SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Self builds and DIY projects
E Cawood
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Joined: May 27th, 2018, 9:40 pm

Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24021Post E Cawood
October 25th, 2018, 8:37 pm

Hi just caught up with this build story again and its all of a sudden looked finished!
the weight was surprise i must say even though essentially a box like structure i imagined it would weigh more than that
so well done

will you also make the furniture fittings or buy something, there are lots of Volkswagen fit out people with cabinets off the shelf

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wonkywheel
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Location: East Northamptonshire

Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24023Post wonkywheel
October 25th, 2018, 10:19 pm

Thanks
It might have seemed all of a sudden to you. :o To me, it seems like forever. :lol: I have been wanting to use it all summer after cutting up Lightning.

I will be making as much of the interior as I can. I find there is something very satisfying about DIY.(It's cheap :) ) Especially when you have never done it before. I accept that it will not be as good as a professional job. that it will have faults that I know are there, that it will take longer, BUT IT'S MINE. :roll: It's better than having someone else do itand not be entirely happy with the results :cry:
As with all of it so far, the problems, the errors, the alterations, the repairs, the 19 months I have been working on it. All fall into insignificance when I step back, look at it and say to myself I built that. 8-)
The beauty about DIY is that you can change your mind. I have already changed my mind from my initial idea of the interior. Although I am working on the inside, nothing will be welded in position. Certainly not until I have been using it for a while to see if I like it. Planned alterations, Alter the gas box, (possibly for a Gas-it cylinder)
Change the position of the fridge, Change the dry food storage cupboard, I might even find room for a couple of optics(no spill) :lol:
Plus, I have to have something to do in the cold dark winter days to come :roll: :lol:
Mark
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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wonkywheel
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Joined: June 5th, 2017, 7:31 pm
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24147Post wonkywheel
November 8th, 2018, 11:16 pm

A small update

I put some fixings into the bed of the truck (pictures to follow). I used 50mm square, thick spreader washers and drilled the holes only through the truck tub.
I actually used 12mm threaded studding, M12 nylock nuts, and extension nuts. I put the nylock self-locking nuts on the end of the studding first with a spreader washer. Fed the studding up through the hole in the tub. Then I put an ordinary nut on and tightened it down. This allowed me to hacksaw the studding off to the required length. Carefully removing the ordinary nut and replace it with an extension nut. This palaver allowed me to fit them on my own. Trying to fit a nut and washer from underneath and hold the studding in position was impossible. :?
Initially, I was going to screw the eye bolts into the extension nuts and use turnbuckles to hold everything down. I found it better to use clamps, made out of aluminium box, in conjunction with more studding and nuts. This enabled me to pull down the camper onto the truck bed with a socket and extension bar. :idea:

Some of the guys I used to work with were eager to see how the build was progressing. Whilst I was working they all saw the sheets of dibond, rolls of fiberglass, and tubes of aluminium box section being delivered to work. ;)

The 25 mile round trip seemed like a good little run to see if anything fell off. So I took it down for them to see. Nothing fell off, apart from one of the clips on the elastic holding the extension wing mirrors on. :o

Upon my return, I checked the tightness of the clamps.all good. 8-)

Being happy with the fixings, and the way the truck drove at speeds up to 70mph meant when demounted, I lowered it down so that it is easier to work on finishing some of the outsides. I need to remove all the nickel plated self-tapping screws and replace them with blind rivets. Sealing and gluing the corner angle in position. (that should cure the little leaks I noted with heavy rainfall)
I want to fit running lights, marker lights and other wirings before I fit the insulation sheet inside. Another check for leaks after I drill holes and seal for the wiring.
Ideally, put some graphics of some sort on, then give it coat of polish to try to keep it clean and shinny for next year.
Then I can continue, (start :roll: ) to kit out the inside.
At least I now I'll have something that is warmer than a tent to sleep in when Drag racing starts next year :lol: 8-) :lol: 8-)
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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derestrictor
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Location: gotham Nottingham

Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24157Post derestrictor
November 9th, 2018, 2:40 pm

Were your colleagues impressed do you think :) they certainly should be the effort expended over last months/year.
fixing directly onto chassis might seem 'belt and braces' and i suppose mean drilling holes in chassis rails as well so might be counter productive and i think most owners find adding eye boults in load bed is more than enough

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24163Post wonkywheel
November 9th, 2018, 10:45 pm

Image

Yes they were impressed 8-) 8-)
I even had the extremely tall graduate engineer trying out the cabover bed to see if he would fit. His name is Ry, I nicknamed him WHY because whatever I asked him to do, he always asked why and wanted to do it another way. I think the bed test was meant to be a negative reaction to poke fun but the inside width being 2000mm and WHY only being about 6ft 2 inches he fitted a treat :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: so I had the last laugh.

