me to could get a bit emotional to be honest loved it as a child made lots of friends on the way - thank you

[@turnercraig9953]

Another fantastic video! A friend of mine had a Cavalier 1200T in the 80's. I loved it. We had a Piper 1200 at the time which was comparable to the Cavalier

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Thankyou for that Craig and glad to hear your tale of the 1200T and that Piper 1200 remember them being lunched - sadly! Ha ha - thanks for watching

[@trucker5722]

Another great video from professor Andy, unbelievable amount of knowledge you have. I don’t think our Elldis will be around in 50 years. When you think the sealants and wood preservation products where no we’re near as good then in the 70s but the van still looks in great condition.

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Ha ha love that Professor Andy - my daughter would say mr boring!!! - Yes all those years of following the industry has done my brain in so I do go on! Thank you for the great comments - yes the brochure describes the latest rot proof treated timers! It also had underfloor insulation few caravans did back then - part two will be coming up soon 1

[@kevinflood8212]

What a real gem of a caravan Andy, it must have been in storage for many years. Isn't that sliding sink cover a great idea. Simple yet very functional design with no gadgets or water pumps to give trouble. Your in your comfort Zone now Andy if you could find more of those old vans your subscribers would go up for you. Great video, really enjoyed it.

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Thank you Kevin - it is great to look back and you see how things have changed - yes that sink cover idea was neat and simple. Hope to do some more classic caravans to do - part two should be on this evening at some stage kevin

[@holsteincowboy]

On a recent visit to a farm I seen a old caravan made by fibreline of Carlisle.

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Ah Viking Fiberline yes made at Culgaith just outside Carlisle - popular vans

[@anthonyhoughton6625]

Where was the farm @holsteincowboy ?

[@colinmew7139]

O Andy what memories although I was a true Cheltenham person but very much liked Cavalier vans. A friend of mine owned one and when his father died left him his Abbey he could not keep both so had to sell one. He put them both up for sale which ever sold first he would keep the other and the Cavalier went I was sad as I thought it was the better of the two.

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Colin - there were so many makes so much interest much happening in the industry which today little does. Great to hear your comments and my teacher at school bought a new 73 Cavalier 1200T towed with a Marina when it was running!!! We had a main Cavalier dealer by us at the time that 4.30 GT was a corker love to find one!

[@alexrankin2235]

Never knew they were so popular Andy. My parents friends van would have been bought at Walford Cross caravans in Taunton Somerset.

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Is that dealer still there, went about 15 years ago - but yes Cavaliers were to be seen in abroad as well - many were exported.

[@alexrankin2235]

@@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk , don’t know. It seems to have been there in 2019, although under a different name.

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

think its had a few owners over the years Alex

[@tractorfactorsteve]

I worked for Estuary Caravans in the 1960's. The factory opened in 1963/4 because when I started there in Oct 65 it was quite well established. The factory was the original brand name of Cavalier. We made 10, 12, 14 and 16 ft vans and they all had toilet compartments (at least they had windows with a frosted section). At peak production (when I was there 65/69) we were turning out around 60 vans per week and with a 10% of hourly rate bonus above an agreed target and adult pay rates at 18 (not 21), with overtime there were times when I was earning 30 0dd quid clear as a teenager when most mates were on 10 to 15.. Good times but a lot of hard work. (PS Interesting that the cushions were the same colour right through those early years.)

[@alexrankin2235]

My parents friends had what must have been a 14, maybe a 16. Centre L shape kitchen and side bench at the back? Early 70s ?

[@Bee-rr6vo]

@tractorfactorsteve Did you buy any chance meet my father in law Brian Fuller? He initially worked on the production line and then became the line foreman. He eventually left to start his own caravan sales, and ended up with his own sales yard at Farnham near Saxmundham called "Brian Fuller Caravans". Now known as Farnham Leisure.

[@heyholetstow]

Lovely bit of orange going on

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

that was the 70's!!!

[@billturner6564]

Thanks so much for this history lesson My family had 2 Cavalier caravans the first was a 490 twin axle it had 2 doors in it so when touring on the continent you were always on the pavement side I remember being in bed pretending 2 be asleep as my parents listened to BBC World Service about President Ronald Reagan being shot ...... Next we had a 590 it wasn't a nice gold but black and white now but as it was a twin dinette me and my brother had our own room up front Features I remember were brown shaggy carpet on the front wall 😅 and a really nice cupboard come chest behind the seats on 1 side where we kept the bedding and I displayed my model boats. Not long after we got it we were going to Cornwall on holiday and at some point along the A30 my dad put his foot on the brakes going down 1 of the hills and the caravan hit us from behind like a frate train we drove a big heavy Volvo 244DL and it was thrown around like a rag doll we ended up in the central reservation with the caravan on its side and the volvo still hooked on with both the rear wheels off the floor !!!! After the police somehow pushed the caravan back on to its wheels the volvo towed the Cavalier of the dual carriageway in to an industrial estate 😳 where we spent the night in the caravan!!!!!!! Next day dad drove back to Manchester and after we got home he somehow straightened it out against the side of our home Then we drove down to Felixstowe and the factory put new aluminium sides and roof on and it was as good as new ... Just think about that what do caravans in this day and age look like after they get put on there sides on the motorway??? You sure don't spend the night in them and drive home the next day😅 We had that caravan for years after and went all over Europe 1 Xmas was spent in Central France Clarmont Ferand ... it was - 22c 😅😅😅 no wonder the Swedish loved Cavaliers ... I have looked everywhere for information on the brand and found nothing so thanks for filling in the blanks I am in my 50s now and reminiscing to much 😅😅

