Time to Roam Magazine Issue 7 - February/March 2014 | Page 28

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upfront feature

1956

“ The vans have a very distinctive
and characteristic - but not
at all unpleasant - fragrance
inside the cupboards.”

2014

‘The Don’ of Don caravans
No retrospective on the history of Don caravans would be
complete without reference to the man regarded as the
country’s greatest expert on the subject, Richard Dickins.
Richard is perhaps best known as
‘Don Ricardo’, the name he posts
under as a long-time contributor the
popular Vintage Caravan Forum.
Richard’s parents bought a 14ft six inch Don
in 1949, just a few months before he was
born. The enamel bath under the kitchen
bench served as his cot as a baby.
He still enjoys holidays in the van
today, having made a few minor changes
to make it slightly more liveable.
He says the most avid collectors of Don
caravans are people like him whose parents
had one and have very happy memories
of holidays in the vans as children.
“The vans have a very distinctive and
characteristic - but not at all unpleasant
- fragrance inside the cupboards, etc,
most likely from the type of marine ply,
and people that have grown up in a “Don

family” often comment on it when they
look through a van,” Richard says.
“Although constructed of timber, the
excellent workmanship and quality of
materials in Don caravans means that
a relatively large number have survived,
particularly of the 1934-1956 series.
My hunch is that the number of Don
caravans in existence as a percentage of the
number produced is higher than any other
make of bondwood caravans. Don caravans
in relatively good condition regularly turn up
in the backs of sheds all over the place.”
Time to Roam thanks ‘Don Ricardo’
for his assistance with this feature and
contribution to the industry. You can see his
full story and photos on vintagecaravans.
com. You can see him on the road heading
to Broken Hill for the Vintage Caravan
Nationals to be held from April 28 to May 2.

Above:
Then and Now, Richard with the Don in 1956 with his parents and aunt, and the same man, the same van - on the road, summer holidays 2014.

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