Rebuilding a 1969 Franklin Mini
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:46 pm
Hi everyone. My name is Jim, I’m new here and I’m rebuilding a 1969 vintage Franklin Mini. I say ‘Vintage’ because it squeaks into the ‘Vintage’ category by approx. 10 months. Some prefer to refer to it as a “Classic” caravan.
However, it has been in my possession for approx. 25 years, but I’ve never actually hooked it up and toured with it. It’s been an off and on bedroom for some of our 5 kids at various stages in their lives.
At some point in the early days, the kids dubbed it “The Pumpkin” and that’s what everyone has referred to it as ever since.
So, allow me to introduce “The Pumpkin”
Here’s a couple of pics of how it was when I finally decided to renovate it. Well, a renovation was all I thought it would need before I really got into the job. The further in I got, the more it turned into a rebuild.
There were a few areas of obvious concern.
Window Frames
Rear wall over the bed. Damage primarily caused by condensation over the decades.
And a vital section of timber only discovered after the walls were removed.
By the way, this was the good side.
Once I crawled underneath, I discovered vital chassis components that had rusted down to barely a millimetre wall thickness, cracks galore and some not very reassuring welds.
I’ll continue on another post.
However, it has been in my possession for approx. 25 years, but I’ve never actually hooked it up and toured with it. It’s been an off and on bedroom for some of our 5 kids at various stages in their lives.
At some point in the early days, the kids dubbed it “The Pumpkin” and that’s what everyone has referred to it as ever since.
So, allow me to introduce “The Pumpkin”
Here’s a couple of pics of how it was when I finally decided to renovate it. Well, a renovation was all I thought it would need before I really got into the job. The further in I got, the more it turned into a rebuild.
There were a few areas of obvious concern.
Window Frames
Rear wall over the bed. Damage primarily caused by condensation over the decades.
And a vital section of timber only discovered after the walls were removed.
By the way, this was the good side.
Once I crawled underneath, I discovered vital chassis components that had rusted down to barely a millimetre wall thickness, cracks galore and some not very reassuring welds.
I’ll continue on another post.