Bulletguy Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Just take a look at this. 1967 Commer Jennings Road Ranger......a real blast from the past! I wouldn't be surprised if it's the only one left in UK too. Hhmmm......i wonder how many over priced Euro boxes will be running in 50 years time? ;-) http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/hymer/jennings/1967-commer-jennings-coach-built-road-ranger-petrol-swindon-mfpa-2c929a7b5871fea901587d097e4c5c40/makemodel/make/hymer/berth/2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wirehaired Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 I wonder how much that cost in 67? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Cup Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 If only I had alot of spare mone, spare time and spare life left ... I remember these things at the Olympia show back in the day. Has anyone seen an Oxley Coachcraft motorhome in recent years? (my Uncle's company) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Most of the Jennings Road Rangers were built on the Ford Transit chassis with the diesel engine bulge in front, so I guess the Commer petrol engine version will be a snail. Can't check prices atm, Tooo dark to go in loft, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Wirehaired - 2016-11-27 7:28 PM I wonder how much that cost in 67? Now that really would be an interesting bit of trivia! I searched around and found an article about them....pity no prices listed!; http://www.commervanfan.co.uk/docs/thecommerfile.pdf And a chap here who bought one for just £1350 in 2006; http://www.commervanfan.co.uk/jenningsroadranger.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Example on Ford Transit , with apologies it was V6 petrol engine, not diesel. http://fordtransit.org/image/jennings-roadranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 flicka - 2016-11-27 9:42 PM Example on Ford Transit , with apologies it was V6 petrol engine, not diesel. http://fordtransit.org/image/jennings-roadranger That's a mere baby Flicka.....72-73 vintage! :D Here are more golden oldies; https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=commer+camper&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=950&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlvJuK98nQAhUpI8AKHYyDC2gQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=commer+road+ranger+camper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Finally found the price. In March 1965 it cost just £1350.......bargain! :-D :-D http://oi68.tinypic.com/s0vh47.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Cup Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Vintage porn!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Tea Cup - 2016-11-27 10:14 PM Vintage porn!! I wondered why i'd gone into "sticky key" mode!! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 The Jennings bit might be ok and most of the Commer bits wear well but was cobbled together from the Roots group parts bin. The front axle cross member and independent front suspension came from the Hillman Minx but the steering box had to reposition to suit the forward control cab and then some more ball joints and massive relay lever were needed to connect into the steering linkage. New the steering was a bit vague but the phrase 'chinese whispers' springs to mind when describing the connection between steering wheel and tyre contact with road once a bit of wear set in. The engine hung well forward but the gearbox was well behind the driver who had to stir the gears via a long whippy gear lever. The rear axle case came from the considerably wider Humber Hawk giving a significant narrower track at the front putting the front wheels at a disadvantage when countering roll. Mind you it was no worse than its Most of its contemporaries such as the Standard Atlas, Austin J2, Ford 400E. To my mind the Bedford CA was the best of the bunch and I worked on and drove them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Great post George......very interesting read. Loved the description of the "long whippy gear lever" to "stir the gears"!!! :D :D Reminded me of an old Mk1 Mini i had with a gear lever like that which seemed to go on forever and behaved like a "magic wand"....being a miracle if you got in gear without crunching them! (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 My vocation after leaving school was as an apprentice motor mechanic for the PMG (Postmaster Generals Dept) This government department looked after both the postal service and the telephone service at that time. The post was collected by Bedford CA vans with wiz bang front doors to make it quick and easy to collect the mail from the red boxes. With 3 on the tree they were quick off the mark but ran out of puff very quickly due to short gearing. For that reason they were fun to test drive after a repair session. The technicians that repaired the telephone cables drove either VW split window vans or Commer vans. The VW was very easy to get the rear end to slide out while the Commer would plough understeer into the corners due to the narrow front track. I preferred the VW overall as it felt like a polished machine at the time. The Bedford CA was best in the traffic light derby and the Commer was my least favourite. Certainly brings back good memories - oh to be eighteen again!!My first car was a 1961 Morris 850 mini so I concur with the comment re the gear shift. