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Post by mike on May 24, 2011 18:17:37 GMT 10
Al, Love your work! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D For the drawbar, once its treated and covered with paint again, one extra routine I do every time we decide to go away, is to get out the spraycan of silver or chrome and just spray the drawbar, gas bottles, coupling, corner jacks etc. No preparation, no sanding: just spray and cover the lot. Always looks good, takes 5mins, dries in 5mins, and we never have rust problems.  Good to see a van being used often!  Cheers ;D ;D ;D mike |
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Post by bobt on May 24, 2011 20:59:28 GMT 10
Hey millard1399
Glad to see you still thinking and doing those things that make life on the road more pleasant.
For the last 5 years we have stayed on the gold coast in july/august. Sun shine is loverly but that dam breeze takes the edge off. Your shade cloth wall is the ideal thing. It will do it for you.
Just love them new door handles. Nice score.
bobt
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Post by millard1399 on May 27, 2011 10:15:04 GMT 10
Ok, here's a question for all the knowledgeable car people out there... What is the outside diameter of a 13" wheel with a standard car tyre on it? Reason for the question? Well, I managed to score a genuine old Millard spare wheel cover on ebay the other night. But it won't fit my 13" spare wheel that has a light truck tyre on it...  The cover has an OD of 520mm, and the OD of my spare wheel is 600mm. So, I'm guessing the 13" wheels used in the 1970s with standard radials (?) on them must have been considerably smaller in OD than the current LT tyres. Would that be true? cheers, Al. |
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Post by kylarama on May 27, 2011 12:34:25 GMT 10
Depends on the tyre size.
on the tyre it will have something like this
185/75/14
185 is the tread width in millimetres
75 is the sidewall profile percentage. 75% of the treadwidth. = 138.75mm
14 is the rim diameter in inches
so its 138.75mm X 2 + 14 inches (355.6mm) = 633.1mm diameter.
That wheel cover might be fore one of those little 10 inch alloys you see on boat trailers and little caravans or campers.
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Post by millard1399 on May 27, 2011 14:33:27 GMT 10
Thanks kylarama ;D Using your information, I can work out a calculation for a 12" wheel with a 165/65 tyre on it that equals 520mm OD. The ebay seller only said the cover was found in their shed, but the caravan was long gone. They couldn't exactly remember the wheel size on the van, but thought it might have been a 14" wheel. Looks like it must have been for a small Millard camper, assuming they ran 12" wheels on them. Can't say I've seen any Millard boat trailers yet.  However, all is not lost. I happen to have a jumbo Singer that should be pretty good at making a larger cover, while keeping the centre Millard logo. Will see how we go. cheers, Al. |
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Post by kylarama on May 27, 2011 14:50:03 GMT 10
Al, Check out Repco or Autobarn for a 13-14 inch wheel cover, cost around $20. Be a good starting point for the outer ring with the elastic. Re. your boat trailer quip. I tried to google a pic of an old caravan chassis converted to a boat trailer as a comeback. However I found this, which is far more amusing  Take your boat with you and still be able to tow your caravan. Launching might be an issue. |
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Post by millard1399 on May 27, 2011 20:32:19 GMT 10
Struth, you'd be looking for a fresh pair of undies after THAT!!  Good thinking on using another car cover for the outer ring. Or even just sew the Millard circle straight onto the other cover (or is that what you were trying to tell me...?  ) Hmmm...this is getting easier as we speak! I'm onto it! cheers, Al. |
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Post by kylarama on May 27, 2011 22:17:52 GMT 10
Put the wheel cover back on ebay and sell it as a rare Millard boat trailer spare wheel cover.
Buy a plain cover from Autobarn and just write Millard in texta across it.
