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Post by layback40 on Nov 11, 2014 11:53:54 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 6:58:06 GMT 10
Hi everyone we just got this act camper it looks bigger than some on here I was just wondering how stable are the bed ends ? I thought they would have stabilizer legs at each end that go to ground ...sorry new to these camper things ....used to have a tent & how do u add photos ?
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Post by layback40 on Nov 30, 2014 23:07:07 GMT 10
Hi everyone we just got this act camper it looks bigger than some on here I was just wondering how stable are the bed ends ? I thought they would have stabilizer legs at each end that go to ground ...sorry new to these camper things ....used to have a tent & how do u add photos ? Great that you have joined us. There should be rods that go from the timber base of the bed down to mounts on the base of the camper. If you look under the mattress you may find them. There should be ~1" holes in the plywood bases of the beds & wire clips that stop the rods (tubes) from popping out.
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Post by atefooterz on Dec 1, 2014 11:02:28 GMT 10
Hi everyone we just got this act camper it looks bigger than some on here I was just wondering how stable are the bed ends ? I thought they would have stabilizer legs at each end that go to ground ...sorry new to these camper things ....used to have a tent & how do u add photos ? Hi Leeby13 You can host pics on a site like imagebam,com, or imgbox.com. You can the copy a set of "BB"codes that look a bit like picname [ / img ] If you select thumbnails then small pics are in your post that we click on for full size. Alternativly you will see "Add AttachmentIt "top right of the reply area. Note best to use a camera programme to reduce the file size (compression) A 4.MB BMP/PNG super pic of 5000x2800 pixels will look just as great to 99% of the folks as a JPEG (jpg) of the smae 5000x2800 but 1.8MB better still a 2000x960 pixel jpg of 256KB will upload & download a treat plus unless someone wants to make a print off the original should be good enough for general discussion & when those of us are travelling with dodgey rural internet may actually be able to see that pic where as the large one will never load.
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Post by bambang on Dec 1, 2014 22:39:40 GMT 10
Leeby, if you think you need extra strength / support under the bed ends ( as I did - the bed base boards seemed a little thin to me and did seem to sag in the centre under my weight !! )...have a look at pics of my previous ACT on page 2 of this discussion and some description of the setup in later posts of mine. You would be best to weld on such extra supports. Cheers - Steve.
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Post by Chris on Dec 23, 2014 22:37:33 GMT 10
I am selling an ACT Cruiser Campervan with original annex in excellent condition. Been stored undercover since new - one owner. Original stove and fridge in good working order. Ready for immediate use. Registered until October 2015. $4,200 ...... Contact 0409 351 700
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2015 20:45:32 GMT 10
Hi we have just done a bit of work on our ACT camper ....we find it very wonky when the arms are up is this common ??
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Post by bambang on Jan 11, 2015 23:04:10 GMT 10
leeby13, have a look at the photos of mine on page 2 of this discussion. You can see I added a horizontal support to one side ( just one of those "spreader poles" which are telescopic/adjustable and with a hole in each end ) that I fixed to the holes in the hinged part of the arms....using a wingnut&bolt to replace each of the standard pins, then tension it up thus pushing the arms apart firmly. Just using this simple addition on one side (obviously not the door-side) made my camper much stiffer, and weathered some pretty windy conditions with no dramas at all. You can get those spreader poles from any camping shop for around $10. Hope this helps, cheers - Steve.
