miketomcat
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Posts posted by miketomcat
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Yes it is nice and sturdy that was the appeal. They're knott axles seem to work fine the guy used to carry a Jimny on it. It towed beautifully on the way home, and the brakes worked well. It's on 14" rims which I can get some 26" AT or MT tyres for, so will fit with the style. The beauty with our design is if it doesn't work I can just switch the trailer out.
Mike
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We have a trailer. It's a bit rough and ready but it was cheap.
We need to strip the deck and ramps off, give it a clean and coat of paint. Then we can get the box on it.
Mike
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Yes but it's not ideal. Far better if they are matched battery's. A DC to DC charger might be a better choice.
Mike
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1 hour ago, geoffbeaumont said:
That would be impressive - there aren't many four berth caravans under 1400kg, and everything is fairly flimsy to achieve that. Our Bailey Ranger is a whisker under 1300kg gross, and not much of that is available payload (it's very easy to overload it). It definitely wouldn't survive anything that remotely qualifies as "off road". Even driving across camp sites shakes it about.
This is exactly my experience with caravans.
Ours will have a king size bed, bunks for the girls a toilet/shower and so clothes storage inside. Due to the exceptionaly antisocial nature of caravans there will be an awning on the side and the kitchen will be a pull out on the outside too. My aim is 1500kg but if it's under 2000kg fully laden I'm happy. We plan to carry a wood burner to use in the awning and either blown air heating or a hot water based heating system, I want to use a webasto type water heater with a clorifier (hot water tank) to give hot water. We definitely want some solar but don't plan to make it electric heavy.
Mike
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@Stellaghost' I'd make time for you.
Army surplus is a good source, either a tent or a tarpaulin.
Mike
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1 hour ago, L19MUD said:
I like that idea, how about something similar to the military Wolf hard tops?
It was something more familiar to me.
To be fair @TSDmade the mould the shape he wanted, I just turned it into fibreglass.
Mike
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47 minutes ago, Anderzander said:
Kevlar - with solid hood sticks.
I've done a fibreglass one in the past....
Mike
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Some progress today. Fridge compressor removed (dog nam it that's heavy) along with one of the internal units, the other one was built in! I can't twist it sideways to get it out of the door, I'm going to have to remove the bulkhead to get it out (it was coming out anyway). Whilst fighting with this I let the girls loose with power tools.
They've drilled out the rivets holding the shelving racks in to allow them to be removed. Again two of them have been built in and will be removed when the bulk heads come out.
Oh and finally I managed to lock myself in it.
I was trying to adjust the lock on the rear door to get it to work better. Unfortunately when you pull the door down the internal catch can be released however the external bar drops in place. Que a phone call to the wife to let me out 
Once she'd stopped laughing I was freed. 
Mike
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It is possible to retro fit C post seat belt mounts. I had to in our 1983 110 from memory the mounts can out of a 94 ish.
Mike
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I spotted a puddle of oil under the radiator the other week, it turned out the lower oil cooler connection was leaking. Now the problem with this is I had to do a work around when I replaced the radiator. I've ended up with two 90° M/F elbows to allow it to clear the steering box. This puts a fair bit of strain on the treads, consequently it's sprung a leak. Obviously this wasn't going to be a simple quick fix, so after draining the radiator of both oil and water. I was able to strip the fittings out re-ptfe tape them and reassemble. This led me to thinking I need to support these pipes to stop this happening again.
My solution is a bracket that picks up on the studs at the side of the radiator housing. Hopefully this'll fix it for good.
Mike
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The clutch plate hits the flywheel bolts if you put it the wrong way round because of the top hat section. But even if you did manage it, it wouldn't affect the way it works and splines would still engage.
More likely is you haven't adjusted the push rod on the master cylinder. Under the metal plate on the petal box are two nuts either side of the pedal pivot. I can't remember the exact setting (it's in the manual) but it's something like loosen the nuts lift pedal up tighten the nut that holds the pedal up but leaving a little free play, then tighten the other. If the bite point moves then goes solid you've not left enough free play.
Mike
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I don't know that it matters but it's a lot easier to slide the bulkhead off and on bolts especially with a plie of spacing washers in-between.
Mike
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The other trick is to push the sealant gun not pull it. Once you get good at it you won't need to mask it.
Mike
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21 minutes ago, Daan said:
I would cut the wheel arches and drop it as low as possible; not just for aero reasons, but also stability plus how often do you see a caravan blown over due to side winds?
