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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2012 16:10:06 GMT 10
hi Bobbie. yes mate right back to bare ally. i have to as there is to many layers of different stuff use, & each time the patch ,got wider . it is now a full roof paint job. as you said bugggggger of a job but, it will be done right!!!! i would never here the end of it if the plumbers van leaked!!!  cheers Gav |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2012 6:01:39 GMT 10
hi all . has anybody fitted a roll out awning to a 78 viscount poptop,or similar van  some say that you fit it to the poptop part as it is straight. but as the poptop short & is stepped in i think this would flap, when towing?? i think it would be better, fitted to the side of the van. but with a curved roof & 80mm clearance above the door, would i have to put mounting plates above the roof line so i could mount it straight???  trying to think ahead as the inside is bare i could put internal mounting points in now!! cheers Gav |
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 22, 2012 9:53:08 GMT 10
G'day Gav, Yeah, it's a real dilemma trying to work out the best way of fitting a roll-out awning to poptops with the shorter length roofs. It's much easier with the poptop designs from the end of the 1970s where the roof is pretty much the same size as the cabin underneath...  I tend to think you've got no other choice than to anchor it to the lower roof, and put the brackets at either end to level it out, as you've said. You really want maximum coverage for the area beside the van, so you want something that is roughly the same length as the van...  The downsides to having it anchored at the lower height are: - lessened headspace underneath (it's a pain if you're 6ft tall like me) - the awning curtain will act as a catchment for water when it rains (not enough slope to let it run off) I don't have a roll-out awning on the Millard poptop, but the canvas awning I made for it is fitted to a sail track on the lower roof...  I always walk around under the awning with my head bent down near my chest because of the insufficient height. That was one of the "experiences" that started me thinking about a full size van. And we always end up with a swimming pool on the canvas roof when it rains. I have to lower the outer edge of the awning by a good foot to make enough slope for the water to run off. That means the outer edge of the awning is about 5ft off the ground, which means I'm getting around on my knees if I want to get near the outer edge. For my partner, who is 5ft 2ins tall, none of it has ever an issue.  So it's all a trade-off... length of awning versus height of awning. Attach it to the poptop roof, and you get plenty of height, plenty slope, but shorter length. Attach it to the lower cabin and you get less height, less slope, but longer length. Toss a coin? cheers, Al. |
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Post by annieoakley on Jun 22, 2012 23:38:54 GMT 10
I'm no expert on this but I think you could add eyelets about a foot away from the van so that when you're staying somewhere for a longer period you could add two taller poles and have the same angle for rain runoff and height that an annex would have.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2012 5:09:23 GMT 10
hi AL. you are a champ your input & photos ,always welcome. you are right about the height thing!! the van at the moment stands at 6"4 with drop axle & 13 " wheels. i plan to have 45mm square axle & 14" wheels. as the old girl already has a remodeled water tank.this will help a bit with height clearance, & i am only 5"10. you are on the money ,the higher the starting point the more pitch you can play with. like yours the poptop is small compared to the rest of the van. i think i will buy the awning & nut it out. thanks mate. cheers Gav
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2012 5:21:12 GMT 10
hi annieoakley. thanks for the feed back,another pole,peg & rope. i will have to pass on that one sorry, as i am trying to get away with a very small set up time. cheers Gav
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Post by millard1399 on Jun 23, 2012 11:54:53 GMT 10
Gav, annieoakley's suggestion is one I've explored in the past, but couldn't fathom how to keep the peak in the awning from sagging. Canvas annexes for the shorter roof poptops are made to have that peak either running from front to back of van...  ...or from van to outer edge...  The awning I made for the Millard is only 2.1 metres from van to outer edge, so if I put a peak in it that raised the height to, say, 7ft, then it would only reach out for about 1.8 metres. Again, it would be a trade-off of height versus ground coverage. I've also tried shaping the outer edge of our awning to an A-frame shape like the second photo above. That maintains the height in the centre, and allows the outer corners to provide the slope for the rain to run off. However, once you're talking about a roll-out awning, the only option, as far as I can see, is to have the peak running parallel to the van from front to back, as in Photo 1 above. And then I'm not sure how you support the peak along its length - rope between the poles? A telescopic roof support pole? Being 5ft 10", plus changing the axle design and the wheel diameter, may mean you never have an issue with the height anyway. It'll just be the issue of water runoff that you have to manage. On a separate note: I need to shift this thread into the Hall Of Fame section, where it rightly belongs. I'll change the heading of the thread to "1978 Viscount Grand Tourer Poptop - [chassis number]". Now you need to tell me what the chassis number is, and then I'll shift it over.  cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2012 14:52:49 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2012 6:48:06 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2012 6:57:13 GMT 10
