Jocklandjohn

I have an IBS battery monitor setup on the two batteries in my 110. It works very well. I am intending fitting a solar panel and the 'normal' way to do this as far as I can see is via a dual battery charge controller of which there are various types. However the IBS unit has a wiring diagram on its website here which shows the use of a single battery charge controller connected to the aux battery, and my assumption is that in that setup the IBS unit monitors charge on the aux battery and then switches charge to the main battery. I've queried this directly with IBS directly and got the following response, which kind-of confirms that (apart from the last sentence): "you need with the panel and a solar regulator what is charging into Aux battery. If enough charge is available it also links in the Starter battery. IBS is not regulating any charge." So (being now slightly confused), do I just use a single battery charge controller and wire it in as in the IBS diagram, or forget about the presence of the IBS and wire up both batteries via a dual battery charge controller? Any obvious pitfalls with either method? (I am no electrical wizard).

Thanks Red - that's cleared that up!

Cheers Mike - not used plastic drums for mudflaps but did make an open canoe out of some once!

Nah it was Bee Pee!

Aaaargh - I'm really confused now. I was looking to replace my tatty old worn drive flanges with the HD ones with nut on so I can fill with slippery stuff and keep the shaft end well lubed. What do I need for a 1989 110? It's Salisbury rear axle, drums and whatever the front would be for that vintage. All is as-was from new as it's not been changed. Retroanaconda said: "Earlier axles have 10-spline diffs and thick drive flanges. Later axles have 24-spline diffs and thin flanges." I've read several descriptions on various vendors sites but it's only made me more confused, but I gather its thick type to '94 and thin type after that? So I take it I need thick flanges as opposed to the thin type?

Aye! An old mud flap is on the to do list! I used one on the other side to seal the edge of the wing diesel tank - makes a huge difference. I've also got old mudflap covers on the back door handle and the fuel filler. The latter was prompted by having the filler aperture and keyhole in the locking cap filled with snow and ice in minus 20 one winter, and being unable to fill the tank. Of course I only noticed when I was stood in the filling station scratching my head and wondering if anyone would notice me peeing on it. Took almost 30 mins to get the cap off. The small flap of mudflap solved that problem.

Cheers chaps. Work continues. But very slowly mind you! And after after a load of faffing about - tank in- tank out- tank in - tank out - tank in - tank out...................more times than I care to think about, it's fitted. It was a real pain. The gap between the back of the locking filler cap and the tank was very tight and required both the respective necks on filler/tank to be trimmed carefully in order to just touch and allow the plastic pipe and jubilee clips to 'capture' each one. Skinned knuckles, lots of swearing and a sore neck from laying on my back and craning to see whats going on. But, job done. Tank supported on threaded rod, with a steel plate across the bottom at each end of the tank. You can see the proximity of the tank neck to the van side panel. I put a square of alloy in behind the wing to strengthen it behind the filler neck, and to give the three perimeter fixing screws more 'purchase' - that's the four pop-rivets in the square pattern around the filler. The two rivets at bottom are to attach the van side to a small bracket on the water tank as the strut that braced the side to the chassis has been cut out as it was in the way of the tank. All the piping is in - filler neck pipe to outside, locked, breather pipe up to the inside to keep it clean and clear, and feed pipe out the rear bottom in a protective plastic sleeve and protected by the outrigger and fed back inside the van to the sink. Next job is a smaller tank on the other side of the wheel for waste water straight down out of the little sink, only a small tank but worth fitting I think. Saves having a sloppy mess everywhere which you then stand in when you go for a midnight pee.

Aye! It was getting in the way of everyone else working so only lasted a short time!

Current doings - have finished covering the water tank with the bits of roof I cut out (complete with 3/4" of closed cell foam). I used various of the roof's strengthening ribs cut up the middle to make corner cappings. The bottom edges of the tank has two rails of steel angle on them for strength/support. Tank will be suspended on threaded rod with a steel plate on the bottom and cranked up tight against the inside of the wheel-arch. It's not pretty but it's strong and insulated/protected. I've made a (very) rough angled cover for the bottom outlet which will have a T-Piece on it - one outlet leading to the internal sink tap (a simple suction flipper) and the other to a drain tap so I can empty it. It's not a terribly robust protector but that end of the tank is in behind the bulkhead above the outrigger so is well out of harm's way and it should serve to keep all the mud and road snot off the couplings and pipe. And before I finished I pulled the wheel off and shoved the tank in to see if it would actually fit. It did! So tomorrow I might get it properly suspended & bolted.

