1974 22 ft Viscount Royal Rebuild (Charlie 48 - 17)

[Husky]

Now I've made this a separate post as i know there are newbies reading this and a customer or two of mine who don't have a build log of their own though i nag them to create one so we all can help them.... hint hint anyhow

For the last few months Ive noticed a lower lining sheet in Charlie starting to warp. At first i thought it might have gotten damp or i didn't leave enough gap between the sheets where they join and the list of excuses goes on and on. Then there was how to fix it. In short a prick of a job i didn't want to do so i left it alone and the warp was getting worse even started breaking pop rivet heads off to give you an idea of how bad the pressure was.

While i was preparing to put up the next lining sheet over where the kitchen will be it dawned on me. Here is a pic of before i realized what was wrong. can anyone else figure it out?

Similar to building a house, windows wider than the space between vertical framework can not take the weight of a roof. A beam is installed above the window to take the weight. In a caravan, a beam is a bit extreme, so they use a piece of sheet metal pop riveted into the frame in a certain way and always between the frame and the lining so the downward force is directly on the Z shaped piece welded to the chassis. Below is the pop riveting method to maximize strength. i wedged in 4 pieces of 2 x 1 to push the roof back to where it should be. On this side it had only dropped 2mm. the other side where the lining board warped it was more like 6 - 7mm. I have highlighted the rivets in green and the force being generated in red. You may also notice the sheet metal works like a scillian roof truss.

I even took things one step further and slipped the sheet metal between the horizontal frame and the vertical frame so i could make sure the edge of the sheet metal sat at the bottom of the C section frame giving me a perfectly flat frame and making sure the sheet metal did it's job.

Went ahead with lining as normal and installed the window. Incidentally this window is over 1.5 meters long and there is another window of equal length in the opposite wall so it's no wonder the roof sank and started warping the wall sheets. 

[Husky]

Surprised no one commented on the floor post. Its at the bottom of page six if you missed it. anyhow on with the build

Here is a view i was hoping id never see again. When i got up to the front section to be lined not only was the window sitting in the way where the lining board had to go but it was also 10mm to wide for the van. So ripped it out to modify and continued lining the walls

With all the main lining sheets up now except the small ones above the door, Charlie is finally coming together. I had to redesign the front window and how it's going to mount in the frames but i wont bore you with those details. Here are some random pics,

You know you have an awesome woman when she buys you toys like this. i got a laser square and laser level. Makes life soooooo easy designing and figuring things out. i went over a few of my designs on the walls and even using a meter long spirit level i was still up to 5mm out over a meter. All spot on now though

Nothing like some high tech to a 45 year old van. Design as you go so to speak.

Night all

[snoops]

Hi mate, sorry - haven’t logged on for a bit. Like the way you did the floor. 👍. It’s all coming along well, once you’ve got it all lined and ready for fitout, it will seem like you’ve broken the back of it. 😊👍

[78466noM]

I still had a long way to go from the point you are at but seeing the walls go up felt like a major mile stone had been reached . your doing a grate job she is looking good.

[Husky]

Thanks Snoops and Nom, a huge step forward in the lining department but oh so much further to go.

Merry Xmas and Happy new year everyone. Hope you all got spoiled rotten by your families i know i did. i guess the misses got sick of me getting down every time i clipped dads tool belt on. damn if that belt could talk....

Things have been extremely flat out around here and not much of it working on Charlie but i have had an hour here and there to throw at it. The heat is killing me having to work in the elements, been burnt to a crisp a few times as i am a snow bunny and hate anything over 15 degrees. Good news is i have the front of Charlie back together with the front window permanently mounted and not being help in with half a dozen clamps

I also added profile cladding to the vertical frame at each end of the window and added some ally angle to the window so it all sits the way it should. Windows slide and lock nicely and started framing the storage area above the window before insulating and putting the front piece of the roof cladding on to seal it all up once and for all once i get the J molding on too i guess.

          This may be my last post for a while as it's getting close to us moving house. Should hear back on a property in the next few days and if we get it then it will be all systems go as i have a number of trailers and vans that aren't even tow able at the moment and i need to get Charlie to a point where its safe and tow able too. I will snap as many pics as i can over the next month or two and do a big post of work up to the point of moving and into the new workshop. I'll have six sheds to choose from if we get this property. Fingers crossed 

[78466noM]

I hope you get what you need with your move and every thing goes smoothly.