Art Deco on Wheels

Jeff Marshall and Sandy Edwards have raised the bar on summer holidays by the sea.

This season the Nelson couple will be taking a trip down memory lane in their sleek, black art deco caravan built for two, by Jeff himself for his partner Sandy.

What was meant to have been a four-month project turned into almost a year-long commitment to the fine art of re-creating a style reminiscent of the 1940s “canned ham” caravan with all its curves, soft angles and vintage fittings unique to the era.

The caravan was rolled out of the shed just before Christmas, with the owners’ pride reflected in its polished black sides, blue and white fabric accents, and expertly crafted interior.

Jeff, a panel beater and car enthusiast with a garage full of classics in the remake, built the caravan from scratch in the shed at home. There was barely enough room to move between all the other car projects, he says.

The finishing touches, including brakes and essential works beneath the caravan were done on the hoist at the workshop where Jeff works.

“I’ve been a panel beater since I left school. I’d never built a caravan, but I’ve done a lot of hot rods and restorations.

“I have to say though, this has certainly pushed the boundaries a bit.”

The caravan is brand-new, with only the occasional element scored second-hand — a piece of tin from the ceiling of an old villa has been used to create a clever splash-back behind the galley; the vintage aluminium window frames were found at a garage sale and adapted to fit, the tail-lights from an old Hillman Super Minx car and others from an old Austin A55 now adorn the caravan.

Jeff drew inspiration from a caravan they spotted in the Early Settlers Museum in Dunedin.

“I’ve just always liked the shape and thought, ‘this will be easy to do — we’ll build one’!”

The style also appealed to Sandy’s vintage senses, honed as a child when a favourite pastime was rummaging through secondhand stores.

“I love antiques and collectables. My family would tell you lots of stories about various family holidays when I was a child. I’d go into stores and haggle to get a bargain.” It’s also an homage to the growing trend of holidaying at home — the “Staycation”.

“The way the world is now, with everyone holidaying in their own country, caravans have become much more desirable because they’re affordable,” Sandy says.

Jeff built the caravan’s chassis from box-section steel and added steel framework for additional strength and to accommodate the pop-top lid — an essential feature for one of their sons who stands six-foot five inches tall.

Jeff says the framework was needed to compensate for the lack of wardrobes in the caravan — a feature that would normally provide structural strength. The effect is a lofty space inside what is a 2-metre wide by 4.2m long; and 1.9m high caravan.

The rest of the construction is timber, and reminiscent of the inside of a finely crafted boat.

Jeff says the curved nature of art deco did present challenges, but he applied some boat building techniques for tackling the rounded edges.

Jeff says local boatbuilder and craftsman, Andre Ludwig, played a big part in achieving that.

“Andre did the interior joinery and he’s done a beautiful job.”

A local glass company cut the windows from a template Jeff made, and he says a friend helped fit them.

It has cost close to $30,000 to construct, fit out and complete — more than budgeted, much like most construction projects. One small complication was finding a way to keep down the weight.

“I’ve put some really good high-density insulation in it because I am concerned that painting it black… it’s going to be like a hothouse.”

Sandy, who works in mental health in Nelson, says Jeff worked almost around the clock to get it finished in time for summer.

“He’s worked every night, his lunchtimes and every weekend.”

She says to have it built especially for her is a tremendous gift.

“I’ve been excited about this for a long time. We had another caravan before this, but this one is much more practical.

“It’s a better weight and size for towing, and it’s an heirloom we’ll pass down to the children.”

The couple have four young adult children, who all grew up with summer holidays camped by the sea.

“It’s going to stay in the family — we’d never part with it and it’s going to last many years because everything’s been done so right with it,” Sandy says.

As the build took shape, Sandy began fossicking through second-hand stores and online sites to find exactly the right fittings for the caravan’s interior, which is an extension of their beautiful home in Tahunanui, decorated with an eye for the use of eclectics.

“There are some really interesting old pieces in the caravan to try and keep its look from the 1940s/1950s era.”

The white-lacquered kitchen unit features vintage handles and an old-fashioned tap over the galley sink. The compact refrigerator sits neatly in a cupboard next to the stove — just like on a small boat.

An art deco pink lampshade is fitted on the wall and an old bus light is fitted above the caravan’s door — all activated by old-fashioned light switches driven by a solar-powered battery unit. Seating is blue and white striped squabs that reference the caravan’s strong coastal theme, and neatly contain the caravan’s portable loo. The lino flooring is a Cath Kidston classic in white with pink rosebuds.

Even the cutlery and crockery are vintage, stowed safely in a cupboard on non-slip matting. The caravan had its first outing at Christmas to the Marlborough Sounds, but Tōtaranui beckons — Sandy’s favourite holiday spot.

“I’ve been going to Tōtaranui every summer since I was a child and we used to take an old caravan, and a tent before that so we’ll certainly be taking it to Tōtaranui this summer.”

Sandy hopes it will be the vehicle that eases them into a more relaxed phase of their lives.

“We really hope to spend a lot of time in this, especially as we head towards retirement in the next 10 years or so.

“We’re hoping to do a lot of travelling over the next few years.”

By Tracy Neal