Orgasmic Farmer Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Just don't smoke in bed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 16, 2014 Author Share Posted February 16, 2014 Well thats the bed more-or-less done. Board pushed to the front - normal daytime position. For sleeping it gets pulled back to reveal the foot end (in two pieces) and the support pipes neatly tucked away. (will get some clips to hold the pipes and stop them clanking). Pipes popped into slots. Then board pulled over for sleeping on, with almost two feet of space left at rear to climb up through. Had a very spirited bounce around on it, sufficient to get the suspension rocking back and forwards and not a creak nor groan from it so I guess its strong enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Progress continues (slowly)! Here's a video of the gas struts doing their thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie64 Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 hey this is an awesome project, i have been following it from the start i was just wondering if you were going to fit some kind of locking device to make sure that the lifting room doesn't come down on you in the night if there are high winds or kids on top of it etc. tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 hey this is an awesome project, i have been following it from the start i was just wondering if you were going to fit some kind of locking device to make sure that the lifting room doesn't come down on you in the night if there are high winds or kids on top of it etc. tom Cheers Tom. Aye there will be two struts which lie across the back inside, hinged at the bottom, (van width is wider than the roof is high) and will pull up and be propped/locked into each rear corner. These will prevent collapses, and form the 'corner' around which the fabric sides will be tightened. There's a fair amount of weight up there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Just get's better and better John - regards to herself and to the wee big man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Just get's better and better John - regards to herself and to the wee big man Cheers! Things going well here, herself doing really well and wee man looking forwards to building his train set on the sleeping platform! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Cool beans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Cool beans! In fact I flirted briefly with the notion of taking the router and making 'tracks' in the sleeping platform for him so he could do away with the rail track and just go with the grooves! But the amount of grot that would gather in the track would be a bigger hazard than the typical seasonal UK 'leaves on the line' ! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Wax the grooves with paint on/dry hard furniture wax, then a quick hoover will pull all the dust out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Wax the grooves with paint on/dry hard furniture wax, then a quick hoover will pull all the dust out... With a small child.......dealing only with dust would be a luxury! I'm thinking peanut butter, congealed fruit ice-lolly juice, cream cheese (dried), not to mention the 'log-on-the-line' that is the half-eaten Opal Fruit. Could be a disaster of epic(urean) proportions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 That gloss paint on wax is superb for cleaning up after children - I've been cleaning up after the little treasures for 15 years and my 2 year old could make a black room dirty. I also waxed the back of the 110 when I timber lined it - for dogs and kids. When you mix ice cream with boxer hair and spaniel drool, you usually have to burn the afflicted item - a quick wipe over with a damp cloth was all that was required... It doesn't work with the venom spouted by a 15 year old daughter who hates you though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Sounds brilliant (and bl**dy scary too!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 15 year old daughters are possibly the most unpleasant things on God's green earth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 15 year old daughters are possibly the most unpleasant things on God's green earth Thank goodness mine's a boy then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 15 year old daughters are possibly the most unpleasant things on God's green earth Hmmm, I have 7 months till that joy is inflicted upon me...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'm avoiding it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 When we first bought The 109 and planned to turn it in to a camper, someone jokingly remarked we would need some bonking bars....sitting in there the other day in the wind I was thinking it might not be a bad idea...it was rocking from side to side quite a lot. I'm thinking with everything you're putting on top you're going to need to do something otherwise you'll be getting sea-sick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I didn't think this was a particularly dangerous wind but The 109 was still a'rocking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 theres a long way from rocking to turn over ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 theres a long way from rocking to turn over ! Aye! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 All mine are girls )-: I will be 59 when the youngest hits her teens )-: I was a bad person in a past life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocklandjohn Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'll be 65 when the wee lad hits teenager............ I was a good person in this life. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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