I might even have made a few converts because they were all amazed at how much room there was inside considering it was only the back of a pickup :roll:
It's like a TARDIS was one comment 8-)

I think you misunderstood my fixings explanation. :oops: The studs and extension nuts only fit through the tub metalwork, not the chassis. It is true I fitted spreader plates to help spread the load but, as you say, I too think that is more than enough to support the camper. When in use, I will continue to monitor things to see if there is any deformation, but if there was, the first step would be to fit a support plate/bar the width of the camper base before anything so drastic as putting extra holes in the chassis. I have even considered taking the tub off completely and having fish plates welded in position for extra chassis strength. But, that will have to wait until I have had quite a bit of use out of it to see how it behaves. (that could be a winter project 2020/21 :lol: :lol: )
It might take that long to finish the inside :roll:

At the minute I am trying out the different lighting combinations that I had in "lightning". They were plenty bright enough for the compact space of a teardrop but I think I need more/better for this build. :)
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24279Post wonkywheel
November 22nd, 2018, 10:56 pm

Slowly, very slowly making progress.
With the cold wet weather its a case of picking the job to suit conditions. :roll:
When its dry and warm enough to be outside, it's taking out the nickel plated self-tapping screws. Taking the corner sections off to clean underneath, glue and seal back into position, then redrill for rivets. Finally, rivet sections on. I am finding the hand rivet gun difficult to use these days. :cry: My hands haven't the strength in them they used to have. Either that or my rivet gun lever handles open wider than they used to. I missed a hydraulic rivet gun on ebay a week or two back and am regretting it now.
It is paying dividends though. A couple of the areas that used to drip are now dry ;)

When it's too cold or raining, it's inside.

I have cut and fitted some of the spars for the cooker/sink unit, and started framing out the overhead cupboards. I have cut some of the PVC sheet and test fitted that in a couple of places. That seems to work well and I will seal with silicone sealant when finished. Cutting and fitting Celotec insulation board is time-consuming, to say the least. Having a lightweight build is not without its problems :oops: Trying to prop up insulation board onto the ceiling is a bit like building a playing card castle. You prop one up with what you think is enough tension. Move on to the next only to find the extra upward force flexes the roof and the first prop falls out. I have settled on doing one roof plate at the end of each work session ;)
Image
Image
Working in the camper in the cold, even with the greenhouse heater working has its problems. The cold outer skin and a warm interior mean I get condensation on the surfaces and have to dry them before gluing the insulation in place. I don't know where its all going but, so far I am on sheet 7 of the 1200mmx2400mm Celotec sheets. One more should do it :shock: I am using Gorilla Grab adhesive to put the insulation on, and am on tube 4 of that.
I hope all this insulation pays dividends because with the Celotec sheet at just under £30. each and the adhesive £10. a tube, then the PVC at £40 a sheet, and £60 for van carpet it might have been cheaper to burn fivers :D :roll:

When we have had a good torrential downpour, and I am sure the cabover is good and watertight, I will fix an seal the PVC in place ready for the Wheat Van Lining carpet I have ordered. I have decided not to add a layer of aluminium foil insulation as I think the 2mm PVC and 5mm carpet will be enough :geek:
Time will tell :?
With the insulation in the cabover all glued in position, I have noticed I can see where the spars are in the condensation pattern on the outside in the morning dew pattern.

Insulation, dew, spars, no dew. :ugeek: So the spars are giving a cold bridge :?:
When the PVC and carpet are in place I'll see what it looks like then :idea:

I have been taking it easy on the build recently having missed all my self-imposed deadlines BUT.

Next years racing calendar is out which has prompted a new deadline 8-)
I know I shall meet this one because it's going finished or not now I can bolt it on.

Somewhere to sleep, 8-) something to cook on, 8-) something to keep the beer in :lol: sorted
By the time we get to Easter, I hope I have fitted one of those Chinese heaters too. There are showers and toilets on site so the luxury of having my very own is low down on the priority list.
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24345Post wonkywheel
November 30th, 2018, 10:20 pm

Cold weather and rain slowing building to almost a stop :(
The heavy rain is finding all the areas where the aluminium angle on the outside edges has not been sealed and stuck down. It's mainly on the righthand side of the camper because it's very close to the fence and difficult to put a ladder up to reach. It could be I will have to clear the yard so I can move it to the other side to get to it.
The cold is making the grab adhesive difficult to squeeze out of the gun. I have to pre-warm them prior to use. :?