Super easy with a mega profit ;D
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Post by millard1399 on May 27, 2011 23:08:03 GMT 10
Gees, now I need a fresh pair of undies from laughing so much!  Gotta luv the ideas that come out of this forum! ;D ;D ;D cheers, Al. |
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Post by millard1399 on May 28, 2011 17:55:37 GMT 10
Here's another project I completed for the Millard today... It's a protective cover for the lower front half of the van. When I bought the van, it had a sail track across the front under the windows, and those nylon clips down each side and across the bottom. There was no protector included with the van, so I figured "one day" I'd get around to doing something about it. During the resto, I painted all that lower half with enamel, and renewed the nylon clips. During our 5000kms of travel last year, my new paintwork copped a fair few stone chips, and I thought, "Yep, one day I'm gonna do something about that". A couple of weeks ago I'm reading an old Caravan World mag, and I come across this photo...  ...and I think, "Whoa!...carpet!...now there's an idea!" So, there I was in Bunnings last week, and I spot an end-of-roll piece of marine carpet on clearance. Just the right size for doing the job (and just the right price too! ). Looks like there's no better time to have a go at making something for the van. Out comes the jumbo Singer, and a piece of leftover canvas from the awning I made recently. A bit of rope and some grommets, and Bob's yer uncle. This photo group shows the stone chips on the paintwork, and the cover being made...  And the finished product...  Light as buggery, it is! Slides through the sail track easily, and clips into place in a matter of seconds. I'm not a boatie, but I believe this marine carpet is pretty good for standing up to being knocked about, dries quickly, won't tear on the edges, etc etc. It'll be a good 'test cover' to see how it goes on our trip away in July. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2011 19:41:38 GMT 10
That looks great. The van has come up an absolute treat. There's a lot of modern day vans that don't look half as good as your Millard.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2011 21:42:38 GMT 10
Hi Millard,
Is there anything you can't do ha ha.
Mate that looks absolutely fantastic.
All you need now is a dust buster ( old black and Decker ) and where ever you pull up you can give it a quick vac and she will look as good as gold again. he he.
regards
Teflon
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Post by bobt on Jun 6, 2011 20:29:26 GMT 10
Hi Ya millard1399
That little bit of carpet across the front certainly looks nice. It should help protect the lower half of the front of the van from stone damage.
Bet your regretting the purchase of that sewing machine. Never get any real value out of it.
Just you be careful now, we might all start lining up for similar treatment for our vans.. ;D
bobt
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 23, 2011 14:46:40 GMT 10
G'day All, Thanks for the positive comments about the front cover. ;D bobt, it's funny you mention regrets about the sewing machine. I was in a local Salvos store a few weeks back, and they had a similar machine there...except this one was for sale at $250!! Apart from being just slightly larger than mine, it was almost identical with the table/motor set-up. I went back a couple of days later to get something else, and the machine had been sold. Which makes me think mine could be sold for around the same price, even though I've flogged it to death since I bought it! Not bad for an initial purchase for $60!! But...I digress... I've been doing a bit of preparation in the van for our upcoming trip away to Qld. We've had such crappy weather here during May and June, with higher than normal rainfall, gale force winds, you name it. I went into the van the other day, during a lull in the weather, only to discover some small puddles on the offside seat at the front. Eeeek!! When I did a bit of an inspection of that front area, I noticed some water staining on the side wall panelling up near the roof...  ...and a bit more down where the top of the seat meets the front and the wall...  Not impressed!!!  Blowed if I know how the water is getting in, although it doesn't surprise me in a sense. The way the van is parked in front of the garage, it slopes down towards that front corner, and all the water that falls on the roof is eventually directed to that corner. During heavy rain, it's almost like Niagara Falls off that front part on the van...  What's got me beat a bit, though, is why there's no water marks on the ceiling panelling, considering the ceiling panelling actually overlaps the side wall panelling at the edges. Somehow the water is getting into the framework, and attacking the wall panelling only (or so it looks like it is...). I've done some temporary sealing of the van to hopefully get us through the trip, and then I can put the van back into "dry dock" and maybe pull the cover strip off that front area and have a closer look. In the meantime, I put a bead of Sika sealant down the edge of the cover strip, and pressed it into place and smoothed it down with my finger (dipped in turps)...  It's pretty annoying to have done all the resto effort, only to discover a year later that the van is getting water into it. I might try a different sealant on that section, just to see if it lasts better than the sealant I used originally. cheers, Al. |
