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Post by Mustang on Nov 2, 2015 19:31:56 GMT 10
Bloody Hell!!!!
When we lived in Maryborough & the sky went green, it went around the town like a wildfire, every one just left work to hide their cars!!
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Post by myarrow1 on Nov 2, 2015 19:43:54 GMT 10
Geezus..... Not good! At least the old Franklin is cyclone proof !!
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Post by snoops on Nov 2, 2015 20:14:47 GMT 10
Geezus..... Not good! At least the old Franklin is cyclone proof !! Yes, but only just - lucky I had all four corners with stabilisers down - I don't usually bother with the front - just use the jockey wheel, but I think I could have been in trouble if I hadn't - it did rock violently for a couple of minutes. |
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Post by myarrow1 on Nov 2, 2015 20:19:20 GMT 10
Did u fit the front stabilizers to your van ? Mine only has rears and does seem to move around abit while working inside
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Post by snoops on Nov 3, 2015 4:19:27 GMT 10
Yes, fitted the front ones myself - they are wind down Alko units, but I'm not really happy with them in general. My factory mounted units at the back are both busted so I use some 'Stakka Jacks' up the back which work really well. If I find another set of these, I'll remove the front ones and use the 4 Stakkas. You do have to lie down to put them in place, but they keep the van rock solid - and 4 of them would weight less than one of the Alko units.
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Post by Mustang on Nov 3, 2015 9:56:22 GMT 10
I welded these, they are great.  |
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Post by snoops on Nov 3, 2015 13:55:53 GMT 10
They are like the originals on the back - to tell you the truth, I didn't know you could still get them like that - everyone wants to sell you the big heavy swing down versions which I don't like after trying them. I might go look for these ones.  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 14:02:46 GMT 10
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Post by myarrow1 on Nov 3, 2015 15:40:51 GMT 10
Thanks guys. Snoops, did you end up bracing your front top cladding ? I was standing inside earlier trying to come up with a few 'fixes'. I reckon 4 separate pieces of 12 or 19mm MDF attached to the internal top frame, shaped to the rounded top section. I reckon that'll give plenty of support, and very little weight added. That should stop the wind from blowing it back in.....Any thoughts ??
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Post by myarrow1 on Nov 3, 2015 15:44:39 GMT 10
Caravans Plus website has the wind down style stabilizer jacks in a couple of different sizes
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Post by snoops on Nov 3, 2015 16:32:59 GMT 10
Thanks guys. Snoops, did you end up bracing your front top cladding ? I was standing inside earlier trying to come up with a few 'fixes'. I reckon 4 separate pieces of 12 or 19mm MDF attached to the internal top frame, shaped to the rounded top section. I reckon that'll give plenty of support, and very little weight added. That should stop the wind from blowing it back in.....Any thoughts ?? That sounds like it would work - I haven't done anything, and yes, it popped back in on the first trip. I've got access now as I was always going to put a cupboard of some description up there, so doing something is still an option. Not sure she I'll get a chance to work on it again - the next few weeks are very busy and the weekends already filled... |
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Post by myarrow1 on Nov 3, 2015 17:45:12 GMT 10
I will post a few pics when I have it sorted Snoops. I'll squirt abit of sealer on the inside where it has cracked slightly, and hoping it will look ok when I paint the thing.....in the process of sorting front frame and will strengthen up the bunk frame as I reckon they were designed for smaller kids and not teenagers...... All going well so far
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Post by planner on Nov 4, 2015 9:32:37 GMT 10
Snoops If that's the beach I'm thinking of (couple of k's downtream of Toc bridge, near the holiday camp) we also had a bad experience with a storm about 15 years ago. We also spent this last weekend on the Murray, but at Barham. The storms seemed to go all around us, with our worst experience being possums dropping from height onto the roof at 5am  Aside, those stabilisers that Mustang showed are fantastic. Our old ones were twisted/bent and unusable. I fitted those 3 years ago and still working like new. I'm tempted to put them on the front corners so I don't have to lay down to use the stakkas. Planner |
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Post by tasmillard on Nov 4, 2015 18:15:42 GMT 10
I got legs on all four corners and the van is rock solid, no more feeling the sway as you move abouts, highly recommend to do this if you can.
