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Post by bobt on May 21, 2012 19:26:25 GMT 10
Howdy Al.. Well done on the little touch up around the seals, should keep you dry for awhile.
Bit surprised by the quality of the screws, almost as if someone else got to it. Never had that problem on mine, they were all the correct type. The roof looks a treat, big bit of effort, well worth it. And yes there are moments when you can see it.
. hey kiwifella no lack of things to do down 'ere. Garage roof to raise cause the white box won't fit, roses are gunna need pruning and there is this other thing in the garage burried under a pile of ......... :-[looking really neglected
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Post by millard1399 on May 21, 2012 23:06:59 GMT 10
G'day alan, If you end up with a Viscount, there's plenty of people on this forum who are making old Viscounts new again, so you'll have lots of people to "help" you along the way. G'day bobt, All the screws around the edge mouldings are the cheap bright zinc screws, and are rusted to some degree. Some of them are badly rusted, to the point where the head has disintegrated. Whichever screws I can remove will be replaced with stainless screws. Any that don't co-operate will be covered with sealant and left for a future attempt. Today I resealed the other corner at the front of the van. Hopefully we've now got a watertight van as far as the edge moulding goes. Now I've started getting all the external lights properly sealed. I discovered a bit of "Dodgy Brothers" wiring when I opened up two lights. One feed wire not clamped in the electrical contact fitting properly, and two earth wires just wrapped aroung the screw. Had to sort all that out along the way. I ended up using some "closed-cell" foam to seal the base of the light fittings to the cladding... I got a roll of the foam at a caravan parts clearance sale last year, so I figured this was a good opportunity to use some of it up. This van has got more lamps around the outside than you'd find on a Christmas tree! You'll see me coming from 10k away! cheers, Al.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2012 16:11:09 GMT 10
....Now I've started getting all the external lights properly sealed.... I got a roll of the foam at a caravan parts clearance sale last year, so I figured this was a good opportunity to use some of it up. Hi Al, Great ideas and fantastic workmanship as usual. Clearance lamps etc are a fantastic 'hidden' source for water ingress. :) Love the closed cell foam solution, looks great. Cheers John k
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Post by millard1399 on May 22, 2012 19:11:23 GMT 10
G'day wahroonga, Thanks for your comments. Yeah, the foam tape is pretty good for filling in the contours in the cladding, and preventing water and dirt from getting in behind the base of the light. The stuff I've got is only 3mm thick, but it's available in 6, 9, and 12mm thicknesses from CaravansPlus if you needed to fill a deeper gap. More work done on the lights today. More 'dodgy brothers' wiring to tidy up. I started working on the main rear light assemblies this arvo. The lights on this van are monsters! ... Each of the three lights are 190 x 120mm, so combined they are about 600mm across each side. I discovered both of the indicator lens have got cracks in them, with a piece missing from one of them... I figure the cost of replacing both these lens might be a bit pricey, so I'm going to ditch the lights and install LED ones instead. About a month or so ago, I won two sets of led lights off ebay. They are 100 x 100mm, and at the time I thought they'd be good for the Millard (same size as the originals). Now that the Millard is up for sale, I think I'll use the led lights on the Windsor instead. Some bloke up in Brisbane was importing trailers and then changing the lights within a week. I don't think these led's would be ADR approved because they haven't got a reflector built into them, but I reckon I'll just add a reflector beside them and see if any future rego inspection knocks them back (unlikely ) ... The side clearance lamps also need replacing. One has been replaced in recent times, but the other three are definitely showing their age... I think I'll also get some led lights to replace these as well. The type shown above cost about 10 or 12 bucks each, from memory, and I can get the following sort off ebay for about 16 bucks each posted... They are smaller than the original ones, but still big enough to cover the existing screw holes, so I might be able to drill the base to locate the screws in the same spot. Looks like tomorrow's another day pretending to be an "auto electrician". cheers, Al.