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 26, 2011 21:16:44 GMT 10
G'day again, A few things have come together, and the Millard now has a TV and DVD player. A couple of months ago I was in our local Coles supermarket, and came across a DVD player that was on clearance for $19. Figured that was a good bargain, so I bought it and stashed it away "for the van". Then a few weeks later I was in the local Aldi store, and their TVs were on clearance as well. I could have picked between an 18.5" with built-in DVD player ($179), or a 15" without ($129). Chose the 15" because it also works off 12V as well as 240V, and I already had the DVD player.  Then I chased up an antenna, and got a second hand set of rabbit ears off ebay, to try out in the van...  This works all right at home, but mightn't be worth a pinch of poop in the van. At least it'll buy me a bit of time before I have to lash out on an external antenna and pole, plus all the rigmarole that goes with fitting it. Next I chased up a swivel wall bracket on ebay for $36.95...  ...and I hacked the monitor bracket down to suit the size I needed (save a bit of weight in the van, heh heh. But only a bit.)...  The bracket box comes with lots of different size bolts and other fittings, depending on what size TV you are attaching to it. There's also some anchor screws if you are fixing it to a house wall, but there's nothing suitable for fixing the base to a caravan cupboard. I had to go hunting in the shed for some bolts/nuts/washers to suit how I wanted to anchor it. So far I've got the bracket and TV fitted...  ...and tomorrow I'm going to see how I can fit the DVD player up underneath the cupboard, next to the TV bracket. The DVD player is a lot narrower than the usual DVD players, so it only needs a small space. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2011 9:21:22 GMT 10
Now Al, you go to all the trouble of cutting 4mm ears off your bracket and you don't "detatch" the stand from the telly? God man, you're doing my head in. Joking aside, as usual, love your work. Cheers! Seeshell |
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 27, 2011 9:53:15 GMT 10
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 27, 2011 11:08:44 GMT 10
I was in Bunnings last Friday (which is a 'bad' day to go to our local Bunnings because that's the day the clearance items are all put out on tables. I never leave until my wallet is empty. ) and I came across some mats that I thought would be useful for under the awning. These were knocked down in price from $55 to $35, which makes them cheaper than the other annexe mats and those lock-together-type rubbery floors. As the label says, you get two mats for the price of one. Flip it over and the reverse colour is on the other side. They come in different colours and patterns, although my Bunnings store only had red/white stripes, or watermelon colour leaves (the one I bought)...  The four corners have a loop sewn into them to allow for pegging into the ground...  Actual length is 2.8 metres, not 3.0 metres as stated on the website. But still, it's a good size to cover a fair amount under the awning. Lightweight, mine weighs about 2 or 3 kgs. Look to be made pretty ruggedly. You can get more info via their website. Other colours and patterns available (...I would have rather got green or blue). Check out this one page download... www.ecoviva.com.au/ecoviva_catalogue.pdfIt'll be something else for us to test when we go away in a couple of weeks. This won't be a holiday... it'll be a bloody scientific expedition! Test this - test that!! New front cover; new awning; new shade cloth covers; new TV/DVD/Antenna; new annexe floor mat. I also got one of those fold-out picnic table sets from the Salvos the other day, for $10, so there's another thing that will be "new" on the next trip. cheers, Al. |
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Post by bobt on Jun 27, 2011 20:40:29 GMT 10
geeez Al
Bit of a bugga the water inside thing. Understand the problem with the water flow, had a similar problem to you with the last pop top.
I like the mats. Nice colour scheme, don't ever let anyone say different.. We will now be able to spot you with a degree of ease. The TV is a good purchase what being 12 volt and all that. The 12 volters can be expensive.
Will you have room inside for you?
So when are you off on your "scientific test mission?"
