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Post by doublechevron on Aug 6, 2015 13:31:24 GMT 10
I don't get why LHD makes any difference. It theory it will make towing safer as you can more readily see down your left had side to merge over. Your not going to be overtaking when towing a caravan. 600kg 'van ? Ithe old chev won't even know it's there ... you might when you hit the fuel bowser though  You will be using towing mirrors to see around both sides of the caravan after all Citroen suspension would be an interesting project. You would really need to use there subframe. The hydraulic rams need to lock into the subframe and attach to the top suspension arm. You would also need rollbars both ends in the old chev. There is a height corrector that sensors the height using a simple clamp around the center of the rollbar. If the car is sitting to low .... the rollbar will be rotated to far in one direction, it it's opens a slide valve and allows more pressure into the suspension to lift it up ... .same deal to lower it. If there is to much height the rollbar will be rotated to far in the other direction, so the slide valve moves the other way and allows pressure out of the suspension. Very simple in practice but probably staggeringly complex to design and implement from scratch for Citroen back in the 1940's and 50's. You need to be careful as the hydraulics are high pressure. There is a couple of thousand psi in the pump/regulator circuit. It has been done before: www.citroen-ds-id.com/ds/Landrover_with_Cit_Suspension.htmlI'm not sure how it would go on a 4wd though. You would loose all axle articulation. You see the heights work across the axle, so it would pickup any wheel that's sitting in a hole or on a hill. That's why you can drive citroens on 3wheels. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 6, 2015 10:41:55 GMT 10
One of our family members was concerned that the bunk pole could be accidently lifted out of the support, causing the top bunk to swing down on to a person sleeping below. So I used these nifty pins top & bottom. Sealing the roof, a section at a time. Weird stuff this membrane paint, needs two undercoats (the u/coat is very thin & its easy to miss a section) & three topcoats to get a decent coverage. I have been cleaning the powdery old paint off with Acetone & a wire brush on the drill, so its raw aluminium to cover. The quality seems great, as a scratch test will not budge it. I'm confused. Are you sealing the roof seams using a paint ?? I've looked at these on the two 'vans here and decided the only way to make them leak proof is to trowel silicon down them (that way you push the sealer all the way down into the seem). The Windsor here was done that way at the factory... and 30years later I have no intension of re-doing the roof seems as there still as perfect as the day they left the factory! seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 6, 2015 10:00:50 GMT 10
What sort ? I reckon you want an american "truck" if your going to tow. There cars have there back axle in the middle .... imagine the lever effect of putting something heavy on the towbar !! If it's small and light, given the size and weight of the car, I reckon it would be fine If you ever go down to queenscliff on the hotrod weekend, you'll see old american cars travelling in from all over towing caravans and trailers. Come to think of it, most are pre-60's so don't have the rear axle in the middle of the car though We camped there not realising it was the hotrod weekend a few years back. It was brilliant... A HUGE family event for all involved and they were incredibly well behaved. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 6, 2015 9:45:13 GMT 10
The last couple of nights I've been cleaning some more mastic from windows.... I have 2/3rds of the windows ready to be refitted now. Last night when I sat the front window back in and had a screwdriver in hand .... I thought "I wonder what is involved in removing the door frame".... So I opened the door and stangely one screw was missing ..... hmmmm..... So I tried to unscrew a couple ...... No go there either.  Check this out.... Only one screw in the entire door unwound without me pushing a blade down behind the screw head and prying it up  If you haven't checked your door ....... CHECK IT THey must leak and leave absolutely no evidence anywhere they actually leak. I'm going to have to hunt down instructions on getting the frame out as it appears the inside trim is still holding it in somehow. Fingers crossed there is some frame left behind the door! Finally I'll be able to start re-assembling this stuff.... I had a big spend up on fleabay and caravanparts when I got some tax back.... So there is slowly lots of little packages arriving in the mail each day .... screws, sealers, foam, anderson plugs, battery isolator, brake controller etc...... seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 5, 2015 10:24:02 GMT 10
Hey Shane It has been over 4 years since 'mickeyt' has posted on here, who knows how it worked out. Bobt Oh missed the date on that .... I'm very concerned about that one falling off. If the welding from above is like that, I can only imagine what is holding the drawbar on from underneath where it's welded upside down laying on your back. I've done heaps of welding over the years. There is still no way I'd weld a drawbar on. I'd get the welding from above fine. But struggle welding upside down. I can't get the welder settings exact enough not to have the weld pool fall down and cover me with molten nuts (you should see how quick you can jump out from under a car when you have red hot molten metal trying to burn it's way through you  .... Ask me how I know .....   ). seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 5, 2015 10:16:46 GMT 10