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Post by olfarts on May 22, 2012 19:26:50 GMT 10
Al,what vehicle are you planning to tow this van with? The reason i ask is because some the new cars,for some reason,wont operate LED lights on trailers or vans. Im not up to speed as to why,but i have a mate with a new Lexus he cant operate the LEDs fitted to his boat trailer that he correctly fitted LED lamps to. We took car and trailer off to an auto leccy and he explained why.But i was too busy purving on the auto leccys imported 56 Chrysler Le Baron at the time ::)So i didnt pick up all the conversation Dave
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Post by millard1399 on May 22, 2012 20:25:25 GMT 10
G'day Dave, Yeah, I read recently on another forum that some of the European cars have difficulty with led lights on caravans. I think it was something to do with the low current draw, and the 'black box' in the car not allowing the car to start, but I also can't remember the exact details. Somebody else will know what the correct story is. At the moment we have a 2004 Mazda Tribute as the tow vehicle, although we are seriously considering getting another vehicle that can more easily cope with 1300 kgs ATM and 130 kgs ball weight (the Mazda specs are 1600kgs max and 75kgs max ball weight without a WDH.). I think I'd like to get something rated to tow 2000kgs and 150kgs ball weight, which would be more than enough to cope with our van, and wouldn't be putting excess strain on the motor, like probably happens with the Mazda. If we do end up buying another tow car, it's main criteria will be that we can travel 500kms or more without having to stop and let the blood back into our numb bums!! (at the moment the Mazda allows us to go all of about 100kms before that happens ). cheers, Al.
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Post by kiwijim on May 22, 2012 20:56:49 GMT 10
"Say Al" If you are thinking of buying some-thing that is guaranteed to pull your caravan, Ya can't go past one of these............ I can't get over how desirable this Model have become, there is hardly a week goes by with-out some-one knocking on the door, just to see if my Patrol happens to be up for sale........ "fat Hope" I wish I had bought it years ago, great on fuel and Power to spare. Happy kiwijim ;D ;D ;D
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Post by millard1399 on May 22, 2012 21:05:19 GMT 10
Yeah, but how does it go in the "Numb bum test"?? How far can you drive in one go without getting pins and needles in yer bum?
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Post by olfarts on May 22, 2012 21:38:08 GMT 10
Proper lambs wool seat covers help a hell of a lot with the Numb Bum Syndrome.
Had a set in a 560 SEL Mercedes i had a few years ago.
Dave.
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Post by bobt on May 22, 2012 22:05:06 GMT 10
geez Al
unless you have bucket loads of dollars I would stick with the mazda. Your gross weight will be about 1400. I would be using wdh to tow that, regardless what it was hanging behind.
The alternative is to try and find a car that suits 'you', or should I say your seating department. That aint gunna be so easy.
take ol farts suggestion and stick a quality lambs wool seat cover in.
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Post by millard1399 on May 22, 2012 23:12:46 GMT 10
Lambs wool seat covers?? Pfffft. Got the 25mm wool pile covers on from Day 1. Didn't work. Bought a 1" thick seat pad made of latex, and put that under the woollen seat covers. Didn't work. Added a layer of that egg carton type sponge rubber (like that mattress overlay stuff). Didn't work. So now we've got the seat, plus a layer of latex, plus a layer of foam, and still our bums go numb. Tried a small self-inflating seat pad that you'd use at the footy game. Nup, that didn't help either. Tried 'em all, and the best we can do is a couple of hours. And it's not just the driver's seat either...the Boss complains about her side all the time too. No way are we gonna go round the block in a car where we have to stop and get out every 100kms or thereabouts. Maybe we both need a bum transplant?? Hmmm...must check our health fund benefits... Funnily enough, we can travel in my partner's little Nissan Tiida for a number of hours before we have to stop and stretch our legs. The Tiida cost half the price of the Mazda. I even suggested to the Boss the other day that maybe we should rip the seats out of the Tiida and put them in the Mazda (and I was only half joking ). I've even measured the seats in both cars to try and understand why one gives us trouble and the other doesn't. The only difference I've found is the length of the Tiida seat is longer than the Mazda, and maybe gives more support under the thigh muscles. We'll go to the car yard and check out a few possibilities. We'll let the salesman/woman launch into their spiel about what a great car it is that they're selling, and then we'll tell 'em to "Cut the crap. All we wanna do is sit here for an hour and see if we get a numb bum! " cheers, Al.
