Walter the Dormobile

[Gromit]

I've just purchased a Series IIa Dormobile ,collected it yesterday.



I found it through a gentleman who has been servicing it since it's been in Australia. Through him I have a limited history.
Turned up in Regent Motors in Melbourne late 1960's, thought to have been driven overland to the tip of India then shipped to Australia.
Two owners since then (both have unfortunately passed away), purchased it through the family members that inherited it.
Has done a lot of outback trips and also been used for general day-to-day use.

Unfortunately there is some damage to the offside. There are also parts missing.
On the plus side there is no rot that I can find and it starts & drives OK (apart from a blown silencer). Engine & gearbox have been rebuilt in recent years. Could almost have driven it home except it was on the New South Wales border about 4.5 hours from home so I trailered it.










It seems to be missing the sink, water bottles and the table. There are lots of brackets and odd bits that have been fitted over the years.
There is a fuel tank under the drivers seat (as well as the one under the rear) but it has a Series I filler which looks to have been welded it. Gas bottle has been fitted in the wardrobe which isn't a good idea and would fail a roadworthy (MOT) here.

I'm sure I'll be posting lots of questions once I get started on this project. Unfortunately SWMBO is insisting that at least one of the other Land Rovers is sold, plus there are some projects round the house that need to be done to pacify her !

Looking forward to getting it registered and then it'll be a rolling restoration.


Colin

[RMS]

Hi Colin,

Welcome, and thanks for adding another Australian classic camper to the forum

Looks like a great vehicle - lots of changes to suit the owners at the time which, to my mind, makes it as interesting as one in original condition.

I'm sure you will be able to sort out the gas bottles and some sort of sink etc. so that you can enjoy using it as a camper.

Looking forward to pictures of it in use

Cheers,
Robin.

[Dormy]

Hi Colin and welcome.

You certainly live in the right country to make best use of a Dormobile. Good luck with sorting it out.

Ian

[Gromit]

Hi Colin and welcome.

You certainly live in the right country to make best use of a Dormobile. Good luck with sorting it out.

Ian

It'll take some time to get it sorted because of all the work SWMBO wants done around the house (payoff for being allowed to get the Dormobile).

The stove is missing part of the grill, the gas jet is there but there must be a diffuser that plugs over it which has got lost.



I also noticed the roof hatch looks 'home made'. I guess the original got damaged and they had to fix it somehow so a home made job it was. The roof windows have been painted white, probably due to the heat buildup outback.



Behind the blanked off rear window is some crude insulation, again maybe to keep heat out ?

Every time I have a look round it I find something new & interesting.


Colin

[Marque]

Lovely. Congratulations & well done on saving the vehicle. You will have a lot of fun with it I hope.

I understand the wifey thing all too well.

Back on topic - does anyone have ideas as to what the 4 holes are on the third picture down, above the rear tub (galv cappings) & below the rear windows (not the rear passenger second row doors) please?

My vehicle has the same & it has puzzled & vexed me somewhat as to what they are for.

No rot - terrific. You will be wanting resto volunteers!
Kindest regards
Mark

[Peaceand]

Back on topic - does anyone have ideas as to what the 4 holes are on the third picture down, above the rear tub (galv cappings) & below the rear windows (not the rear passenger second row doors) please?

My vehicle has the same & it has puzzled & vexed me somewhat as to what they are for.

If they are the ones I think you mean, they are the drain holes for the sliding window channel. As water can run inside the channel, it gets funnelled though to the outside world again via those 4 holes.

If you look closely (assuming the bottom channel is still there), you should see there is a stub of a metal pipe emerging through each hole?

Hope that helps,
Patrick

[DrivingDutchman]

Back on topic - does anyone have ideas as to what the 4 holes are on the third picture down, above the rear tub (galv cappings) & below the rear windows (not the rear passenger second row doors) please?

My vehicle has the same & it has puzzled & vexed me somewhat as to what they are for.

If they are the ones I think you mean, they are the drain holes for the sliding window channel. As water can run inside the channel, it gets funnelled though to the outside world again via those 4 holes.

If you look closely (assuming the bottom channel is still there), you should see there is a stub of a metal pipe emerging through each hole?

Hope that helps,
Patrick

I concuer with Patrick. They are the drain holes for the window channel. Although I have a suspicious feeling that in your Aussie climate they are not realy needed, but all station wagen have them.
If they get blocked in the uk for instance, you can grow your very own mobile garden...

[Marque]

Thank you Gentlemen. I now have an appreciation.

Kindest regards
Mark

[Gromit]

Found some time (more accurately, I was allowed some time) to work on Walter yesterday.

The drivers seat was loose so I removed it and replaced a few bolts. While under there I took a picture of the additional fuel tank.



Seems to be a Series II tank but it's been made without the rear filler pipe and a Series I filler neck has been welded into place.

There is a panel with a latch that covers the hole under the seat.



As this was where the gas bottles were normally located was the panel a Dormobile addition ?
There is also a square hole on the side of the drivers seatbox that has been filled in, was this 'Dormobile' ?

Fitted a new rear silencer/tailpipe. Mine is a suffix C chassis and it seems there was a silencer/tailpipe for suffix A & B and a different one for C.
Could only get the suffix C locally but I noticed on Walter that there was a hole in the mudflap but the tailpipe currently exited to the side. So the silender/tailpipe had been replaced in the past and was different.

Removed the old one and here they are side by side.



The replacement fitted neatly back through the hole in the mudflap !

Prices for Land Rover parts (even Britpart/Bearmach) over here can get expensive so I often purchase direct from the UK. The silencer/tailpipe cost $77 locally and was NOS. Much cheaper in the UK but I dread to think what shipping would have cost.....


Colin

[Dormy]

There is a panel with a latch that covers the hole under the seat.

As this was where the gas bottles were normally located was the panel a Dormobile addition ?
There is also a square hole on the side of the drivers seatbox that has been filled in, was this 'Dormobile' ?

The panel under your seat is definitely part of the Dormobile fittings but I don't know about the square hole, my Dormy doesn't have it.

When I got Dormy 35 years ago the lift out panel was placed with the budget lock to the front. This means I have to completely remove the drivers seat to lift out the gas bottles. It has never occurred to me to try and fit the panel the other way. Maybe this will let me swap bottles by just sliding the seat forward in future (it can be a pig to fit back on the runners !).

Sigh - There's none so blind as those that cannot see !

Ian
P.S. Do you have whatever it is that fits to the brackets on top of the cab roof, if so any pics ?