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hi all I got a couple of hours in this morning before the heavens opened. I have cut the hole for the sink and pop up electric socket and made up the storage box for the leisure battery. Thats it now until Monday. Cheers - mike
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Hi all had an hour watching the snooker earlier so no much else done today. I have, however, made up the template for the worktop. Just need to sort out a sink now. I have a couple of options. I can either sit my standard smev sink or use one of my own round custom sinks. Will have to see how I feel tomorrow. Cheers - mike
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hi all the carcasses for all the units are now finished and installed. I may get another hour later today to make up the template for the worktop. I probably make a top cupboard for above the kitchen as I have some board left over and it will also enable me to fit another strip light. Cheers - mike
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Hi all, got a few hours in on the camper yesterday and this morning. All the panels for the bed unit are now made and the fit has been finessed. Just the doors to hang before final installation. The tambour doors arrived for the kitchen unit yesterday so I have cut the holes in the kitchen front panel and fitted the doors. It was quite a faff as I had to make 4 hockey stick panels to allow me to fit them. Normally you make the units to fit the tanbour doors but this limits what you can do so i make the hockey stick panels which gives the the flexibility to mount them in the middle of a panel. I will be doing a final fit on the kitchen after lunch and then measuring up for the worktop and the bed base. Cheers - mike
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sounds like great projects all! Please however don't get stupid about wearing yourself out post surgery! Thanks, i'm limiting myself to no more than six hours a day with weekends off for now but its a struggle! Cheers - mike
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Hi all
I spent the morning fitting a stairlift for my father in law which was fun. His house is a victorian terrace in a mining area so has suffered lots of movement during the past hundred years so everything is out of true. Anyways its in now and he's happily zipping up and down the stairs. After lunch got a couple of hours in on the camper this afternoon and finished making up the last of the pattern panels for the bed box.
I have made the bed end panels and the intermediate support.The rearmost end panel will have a door so that the bed box can be accessed from the rear of the van and there will also be another door in the front part of the bed box.
Tomorrow should see the bed box finished and hopefully the tambour doors for the kitchen will arrive.
Cheers - mike
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Nov 30, 2019 15:41:50 GMT
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Hi all, got a couple of hours in this afternoon. I have finessed the fit of the kitchen unit and drilled all the pocket holes. That's as far as I can go until the doors and vents arrive so I have made a start on the bed unit. The customer wants storage for a toilet and needs it to be accessible when the bed is up so I have placed it behind the drivers seat. With the drivers seat pushed and tilted forwards there's plenty of room for the toilet storage. So far I have made and trial fitted the panels and finessed the fit to a point where I'm happy.It works well as storage but needs to be accessible so the top part of the front panel needs to be hinged. I have done some measuring up and it would be possible to have a swiveling cassette toilet in my next build so I may offer it as an option. That's it now until Monday afternoon as I have a stairlift to fit on Monday morning. Cheers - mike
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Nov 30, 2019 12:40:03 GMT
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Hi all had a few hours on the camper this morning as the weather is glorious!!! All the main panels for the kitchen area are made. This afternoon I have a few bits if edging trim to fit and some pocket holes to drill and they are done for now. I have not cut the holes for the doors yet as i'm fitting tambour doors and aren't sure of the exact sizes needed yet. I should make a start on the panels for the bed unit later, all being well. Cheers - mike
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Nov 29, 2019 17:47:43 GMT
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Hi all
went over to Grimsby this morning and the van didn't miss a beat.
I got back just after lunch so got a few hours to start pattern making. As this is a new design which I think will sell well I need to make a full set of drawings and patterns.
I should start making the actual panels tomorrow so will have something to photo.
Cheers - mike
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Nov 28, 2019 16:08:01 GMT
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Hi all
have been working on the campervan of doom today !!!
I set to this morning as the weather was overcast but not raining.
The rebuilt alternator arrived yesterday so I thought I would change it, looked a not to bad a job but turned into a nightmare.
Every fastener was seized, the auto belt tensioner was seized so I couldn't release the tension on the belt,both alternator mounting bolts were stupidly tight and to top it all of, when I finally got the new alternator in position the bolts would not go in more than a turn or so. Took it of to find both threads in the alternator were damaged and full of paint. I ran a tap through them to clean them up afterwhich it bolted up ok.
What should have been an hours job has taken 5 hours of blood seat and tears and to top it off its been raining all day so i'm now soaking wet and freezing cold. All part of the benefits of being self employed i guess.
