ACT Camper restore/recycle

[Deleted]

another thought i was looking at those gas struts ive seen some that are heavy duty that can hold 30kg
if i buy 4 and mount one on each lifting arm i think this will help heaps on the inital lift to get the pop top up
thought on the gas struts i cant think of an easier way to do it

[Deleted]

Jason,

I don't know the exact size of my wheels but they are the small ones. I can't see yours well enough in the photo but they look a little larger than mine. Bert has the same size wheels as me and he was saying they are what they use on the minis.

Your gas strut idea does sound good but it is way beyond my level of engineering understanding. Sometimes the replies can take a few days so keep checking to see if any of the other forum member have some suggestions for you.

Andy

[Deleted]

yeh mine are mini wheels 10"
i have 4 spare wheels i got with the van too
just me having a bad back trying to make things easier lifting wise

[bambang]

Hey guys, haven't logged on for a few weeks....and now looks like all of us ACT'ers are finally coming out of the woodwork ! Welcome to the forum Jason, and I agree totally with how heavy the roof is ( needs me and my teenage son to lift it as the cables inside the arms are missing or busted ) but I've just lived with it so far because I only use it a few times a year. Andy - re annex poles...I reckon it will depend on what you end up getting ( also with the size of the tarp.....the one I got is about 8m x 6m from memory ). My annex only uses the rope-track and 3 normal galv telescopic tent-poles along the front, with nothing else....but my camper doesn't have an aluminium door to jag on the annex roof if it sags a little...so again your eventual annex height and size (and fixing method) may end up different to what I have. Cheers - Steve.

[Deleted]

Bert,

Here are some photos of the annexe setup from the weekend.
I can't thank you enough, we absolutely love the new annexe.

And poles weren't too tricky, I got some roof rails off eBay, pegs, guy ropes and poles off Gumtree and a rope track from the Caravan Supplies place in Thomastown.

Thanks to all the folk on the forum who helped!
We had an awesome weekend.

Andy

[Deleted]

actandy
cant wait to do that.......... your set up looks good
where was the spot you went too \
iam getting a repair shop to mount a gas strut on one of the arms to see how it will go iam hoping the strut isnt to strong
ive put new lights on yesterday. next job is to paint the outside
(dulux weathershield)
put new mud flaps on to stop water flicking up onto floor
check bearings and u-bolts
then off for easter holidays not sure where but will be happy to get away
gee hope i can manage all that with my bad back

[Deleted]

;D family has been busy...camper painted/outside .......new lights
gas struts fixed to the arms.
couple jobs to go shackles and wheel bearings
should be happy campers soon

[bambang]

Really interested to see how those gas struts go to ease the lift Jason....any feedback or pics yet? Cheers - Steve.

[Deleted]

getting ready to try it later this afternoon
gas struts are 816mm 10mm shaft and 500n (50kg) lift
will update how it goes
would be interesting if i can do it by my self bad back and all

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[bambang]

I always felt that the brackets holding the arms onto the roof fibreglass were rather flimsy, and too much flex/strain on the fibreglass when trying to lift from one side (given the weight of the roof). So I fitted massive 150mm x 150mm angle-iron backing plates on the inside of roof behind the arm-brackets (thus sandwiching the fibreglass skin). I then bolted on 25mm x 25mm angle iron across between the big plates on both front and back ends of the roof. This stiffened up the whole setup and gives me more confidence in it's strength when lifting ( and also in big winds when camp is set up ). Added bonus is that the cross-bars also become a good base for hanging curtains for the bed compartments or to hang damp bath-towels inside to dry after everyone's showers ! I was never that confident about the strength of the bed bases either ( noticed in Andy's pics that he's added extra support beneath too). I added steel supports under the bed-frame ....at front is a removable T-piece under centre of bed and sitting on the drawbar......at rear I have a crossbar on brackets which slide in & out to desired length ( slide inside square-pipe sections welded onto the bottom of the rear chassis rails, and retract back to just behind the rear bumper ). You can sort of see it all in my previous pics of the camp setup.

[bambang]

Sorry here are the most recent pics

[Deleted]

very well done mate i like the bed supports.
my roof is aluminum all and is fully insulated and is extremely heavy.iam very annoyed dissapionted i still cant lift it i can get 1 side up but getting the back up just cant it wobbles and slides out to the side .With 2 people with bad back its just too damm hard.
would have liked to get it up to try and make roof lighter i dont no what to do.Not going to be happy campers
the condition of the camper is brillant inside i can see why now heheh
at this stage dont no what to do iam lost spent all my money and cant use it

[Deleted]

after looking at the gas struts i think they are welded in the wrong position
i think they should be 45 deg angle
any thoughts on this

[bambang]