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Post by sandbank on Jan 19, 2015 20:35:47 GMT 10
HI I have just obtained a ACT Cruiser for a 2015 project, it don't need much work, Needs the mould cleaned off the Canvas. A bit of work here and there and away we go. I am just wondering is there a easy way to lift the top or is the something I can add to the Arms to make it easier. I like the Idea of the Spreader bar "bambang" spoke about and will put that in place. This will the first of many questions lol
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Post by atefooterz on Jan 19, 2015 21:45:29 GMT 10
G`Day & welcome sandbank, near the top of this page & further back it seems like fitting the gas struts, like hatchbacks & vans use, is the best way. Some ACT have a windup system fitted. Hopefully someone expert will come along to help, if you want many questions answered then best to start a thread here -> ditzygypsy.proboards.com/board/10/hall-fame They seem to use a format that in your vans case may be " Year if known (or the 2nd question haha- if so leave blank ACT Cruiser Chassis number, usually welded onto the A frame at front near jockey wheelish. Thatb way we can follow and maybe chime in plus others with a similar van can use your adventure..with hopefully some pics along the way as guidance
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Post by sandbank on Jan 19, 2015 22:37:58 GMT 10
Thanks atefooterz will look into that have a mate who works with gas struts and sells them, he should know ( I hope ) Thanks for the info will look at the A frame for any codes cheers again
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Post by layback40 on Jan 31, 2015 21:50:32 GMT 10
Thanks atefooterz will look into that have a mate who works with gas struts and sells them, he should know ( I hope ) Thanks for the info will look at the A frame for any codes cheers again Welcome to the ACT club. I hope your mate can do the 4 gas struts for under $50 ! 830mm extended length & 500N strength is what works. ~ no point in re-inventing the wheel. Several of us after doing the strut mod would not be without them. I have braced my A frame & so the serial number cant be seen. It is on the rego papers though. When you put it up, make sure you put the back up first. Then pull the back bed out about 1/2 way to help with stability. I then tie the back uprights to the keepers so they dont swing forward. Make sure the locking pins are in the uprights. Then pull the pins out of the front hold downs & guide the front up by pushing it back as it rises. The only lifting is more encouragement. Good luck with yours.
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Post by layback40 on Jan 31, 2015 22:34:33 GMT 10
Was away over Christmas in the Vic High country. Had a great time. I noticed the sides of the top were a bit soft & wonky so when we got home decided to investigate. The front & RH side sides had rot in the ply wood so took the ally capping off, pulled the canvas off & dug the ply out. Then made new composite panels up by sandwiching 3 pieces of ply together, using polyester resin to bond it all. Shaped the panels so they would fit in where the old ply was removed from. Then gave them a good coating of resin & a layer of woven mesh glass, pushes back into place & clamped until it set. The long side piece was a pain to do but got it all in. Re-attached the ally capping making it so any moisture could drain out but all sealed (silicone) on the sides to keep the moisture out. Had to re-mount the front hold downs & re-do the main pole mounts. The rebuilt sides are as strong as. Used tacks to re-attach the canvas ~ it was hard to get them to go into the fiber glass. Very happy with the result. Have been away for a few nights since ~ all good.
Next project is to paint the roof.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2015 11:43:53 GMT 10
hmm i have an 1980 act cruiser apparently.. does anyone elses roof go down on an angle towards the middle? is this a fault with the design or how everyone elses are .. from the pics of everyone elses they look straight.. it used to have a kayak rack on top with support bars on the roof, one either side of the middle vent i feel that kept it straight and to me looks like now it has bowed??? havent had chance to post pics of it .. will post before and after when finished... unfortunately mine wasnt in such good condition when brought.. no annexe
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Post by layback40 on Feb 15, 2015 13:10:14 GMT 10
hmm i have an 1980 act cruiser apparently.. does anyone elses roof go down on an angle towards the middle? is this a fault with the design or how everyone elses are .. from the pics of everyone elses they look straight.. it used to have a kayak rack on top with support bars on the roof, one either side of the middle vent i feel that kept it straight and to me looks like now it has bowed??? havent had chance to post pics of it .. will post before and after when finished... unfortunately mine wasnt in such good condition when brought.. no annexe Pic please. I can imagine what you are describing
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2015 14:23:21 GMT 10
Hi First post ! We bought an ACT consort before Christmas and have been doing some repairs and cosmetic improvements . So glad to have come across this site and see other campers , some great ideas and inspirations . The sides of the roof seem really weak - there's an aluminium band on the inside that the canvas is attached to and it just seems a botch job ! I'll figure out how to post pics
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Post by layback40 on Feb 20, 2015 10:57:23 GMT 10