With the constant walking about inside the camper fitting the insulation, I have noticed the dibond sheet I used for flooring seems to be bowing down compressing the Celotex underneath. :o Although initially, I had intended to not use any wood, I think the insides can easily be altered or replaced in wood. I will either replace the dibond or overlay it with some 12mm ply. I will try some thinner ply in other areas subject to lesser loading and might even use it on the cupboards and draws. I am reluctant to fetch the ply with the weather as it is because the most economical way to buy it is in an 8 x 4 sheet but I need to be able to lay it down and cut to size with the circular saw. So it will wait.

Christmas has come early :D

Image A small pop up vent (280mm x 280mm) for the toilet arrived today :)
I also had 10 square metre of van carpet with 5 cans of spray adhesive. I had already cut and fitted Celotex insulation in the position of the two remaining vents.
Image

They are not glued in place so they will fall out easily. The vent position in the picture is for my old omnivent out of the teardrop. Whilst fitting the Celotex I notice a design fault :shock: The inner frame of the vent will not fit as the verticle spar is too close to the corner of the hole. I could notch it out to fit but with a view to possibly getting a new replacement later(to match the one at the other end), I will be moving the spar over to miss instead. :roll:

The next modification I decided on was to alter the position of the toilet door. While sitting at the table I noticed that the corner of the toilet restricts the view out of the back door.

Image The vertical spar that is the corner of the toilet will need to be moved.

The idea was a build it similar to a Skorsser with the gas box next to the seat, fridge on top, cupboard in front. That's going to change now :roll:
The gas box was going to be big enough for two bottles. One butane, one propane (for hot and cold :geek: ) it would also act as a spare should one run out. I am now only having one bottle with the gas box big enough for either a gasit or gas low refillable system at a later date.
The spar will move back about 100-150mm making the toilet out of square and a little smaller. With the limited space in the camper, the toilet seems unduly large for the amount of time I expect to be using it compared with time spent sitting looking out the back door ;)
The Fridge will have to move too. I will be making do with my Coleman cool box to start with anyway. (It will last a good 3 or 4 days with a few bags of ice in it)
If I can, I will fit a box type fridge below the wardrobe to the left of the back door. ( An Engel on a slide out tray would be ideal but $$$$$$$$)

Image


The next alteration is the height of the cooker/sink unit. With the table at what I thought was a comfortable height, it was 50mm lower than the sink. I want them the same height so that when the table is slid across it's the same height to use as a food prep/ washing up worktop space. (Although washing up is usually kept to a minimum by using paper plates on top of the melamine ones and burning them on the chiminea afterward)

As a side note
Now the bottom of the backyard is finished it would have made drilling, building and welding a lot easier with flat surfaces to work on
ImageImage

I hope to get something similar at the other end for the parking area 8-) :lol:
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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zildjian
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24347Post zildjian
November 30th, 2018, 11:09 pm

Ahem!
it's not going to fit through that gate gate Mark :shock:

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24353Post wonkywheel
December 1st, 2018, 9:58 am

Zildjian,

It depends on your perspective :roll:

Image
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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wonkywheel
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Joined: June 5th, 2017, 7:31 pm
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 24395Post wonkywheel
December 8th, 2018, 6:06 pm

Not a bad day for doing a bit more :)

Collected a couple of sheets of ply plus another sheet of Celotex(I don't know where it's all going?)
The 12mm ply is to replace the sheet of Dibond flooring. Although the Dibond is lighter and rot proof it is not rigid enough for flooring without a lot more support. :? I cut and fitted that into position but haven't fixed it down yet as I might want to run the 8mm copper gas pipe under the floor. That is under consideration at the minute. I have a selection of 8mm compression fittings but prefer a one-piece pipe if possible to minimize the chance of leaks. I only really want a gas dropout vent in the gas box and under the hob unit. It just depends if I can fit and bend it from one side to the other :shock:

Image


With the 12mm ply floor standing in place I was able to stand in the toilet/shower area without fear of crushing the Celotex(no Dibond flooring). I drilled a couple of holes through the roof and with a jigsaw cut the vent hole out. The new MPK 280 x 280 vent fits the hole a treat 8-)

Image


When I fitted the vent over the table area I carefully packed away the roll of bedding tape in a safe place ready for next time. If, and when I find that safe place I will be able to seal it down. In the meantime the inner and outer pieces are just screwed together :oops:

More tomorrow if the weather and energy levels allow :lol:
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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