Cheers Mo. It's slowly taking shape!

Some more progress - have been fitting cargo track on the outsides, which has meant stripping out the interior insulation and plywood lining to get access to the nuts, but I've replaced the simple white polystyrene insulation with higher density insulation panels which should be better in the long term. It was a lot of fiddly work with little to show for it, but needed doing. Whilst in there I thought I'd stick on some steps to allow access to the now-much-higher roofrack, on which I'll have a roof box some of the time. Found these on the well-known auction site for £6 each so got four. Very well made. So I reckon these will help. I can also add a nylon webbing loop to a cargo-track fitting to put a foot in as well if I need even more height. Next - recycling the chunk of the alloy I cut out of the roof and using it to make a protective/insulative cover for the water tank. I need some steel or alloy angle and will pop rivet that along the corners and then weld up a steel cradle to support it, bolted into the inner wing on the passenger side. The water tank is plastic and will get a battering sitting just inside the wheel arch so the old Birmabright alloy complete with its 3/4" of closed cell foam will protect and insulate it. Seemed a shame not to try to use the roof 'offcuts' for something else. Tank is a 'recycled' one - it was intended for some campervan or other and shaped to fit in a specific location so I'll need to adapt it slightly to sit where I want it - which will mean simply blocking off existing pipe holes and installing new fittings where I need them. And the last little bit of progress is a second pair of gas struts. The available space in the alloy extrusion where I can fit the struts only allows an 18mm diameter tube, and there is a maximum weight limit with these specific tubes. However my weight calculations put my roof total weight at about 90% of their working limit, but the roof hatch is quite heavy and installed far back from the hinge so is exerting a fair bit of leverage that I probably didn't fully account for. Problem also is that the struts only actuate after about 12 degrees so the initial push is pretty hard before the struts take over, and they are obviously struggling a wee bit with the max weight. So I've fitted a second smaller pair forward of the first set. Difference is very noticeable - because the struts are shorter they actuate earlier in the lift which makes it easier for me to push it up, and lower, and they are adjustable ones so I can de-gas them to drop their pressure if needed, however as they are, at full power, they're just dandy and will cope with the addition of a roofbox filled with wetsuits and canoe paddles, buoyancy aids etc with no difficulty. The whole stability of the roof is greatly improved too - there was a fair bit of flex in the roof when raising/lowering before but that's virtually gone now. So, worth fitting.

Same - 1:41 on my '89 110 Hard Top 2.5TD.

Aye, that's the ones. I've chosen a slightly different style but hopefully will be as useful.

Will do! Thought it would be easier to balance a dram and a bottle of beer on them than the open design ones!

Was intending using on the side somewhere. Now my roof is about 8" taller reaching the roofbox whilst standing on the wheeltop is rather problematic! I figured a side step or two would make life easier and safer. However I explored your ebay link further and found these flat folding square zinc ones which will look neater and provide a decent step. Not too big either. So went for those instead. Obviously putting 'trailer' in the search term made the difference!

Jeez chaps that was quick! Tried various search terms but all came up with stepladders. Thanks!

Anyone have any idea where I can get a few of these kind of folding steps in the UK for putting on the 110? Link. http://americantrailerparts.com/shop/popup_image.php?pID=264&osCsid=wmqvvagte

Got the rack assembled and fitted. Several large bolts on each side to hold the rails down, with a large dollop of Sikaflex under each one hopefully permanently sealing the sheet edge and rivets. And then a few large-flange pop-rivets along the vertical side to complete the assembly. It is very strong. The bars are over-length deliberately so I can use the tails as lashing points, plus there will be beta-pins shoved through to hold the bars in place when I need them, and when I don't I can pull the pins and slide the bars out. I decided I should go the whole hog and invade Europe, so mounted a 105mm Howitzer on the front, which when combined with my roof hatch gives it a rather dashing look, don't you think? As a pacifist I've gone for the cardboard Howitzer which should be less controversial (well until it rains) then I suspect more than my spirits will droop......

