Do you really need a vehicle that comes with everything but the kitchen sink for a perfect weekend getaway? We think not. Throw the need for all those modern-day optional extras away but keep the kitchen sink and do motorized camping in perfect 1960s style with this Bedford CA Dormobile…
After a hard week of work in the 1960s, British families loved nothing more than a spot of sightseeing in new places and a night or two away at the weekend. However, committing to a particular location and booking a reasonably priced hotel was often a tiresome chore ahead of the much-anticipated journey. Sound familiar? Some things never change!
So imagine the freedom that a motorized vehicle, within which you could also prepare food and sleep, would have provided – no need to fight over where you going beforehand, no need to find available accommodation at just the right price, no need to check if breakfast was included. Ahhhh that sounds better already! All we need now is a map, a tank of fuel and a craving for the open road.
Bedford Vehicles formed in 1931, as a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, and their popular CA model was a light delivery van that came powered by a sturdy 1,500cc Vauxhall Victor engine. Well-received, simple and easy to service, the Bedford CA was a natural choice for aftermarket camping conversions.
The most notable feature of a Dormobile conversion was the addition of a side-hinged roof that could be popped up when the vehicle was stationary. This gave more standing room as well as providing access to twin slide out bunks level with the roof.
Beneath was a neat arrangement of wooden kitchen cabinets, often complete with sink and cooker as well as clever seats that could be folded down into beds, allowing a Dormobile to sleep up to four people.
Combined with jolly paint schemes and durable mechanics, it’s no wonder that the Dormobile proved a practical and charming accompaniment to road-trips across the UK and beyond.
This particular Bedford Dormobile arrived in the US after many years of touring in New Zealand and a comprehensive restoration. Finished in dark red with eye-catching chrome exterior trim and original Dormobile badges upon the fenders, this classic camper remains in excellent condition and is as charismatic now as when it was sold new back in 1961. Meanwhile, for those longer trips, a front-fitted roof rack provides additional luggage capacity.
Inside you will find a sink, a portable refrigerator and gas camp stove as well as a 40-litee wastewater tank and Zempire camping latrine. Meanwhile the retro feel of this Dormobile comes courtesy of two-tone seating complemented by a cream metal dash and red and grey checkered curtains.
Now being offered with no reserve, with an estimate of $60,000 - $80,000, this Bedford Dormobile is scheduled to sell at the up-coming RM Sotheby auction during the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in north-east Florida on Saturday 9th March.