I only took inside pictures where there was something too see. Rest is missing. A lot of the internal sheeting is already off the walls and ceiling so I can already see the missing frame. Condition of external cladding is a real worry and something that will need a solution for before going too far with rebuilding. As far as towing speed - I drive a 10HP Anglia Tourer on rallies so know how to dodge and weave. Having a tail will make it a lot more fun staying out of the way though. This is my car (a while ago) when I was restoring it. 6/99 will be up to the task for the odd time I'll be staying away from home.  Do you have any interior pics? those old pommy cars usually have really nice leather interiors and wooden dashes with nice old lucas gauges seeya Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 4, 2015 13:46:20 GMT 10
well the rust is too bad to ignore so i have to start again here is my progress so far any comments / tips apprececiated      so what do you think am i heading in thr right direction ? I'm a pretty bad welder .... But to my eyes there is no penetration at all in those welds .... Nowhere near enough heat or wire speed I'd say. Is that gasless wire ? I'd suggest grinding them back and trying again. Or getting a licensed welder in to weld up something that so structurally important! seeya Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 4, 2015 11:09:18 GMT 10
I don't think you'll find the outright weight an issue. It's the wind resistance of towing at speed that'll hammer the old car to death. You'll probably find 50mph is a good speed ..... The trick is trying not to hold up trucks! I towed a pop up carpervan with a 1963 Citroen ID19 in the past. Grinding up hills in 3rd gear isn't much much with trucks up your tail  Probably best to avoid roads like the melbourne -> Ararat (halls gap) roads where it's the main truck route from melbourne -> adelaide/perth. There's nowhere for anyone to overtake you. I'm going to avoid the main roads when I tow the huge monstrosity I have now I'm a bit concerned about the big angle bracket holding the nose of that caravan together. I have a horrible feeling your going to find no frame in there so will be up for a full rebuild (unless your lucky enough that it's an aluminium frame). seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 4, 2015 11:01:04 GMT 10
They probably used a shrinker/stretcher to create those curves. You would need to be careful with aluminium. I would have thought it would work harden almost immediatly! That's why the curved bits would be so strong ( and likely brittle ). www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmmFjpB55TQseeya, Shane L. PS: Those 2cv guys are crazy. You have no idea. Google "2cv raid" .... they take those little suckers places that would make a modified land cruiser gulp hard. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 31, 2015 10:48:17 GMT 10
Hi Kharde I just recently bought a Millard Pop top and at the time I mis-read the GTM on the rego papers, long story short my van is lighter then first thought but this had me looking into Tare/ATM/GTM etc on caravans and I spoke with a guy who does car modifications for a living and this is in relation to qld rego rules OK. You need to weigh the van to get the correct Tare weight - that is with the gas bottle in place but empty, the water tank in place but empty, the toilet and hot water systems in place but empty no clothes or food or any items that are not attached to the van permanently. You go to the weighbridge and get the Tare weight and then you can either go to a private certified engineer or to your local rego office and ask if they can or do they have someone who will inspect your van and give you a GTM or ATM. Now this is where lots fall down if your axles are rated to 750KGs but the tyres are only rated to 500kgs then your GTM/ATM will be locked to the lower weight not the axle but the tyre. So before you go and get your van's ATM/GTM make sure your tyres and or springs, bearings, axle etc are all in the same class. Amazing ... why do you guys go to all this effort. I couldn't care any less what numbers are stamped and put all over the place. If I'm happy and satisfied what I'm towing is safe, that's plenty enough for me. There's more chance of me winning tattslotto than there is of anyone ever weighing the attached van and saying "your 150kg overweight" or anything crazy like that. Infact, I think our old vans only list the tare weight. I'd leave it at that, it allows an "open/unrestricted" loaded weight. The old windsor I have is 1560kg empty .... with twin axle electric brakes and sensible layout/weight distrubution of any load, I couldn't be less concerned what the overall weight is It's simply irrelivant. It's not like anyone that's gone through all this bullshit of "upgrading" weights will actually records and track the full loaded weight of the caravan at any point in time either way. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 31, 2015 10:43:12 GMT 10
There something you tow on a trailer ... not tow with. way to light and small... |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 30, 2015 8:44:20 GMT 10
Our Prado has an on/off switch. While there is something being towed it will continue to beep, unless turned off. Mustang I did contemplate putting a switch in to disable the sensors, but there is always the risk that I ( or un-named others  ) might forget to switch them back on. I think I'm resigned to swapping plugs on trailers. I'll make a start this weekend. Planner Why?? Just swap the plug on the car, simply leave the wiring the way it is now, but swap it into the different plug! seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 29, 2015 15:08:47 GMT 10
The reversing buzzer will drive you bloody crazy if you have to back a trailer into a confined space if you don't leave the disconnects there. Thanks Shane It's not a reversing buzzer, it's the buzzer inside the car telling me I'm about to crash into something. Planner Yeah that's what I meant. I fitted a reverse sensor kit to my wifes last car ..... It drove me bloody crazy whenever I had a trailer .............. A constant high pitched sqeal the entire time you were going backwards. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 29, 2015 9:43:14 GMT 10
