I was posted to RHQ RCA as the Crerar Caravan restoration was being completed. The contractor in Brandon Manitoba did a pretty good job but there are errors which were too late to correct when I pointed them out:
A concious decision, supported by Bill Gregg (he was consulted), was made to put the Caravan on the Dizzy T wrecker. This meant stretching the frame/drive shaft (all mods were done so as to be reversible) and removing the wrecker body. Hence the caravan is mounted on a soft top Dizzy T instead of the correct hard top. The RCA Museum is looking at the option of acquiring a hard top truck but funds are scarce.
The contractor did not make good notes about the correct fasteners to use and the straight or phillips screws were all replaced with robertson (Canadian but not correct).
Some of the wood trim was too difficult to replicate exactly in profile and it was replaced with modern commercially available profiles that were close.
The contractor did not note the number of exterior sheet metal panels that were used and when reskinning it, used fewer, wider panels... it does not match the photos from "before" or from when it was in service.
Finally, some of the markings and numbers were replicated in stick-on vinyl as time was running out before the official rededication.
All in all, a good effort marred only by some small details. My observations are not meant to be sour grapes... a lot of work went into preserving a piece of Canadian history that was almost lost. It was funded by the personal subscriptions of members of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery as public funds could not be used on the project. As collectors and RATS (rusty army truck syndrome) sufferers we should admire what was accomplished.
Now if we can only get the truck and the trailer together again...
Cheers! Mike