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 27, 2011 22:52:35 GMT 10
G'day bobt, We head off on the 9th July, aiming for a weekend at Crows Nest Qld with the Vintage mob on 15-16-17th July. Another Christmas-in-July dinner at the Caravan park restaurant on the Saturday night of the weekend. It's a 1200kms trip from home to up there, so we've got a loose plan to take 5 or 6 days to get up there, spend the 3 days there, and then another 5 or 6 days to find our way back home again. Nothing booked except the weekend at Crows Nest. Wherever we end up each day is where we end up each day. cheers, Al. |
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Post by nac on Jun 28, 2011 22:12:17 GMT 10
Hi Al
Bit of a nuisance about the leak. Know how you feel though, we just finished the Roadmaster and it leaked at the front curved windows which had plenty of sealant applied. I'm thinking that maybe I hadn't sealed one of the screw holes before putting the screw in.
See you at Crow's Nest
nac
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Post by bobt on Jun 29, 2011 19:56:23 GMT 10
Enjoy Crows Nest.
One day we will get there.
We head north on the 17th, forgot about the VV thing thought we might have crossed paths somewhere. But no that will not happen this time.
bobt
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 30, 2011 17:14:27 GMT 10
Well, it was another crappy weather day here yesterday (we seem to have had a heap of them this winter), so it was off to the Op Shops in our region to see if I could find a few things for some projects I've got on the go. Found this genuine 1974 Aladdin's jug, made in the Aladdin's factory in Tennesee USA and not in those other countries they were made in in recent times...  Also came across a couple of tea towels that you don't see around very often. Only one year younger than the Millard ...  A week ago I came across a fold-up picnic table in the Salvos. Got it for half price in a one-day Sale for ten bucks...  ...and then blow me down if yesterday I didn't come across one of the best examples of the old Ritec picnic tables I've ever seen. If this one's been used more than once, I'll be a monkey's uncle...  I couldn't leave it there, especially when they were only asking $15 for it, so it came home with me as well. Do I need two picnic tables?? Nup, so now I gotta decide which one goes and which one stays. The blue plastic one weighs 9kgs, and the Ritec one weighs 15kgs, but is in heaps better condition. Hmmm.... What I like about these fold-up tables is that you can have them set up fully for four people, or you can partly set them up as a type of coffee table, and put them between two chairs...  ...so it gives a few more options than just a normal table. bobt, I don't wanna keep harping on about sewing machines, but the Salvos store had another industrial machine there yesterday. This one was somewhat older than the one they had a month or so ago (and also a lot older than mine), and the price they are now asking has jumped up to $270!! Struth, if it keeps going like this, I'll be able to flog mine and go buy a decent caravan with the proceeds! cheers, Al. |
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Post by kiwijim on Jun 30, 2011 17:50:05 GMT 10
Howdy Al, "By Jez" You have left me for dead lately, What with all the bargains you have been scoring, I know who will easily win this months prize for the best Bargain Hunter. ;D ;D ;D I now know why you are looking for a larger caravan, Gotta funny feeling a 16' ft'er won't be any-where near big enough though, better settle for a 20', that should carry half the gear you have collected this Month any-way. ;D Crappy weather here as well, might have a look at our local Op- Shop, gotta get some points up for next Month. ;D cheers kiwijim |
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 8, 2011 16:43:36 GMT 10
Well, we're off to a good start with our trip away starting tomorrow...  Towed the van up to the local servo this morning to check tyre pressures, and get petrol. Forgot to take the microwave oven off the kitchen bench. No worries...the drive up the servo driveway took it off the bench for me. Aaah, they don't make $69 microwave ovens like they used to. Can't even cope with a 1 metre drop... Ah well, it was only a $69 microwave which we only bought a year ago, and which we've only used for a few weeks. Obviously, somebody must have thought it was about time we bought a new one. The rest of the preparations have gone well, though! ;D ;D Heading off first thing in the morning. Might see you on the road somewhere... ...especially if you have a microwave oven for sale... cheers, Al. |
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