www.OPIO.nu

OPIO 600 LP

This is what the OPIO 600 LP looked like in the sales brochure ...

... like this in the rear of the caravan ...

... and like this in the front of the caravan.

The interior layout is typical for caravans from the 60's.

My OPIO 600 LP was manufactured in 1968. When I bought it I got the original awning with the deal. The caravan had been kept in a shed for several years and was in a scrubby condition. The floor was totally rotten and had been so for a long time. The previous owner had made a scamping repair, that obviously only was meant to hide it all.

I have been doing the restoration for about 5 years. I removed all the interior, except the upper cabinets. I also removed the scamping repair and made a completely new floor. Some veneer and wood parts that had blue stain from damp and mould, was treated with Mögel-Fri (Mould Free) from Jape Produkter AB. Further more, I have treated parts of the interior and all the frame work in the floor with linseed oil. Because the floor was rotten, it had no strength to carry the rest of the caravan. That had caused the sheet metal in the floor to start collapse a little. It has not affected the caravan body too much, though. I have sealed the sheet metal splices and the windows. The caravan was approved at the Vehicle Inspection Company without any objection, in August 5, 2009.

The chassis is manufactured by the PEAK Trailer & Chassis Ltd. Stockport, England (now Peak Dynamics Ltd. Warwickshire, England). I have contacted them and they told me that they delivered 14 chassis of the type to OPIO. The chassis for my caravan is the 370D model and was made in April in 1968, specified as 8-8½ feet long and 5-5¾ feet wide and meant for 17 cwt laden (approximately 863kg). Wheel dimension is 13” and break dimension is 8”.

Inlet 230V~ with earth fault breaker and MCB.

I have remade the electrical installation, both the 12V= and the 230V~. There was a very simple 12V= installation but no 230V~ installation at all. I have installed separate 6mm² wiring for the fridge 12V= supply. It works perfect. The caravan lighting did not flicker at all when I started the fridge at 12V= and the temperature in the fridge became eventually +2°C when the ambient temperature was +28°C.