It doesn't matter what the plug is ... so long as you keep the wiring the same you'll be fine .... You could make your own plugs for all it matter I've wired all mine 7pin round too. However I fitted the tug with both flat and round connectors so if I ever need to move someone elses trailer it'll just plug in! The reversing buzzer will drive you bloody crazy if you have to back a trailer into a confined space if you don't leave the disconnects there. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 28, 2015 15:02:03 GMT 10
I've put a couple of orders through them now. I'm always more than impressed with there service and promptness of sending ordered stuff out. Even though anything I buy will, um, always be towards the cheapest possible end of the cost spectrum seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 28, 2015 14:48:39 GMT 10
I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole .... If you have a leak you need to remove clean and refit whatever is leaking with new sealer. It's the only way to fix a leak! seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 26, 2015 20:13:46 GMT 10
It's really is remarkable the difference polishing all the aluminium makes! I sure hope it lasts in it's polished state for you seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 26, 2015 20:00:01 GMT 10
The rear one is the one that was damp .... so I will have to remove it ..... The worst thing is I'll probably have to refit them with silicon.... Once that stuff is used, you really need to stick with it 'cos nothing else wants to stick to a surface that has previously had silicon on it. I guess it's 30years old and never leaked .... so will last another 30 if done that way. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 26, 2015 15:46:07 GMT 10
Hmmm.... This roof hatch wasn't leaking by the looks of this. Only the back one was damp when I collected the caravan. This roof hatch is actually sealed up really well and I doubt it would have ever leaked (I'd never have removed it if I'd known).  there is some water staining in a corner ...   I was wrong, it was sealed in at the factory with silicon around the bottom then mastic over the top... However in the last 10years someone went over the housing with white silicon .... and were pretty effective at making this water proof.   whoever siliconed the hatch up did a pretty good job, every rivet head, every corner where water could get under (as the plastic probably shrunk slightly over the years allowing the hatch flaps to weep in heavy rain.  No sign of it ever leaking. Very clean, no signs of water tracking anywhere.    this is the flap that had blown out .... Notice the dirt down under the hinge area.... Now that's a guide to catch any water than gets past the hinge and guide it over the corners and down the edges so it can't get inside. Notice they have been silicon'd closed, these will flood eventually and allow water to drip straight intot he caravan in heavy downpours. I'll remove the silicon from here.   The flap that had blown out... it slots in nice and snugly............ But falls straight back out again. I couldn't see how on earth it was supposed to stay in place. So removed one of the flaps that didn't blow out.   Wow.... How dodgy, that's bloody hilarious..... How did the factory stop the 4season flaps falling out ? The deliberatly slightly buckled the flap so it has to be flexed along it's length to slot in in/out.  The bent one that doesn't fall out.  Nice and straight .... looks perfect... This is the one that had blown out. I just need to put a bend into it so it won't fall out. Oh yeah, note the plastic clips, you just use a screwdriver to separate them as shown so the wire that opens the flaps will pop off. seeya, shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 26, 2015 11:21:36 GMT 10
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 25, 2015 14:49:50 GMT 10
Before Vincent I made knives as a hobby, takes about a week. I couldn't make it pay, so I decided to ready made from the US. (SOG make brilliant stuff.)We are having more & more restrictions on folders, although 90% of stabbings are with the kitchen domestics. The worst case Iv'e heard of is a sparky up a ladder with his tool belt on showing a multi tool (which had a blade) was pinched by a copper for wearing a knife in public..... Go figure. ? I carry a folder, always have, always will. Bloody nanny country. We sell mainly top end, as there is no money in ebay selling cheapies, check us out: www.littlemountaintraders.com.auebay: littlemountaintraders. Wow, nice ... some Japanese blades, I bet they have a good edge. I've had a couple of cops stare at my leatherman (always attached to my belt ... usually hidden by cloths) when I was in a bakery a year or so back. You could see they were conflicted.... in theory there supposed to pull me up and ask me what it's for. It's actually not illegal to carry a folding knife unless you have reason .... I have reasons... hundreds of them ... cutting fruit, cutting rope, cutting twine, sharpening pencils. stripping wire, cutting wire, cutting food, opening packages, unscrewing screw, opening bottles,opening cans..... I could keep going all day with the things it gets used for (not to mention everyone at work has started asking to borrow it all the time when they need a sharp knife). I could see the "way to much effort" look on there faces .... 'cos they'd sure have been in for a discussion if they wanted to confiscate it. Lots of paperwork, and they'd be handing it back to me in the end. Now if I was a youth of ethnic persuasion it would probably be different ... There's no way they would have been taking one of my work tools if I was a plumber.... I remember about 10years ago before all the crazy knife laws we visited parliment house ... counter at the front "please leave any knives here for collection when you leave" .... Oh .... I pull out the french knife my brother inlaw bought me ( really nice edge on it, but fiddly to open and use).... "any others" said they guy ... Oh says my wife, and dives into her bag and pulls out a swiss army knife from one of the pockets...... "oh keys" I say spotting them. So we both pull out a keyring with a small folding french knife on it ... Oh gee's we ended up leaving 5 knifes with the guy there |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 25, 2015 10:25:45 GMT 10
Wow that's nice. If would look great behind a big old american car!