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Post by kiwijim on May 23, 2012 6:52:31 GMT 10
You asked if we got "Numb Bums" while driving the Patrol, Well, on the trip "Around the Block" we were doing over 800 km per day in the Northern Territory and apart from a bit of a stiff back there was no other dis-comfort to complain about.
The Patrol seats had been re-upholstered just before I bought it, so that may have something to do with it but, They are fully adjustable, up and down as well as lay-back, both seat backs also have the lumbar adjustable support, so with all this going for you, they can be set to the best comfort you require, And definitely no "Numb Bum" any-where, even after 9-10 hours of constant driving.
kiwijim ;D
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Post by viscount6116 on May 23, 2012 9:01:32 GMT 10
Gday Al If you are looking for a comfy tow vehicle my choice is the Toyota Landcruiser(great seats that negate the numb bum syndrome)but on the down side I'd only average 18-20 litre/100 klm when towing Cheers Andy
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Post by olfarts on May 23, 2012 11:21:42 GMT 10
Depending on your budget,i firmly believe a Tojo Turbo Diesel Hi Lux Extra cab to be the go ;D Drives like a car,pulls the same weight as a Land-cruiser,carrys the same weight as a Cruiser but with better economy and just as much power. I caught up with my best mate of 50 years at Streaky Bay a few years ago for 5 weeks.We left the Commodore parked with the vans and did a fair bit of travelling having a peek around the area. He towed over an ""Aussie made Extreme off road"" single axel van from Jurien Bay to Streaky Bay with very good economy and im told in very good comfort.Boat on the top.Hundreds of litres of water,3 x80 Litre Engels,a 120 Litre Engel,plus fishing gear,fuel and out board motor. I got to steer it over to Port Augusta and i was amazed at how car like it was to drive. Mining company's are doing away with Cruisers and buying Hi Luxs,NOT that i would suggest buying an ex mining company vehicle. Dave
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2012 20:54:31 GMT 10
Hi Al, Depending how much you wish to spend, can I suggest you try and look at the models below, If a dual cab is your fancy, Nissan STX 550 V6 Diesel VW Amarok Holden Colorado / Isuzu D Max/ Wagon Type, Suzuki Grand Vitara V6 Nissan Pathfinder VW Toureg Most are 4WD but are available in 2WD, Look up all the specs on the net. I can say the seats in the seats in these are comfortable, but it depends on what your tooshy thinks ha ha Regards Teflon
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Post by bobt on May 23, 2012 21:23:58 GMT 10
Man o Man have you started somthing.
Selecting a tug for towing a white box.
The choice is endless for you. Everything from a Falcon/Comodore Sedan all the way thru to a Volvo XC90 or Porche Cayenne.
The skye is the limit.
I had that problem last year, trouble was I had spent some significant money a couple of months earlier and the tin was looking really bare. Couple of rust washers. I seriously looked at a 2nd hand Cayenne...then I thought of the look on my mechanics face when I delivered it for its first service. And the wife kicked telling me to wake up and get up off the ground..
Good luck on the hunt.. ;D
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Post by olfarts on May 23, 2012 21:47:08 GMT 10
Word of warning,keep away from any thing with IRS.
Eg:- Commodore's,Fords etc etc.
Seen a lot of vehicles with very very upset owners with tyres chewed out on the inside towing vans/heavy trailers while i was up in the top of WA and the NT.
Dave
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2012 22:04:41 GMT 10
Hello Al,
As an aftermarket seat designer for 10 years (Stratos Seats), I can tell you that if your seats have the CORRECT SHAPE for your anatomy, they can be made from wood, steel, concrete etc. The main reason for foam and springs in seats is to conform to as many butts as possible, and to try to reduce road shock to the human body. The best suggestion I can make is for you to try out as many seats as possible until you find one that suits your butt, and then decide whether you want the car that these seats come with. Many, many, many options are available in vehicles, but YOU need to assess your needs and wants ---- Make - spare parts and service availability Model - Reliability, Power, Driving position etc Intended use - Highway, Off-road, Towing Options - standard or upgraded suspension, type of sound system etc
If you find the "right" vehicle, you will be able to enjoy the drive as well as the rest of your vacation.