Cheers - mike
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Nov 27, 2019 16:10:30 GMT
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Hi there
when I was an apprentice back in the early eighties I was taught to start older style diesels on full throttle and to release the throttle as they started. Its not needed on modern stuff as they adapt the fueling to take account of the outside temp but on older stuff has never let me down.
Cheers - mike
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Nov 26, 2019 16:24:54 GMT
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Hi all,
have got a few hours in on the camper. I have a potential customer who needs a very specific spec for her needs. The camper must include heating, storage for a portable toilet and enough room to be able to use the toilet when the bed is made up.
This will be quite a tall order for a short wheelbase van so I have been looking into whats possible.
My final solution is to have a bench seat along the offside wall with the storage for the toilet under the bed behind the drivers seat, there will also be storage in the bench and it will house the heater. On the nearside will be the fridge which will have to be mounted at a higher level than normal as it will sit above the wheel arch,the will also be a kitchen unit that will overlap the sliding door by aprox 18 inches to give space for a sink and hob. The bed will be the same width as usual bu may only be 5ft 6 long. The customer is 5 foot so there should not be a problem.
I have also been running some wiring under the van and fitting the split charge system. I think I have also spotted a problem with the alternator. The split charge relay does not kick in until it sees 13.2 volts at the battery and its not kicking in as it should. I have measured the battery voltage with the engine running and it only showing 12.4 volts so I have ordered a new alternator which should arrive tomorrow.
Cheers - mike
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Nov 22, 2019 10:20:46 GMT
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Hi all has been a slow week on the camper front due to the cold wet weather. Its a bit warmer this morning so I managed to get a bit done. All of the panels and lining is now finished and have also trimmed the tops of the rear doors. I hope to get a bit more done this afternoon, hopefully getting the split charge system in. Cheers - mike
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Nov 20, 2019 18:21:59 GMT
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hi there
i think this is the one you want ? ebay item 333395615167
cheers - mike
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Nov 18, 2019 15:55:48 GMT
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Hi all
got a few hours on the camper today,
I have changed the indicator bulbs from orange to silver and the side light bulbs to led's.
The rear bumper support was very rusty,loose and a bit wonky so popped it off and changed it for a spare one. I have also fitted it with a parking sensor kit.
Both the ply panels for the rear quarters are now made and just need covering in lining carpet and the d posts are both carpeted.
Tomorrow should see the van fully lined.
The plan for the rest of the week is to get the heater and split charge system installed and make a start on the units. All being well she should be finished next week.
Cheers - mike
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Nov 15, 2019 16:00:02 GMT
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hi all did another couple of hours this afternoon. The passenger side roof support is now trimmed and the led down light and switch are in. All the lights are now in and have been tested so I can make the rear roof panel. That's it now until Monday as I'm not allowed to work outside at the weekends now. Cheers - mike
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Nov 15, 2019 13:12:57 GMT
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hi all got a few hours on the camper this morning. I have run the wiring for the lights,cut out the holes for the led down lights on the passenger side and the led strip light on the drivers side above the kitchen. I have also lined the roof support on the drivers side. I should get the passenger side roof support lined this afternoon and the down lights fitted. Cheers - mike
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Nov 14, 2019 12:32:35 GMT
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hi all, finally feeling well enough to do a few hours on the camper, I had one of my tonsils and part of my throat removed in September due to tonsil cancer so have been laying off camper building. I have trimmed the front and rear sections of what was the roof, cut and fitted the new ply floor and cut the altro flooring ready for laying later once the floor has been screwed down. Cheers - mike
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It's the rubber boots- I pulled one lead off and it sat next to the plug, big fat spark through the rubber boot to the terminal of the spark plug. That was probably a good quarter inch of spark produced once it had passed through the rubber. Makes me wonder if the spark is too strong for the cap also and it's tracking to the wrong plug. When I put me neon test lamp on it was glowing dim flickery with a bright flash so it's gathering energy from the other instances of spark. Phil hi there looking at your distributor pics, the earth lead from the base plate to the body looks to be in poor condition. I have come across all sort of running issues over the years and this has been the culprit. Cheers - mike
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Oct 13, 2019 14:58:39 GMT
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Really enjoy your threads, thanks for posting. Did you add the pop up roof ? Are they complicated / expensive to fit ? hi there the roofs are not hard to fit so long as you buy the correct kit. This one comes in at less than £2000 including the roof bed. Cheers - mike
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