seeya,
Shane L.
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 25, 2015 10:17:03 GMT 10
Wow we will need to take you offshore now you have mastered a leatherman! I should just say shhhh as most folks will just get confused or argue it will not work, even though you did it! Oh, that's a point I didn't mention. SOG multi-tools are for sale ebay in Australia... but aren't, um, "quite legal"............ Technically your not allowed to carry any folding knife any longer (I've always carried one since I was about 10years old.... Just like my grandfather did). These have "blobs" on the blades so you can open them one handed ... which is also illegal The pliers have geared reduction, that's why you can grab and turn screws with them. It's similar to locking on a pair of vice grips in the way they hold. I figure stupid laws are made to be ignored though seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 24, 2015 23:16:53 GMT 10
Some days one thinks all the problems are yours, we all have a few majors regardless of brand.  Back on the first page of the thread I posted this. I want to put an order through to the caravan place for maybe 15tubes of butyl mastic ?? (sounds like a lot, but there is 9windows, 2 4 seasons vents and 1 door that you can't use silicon on as they need to be removable in the future). I figured I'd better see if the 4seasons hatches needed any parts by pulling one out. The roof is way, way, way stronger than I was expecting, no ... I didn't stand on it But I could just lean over from the edge standing on a ladder and lean my weight over it (I guess air conditioners are the best part of 50kgs and fitted into these holes.... I wouldn't be that heavy just leaning over). It's quite strange how the factory *didn't* use silicon. If they had these hatches would still be perfect. Note: the silicon trowled all around the hatch. This is all still perfect just like the roof seems.... Infact as good as the day it way applied 30years ago. The mastic put over the top of the silicon and all around the hatch to sill it is broken and lifting though ( it the bright white looking stuff in the pictures). I found after I scraped off the silicon over the screws, they were all like new and barely finger tight. So how did I unscrew them without climbing up onto the roof ?? With a set of pliers... How?? Well I've always carried a little pocket knife since I was a little kid and always thought the multi-tools that became fashionable about 10years ago were a bit of a wank ( ). Anyway my wife thought I'd like a leatherman and got me one about 5years ago as a present.... Now 'cos it was a present I thought I better use it even though a small pocket sized knife was all I'd ever wanted or used.... I'll be damned I used it everyday, all the time .... so much so I broke half the implements in it... so went looking online for one that was as good quality as the leatherman but had a blade I get out without having to put down what I wanted to cut to spend 30seconds diving inside the tool to find the blade and found one of these www.sogknives.com/powerassist-satin.htmlbig to carry, I don't even notice it's always on my belt after a couple of years. This is why I'm talking about the multi-tool. This is how tight it effortlessly grabs and holds... It's nothing short of brilliant. so I can just reach over and unscrew the screws with my pocket knife without climbing onto the roof and applying downward pressure on the screwdriver. You dont' slip 'cos it grips so tight. . |
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Post by doublechevron on Jul 22, 2015 14:18:28 GMT 10
Great job and better than new once you finish your magic on it.. #winning! This will never look perfect. You never get aluminium sheet flat against once bent.... I'll see how it looks assembled for deciding if I should replace it (obviously this decision is made BEFORE you go anywhere near it with sikaflex LOL). Slightly bent so you don't notice unless you look for it is fine. Obviously damaged isn't............ I need to remember it's a 30year old caravan, and nothing is ever going to look "perfect" ... looking "used but not abused" is fine though  . |
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Probably best to avoid roads like the melbourne -> Ararat (halls gap) roads where it's the main truck route from melbourne -> adelaide/perth. There's nowhere for anyone to overtake you.
) might forget to switch them back on.
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