hi all. ? how hot do surface mounted led 12v lights get. cheers gav
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 2, 2012 7:35:36 GMT 10
G'day gav, Great work on the timber framing above. And to think it all started from just a "little" bit of woodrot, heh heh  As far as the led lights fittings go, they give off very little heat, although they do create heat in their internal circuitry which needs to be dealt with. I was reading on the internet that some of the latest led globes have their own in-built miniature fan to dissipate the internal heat.  I'm wondering if I put led globes in the ceiling light fittings, would there be enough air flow through the fitting to remove the heat generated in the globe? These globes seem to be finding their way into caravans, so it will be interesting to see how long they are lasting, and what we need to be mindful of when we install them. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2012 19:26:43 GMT 10
hi Al. spoke to a auto elec supplier today he said no problem with heat, very low . you could screw them straight to melamine if you want. but you now have me thinking. (which is hard work). thanks Al. cheers Gav |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2012 18:29:44 GMT 10
hi all . top end to the day. a mate comes over & has got me 15 sheets of 3mm ply for $15 a sheet!!! ;D ;D ;D he really knows how to hammer people!! $30 something retail a sheet i think he must be a big customer. cheers Gav
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2012 18:58:50 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 18:25:23 GMT 10
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 16, 2012 17:04:57 GMT 10
G'day gav, Looks like the plan is coming together VERY nicely!  What exactly are the sheets of white colour you are using? Are they a polyester coated ply? cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2012 17:53:36 GMT 10
hi Al. the board i am using is called rezilience. the color is maraga . it comes from gunnersen. the sales pitch,hard wearing& highly stain resistant surface , ideal for compact living spaces & high wear areas. we will see. cheers Gav |
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 16, 2012 22:40:37 GMT 10
Ah-ha! Now I see! I used the Classic Blonde version in the Millard. It seems to have stood up fairly well in the two years it's been in the van. My only criticism of the stuff was the paper overlay didn't cut neatly when I cut the sheets with a jigsaw. I even used a fine-toothed blade. I had to be careful in a few situations where I wanted a nice clean cut. Each time the jigsaw blade came up on the upstroke, it would splinter the paper edge and rip dags of the paper off the surface. The window openings were the main problem, since the plastic cover moulding around the window only had about 5mm of edge covering, so I had to be sure I didn't chip more than 5mm of the paper off the surface. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2012 19:48:16 GMT 10
hi Al . i know what you mean . i am more of a steel man myself! so i tested every jigsaw blade i had. glad i did . the best blade with the best cut, was a bosch (T101A0 ) it said clean cut for timber 1.5mm to 15mm. they were right for a change. very happy  cheers Gav |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2012 22:08:35 GMT 10
Guys, i too tested a number of blades and sure a fine metal blade was ok on the jigsaw butstill a bit of tearing and also hard to get straight cuts
I found The best thing for perfect cuts was my 4inch grinder with a fine metal blade, absolutly no tearing of the paperoverlay and it doesnt matter from which side you cut
i then used my triton workbench with fine bladein the circular sawand surprisingly that also gave very neat cuts and ofcourse using the workbench and guide they ar perfectly straight
Cam
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 5:57:52 GMT 10
hi cam. angle grinder!! good call i will give it a go , thanks mate i use one every day. cheers Gav
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 18:47:26 GMT 10
I think because basically it is a blunt blade operating in one direction it doesn't tear the paper
I used the super thin discs, it obviously does smoke a bit, but if you move the grinder constantly its ok.
As I said for long straight cuts The triton was a winner
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2012 7:39:59 GMT 10
hi all .Camich thanks mate angry grinder worked great!!! . ? can anybody tell me what is the best 12v batt & charger setup going around? size, type,ah,gel,charging time etc...?? as every thing in the old girl will be 12v except nuke machine &air con cheers Gav |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2012 7:48:37 GMT 10
hi all .just thinking out loud. is 15mm double sided light ply board2.4 x1.2 @ $60 a sheet ok cheers Gav |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2012 8:24:35 GMT 10
hi all. i need a genny 2.5kw min out put. anything beat a Honda (load noise) cheers Gav |
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cheers Gav
some say that you fit it to the poptop part as it is straight. but as the poptop short & is stepped in i think this would flap, when towing?? i think it would be better, fitted to the side of the van. but with a curved roof & 80mm clearance above the door, would i have to put mounting plates above the roof line so i could mount it straight??? 