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Post by snoops on Nov 5, 2015 19:08:58 GMT 10
Snoops If that's the beach I'm thinking of (couple of k's downtream of Toc bridge, near the holiday camp) we also had a bad experience with a storm about 15 years ago. We also spent this last weekend on the Murray, but at Barham. The storms seemed to go all around us, with our worst experience being possums dropping from height onto the roof at 5am Aside, those stabilisers that Mustang showed are fantastic. Our old ones were twisted/bent and unusable. I fitted those 3 years ago and still working like new. I'm tempted to put them on the front corners so I don't have to lay down to use the stakkas. Planner Almost, it's about 500 meters upstream of the Toc bridge - Gilmartins beach. You may have been at Findley beach? That's the next one down stream, the other side (West) of the bridge. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2015 8:38:19 GMT 10
Bloody hell snoops glad to hear your Ok. Amazing photo's
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Post by planner on Nov 6, 2015 9:06:11 GMT 10
Almost, it's about 500 meters upstream of the Toc bridge - Gilmartins beach. You may have been at Findley beach? That's the next one down stream, the other side (West) of the bridge. Snoops I've camped on, or fished from, about every sandbar between Yarrawonga and Bearii (on the Vic side). My beer muddled brain is trying to process which beach you were on last weekend. I know I've seen those trees, just cant remember where. Gilmartins Beach is not a name I've heard, but it could be that we refer to it by another name or a track name. I'll try and find some photos at home to refresh memory. Glad to see that you, family, dogs and the van were "reasonably" unscathed. After seeing the pics of Strathy, you could have fared much worse. Planner |
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Post by snoops on Nov 7, 2015 19:57:55 GMT 10
Ok, a few more pics from last weekend. The first showing our van before the storm, all of 10 meters from the river.  The nice little Franklin where my awning pole ended up - this guy has been set up here for months - a top bloke, who I had a couple of beers and a chat to.  The guy who owns this one lives here full time.  And something not quite van related but fits in with the theme of this site. Again, a semi permanent resident of the river bank - a good friend of the guy who owns the Franklin, and parked next door. Runs a V8 Chev.  |
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Post by tasmillard on Nov 8, 2015 14:21:19 GMT 10
Great pics snoops, keep them coming!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2015 14:57:22 GMT 10
Snoops, are this people retired or they working in farms,etc?
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Post by Mustang on Nov 8, 2015 17:49:05 GMT 10
::)I wouldn't like to be fueling that bus with a petrol V8, towing a tandem trailer.
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Post by snoops on Nov 8, 2015 18:38:18 GMT 10
lol, yes I asked him about that - he doesn't drive it a lot due to its fuel consumption. He has a 6 cylinder HX Kingswood as a daily driver - hardly fuel efficient either, but better than the bus. Gitano - a mixture of both. Some are transient and find work locally, then. move on. The guys in the Pop top, Franklin and Bus are all retired. My next door neighbour lives up there most of the time too - she is being pensioned off from active service where she works due to an injury she suffered at work and finds life easier on the river. We were camping with her. If I ever lost my job, I'd seriously consider selling up the house and moving up there in the van and getting work as I can - I could pick up work easily anywhere I go if needed (Sparky by trade) |
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Post by snoops on Nov 22, 2015 16:52:43 GMT 10
So, another weekend, another camping spot. This time, not far from home - only 45 minutes away in the Wombat State Forest. A few of us did a couple of nights at Firth park, and got the Courtesy bus to and from the Pig & Whistle pub at Trentham East (about 7KM away) to pick us all up for Saturday night tea. . A very fine meal was had and I would highly recommend it to anyone. So, here's the van in the bush - a nice little site to spend a couple of nights.  image by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr Nothing like a campfire - this is my homemade unit - from an old 9Kg gas bottle - when we take it out we cook every meal on it.  image by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr And of course the Fur Babies were with us....  image by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 17:24:27 GMT 10
`Love the Pugs, they know to pick up a spot.
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Post by myarrow1 on Nov 22, 2015 20:16:58 GMT 10
Spoilt little fur babies  Lol, best way to have em.... |
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Lol, best way to have em....