Popular Post Stu Posted February 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2022 Yes, yes I know, I should be working on the 86 or the 71, and not trailers and shit. Yet somehow I ended up as the proud (maybe?) owner of a 1985 Liteweight Tracker 520 caravan. Why? Yeah not sure really? Do I really want it? Probably. It could be good with a growing family. Anyway, it was previously owned by an auntie and uncle who used it a fair bit then parked in in 2008 and proceeded to not touch it again other than using it as storage. Sadly my uncle passed away a year ago and my auntie is selling up and moving on from the family home, so for some unknown reason I thought it was a good idea to make an offer on it. So there you go, I've got yet another project to deal with. I've been giving myself a crash course in Caravans and so far understand that Liteweights were made in NZ but the company closed up years ago, I know very little else. I'm hoping I will bump into a good barry who can take me under their wing and school me up. Aside from all the gunk and fade from sitting outside its actually in pretty reasonable condition as far as I can tell. The panels are straight and appear to be sealed, its dry as a bone inside and I can't find evidence of any leaks other than the step inside because the bottom of the seal has come away from the door. The windows and rubbers appear to be in really good condition, the floor seems solid, and most stuff inside seems to be there. Externally the lights are pretty fucked and the chassis needs work but generally its not bad (well, what I can see anyway). As mentioned its filled with junk but the awning is there, along with a fridge, chemical shitter, and piles of other bits. Plans? Get it mobile (or at least transportable) so I can get it to work and up on stands to take a good look at the chassis. Its a bit manky under there but looks reasonably solid so hoping a good clean up and zinc paint will sort it. The coupling is fubar so will get a new one and probably have to run new lines. Im expecting to need to replace all the lights so if anyone has a lead on replacements or upgrades in a similar style that would be great! Im also expecting the gas system and electrics to need work, but im hoping the later is at least serviceable. If the wiring is not able to be certified or what ever is needed I might just change it all to 12v as Ive got a big solar panel spare the same as on the trailer. Anyway, will make a start and see where we get to. Any advice will be appreciated! 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 No advice to give, other than it looks sweet especially nice colour and the tow bar shroud should save you at least 0.01 l/km on those long summer drives. those rims look like base model ford escort rims (4x108?) so chuck some turbos on there asap, oh and giz that single fin! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 Thanks man! The shroud is pretty sweet, its got one chunk out of it but should be easy enough to fix. Keen on turbos for sure! Anyone got any? Haha single fin is spoken for by my cousin - I was hoping it would come with the caravan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locost_bryan Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 Nice van. Those taillights are still in the Narva catalogue (page 395 Part # 86470) https://www.narva.com.au/catalogue $30 on Trademe, $55 from Ripco https://www.repco.co.nz/en/globes-batteries-electrical/globes-lighting/trailer-truck-lighting/narva-stop-tail-light-incandescent-86470/p/A1095531 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglia4 Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 https://www.facebook.com/groups/558866664456591/about Heaps of info and Barry's on the Lightweight Caravans Fan Club page Trackers look awesome! Such weird things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 Awesome thanks for the heads up @locost_bryan I want to keep the look period correct so that will do the job nicely! Ive just found the front corner markers on their too so will order the complete set. Thanks @anglia4, I signed up to that page this morning, awaiting approval Semi looking forward to the impending barryness that I'm sure will ensue. Yeah they are weird! Im pretty keen to get it back on the road as close to original as possible then maybe make a few updates to things like the lighting/fridge etc. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglia4 Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 The guy that runs that page, Don, I think his dad ran the Lightweight business. He is an incredible wealth of knowledge on them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 Don Jessen? If so he wrote a book all about them, almost tempted to buy it 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locost_bryan Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/10344516/Vantastic-explores-NZ-caravan-history 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 I just ordered the book /barry 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLUX Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 3 hours ago, anglia4 said: https://www.facebook.com/groups/558866664456591/about Heaps of info and Barry's on the Lightweight Caravans Fan Club page Trackers look awesome! Such weird things. Signed up for wombling