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 The Bedford CA was apparently the favoured transport of the London crime families in their day, they liked the way several heavies could get in and out quickly when required in a bank robbery or similar event. I drove one for work and loved it. My first car was not so modern though, it was a 1927 Jowett 7. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Cup Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Wasn't the Bedford CA a problem with posties, milkies etc driving with the doors open and breaking bones when they slammed shut? As a child I used to think the CA was the ultimate in modern van design, smart and curvy. We had a small long-nose Ford 8cwt van, based on the 2 door Ford 8 car which became the later Ford Popular. It was awful. This was early 50s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Tea Cup - 2016-11-29 12:12 PMWasn't the Bedford CA a problem with posties, milkies etc driving with the doors open and breaking bones when they slammed shut? Yes, but they had a handy metal clip that you could slide over to lock the sliding door back while you drove, great for the summer, and ease of entry/exit. But an Elf n Safety nightmare ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Bulletguy - 2016-11-27 7:23 PM Hhmmm......i wonder how many over priced Euro boxes will be running in 50 years time? ;-) Oi! BG ...........are you nicking my mantra? 8-) ......... I'm supposed to be the "everything was better in the stone age guy on here" >:-) ...... Nice camper though, and looks very original B-) ........ In another 24 years Horace will be 50 as well .......and I'll be 82...... I'm pretty sure Horace's big end will still be working fine, not convinced about mine though? :-S ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Rayjsj - 2016-11-29 12:20 PMTea Cup - 2016-11-29 12:12 PMWasn't the Bedford CA a problem with posties, milkies etc driving with the doors open and breaking bones when they slammed shut? Yes, but they had a handy metal clip that you could slide over to lock the sliding door back while you drove, great for the summer, and ease of entry/exit. But an Elf n Safety nightmare !As a lad i remember having a CA in my Dinky toy collection but it never quite worked the same way as a local Grocer who had one for home deliveries. He used to drive off then slam the brakes on to shut the doors! :D pelmetman - 2016-11-29 2:40 PMBulletguy - 2016-11-27 7:23 PMHhmmm......i wonder how many over priced Euro boxes will be running in 50 years time? ;-) Oi! BG ...........are you nicking my mantra? 8-) .........I'm supposed to be the "everything was better in the stone age guy on here" >:-) ......Nice camper though, and looks very original B-) ........In another 24 years Horace will be 50 as well .......and I'll be 82...... I'm pretty sure Horace's big end will still be working fine, not convinced about mine though? :-S ........Actually i should have been more specific as it's Brit Builds that are over priced. Better deals in Europe as Lenny posted. Post Brexit it makes more sense to buy a Euro box......but not in UK. (lol) (lol) Back in 1967 that Commer camper retailed new at £1350. A brand new Morris 1100 retailed at £689. Compare those prices with a new Ford Fiesta and the cost of a new PVC and it puts things into perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Self conversion (1970) on Bedford CA ex Ambulance. Will have to try upload again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 I started my motorhome life off in a Commer Caravanette when I was 18. Not quite the same as that one but similar. My pals dad bought it and we used it for fishing holidays to Ireland and the Lake district. Well I say fishing holidays. There was a lot of boozing and chasing the local talent and not much fishing. Ten of us (9 Englishmen and a French bloke) used to pile into one of them at Holyhead with a wooden boat in tow. We would rent a cruiser on the Shannon and some would kip in the van and the rest in the boat. We could sleep five in one of them. One on the front seat which made up a bed, two in the double, one in the hammock and me on the floor on a roll out mattress. :( Blimey we had some fun in that thing. I wrote about it on my blog https://sites.google.com/site/hanktestsite2/blog/earlyyears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 flicka - 2016-11-30 9:34 PM Self conversion (1970) on Bedford CA ex Ambulance. Will have to try upload again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 One memory of the CA van. The senior mechanic used to take me out for lunchtime driving lessons in the works CA. I was driving along a narrow lane with an uneven surface and having trouble staying on the road and he gave me the best bit of driving advice I ever had. If you feel you are getting beyond your ability to stay in control SLOW DOWN. Its so far kept me out of trouble far almost 60years, all most half with a blue light on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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