Hi First post ! We bought an ACT consort before Christmas and have been doing some repairs and cosmetic improvements . So glad to have come across this site and see other campers , some great ideas and inspirations . The sides of the roof seem really weak - there's an aluminium band on the inside that the canvas is attached to and it just seems a botch job ! I'll figure out how to post pics You will find that the aluminum is a U shaped edge capping. the canvas is attached to the fiber glass just above it. The sides of the roof are a composite sandwich of fiberglass - ply wood - fiberglass. Recently I removed the aluminum capping fro the front & one side as the ply had rotted. Dug the ply out & replaced it with a panel I made from ply coated with resin & woven glass mat. not a nice job but it worked a treat.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2015 13:57:18 GMT 10
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Post by bambang on Feb 20, 2015 21:49:41 GMT 10
I reckon the side-stays that retain the lifting arms are a real good idea (look like towel rails, but are much better than the original U-profile small pressed metal ones standard on most ACT's)....a "must-do" mod in my opinion. Mine also didn't have the rubber seal running around the top of the body below the alum strip - another good idea for sealing out dust and water. Don't see a slide-out step below the door....or maybe you've just got it pushed back in. How much bigger is the Consort compared to the cruiser, just curious? But I can recommend stiffening up the roof sides by adding & connecting some steel plates inside behind the lifting-arm bolts (see my early pics in this discussion)...definitely takes some stress (and flex) from the fibreglass, especially during the folding process. Wow it's great to see all of the happy ACT owners coming onboard, and an interesting read even tho I no longer own one...surprised at just how many of these units are still alive & well ( I'd never even heard of them until I got one!!!! ).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2015 18:25:27 GMT 10
Thanks atefooterz will look into that have a mate who works with gas struts and sells them, he should know ( I hope ) Thanks for the info will look at the A frame for any codes cheers again Welcome to the ACT club. I hope your mate can do the 4 gas struts for under $50 ! 830mm extended length & 500N strength is what works. ~ Hi layback , would these spacidic struts be used to life the consort also?
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Post by layback40 on Feb 21, 2015 23:16:00 GMT 10
Welcome to the ACT club. I hope your mate can do the 4 gas struts for under $50 ! 830mm extended length & 500N strength is what works. ~ Hi layback , would these spacidic struts be used to life the consort also? I dont know because I just sized them for mine. Chose the longest I could readily get. Had a choice of 350N, 500N or 1100N. Concluded 1100N was much too powerful, & the 350N, while would probably do a good job of helping, would not lift by itself. Looking back now, I probably was lucky that I chose right first off. Suspect they would be about right for yours as there is probably not that much difference in roof weight. Maybe you might actually need to lift a little & not have to pull it down when folding up. Unless your roof is substantially larger & heavier I would not be going for stronger struts. 4X 500N is like 200kg of lift. Granted there is a leverage effect as the struts are not lifting straight, but then you are lifting one end at a time with 2 struts. The 1100N ones would probably bend the uprights.
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Alex Garner (Intents Offroad)
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Post by Alex Garner (Intents Offroad) on May 11, 2015 0:14:50 GMT 10
Hi there fellow ACT owners! I've just spent hours reading through this thread gathering ideas for our ACT Cruiser we are building up at the moment. We picked it up for $300 and are building it to be a little more off road friendly. We are building an entire new chassis from the ground up, bigger wheels and much more clearance than original. I was bought up camping in a Consort and we also had a little cruiser for a while.
Have a look at our project on my blog: intentsoffroad.com/retro-trailer-rebuild-part-1/
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2015 10:55:07 GMT 10
Hi guys, we have had stronger posts made and will be fitting struts, would we still need the side angle brackets to hold the posts in place. I would think that they wouldn't need to be there. Ours we replaced , job was awful, I want to leave them off. What's your opinion ACT Camper owners.
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Post by bambang on May 15, 2015 22:59:59 GMT 10
Caz, I think the original stays are not all that pretty or perfect...but it's good to have something there to prevent any unwanted "fore and aft" movement ( especially during setup...as the whole roof can get a bit of a sway up until all the canvas and beds are buttoned up ). Personally like the type that are on "holistick's" rig on the previous page ( this style is very common on other brand campers like Jayco etc )...they seem to look better , and also would tend to limit any sideways movement of the arms during setup too....but would require putting in revised timber backing-boards behind them (inside the camper body) but these may not then be hidden behind the cupboards as the originals are. Just my 20c .
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2015 22:45:35 GMT 10
Thanks for your thoughts, you would no doubt right as we have never dealt with a camper, only vans.
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