The Snail spotted!!

Post by **ASL642** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:01 pm

Yep, thats the one - didn't have a camera handy - wouldn't have been able to hold it steady anyway too busy laughing!

Its a bit like That's Life? Unless you know better isn't it?

Post by **bigginger** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:16 pm

That's Mr Pickup, btw - sometime user of this board

Post by **rayofleamington** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:29 pm

That's Mr Pickup, btw - sometime user of this board

I was waiting for her to dig a hole before telling her it was a message board user...

Apparently the kennel was being made anyway, and just seemed logical to put it on the flat bed over the weekend as it gave somewhere to put the dogs.

Personally I couldn't see what the fuss was about, but all my cars are sheds anyway. ;-)

Post by **Judge** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:39 pm

rayofleamington wrote:........, but all my cars are sheds anyway. ;-)

Maybe, but sheds that can get from Lands End to Orkney without much problem

Post by **ASL642** » Fri May 02, 2008 4:43 pm

Thanks Ray, but I wasn't having a "go" at the pickup with the shed!
I just was laughing at the dogs coming out the back! My dog would have loved having his residence brought with him. He had to sleep in a boring old tent with us.

Post by **paulhumphries** » Fri May 02, 2008 7:06 pm

I like the comment on Retro Rides -

"Honestly, I would rather sleep in the back of a ****** dustbin lorry (while it was operating) that rock up to a campsite in that bum-box. Horrific!"

I couldn't agree more.

Paul Humphries

Moderated by a - sorry

Post by **dunketh** » Tue May 06, 2008 10:10 am

Blimey, theres not a lot of love for the snail here..

I have to admit, I dont like its looks one bit but I do admire the sheer madness of it.
There must be some clever engineering involved too - otherwise it would handle so badly as to be undrivable.
The 'shed' pickup is cool in a redneck/country kind of way. I can just imagine the owner opening the rear door, "This week I ave been mostly eating..."

Post by **rayofleamington** » Tue May 06, 2008 11:15 am

- otherwise it would handle so badly as to be undrivable.

From what I heard, it could be a bit of a white knuckle ride on uneven roads or with a cross wind...

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:36 pm

i love the snail, it's very clever. If I could afford to restore another Minor I'd probably buy it

IMO the latest colour scheme is a big improvement. Would love to see the inside, to see whether they have revamped it

Rock on, snail!

Hope it's at the National

wibble

Post by **aupickup** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:41 pm

seen enough of it, and must be horrendoud to drive

anyway wibbs, looked at esm and eye bolts are out of stock

Post by **chickenjohn** » Sat May 17, 2008 9:23 am

Its a great idea, the snail, just poorly excecuted. A Minor campervan, great except for the overhang over the rear spoilling the Minors nice driving characteristics. Even when parked it looks like it could do with stabilising legs at the rear to give support.

If it was my vehicle, I would cut the caravan length down and turn it into a trailler tent so there is no overhang beyond the rear of the chassis whilst driving. I would fit a rear bumper. The caravan part would then feature a solid fold down floor and lower sides and sturdy canvas middle section to get some decent living room.

Post by **paulhumphries** » Sat May 17, 2008 12:12 pm

The Mini Wildgoose showed what can be done on a small base vehicle -

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u130 ... MG1086.jpg

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-cars2/28.jpg

http://haxadecimal.com/nucleus/media/1/ ... 278740.jpg

http://www.mikeabbasclassiccars.co.uk/S ... MINI_A.JPG

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... f%26sa%3DG

Paul Humphries

Post by **motherofgod** » Sat May 17, 2008 8:35 pm

paulhumphries wrote: rock up to a campsite in that bum-box.

Now that made me laugh hard!

Each to there own

James

Post by **rv8** » Sat May 17, 2008 8:46 pm

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:47 pm

To give the vehicle a little credit it is a bit more than an old caravan nailed on the back of a Minor LCV...
It looks like a Fisher Holivan, a small 8' caravan made in the late sixties early 70s, but the normal direction of travel for a Holivan is with the tall part of the roof at the front - a sort of fast back effect. Now, its mounted on the snail the other way round, but the door is still on the nearside and the windows are differently arranged too, which does give credit to the claim that it was built specially on the Minor chassis, possibly by an employee of Fisher caravans. It was certainly about in the '70s so the thing has spent most of its life in that form. Whether you like it or not is a matter of taste but it is nevertheless an interesting footnote in Minor history.
Interesting comment about the rear overhang being illegal - wonder if it was when built, or has the law changed since...
I was only interested in it as we were considering building a Minor camper - not particularly on those lines but we were looking at others and making notes of the best features.
It would however be a lot easier just to buy a Fisher Holivan and tow it behind a standard Minor LCV and get the best of both worlds. (There was one outfit like that at the 2003 Avoncroft LCV do) But life wouldn't be so fascinating if everyone took the easy option

Post by **bigginger** » Wed May 21, 2008 12:42 am

If you see it in the flash, the fitment to the chassis really doesn't look like a pro job. A very curious beast...

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Wed May 21, 2008 1:02 am

Not really looked at the underside, (though got a good view when it drove down the steep bank from rally site to camping area at the Lichfield National meeting and the underside was most visible...) but that would concur with the theory that it was an employee's own creation using new caravan bits rather than anything more official.
Also note that theres no wheel arch cut outs in the caravan body sides, so its never been a caravan in its own right.

Post by **bigginger** » Wed May 21, 2008 9:36 am

Agreed. It's held (on blocks) to the chassis with some odd (home made?) U bolts, btw

Post by **Lou** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:24 pm

The new owner is looking for any clues to it's 'eventful past' - it' was a conversion done by a firm in Bagshot apparently. Anybody who has any info feel free...

Post by **twincamman** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:36 am

It's turned up again on Retro Rides. Scaryoldcortina's got it in for MOT work.
Can't post a link, 'cos the site's gone down
Look under "Scariest thing I've ever driven"