Jason, I reckon the struts are probably in the right place / angle ( they wouldn't have enough length at maximum extension if they were at 45 degrees ). I've racked my brain over this very problem for a long time now, and have given up....probably some solution could be found by someone with more engineering sense than me !! I'm probably fortunate that my fibreglass roof is not lined, just bare with the matted appearance ( dunno if this is how it was from new ) and I've painted it with a few coats of gloss enamel...nice clean look and good enough for me. I reckon bare fibreglass would be heavier than bare aluminium...so if you were prepared to butcher your roof ( ie, remove the lining ) it'd probably be significantly lighter than mine ( and maybe light enough for your bad back to handle ). No idea how much of a job it'd be to remove the lining, and what it'd look like naked ( nice paint might come up alright )....but that may be your only option. What is the lining made of ? I'm assuming ply sheeting and some wooden framework - which I'd imagine all-up would weigh quite a bit. There's also the issue of whether you would want to reinstall it all at some future time if you sell the trailer ( or would it be irretrievably damaged in the process. You could possibly replace the lining with something lighter...like polystyrene ceiling tiles, or that quilted foam-backed vinyl ...or just a nice coat of paint. Just my 2c worth....unless we stumble across a workable lifting mechanism. Will keep thinking on it in the meantime. Just wish I knew someone with one of those wind-up campers so I could have a squizz at how their mechanisms work & if they could be adapted to an ACT.

[Deleted]

i going to work out a winch system to lift the roof
iam dont want to cause myself and family any more damage and stress..
yes i agree bambang struts are in right place
just thinking outside the square
leave struts alone
get boat winch and make a lifting system ;D
how the struts are now the roof does come down ever so gently
i post updates

[Deleted]

Jason,

Sorry I haven't replied earlier, I've been busy with a bathroom renovation. The spot is Queens Park in Lorne. It's a seasonal park so only open for about 6 moths of the year but definitely one of the best spots we've stayed on the Great Ocean Road.

Now about your windup modifications. My ACT Camper is a windup and I am happy to sort you out with any photos etc but I can actually go one better. I checked the pile of papers I got when I bought it and I found a booklet called Assembly Instructions for Camp Care Conversion Kit. This appears to be a step by step instructions for converting the ACT camper to a windup. It has diagrams, colour photos and detailed instructions. All up it's about 20 pages of information.

I will scan it today and then I just need to work out how to upload it to the forum.

Andy

[Deleted]

Assembly Instructions for Camper Care Conversion Kit.
Photos posted in separate post due to upload file size restrictions.

Please post photos if you decide to go ahead with the conversion.
I really hope this helps.

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[Deleted]

Photos for Assembly Instructions for Camper Care Conversion Kit.

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[Deleted]

hi actandy thanks for that
but iam having trouble trying to open it

[Deleted]

Jason,

Check that you have the latest version of Adobe reader and if you still can't open the files let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Andy

[Deleted]

yeh got it open windows 8 playing with me lol..
had a quick look big job to do it iam limited to what i can do with my back..anyway i will read it some more it is very interesting
thanks for that info

[Deleted]

Hi All, I'm very much a newby to my ACT camper. It's a 1976 model but I'm not sure which one it is. Is there any way to quickly identify it so that I can tap into the knowledge here to do some work on it? I am an older lady and trying to gt the roof up nearly injured me. When I lifted one end it slipped right off over the rear!Is there a trick to this? No winch or hydraulics to help. I have refurbished the inside but the external is a much bigger job and I'm looking for easy and cheap solutions to painting it, derusting the struts and removing dirty old rubber sealant. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

[Deleted]

hi janel i learned with mine is to make sure the arms are fairly tight so as when lifting they dont wobble and move about too much get some big washers and lock nuts so in time they wont get real loose.also look where the arms are attached down the bottom making sure its not bowed or bent out more than normal i had to weld an extra bracket just to make it more stable
also i fitted some gas struts to the arms which help a bit and when lowering the roof it came down real easy. but due to my back injury i still found it very hard to lift the roof.
with painting the outside i used DULUX WEATHER SHEILD 4LITRES will be plenty
i was happy with the finish of the paint but use a good paint brush i tried a roller but it was to fidaly
but in the end i sold my ACT camper and bought something more user friendly for my back.(kangaroo campomatic)not as big but will do for a while ;D

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[Jimbo T]

. Thanks for your info, I too have recently finished a forced rush Reno on what I'm now calling a 1971 ACT. I had a little interest when internetly advertised for 2200 as I got it for 13. The entire roof frame was waterlogged but since the glass was ok I got through. My suggestion keep them. ANDY. Check your springs, wheels(nuts) for rust and replace if they look fragile, check your tyre 165 70 r13? size and tread and replace if necessary including spare and changing equipment including chocks and the correct brace size.

[Liz]

Hi I have a 1976 ACT camper and it needs new springs for the arms. Does anyone know where to get them. I'm on the Gold Coast.