Happy searching
Chris
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Post by millard1399 on May 23, 2012 22:32:11 GMT 10
G'day Chris, Now there's a coincidence! We emailed them just the other day to suss out whether they had anything suitable for the Mazda. Unfortunately they didn't have any experience with a 2004 model Tribute, and weren't sure whether the existing side air bags sewn into our seats would be a problem when fitting one of their seats. We were told we'd probably have to have some sort of RTA approval for any replacement seat, because of the airbag issue. I guess there's also the issue of insurance when modifications such as this sort of thing are done. Sounded like it was all gonna end up in the "too hard basket". Thanks to all the other posters for your suggestions about which car(s) to consider, and which to avoid. I tend to agree with Chris (widkedcat), in that we'll go find a car that we think is comfortable, and then decide whether the rest of the car is suitable for our other needs. Maybe we could just buy the seats, and then build a billycart to put them in and then tow the van. Wellllll, stranger things have happened, as the following Franklin caravan shows... cheers, Al.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2012 20:53:03 GMT 10
Hello Al, Having another thought about your numbness, the problem you need to overcome is the small contact area of your butt on the seat area --- if you can expand on the lumbar support region and lengthen and alter the seat angle area under your thighs, your current seats might become much more comfortable. As you have said, all the extra padding doesn't have the desired effect, so now it is time to change the angles at which you sit ----- consider your favourite chair, and try to duplicate that seating position in the car. As an example, My tow car is a 1990 Hilux 2wd with very minor seat modifications, which gives me approx 800 comfortable km's before the 'numb bum' syndrome starts to set in - not bad considering I have a herniated disc and find that 98% of seats cause me some sort of discomfort. If I can be of any more assistance, don't hesitate to ask
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Post by millard1399 on May 26, 2012 17:00:22 GMT 10
There was this rather oddly located vent on the side of the van, just behind the offside wheel... Couldn't understand why it was there. No hole or opening on the inside of the van to correspond with the vent. Got down on my knees and had a good look upwards through the vent openings, and couldn't see any reason why it was there. Today, I bit the bullet and pulled it off. NOW I understand why it was placed there... Cunning buggers!! Funnily enough, the damage would be fairly easily repaired if the cladding was taken off. Drilling holes for rivets to fix the vent in position is NOT so easily repaired. Anyway, we now have an old "war wound" to proudly display. I'll just paint "Hers" and an arrow beside the damage. After all, it IS her van! ;D cheers, Al.
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Post by bobt on May 26, 2012 20:54:45 GMT 10
hmmm!
Bugga. Put it back on till your ready to fix it properly.
I hope you re checking the wheel bearings too.
bobt
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Post by millard1399 on May 26, 2012 23:08:03 GMT 10
G'day bobt, Yep, that's why the wheel looks like it's got a lean on it. It's actually leaning against the hub waiting for some parts. Big package arriving from CaravansPlus on Monday or Tuesday. Lots of goodies to fix up a few, errr, "issues". cheers, Al.
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Post by kiwijim on May 27, 2012 1:46:59 GMT 10
Howdy Al,
It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to cover up a slight bingle.
As you said it would not be a hard job to remove the cladding and replace the damaged stuff in the beginning,
but now with the holes from the rivets, the job has become a lot bigger and at around $100-$200.00 per run of cladding, it has become a lot more expensive.
Knowing the way you work, I'll bet it will be fixed in no time any-way. ;D ;D ;D
cheers kiwijim ;D
P.S. Sorry Mate, toooooo far away to help (at present) ;D
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Post by bobt on May 27, 2012 17:48:58 GMT 10
geez Kiwijim You spent how long in the industry?? It is all about $$$$$. Seen some really dodgy work by supposedly reputable dealers. The 'patch' does not surprise me. Bit puzzled by the screws though And sometimes we believe we get what we pay for...
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