Vintage Bedford Motorhome

24/12/2022

The Plans

24/12/2022

The Style & Colour Scheme

23/12/2022

23/12/2022

The Story
Back in 1978, I started building a bow-top gypsy caravan, horsedrawn. In 1979, I travelled to the UK and visited Appleby Gypsy Horse Fair in Cumbria. Early 80s, and back in NZ, other priorities took over and the project was never completed; however, the idea always stayed in the back of my mind. Now married, it was 2005, and we had moved to NZ. The Gypsy Caravan idea was rekindled, but this time as a motor home. In 2015, I sold my Toyota Hiace and spent the money on a vintage Bedford truck. A mechanic convinced me early on to buy and build on a chassis with a modern engine, power steering etc., so my next purchase was a 1994 Ford Trader. Fast forward to 2022, the Vintage Bedford cab has been fitted to the modern Ford, the steel framework is mostly built, and it has been a 44-year journey to get thus far. I will now have the next two and a half years to complete, in time for when I retire, the day before my 65th Birthday. Then, the house rented out, embarking on a fulltime travelling gypsy lifestyle, together with my lovely wife.