Old Avondale Mayfly? Age And I.d. Needed Please

[kateydee13]

Hi,

I have just bought my first caravan and know nothing more than it's an avondale. Just saw it, loved it, bought it. ........pretty reckless I know. Lol

Can't work out how to add pictures so I'll do my best to describe. It's a two berth, has glass windows not plastic, rear kitchen/sink and toilet room, cooker down the side next to the door, the windows have A2731475 on them. The roof has a hump at the back with a small window each side.

Any help with I. D. Age and info would be great!

Thanks in advance.

Kate

[kateydee13]

Ok not the best pictures but hopefully they will help :-)

[Disco Kid]

Try contacting the Avondale Owners Club at http://www. aaocc. org. uk/

 

They can probably identify it accurately

 

Cheers

[WispMan]

Or wait for our resident Avondale expert Gordon to pass by

[Jaydug]

See if you have an oval plate riveted on the inside of the van over the entrance door.

[kateydee13]

This is all that's above the door, the number says 172 0314.

Thanks

Edited August 4, 2014 by kateydee13

[Gordon]

I believe it's circa 1980, and if you can let us have the body length, it should be possible to confirm the model.

Gordon.

[kateydee13]

Thanks Gordon, does the chassis number equate to age? That's a shame, would of liked it to be 1970's lol. When would they have changed to plastic windows? Or were they an option.

The body it 13ft2 at its longest point.

[WispMan]

Does that inlude the A frame at the front or not?

[kateydee13]

No that's just the body not the chassis/a frame

[Gordon]

I have not been able to find an exact match, but your Mayfly is similar to the 1977, and 1978 models, however the coachlines of these two years were double, not single as yours is. In 1980 the coachline was straight, not dipped towards the front like yours.

If I had the dimensions and a picture of the 1979 model I think that would match, but for the fact that acrylic windows were introduced that year.

So it's looking increasingly as if you have a 1976 or earlier model.

Gordon.

[kateydee13]

I have not been able to find an exact match, but your Mayfly is similar to the 1977, and 1978 models, however the coachlines of these two years were double, not single as yours is. In 1980 the coachline was straight, not dipped towards the front like yours.

If I had the dimensions and a picture of the 1979 model I think that would match, but for the fact that acrylic windows were introduced that year.

So it's looking increasingly as if you have a 1976 or earlier model.

Gordon.

Gordon, I had heard your knowledge was vast, and it is certainly true!!

Does the number on the plate inside the door show age? It's 172 0314, does the '72' equate to year of manufacture?

The A frame and hitch look fairly modern to me, I suspect someone may have bolted a new ball hitch on.

The chassis was manufactured by peak trailers if that makes any difference.

Edited August 5, 2014 by kateydee13

[Gordon]

Gordon, I had heard your knowledge was vast, and it is certainly true!!

Does the number on the plate inside the door show age? It's 172 0314, does the '72' equate to year of manufacture?

The A frame and hitch look fairly modern to me, I suspect someone may have bolted a new ball hitch on.

The chassis was manufactured by peak trailers if that makes any difference.

Certainly the gas locker doesn't look original. The standard ones were somewhat more tapered as in the attached pic. When the over-door plate is of the form two numbers, followed by 'AV' then six numbers, the first two numbers do indicate the year. Unfortunately Avondale used various 'codes' for model identity, production batch etc. The chassis numbers were different too, usually starting with 'LE. ..'. Thankfully since 1992 the CRiS system has made year identification much easier, but prior to that things were not so straight forward.

It is possible that the '72' may indicate the year. The other number on the windows is a bit of a red herring I think, as this is most likely a security number issued by an independent (possibly insurance) company.

Gordon

[kateydee13]

Certainly the gas locker doesn't look original. The standard ones were somewhat more tapered as in the attached pic. When the over-door plate is of the form two numbers, followed by 'AV' then six numbers, the first two numbers do indicate the year. Unfortunately Avondale used various 'codes' for model identity, production batch etc. The chassis numbers were different too, usually starting with 'LE. ..'. Thankfully since 1992 the CRiS system has made year identification much easier, but prior to that things were not so straight forward.

It is possible that the '72' may indicate the year. The other number on the windows is a bit of a red herring I think, as this is most likely a security number issued by an independent (possibly insurance) company.

Gordon

Ha ha ha trust me to be different and have a chassis number starting with an A. The key ring that came with it has avondale 75 written on it, so maybe I'll just go for 1975.

Thanks for all the great info.

I think I might become an avondale addict, just bought another mayfly which I'm collecting tomorrow :-)

[Jaydug]

Might it be that your serial number - 172 0314 - indicates that it's the 314th van to roll off the line in January of 1972?

