I have moved back and forth on how to use the mog for camping and in the end I came back to my original concept. It will have a flip top as height has been dictated by my shed !
This week, it has started :grin
Will be slow as I will be taking my time. Fortunately, time is something I have and do not have to pay $100/hr for :smile
Caravan and RV components/work is ridiculously expensive in my neck of the woods - originally I even considered having the aluminium frame built/welded off-site, but had second thoughts after getting some quotes. I am using modular brackets and Sikaflex to minimize the number of welds. I will be able to assemble the skeleton without welds and then just have a few key elements welded off-site.
Initially, I considered doing a slide-on build, but have now settled on removing the tipper bed, keeping the spider frame making use of the ball-mount system already there. My aim will be to try and get the mog weight in under 4500kg as this helps with regulatory requirements :devil
It has been slow going - but time is the one thing I have.
I opted for doing most things myself and that has meant looking at ways to avoid welding of the frame. Ended up with using corner braces as used in sign posts. It makes fitting the panels more of a hassle - but that is the trade-off. Pop rivets, Loctite.............
Floor is in - marine ply.
Here a caravan door costs $1300 new :eek No way I was going to pay that ! After many weeks of searching, I eventually found a perfectly good door for $250. Bottom corner was mangled, but that did not matter as I have had to shorten the door to fit. Another epic exercise as it involves 3 frames that had to be shortened with new mitres cut and bottom hinge relocated. Just need a bit of tidying up - very pleased with the result.
Walls are mostly 16mm multicell polycarbonate sheets. Found some surplus sheets that were too good to pass up. Some extra insulation is slated for the inside and the outside will be painted.
Lots of Sikaflex and 3M tape :devil
One thing is for sure - there is a LOT of work in doing this properly - primers for the Sikaflex, cutting/test fitting, cutting,adjusting................
Some progress this week.
Floor is finished and I am very pleased with the result.
Outer skin is done, windows fitted.
Gas Struts installed and checked - mounted them over-center so there is a positive closure force - for what it is worth :devil
Legs (mounts) almost done - front fitted and secured - back will be done in-situ to ensure there is no misalignment.
Unfortunately it has been too cold here to do painting, so I have instead turned my hand to some carpentry.
U-shape cavities is all about storage/seating - the middle piece pops up to become a table when the bed is not in use.
Mattress flips up against back wall to become a back cushion.
In the end I found that 6mm marine ply is stiff/strong enough for the flats. Save a bit of weight as well as dollars. I may provide some ribbing underneath the table portion for extra stiffness - but will see how it goes first.
Should make some sense now to those who have been wondering.
A lot of tidying up to do now - like hinges, latches etc..
I have been using SIKA Tech-grip polyurethane where I wanted rigidity - very impressed with its performance - and Sikaflex where I wanted some flexibility (mostly where the frames meet the floor as the floor moves quite a bit relative to the rest)
Looks good Pieter, should be fairly light. It you want the screws to stay tight in the plywood, screw it all together, get some fibre glass epoxy resin ( slow set) and take out the screws on at a time and put a drop of glue into each hole before tightening them up again. This keeps them nice and tight over the corrugations.
Well, finally the weather gods smiled and today I was able to paint the camper.
Used Astec Energy Star paint that should help with keeping things cool.
On the downhill track now :grin
Of course, you are a piker, as the Arizona
Built Head Wound Box comes in at 3000
Lbs.... and is more of an armored tent on
Top of a service bed....fit for Hobbits.
I've grown to like (not love ) the HWB, and
As an "uncrushable cube" it provides some
Safety.... maybe ?
A. You are more likely to roll with a 3000lb
Box 5' from the ground plane...
And :
B. Said "U-boat spec" box will be a roll structure that will probably out- survive the
Rest of the structure, in spades.
Great job, your work is excellent, and an
Inspiration to us all, I reckon.
Thanks TRUKTOR - it certainly has been an experience :devil
Time will tell of course if all that Sikaflex adhesives + expensive primers and my metal/mechanical guesswork is up to it :wink
First run into the village this morning has delivered one surprise only - our road enters the main road at an angle and I was caught by surprise due to the fact that the camper now obscures my rearwards view to the right (through the generous back window). I will now have to adapt my driving when the co-driver is not on board in order not to plow into someone - or have someone plow into me :laugh
Without looking back to see your mirror
Set-up, I found that the two rectangular
Unimog stock mirrors are good, but adding the two, More square-ish Wide Angle Mirrors solved Everything.
Of course, a circular convex 'trucker's
Mirror' will do the same thing, and are probably a walk-in-and-buy option.
I found the same problem as you so i installed a Britax Stainless Steel Convex Spotter Mirror from the local parts store. (W150)
It has a universal attachment to suit various applications.
Looking back at your photos looks like you already have some type of convex mirror fitted?
Hello Dan, You are correct I do have a convex mirror.
When I did my truck license, I did so on someone else's truck that had them and I quickly realised how valuable they are for keeping an eye on the rear-wheels. So I got myself a pair pretty smartly.
What I need is a setup that looks about 15 deg South of east - ie almost sideways, but off towards the rear - this is because of my LHD setup that creates a blindspot given the drivers position.
If playing with mirrors do not deliver, I will look at Trev's suggestion of a camera.
I like simple passive solutions so I thought I would try a commercial convex mirror. So far so good and further field testing will confirm whether or not it is enough. Failing that, I will go to a small camera/monitor system.
If acceptable, I will give it an black epoxy coating and leave it on permanently.
We finaly went camping for a few days in order to shake things down a bit.
No issues and nothing broke in spite of some rough tracks.
Very pleased with how things went - now need to do some extra things for maximum comfort.
Great work by the way and thanks for sharing the work to date. Keep it coming.
The Schmidt plate actually makes me thin wombat guard. Those suckers will dimple an oil pan in a heart beat and toss an engine in your lap if you're driving a car too fast and hit one.
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