Some more progress this week. Basically bashing on and trying to get as much done as I can whilst I still have use of the bit of dry workshop space in my friend's barn/workshop. Roof rack/running bars are coming on. I was contemplating whether to try welding the long top seam joining the two pieces of alloy that make up each side, but after considering the (high) chances of it warping, never mind waiting for the welder to have time to do it (he's very busy just now) I decided just to bolt it together with a line of stainless button head bolts and flange nuts behind with loads of Sikaflex adhesive in between, and be done with it. So I did. Although the side looks 'slabby' and appears quite tall, it's a bit of an illusion, mainly because it's come up from the gutter, in reality the top of the rack is actually only 8 inches higher than the original LR roof, so in reality it's less high than many proper roofracks (to which a roof tent would then be added making it even higher). It has a funky sort-of shipbuildy-rivet vibe going on which is not perhaps 'pretty' in the slick aesthetic way that a 'proper' alloy rack on a Toyota/Nissan/Datsun is, but after all is said and done it's a basic shed-on-wheels 110 that's 25 years old and with the best will in the world and all the TLC one can throw at it it, it's still going to be a large boxy riveted, lump. So, in that sense the roofrack probably 'fits'! Whatever - it'll do me, and I doubt I'll see another the same. The plan is to have the crossbars loose (alloy pipe), held with a couple of beta-pins at each end so they can be pulled out and the bars removed when not needed, or even put on in various sequences depending on my needs - I often use one of two roofboxes and they are vastly different lengths so I can choose where on the roof I need to fit them and how far apart the bars need to be for each box's length and insert bars as appropriate. (And yes I've designed it so the roof bars clear the roof hatch by 1" so I can use them anywhere on the roof, even over the hatch.) The left side is complete (but not fully bolted down) but as you can just see the right side is still not fully bolted together as I ran out of stainless bolts (more arriving soon form Kays Fasteners on Ebay - great range of stuff, good prices and very helpful with quick delivery too). So I started fitting the fridge runners while I wait for the stainless fasteners to arrive. Some of the alloy offcuts from the roofrack are just perfect. The fridge is going on the rhs (hinge side) of the back door. Rather than all alloy construction I thought I'd use wood as the main fridge bearers (to which the fridge is actually fastened), as its more easily worked, provides some shock-apsorption, and is 'warmer' and kinder on the hands when pulling the fridge out. An hour of bodging and bashing later and this is what it looks like. Its made from 3mm alloy angle 100x50mm and a piece of 3mm x 100mm sandwiched together. The runners are 18" long and open to 100% plus 1" so will fully clear the cupboard structure I'm building above (which will hold the gas cooker) to allow the fridge top loading door to lift unhindered. Weight carrying capacity is 68kg and even when at full extension so easily able to carry the fridge (24kg empty) plus a full load of food/drink. They have a lock-out function so will stay out safely, and a lock-in latch so should stay closed too. There's a lift and remove function too so I can easily detach the runners and remove the fridge. The fridge has rubber feet/buffers that protrude around each corner with a 6mm bolthole through them into to a captive thread in the carcase of the unit so I can bolt through directly and utilize the rubber feet as shock absorbers. This is all very slow and laborious work, but it's the two critical parts - one, the roof bars that (hopefully!) provide an additional waterproof seal for the roof edge and unattractive line of rivets that hold it down (all that lot under the L section will be liberally coated with marine grade adhesive sealant) AND the other main thing is the fridge fitting which will determine where everything else will fit around it on that side - which will be mostly storage. I have some small plastic stacking boxes that I'm going to use, inserted on simple wooden runners, the idea being that I can remove the weight of 'stuff' easily by hoofing the boxes out if I'm doing daily driving and want to lighten the load, and if going away I can just check the boxes to see if I have all I need then slide them in, and pull a tambour/roller door down in front to retain them and off we go. Later in the week I got the fridge itself installed. Sits reasonably well out of the way. When pulled out it it goes pretty far across the width. In an ideal world it would have been fitted lower down (and further forwards to the centre of the van), as it's quite a heavy item, but it sits up that high because of the HardTop 110 internal arches that eat up floor space, and I'd like to get access to it from outside at the back door. I've got large green storage boxes that I use for additional gear, and which also double as seat bases (inside or outside the van) with a Thermarest chair kit sat on top, so it's designed so that they can fit neatly underneath the fridge. I've got lashing eyes for them attached to the sides and floor so they dont jump about. The wooden unit on the left will have the small sink in it at the top. Its cut steeply at the bottom to allow legs/feet to pass, and to enable the green box lid to be opened without having to lift the box out of the vehicle. That storage area below the sink will have various 'outside' stuff in it such as tow strops, toolbox, tyre compressor etc things that I'd need to easily reach from the back door. I'm going to try to reinforce this unit so its got 'steps' in it to make it easier to get up onto the bed platform. Fitting the fridge runners was not as straightforwards as it could have been - I could only get one pair of bolts through the under wings to hold them down because I've got an aux sandwich tank in the quarter at the rear which effectively prevents access to the under-wing area. Had to get creative with fixings but it seems to have worked.