[Gordon]

Might it be that your serial number - 172 0314 - indicates that it's the 314th van to roll off the line in January of 1972?

Perfectly possible, but I'm not sure at which point the build year started being defined from August through to July. It may be that 172 actually indicates the first month in the '72 production year, ie September 1971?

As Avondale Coachcraft Ltd. was formed by Gerald and Eileen Ball in 1970 and only small numbers of caravans were manufactured in Gerald's garage in the early years, my inclination is to go for 1975 or 1976, although I have little 'proof' of this being correct

Gordon.

Gerald & Eileen Ball at the NEC 2007

 

 

The attached 1973 handbook may help

Handbook 1973. pdf

[Guest Rita]

Ha ha ha trust me to be different and have a chassis number starting with an A. The key ring that came with it has avondale 75 written on it, so maybe I'll just go for 1975.

Thanks for all the great info.

I think I might become an avondale addict, just bought another mayfly which I'm collecting tomorrow :-)

 

The 75 is possible the key number

 

Ours is with in these numbers

 

http://www. jacksonscamping. com/replacement-caravan-key-wd-064-098/p5411

 

Obsessed more like but they are lovely caravans

Edited August 5, 2014 by Rita

[kateydee13]

I think we may have to admit defeat with this one, clearly the caravan is female. Ladies never like to reveal their age! Lol

Thanks everyone for all your help, I hope the next van is easier to identify :-) I'll pop some pics on when I get it home.

[Carl1]

I think we may have to admit defeat with this one, clearly the caravan is female. Ladies never like to reveal their age! Lol

Thanks everyone for all your help, I hope the next van is easier to identify :-) I'll pop some pics on when I get it home.

Never admit defeat (even if it does take 3 years to get an answer).

 

The second two figures of the number over the door are the production year making yours 1972.

 

I always assumed the first number to be the model. ..1 for Mayfly and 2 for Kingfisher, the only models available back then (If anybody has an early 70s Sandpiper with the first digit "3" then that would confirm it. ..possibly).

 

If it does denote the month number then yours is the only Avondale I've found older than mine, a Kingfisher with number: 272 0118.

 

If the last 3 digits denotes the order that it came off the line then mine is still the oldest.

 

I will scan the 1973 brochure and post it here for you (and anyone else who is interested).

 

Edited to add: I see you haven't visited the forum since your last post but I'll scan the brochure anyway:

Edited April 2, 2017 by Carl1

[Carl1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paul_B]

Nice one Carl1

and thanks for taking the time to help as I'm sure it will help someone

[WispMan]

Carl - you could contact Admin via Gordon, who incidentally is a bit of an Avondale groupie. It is possible he could contact that member from 3 yrs ago via email if he has their details.

[Gordon]

Carl - you could contact Admin via Gordon, who incidentally is a bit of an Avondale groupie. It is possible he could contact that member from 3 yrs ago via email if he has their details.

Already emailed "kateydee13" to let her know there have been some recent replies to her thread

Gordon.

[Flat_at]

Never admit defeat (even if it does take 3 years to get an answer).

 

The second two figures of the number over the door are the production year making yours 1972.

 

I always assumed the first number to be the model. ..1 for Mayfly and 2 for Kingfisher, the only models available back then (If anybody has an early 70s Sandpiper with the first digit "3" then that would confirm it. ..possibly).

 

If it does denote the month number then yours is the only Avondale I've found older than mine, a Kingfisher with number: 272 0118.

 

If the last 3 digits denotes the order that it came off the line then mine is still the oldest.

 

I will scan the 1973 brochure and post it here for you (and anyone else who is interested).

 

Edited to add: I see you haven't visited the forum since your last post but I'll scan the brochure anyway:

Our first caravan was an Avondale Wren bought in 2010, serial no:- 481 XXXX definitely an '81 because the original receipt came with it, although hidden (lost) under one of the seats.

[Alan Stanley]

Nice Classic van. Don't profess to have Gordon's Knowledge but I I would put it well before 1980. Glass windows were phased out in 1980/81 for most vans and Avondale were one of the first to bring in plastic. Some vans of that time had a mixture of both.

 

From the numbers I think you may well have a 1972/73 model. Some give away being the Gas Locker (which would have been an extra) and the Fridge vents. They were up market vans and way beyond my means at the time. If it needs work then the structure is simple stick and screw, so reasonably easy to sort. One thing to check carefully is the tow hitch. Is it 2" or 50 mm tow ball.

 

Sort of van I always want to put back into top notch order. SWMBO said something like haven't you got enough toys and you still have parts of the garden to terrace.