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I am ...all of a sudden...the proud owner of a late 60's (I reckon) Viking Fibreline 1. It's in a bit of a state...poor thing. Needs lots of work. I've never had a caravan before so when I look at the bits like the closet...I have no idea what sort of toilet should be in there, whether it would have had a wash hand basin or what. Lots of this is still in very good condition and I can see where to go, actually lots of it really just needs a bit of love. Other bits - like one window where all the plastic on the inside has cracked and it has swollen in it's mounting - aren't.

So...anyone got pictures of what it should look like...pictures of the original, anyone got advice, anyone restored one of these already? I'm looking for advice and ideas and if anyone knows of books and source material that will help me I'd be really grateful.

TIA

Cait

Hi and a very warm welcome to ukcampsite.co.uk. My mum and dad had a viking Fiberline in the 70's, great caravans and should last for ages due to the fiberglass inner and outer walls and the galvanised chassis by B&B chassis.

Not sure about pictures but will get my daugher to hunt through the albums tomorrow and I will scan any we still have.

Found this one with pictures on e-bay which might help with layout, most are the same on the outside but had individual interior layouts.

This is another one that I often look at when browsing as well!

You will also find that there is mention of the vikings a few times on ukcampsite.co.uk as well, have a look through the Old Caravans thread. There is another picture of an interior on page 2 of that one.

Will keep looking and if I come across any more info will let you know

Once again a very warm welcome, look forward to seeing pictures of your Viking, great vans!

Well, thanks for the welcome Pip, I am a tad excited about my find. That ebay site was great...very similar to mine except I've got the corner curved windows like the two tone pic you have shown...which makes it even more cuddly..but the interior was very like mine. Although I have no cushions or anything...it's a bit sad just now.

I've been a good girl - done some looking already and found both the pcture and the thread you mention which brought me here in the first place...

Now, tell me how to upload pics on this site and I'll let you see what I got...Oh and if you don't want to just run outside and hug it straight off then I will consider you to have no heart...it is just gorgeous.

The chassis seems good...and I was surpirsed given it's age but now you tell me it's glavanised I understand. I'd like to know more about the exterior substrate. Most of the paint is a bit flaky at best and much of it is off completely and it looks like a metal type substrate, doesn't look like fibreglass...any thoughts? Inside there is a paper covered ply on the main walls which I was pleased about no preformed rubbish here..just good old crappy plywood which can be covered.

I only got it today and I am so excited.

If your daughter finds pictures I will so appreciate them...nice to meet you,

Cait

Beautiful caravans. I wish I had the patience, skills and time to do a restoration.

You may find help from the Period and Classic Caravan Club.

Caz,

Thanks for reviving the thread and for the suggestion, hadn't realised it was such a busy board and couldn't find my thread earlier today. I think she's a lovely caravan and my son is so excited about her...others think she is a smelly old heap. I just think they haven't the imagination...and anyway she doesn't smell.

I don't think it's too big a project per se...not like restoring a car or anything. No mechanics. I'm a painter and decorator and it seems like a nice sized project to me. Nothing too big. I get bored painting my own house as nobody is paying me. I may be cursing the day I took her on if I don't find all the leaks and problems before I start the making nice bit though.

I spoke to Jill Rumbelow of Period and Classic yesterday and she has directed me to their site...I'm joining. I found, in the caravan, an original Fibreline brochure (a bit torn and mucky), some documents and stuff, and some bits of paper dated 2002, one of which was a list that said Jill Rumbelow -Classics Club - and her telephone number so I phoned her on the off chance. 

I'm getting there, but awfully slowly, I want Vikki (she has a name) on the road now!!! We've done a lot of work today...cleaned her out, which was a job in itself, removed all the fittings and fixtures and stored and removed all the wallcoverings to get a better understanding of where the water ingress is etc...some of it rather sad. We've removed any rotten wood and identified the worst of the holes and temporarily sealed those..in such a way as to be able to identify them later. I've never had or even slept in a caravan never mind worked on one.

