‘Bertha’ is a 1978 retro viscount supreme single axle caravan.

Bertha was purchased early last year one morning when we noticed her sitting on the side of the road on the way to the muffin shop. Once we saw the two kid bunks at one end, and the fridge and stove were in original condition (and working), we knew that at the bargain basement price she was a ‘steal’. 

The thing that really clinched the deal was the classic lino and the obligatory beads hanging from the front door. Our immediate thoughts were to race her up to Jindabyne in the middle of the night to see out her days as a temporary ski lodge up at the farm. But after consulting with a mechanic we soon realised that with a few hundred dollars spent on the chassis we could easily get her registered. So in February 2013 we registered her and took her up to Jindabyne to spend the winter.

It was during her time up at Jindabyne that we discovered what we might need on a big trip and what things needed to be improved on.

Amazingly, the van was quite comfortable in winter even with a -8 degree night registering in July 2013. After skiing we would always cook a meal in the oven to warm the van down, then on went the generator to power a small foot heater to keep us warm until we went to sleep. Once we got up in the morning we would power up the heater again before heading off to the ski fields. Luckily the van even survived 100km/hr winds one night because we always parked it with her back side pointing to the prevailing winds. She did her time as a ski lodge, now it was time to put her on the highway.

Happy times in the van

Camp ‘Mawson’

So we added a few extras to make the oz trip comfortable, including an awning and bike rack. All the electricals and gas fittings were reconditioned to make things safe, and the roof was resealed to stop any moisture getting in. ‘Bertha’ it is now time to show us your worth.

She’s ready