I'll be 65 when the wee lad hits teenager............ I was a good person in this life. :-)

Aye!

There's not really as much weight up top compared with a roof tent which can be between 60 and 100kg, combined with the additional bulk/weight of a roof rack - maybe another 25kg. I estimate I'm coming in at about 65 kg. so probably less than half the weight. Yes when its lifted its a bit slabby and might catch the wind, but if its so windy it's dangerous we'll be sheltering somewhere.

I think I've figured out a way to fabricate clip-in sides using signmaker's alloy (well its used for signs but for loads of other stuff too - it's a variant of Dibond - 0.3mm alloy on each side with a plastic core), combined with a variety of aluminium profiles I've been able to track down. It's relatively light. Basically the profiles I've unearthed will enable the existing rubber seal on the lifting top to be used to seal the clip-in side at top, by using an H section that pushes up against the seal. And it will utilize the existing stainless clips (that are normally used to hold the lifting bit down) to pull it all together. See this pic for detail of H section slipped over seal on lifting top section - when a lower clip-half is fixed to the section of temporary panel with H on top it will pull up tight: A narrower H section will join the middle (each wedge-shaped side will be in two pieces, vertically split, that have to slot together hence the need for the H) and the corner on each side at the back will be formed from a flanged U channel where the flange comes out at 90 deg to the U. The sides slip in and wedge into the gap, seal at the top and are clipped, then the back bit (above the back door) is popped in - it is split horizontally and joined with a piano hinge, and simply jammed into place, with the flanged U forming the corner and a couple of stainless clips to hold it all together. It will be fairly weatherproof, windproof, and could have thin foam insulation on the back. Any weather that does get past it will still have the fabric to contend with. This should make it usable in winter, or in really rough conditions that would have the tent fabric flapping like crazy. As you can see below the H section for the top of the panels has sufficient gap to allow the pop-rivets ends to be concealed in the lower channel of the H, with enough space for a sheet of closed-cell foam to insulate it if I fancy. (the H section for the vertical joint in the middle of the sheets is much narrower and is a snug fit around a panel-edge with rubber seal on it (see last pic below for close-up of panel with seal). The total weight is in the region of 20lbs. and with some careful design and bodging they can be stored on the roof between the roof bars to be deployed when needed. I've already got some rubber U channel seal to use over the edges of the alloy panels to ensure a reasonable seal both in the middle H section and on the bottpom lip of the panels that meet the existing frame. See sample below: This might seem a fiddle - having to store and install the panels, but it's a good way to have a versatile setup where the fabric sides are used when the weather is good and lots of air and light inside is desirable, but if it gets windy and cold, wet or snowy they can be easily clipped in to make the whole vehicle substantially more weather-resistant and warm. It does not matter if the panels get wet or dirty either as they are installed outside the fabric sides and with a 25mm gap between them and the inner fabric. There are several storage options for them - on the roof in the area above the cab forward of the roof hatch or on cargo rails running along the side (or a combination of both). Anyway I've bought the stuff for them so I'm committed now! First I must fabricate the roof rack/bars. Alloy for that should be delivered this week - I wont even begin to try to explain what going on with this - it'll be easier to understand when you see it. It is intended to provide a strong flexible system that can support a canoe/kayak, have removable bars, transfers weight to the gutter, and in it's design provides a permanent sealed cover for the line of rivets and the edge of the top sheet on each side which is currently exposed.

Thank goodness mine's a boy then!

Sounds brilliant (and bl**dy scary too!).