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Hi Bill - what a great story about your parents Cavaliers - Fantastic to hear about the disaster but great to hear all ended well.. Cavalier were very popular and many exported, I would have loved to have gone to the factory!! I fancied myself as a caravan designer and sent some tech drawings of designs I had done to Cavalier, their designer Fred Braithwaite replied to me and said to go and meet him at the then Earls Court Show, they sent me free tickets but sadluy I missed seeing him. They had a big owners club to and Tommys Cavalier was a lovely original van. Thank you for taking time to comment and I am so glad that it brough back some great memories - Andy

[@thebecbark]

Lovely caravan ❤ I've just found a gem online for free. A cavalier 4-40GT. In need of a little TLC but still in good condition. L shaped kitchen & I found a long piece of canvas on 2 poles, had no idea what it was but I bet it's a hammock bed. I'm going to go try it now. 😊

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Wow a 440GT a real gem what year is it ? Message me on my caravan industry FB page with a pic I can then find a brochure shot and year for you and yea thats a bunk which would go across the front end width love to see It

[@M..R....]

Very interesting all the way through Andy and well presented. Really enjoyed watching it and thanks for uploading it! My mam has a photo of my parents caravan hitched up onto my dads 1984 (gold!) Jag XJ 3.4 Auto so probably so it was probably taken around the late 80s. When I watched this video I rang her to ask if she could get the photo out to see if the caravan could be identified. She said it was an Eldis. Would have loved to have known the reason for buying it ..whether it was because Eldis were local (Eldis factory is currently within 8 miles of her) or the layout , features or something else? Thumbs up Andy. Its amazing sometimes where you see old vans. Last November we were staying at Ullsawater and drove over the Kirstone Pass .At the top of the Pass the road forks and we took the right fork to Anbleside. In the absolute middle of nowhere on a single track winding road we drove past a house and I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I reversed and couldn't belive a caravan covered in green moss/algae and branches which looked like it had been there probably since the 70s. How it got there beats me. Re the footpump...I used to work at a place that had some classic cars..one was a Morris Minor van which had a rubber footpump to pump water for the windscreen wipers...also the sliding worktop is growing on me...would be interesting if some of the more modern vans had this..lol!

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Firstly - what a lovely comment, and story - I am so glad that it evoked some great memories - love to see that old van used to go over that way a lot wonder its still there that- your Elddis to was it a Tornado or Cyclone ? my parents loved their Elddis vans - and what a tow car wow!!! yes that sliding kitchen top I now remember in Cavaliers what a idea for todays vans-thank you again for watching the videos .

[@M..R....]

Found some photos of the caravan and car Andy showing it to be an Elddis Cyclone XL. They bought it new in 1990 from a caravan dealer she thinks was in Whitley Bay for £7000 (seems expensive but she says that was the price).

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

loved Elddis then I bought a new Wisp in 91 cost £6,300 loved the XL range wanted a Whirlwind but never managed it great to hear of your mums vans thank you

[@M..R....]

@@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk Given £6300 for Wisp maybe £7k for a Cyclone XL is correct...

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

yes was more upmarket than wisp lovely vans @@M..R....

[@andrewensor317]

Just my thing ! If only you could find statics in this original condition......😢

[@fionastuart7825]

Yup, same here!

[@cryptail1477]

Hi Andy, I have my grandads Cavalier which I had fantastic holidays in as a child. I’m having to clear out the unit it’s been in for 32 years, is it worth anything to anyone? It’s a shame to have to scrap it Many thanks

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

Hi - look can you send me a few images of it on the caravan industrys FB page? I can then see if anyone would be interested I think there may be would be abig shame for it to be scrapped so please send me details - thank you

[@KR1275]

I think your intro movie is made in 480p. It sets the default setting of the rest of the movie also in 480p. That's a pitty, because the movies are not sharp. I guess you record all the movies is 1080p?

[@caravanindustryexpertandyjenk]

I do but can do 4 k but forget to set the camera to it - also i havent processed into hd because of the time to download also many watch on phones but your right on the tech - thank you