I will more than likely cut the wheel arches to lower it as much as possible, it's quite likely I'll need room for two axles anyway. I just ordered some materials to make a fibreglass lower rear panel, shower tray and wheel arches. So it moving forwards. I'll get it to complete external box and fitted to a trailer as soon as possible. The interior might be a bit longer.
Mike
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I'm going to get it mounted (when I find a suitable trailer) sort the rear extension and see what it's like. If I don't like it/it tows like a parachute I can alway chop the front edge and bevel it off. I've towed enough box trailers and caravans to know what it's like. To be fair often when I'll be towing this I'll have a Canadian canoe on the roof of the truck. If that doesn't work as a wind deflector nothing will.
Mike
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That's interesting, when I picked mine up they loaded it the wrong way round. It was also up on blocks because the step was still attached. All in all it was at least a foot higher than I plan to have it. I didn't take it above 50mph anyway but felt the correct way round, a foot lower and attached to the trailer would be fine. It does have a dipped front (around 200mm lower than the back) and I only have a 200tdi so doubt it'll go above 60mph even if I wanted to. I plan to strip the fridge unit and interior out this weekend so should get a much better idea what I'm dealing with.
On a side note I looked up the weight of some other overland caravans. The bruder is 1990kg slightly bigger than ours will be. The direct 4x4 toy hauler/caravan is around 1500kg and roughly the same length and height. Whilst the weights I'm expecting aren't light they do appear to be about right.
Mike
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If it is the interior light (it sounds like it is) connecting it to earth is how it turns the interior light on. Take the door switch out if there's no wire on it the purple should connect to it, if it has a black wire coming from it then disappearing through the bulkhead then it's fairly likely the purple connects to it under the wing. Unfortunately I don't have any thing new enough to have interior lights so I can't check.
Mike
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Purple cable is I think the interior light switch which grounds through the switch when the doors open.
Mike
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I'll take a set as well please.
Mike
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There's a few things that drive this more than anything.
We've had camp systems that take minutes to set up. The current one takes a lot longer, though still quick by others standards
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The ability to stop on the side of the road and go to sleep. Sleeping in the car on a long trip isn't fun anymore.
Space. Whilst a caravan takes up a large space everything lives inside it and a dehumidifier/heater can be put in if need be. We have camping gear everywhere and the tents/cooking gear have to live in the Sankey which isn't ideal.
I'm not getting any younger, I don't sleep well at the best of times and I have a dodgy back.
All of the above don't work well with tents. Having two kids and a dog we have to tow a Sankey anyway so why not tow a caravan.
Mike
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1 minute ago, Nonimouse said:
Mike, I see where you are coming from. I'm negotiating with James to buy that american folding cravan he has in the yard. Strong and a strong thing.
I've seen a few of them in the net now, it's a nice concept and works well just isn't very pretty.
At the end of the day I need/want a caravan but nothing on the market fits. Overland is a style more than anything but I want something that doesn't shake itself apart on rough roads. I tend to avoid the troden path and I have in-laws in Bulgaria and the Hebrides, so I want something that will cope with that.
Mike
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I don't know yet it would be useful to be demountable but only if it's relatively quick and easy to do.
Mike
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19 minutes ago, landroversforever said:
What 12ft flatbed is only 350kg?
. Ifor LM is more like double that for a 12footer.
I don't need the 200kg of buffalo board or the tailgate though.
Mike
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Quite probably, it would be nice to weigh the box but I don't have the ability here. But if you said 350kg for the box plus extension, flat bed trailer another 350kg, one king and two single mattresses 60kg, shower cubical plus cassette toilet 50kg, 5 sheets of ply and some framing timber 100kg, oven, fridge and kitchen stuff etc 70kg, odds and sods 50kg, gives a total of 1040kg.
Maybe add 50kg for water tank (full) and 100kg of kit.
Mike
They've drilled out the rivets holding the shelving racks in to allow them to be removed. Again two of them have been built in and will be removed when the bulk heads come out.
I was trying to adjust the lock on the rear door to get it to work better. Unfortunately when you pull the door down the internal catch can be released however the external bar drops in place. Que a phone call to the wife to let me out 
Once she'd stopped laughing I was freed. 
Overland caravan build
in Modified Vehicle Builds & Special Projects
Posted
The interior has gone through some design changes recently due to switching from single to double axle and the position of wheel arch in relation to door. Unfortunately in the end it will be "looking" a little rear heavy but this will mean the majority of the weight will be at the front. As the bunks and toilet will be at the back. The kitchen, largest storage and heavy items will be up front.
Mike