Nutshell caravans

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This was seen at Battlesbridge a while ago, not sure what make or model it is, but it folds down vertically (concertina style) to approximately one third the original size. I saw it later in its fully folded position but unfortunately didn’t get a shot of it..

[Stuart Cyphus]

 That's a late '60s Portafold I think. A bit off topic, but I've got a video somewhere of one of these on tow behind a Rover V8 in a caravan race at Ringwood in 1981 & being bounced all over the place, spending most of the race totally airbourne.

 Somewhere deep within this rat-hole of a bedroom of mine I've got a photo of a Nutshell (I always keep wanting to call 'em Nutcrackers for some reason!) with a Bond Mk G which used to do the rounds of the non-micro vintage rallys about ten years back. Stay tuned to see if I csn find it.....  



 Additional   How's about that then, I found it first place I looked!    Lister-Petter Tyndale Rally, Glouestershire 1999. Ladies & gents, I present, The Nutcracker Suite...  Anyone know the Bond? ARV 190B.

[Kitty76]

i actually have a similar pic myself as i saw it there myself

[g-o-g-g-o]

Hi
     I have a Raleigh caravan - it's the same as a Nutshell exept the door opens in the normal way - that why I got offered Richards one - I went to pick up some spares from Kelvin Luty ( one time Chairman of the Heinkel Trojan Club ) and he was moving so he offered me the raleigh caravan for free - I knew that Richard wanted one so I gave it FREE to him it needed a bit of repair to say the least that was about 10 years ago.

  I Used my Caravan to go to Rallies and I even took it to the Storey Rally in Germany, unfortunatly when I was about 6 miles from Storey my big end went on my Heinkel convertible which was towing the caravan - all was not lost David Hambleton had a tow bar on his trojan so he took the Caravan and Kevin Wigmore towed me to the rally field. We managed to persuade a German friend to bring a new Big end assembly to the rally, and fixed it on Sunday ( after the rally had fimished ) and I drove home on Monday.

 My Raleigh Caravan is painted in the same courlors as the one Stuart ha pictured mine has tartan coners for the bed and tartan curtains. David Hambleton found this for me when he was staying at his student digs in Bexleyheath - one important point to look for is the wheels it has 8 inch wheels with 3 studs holding them to the hubs - one side does up clockwise and the other side dose up anticloclwise - this is to stop the wheels coming of at speed!!
                              
                                                                                                                                                             Mike

[Kitty76]

Thanks for yet more valued information,all i got to do now is find someone who will sell me one

[g-o-g-g-o]

Hi Kitty
              what car are you going to tow it with
                                                                                 Mike

[Kitty76]

A Reliant Kitten,so should be well below the weight that im allowed to tow behind it.

[Big Al]

Definitely worth getting in touch with Mr Pepper. These are the sorts of things that get taken home as a rescue project never to actually get done as we all hate seeing interesting stuff getting scrapped. The trick is finding out where they are sitting awaiting salvation. Sadly I have no leads on this myself but I have had a few various miniature caravans and trailers over the years. I am less of a fan of towing things with Microcars, though, as it always struck me it meant you needed a bigger car! Just as tuning a microcar for excess speeds means you need a more powerful car. However the entertainment value of other peoples misfortunes has merit. Excess trailerage, the flimsy materials they are made from and overstressed whizzo engines present numerous humorous occasions and therefore are to be encouraged as long as one can avoid the clearing up of the ensuing mess beyond a bit of logistics.

[Kitty76]

i just like them as if they are a micro themselves,always have,but finding someone who will part with one,project or not,is proving difficult.im a big believer in driving to all the events i go to,i know many wont see my Kitten as being a microcar,but it is my only car and i do a lot of miles in it,and would love one of these caravans to tow behind it and actually sleep in at the many camping weekends i go to.

[Stuart Cyphus]

 Looks like the ARV 190B/Nutcracker ensemble was quite wel-known at one point. Here it it at a past National, care of Dr. Pepper himself.....   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89mJKOo-PPU

[Big Al]

I would observe that most 'Microcar' rallies these days are really not so but Lightcar rallies. No bad thing in that and it is more about who turns up and what they offer to the gathering than rushing about measuring cc's. The key is to participate and create something that adds to the event rather than sitting behind a campervan awaiting entertainment. Sadly there is to much of the latter.

[richard]

yep thats the same as mine. this combination owned by alan hillier of bristol micro car club( at the time) is on several bits on you tube -Bond. and did you notice the original baby bath wheelarches. incredible

[Kitty76]

We are on the same wavelength Alan,i love all micros,but have always been obsessed with Reliants,and do around 500+miles plus a week in my 1976 Kitten as my only car.Ive been after a Nutshell or Raleigh for a while to tow behind it so that i can actually sleep in it,makes me laugh people who go our Reliant club events and tow a 1990s Robin behind a camper van,its not as if they arent useable in modern traffic etc etc

The National Micro rally is only 15 miles from me this year,and as i havent been for a few years im looking forward to going,hopefully i can cadge a few other people i know in to going too,try and even out the campervan/small car ratio a bit!

Still desperately seeking out a Nutshell or Raleigh,Dickie,if i could tempt you to part with your project i would be the happiest man on this forum lol

[richard]

sorry before i am corrected i meant Alaln Hillier not mike. i think hes now more into prewar though i may be wrong on that also

[Big Al]

The National is within commuting distance for me, at about 55 miles, so unless it looks like there is going to be evening participation rather than the traditional hiding in campervans I will drive over for the days. It is cheaper than camping and I can leave the dogs behind. My fear is that again the site is not near a wateringhole for extended evenings pint and prattle. Well other than Malvern itself, famous for it's spring water which is coming out of impervious hard igneous rock that makes the ridge that creates the rain.  In other words as I have discovered over the years when ever I have been to Malvern it rains a lot being its own microclimate. A wateringhole I would rather avoid. There are some great pubs nearby but not without taking a car, the alternative is to get a gang together and use one of these pub campsites so we know there will be some traditional evening action out of the rain shadow of the Malvern hills. Get a fire going with permission and it would be like the good old days. Doubt there will be enough interest among my lot who have got bored of Microcar Rallies though.'Tis a lonely occupation driving a Micro round here like it was in the '70's.
I would still like to drive a AC Type 70 over and give the site a dust up in the thing just to show these cars are greatly undervalued. The aim is to get it to see off Reliants/Bugs as it handles better. Time is the issue though. My feeling is that these events have drifted to far away from Microcars to be bothered taking the Vellum, Larmar and the car yet to arrive to show unless we got the call that it were a special for one of the brands. I would not attempt to drive these far as it would take a week to get anywhere. They are very slow and not suitable for main roads! I gave autojumble up as people stopped buying enough stuff to warrant the hassle of doing it. Maybe the answer is to Type 70 on Saturday and take the show stuff on Sunday but then I have a prob if I get bored by the standing around as I cannot drive off for a tootle to get my brain working again.
Then again it might be that this venue hits the mark and that magic that sometimes ignites an event occurs. It will not be for the lack of effort from the organisers. I have just been doing this for to long I think. I cannot work up the enthusiasm to fight my way down to the south coast of Sussex to play Messerschmitts either.