I think I should start a blog or something...there seems to be very little info out there about restoring caravans. I've looked for books and magazines??? none that I can find.

I'll keep posting and hopefully sometime I'll find another owner to chat to.

Cheers,

Cait

To get a picture in the thread you must have it on the internet already.

How about doing your own little website/blog somewhere and then you can put a link to it and we can all watch your progress?

I've had a look at the piccie of Vikki and she is lovely.

Cheers I had a long tour round the site this morning and found the instructions on pictures. Got to get a flickr account anyway...may as well blog

I will let you know when I get it up...so to speak. I will do one.

She's cute isn't she?

Hi Paintycait, sorry wasn't on earlier to answer re pictures but glad to see caz has taken you in hand!

Had a good look for the photo albums but as yet no sign of them, I do know they are in the daughters room and hopefully they will again see the light of day! (teenagers!)

If you need any pictures uploaded to the web feel free to e-mail me them and I will store them on my webspace until you sort out something else. If you also need to resize piccies etc then feel free to ask if you are struggling with that as well.

off out for the evening but will check in again later!

BTW the van looks brill, ours didn't have the corner windows but you have rekindled some memories!

BTW have a look at the fixed it club members websites, a whole group of folks on ukcampsite.co.uk who have done extensive repairs to their own caravans. really must get a move on now, chauffeurs arrived! lol

Hi PP, as I said I found the thread about uploading pics...every message board seems to be different of course. I'm pretty handy with the old Photoshop so no worrries about resizing, thanks anyway though.

Have you checked out the blog..http://www.vikkiviking.blogspot.com

There are lots more pics on there. I've sort of come to a stand still till I can chat to someone who has had more experience in restoration, am hoping for a Viking expert or two to come out of the woodwork from the Classics and Viking clubs.

I have found the fix-it club's site and have been reading avidly. They definitely gave me a few tips. 

Work is getting in the way of caravan too...how dare it!! Hope you have a great night out Pip.

Cait

Hi Cait, a most enjoyable read and very informative too! Brought back a few memories looking at the pictures as well. As you will no doubt notice it is a wee bit late, had a lot to catch up with between the posts on here and the old e-mails, a few hours away sure does create a bit of a backlog! lol Still we had a good evening out so it was worth it!

Must admit to being puzzled by what seems to be the use of something other than fiberglass in the fiberline, as i understood it they were built using a fiberglass inner and outer shell which was mounted onto a wooden floor with a B&B Chassis underneath, the chassis was actually said to be the weakest point as it was made of steel.

It wasn't till reading your blog that I saw just how close you are so hopefully at some point I will be able to see the work first hand and where possible help out in my own limited way! Just a shame we are off next week as I could have been tempted to sneak up there sooner rather than later!

I will keep an eye on your site and the progress and tomorrow I will venture up the wooden hill into the unknown and see if i can dig out these photo albums! Afraid the tenage daughter has not made any progress! Ho hum!

Well better head for me bed or I will be in deep trouble with the missus, well thats if she finds out, lol

Quote: Originally posted by Papa Pip on 20/7/2006

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It wasn't till reading your blog that I saw just how close you are so hopefully at some point I will be able to see the work first hand and where possible help out in my own limited way! Just a shame we are off next week as I could have been tempted to sneak up there sooner rather than later!

You would be most welcome mate, might be worth waiting till we've done a bit to it, although it's going to look worse before it looks better.

I will keep an eye on your site and the progress and tomorrow I will venture up the wooden hill into the unknown and see if i can dig out these photo albums! Afraid the tenage daughter has not made any progress! Ho hum!

If you find these pics I will be very grateful. I updated a bit on the blog earlier on so you can see more of the damage. I'll be putting the next lot of thoughts on later tonight I hope.

 

beautiful....

get down local fabric shop and get some pretty net curtains for her....

We're a bit far off getting the curtains up unfortunately..of course I am gagging to decorate the interior but keep being pulled back to try and research the boring bits.Shan't be putting any fabric anywhere till I'm sure she's dry.

Glad you liker tho'

Cait