and to see if they have any info on my liteweight 12ft tinny, I knew about the caravans but didnt know they had a foray into boat building 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stu Posted February 28, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 28, 2022 Caravan barryness has been achieved through joining the Liteweight Caravan Fan Club on FaceStalk, and reading the below cover to cover over the weekend. The book is a pretty amazing story, but what a shit ending to a pretty awesome company! I've made a bit of progress and spent a few hours making the wheels turn. Once I got it jacked up and out of the lawn where it had sunk, the wheels actually turned which was a bonus as I was expecting them to put up a bit of a fight. Shit wasn't pretty behind the wheels but I pulled the hubs apart, cleaned up the spindles, repacked the bearings, wire brushed everything and sprayed everything with brakekleen and then WD40. I've left the calipers off for now but the wheels spin pretty smoothly - enough for now anyway and will replace the bearings and seals later on. No photos of them cleaned up but imagine its about 50% better than what you see. The tires held 40psi of air although I did hide behind the recycling bin when they were pumping up. I didn't have anything other than a tape to measure the stud pattern but I'm pretty sure it is 4x108 as @azzurro mentioned above. So I'm eyeing up a set of turbos on trademe unless something else turns up. Will be worrying about that and new tires once its in the yard at work and I spend more time on it. So for now its down on its wheels after managing to get the leveling supports retracted, and the duratorques seem to be moving too when jumping around inside. The brake lines are goosed so will get a roll of hard line at some point and make some new ones, but the first job is to replace the coupling which has seen better days. I managed to get the coupling to rotate but there wasn't a shit show of getting the thing to release so I could hook it up and try to move it. Have priced one up so will likely make that the next purchase unless I can find a good second hand one. Unfortunately the jockey wheel was seized solid so I lopped it off with the grinder - I'm trying to find a replacement but not having much luck finding a straight replacement as yet but confident something will turn up. I plugged the trailer plug into the car and no smoke escaped which was a bonus, a few of the lights actually worked so I've ordered new ones, thanks @locost_bryan for the heads up. Through one of my work suppliers is was less than $100 for the lot including bulbs. Anyway, next step is to find someone to transport it across town to work and then the real work can commence. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglia4 Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Has it still got the 3rd wheel arrangement at the front? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 Nah, that wasn't this model, but they did start making those in the same year /barry 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglia4 Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Ah OK, I thought that was what the "Tracker" model was. My caravan is a Zephyr, so I have been trying not to get too barry about lightweights! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLUX Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Anything in the book about the boats they made? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 oosh looks like it has trojan MK3 calipers, so you can buy brand new cunts that'll bolts straight on. my pioneerhad mk2 which you cant buy much for anymore, so i bought conversion set to go to mk6, but they didn't fit without lots of clearancing. weird. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 22 hours ago, anglia4 said: Ah OK, I thought that was what the "Tracker" model was. My caravan is a Zephyr, so I have been trying not to get too barry about lightweights! I've got the book in front of me and they made 193 trackers between 83-85, and the third wheelers were made from 85-89 and they made 89 of them. "Third Wheeler - only vans in New Zealand to run a three wheeled tri-cart. Pop-top and full-bodied vans. Similar shape to the Tracker" 20 hours ago, HighLUX said: Anything in the book about the boats they made? Yeah theres a few bits about them, can scan the pages if you want. "1986-88 (278) Liteweight aluminum boats (2.5, 3.2, 3.8, 4.5, 4.9m Standard; 4.5, 4.9 Sport; 3.85, 6m Pontoon) 16 hours ago, Dolan said: oosh looks like it has trojan MK3 calipers, so you can buy brand new cunts that'll bolts straight on. my pioneerhad mk2 which you cant buy much for anymore, so i bought conversion set to go to mk6, but they didn't fit without lots of clearancing. weird. Good info thanks! Ive got the calipers in a box so will take a closer look at them when I get a chance. They look to be in pretty reasonable condition, hopefully they free up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLUX Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Yes please @Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglia4 Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Thanks Baz. The more you know aye. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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