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Post by hilldweller on Mar 10, 2013 12:20:58 GMT 10
OK so when the garage was built I had no thought of caravans  The roof is plenty high enough for Mabel if I can get her in there but the door is too low (the streamlined Caravelle squeaked through with soft tyres, in her pre-hatch days, but Mabel sits nearly 6in higher on big-girl wheels). I think I can gain a couple of inches by removing the bracket that prevents the roller door flying up at the top but that plus deflated tyres won't be enough. The only way she'll get through is if her enormous great wheels come off. Is there a way I can do that? Floor is concrete. Width is OK, luckily. All suggestions gratefully received  |
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Post by seeshell on Mar 10, 2013 13:04:36 GMT 10
Hi HD
I've heard of some people making effectively roller skates to lower the axle onto and then pushing it under the roller door.
Would there be enough clearance?
Cheers
Seeshell
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Post by redmr2red on Mar 10, 2013 13:45:57 GMT 10
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 10, 2013 15:11:55 GMT 10
I went the other way with my expensive $1,000 second hand shed. This is what the shed would have looked like if I built it according to plan - with room for the roller doors to be within the shed behind the front wall upper panelling.  I raised the roller doors supporting lintels to be level with the side walls and added a 100mm x 100mm centre post. Then built barn doors, instead of having roller doors. If you went that way, you could cover your barn doors with the roller door material and still have the same "look".  I raised the front clearance from 2100mm to 2400mm. My van has a height of 2350mm!! In my case, the door panels I had weren't high enough, so I filled the upper gap with laserlight materials attached behind the door panels and left the bottom open, for the birds to come in a poop all over the van ;D ;D ;D And YES, it all passed building certification - not bad for an amateur AND I can honestly say "I did it myself!!"  Ray |
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peter
New Member
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Post by peter on Mar 10, 2013 15:37:29 GMT 10
could you roll it in on the brake drums,,,,or put a 42x19 at the outside of the drum,,this would be the strongest and thickest bit and roll in on the wood hope this is feasible and helps
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 10, 2013 15:51:09 GMT 10
Very ingenious Ray however since the garage is relatively new and I've got no desire to get it altered and no way am I touching it myself I think something along the lines of what Red and Seeshell are suggesting is the way to go - thanks for that pic Red. I think (hope!) there will be enough clearance without the wheels and once she's in the garage she'll be there for a long time without going anywhere so it won't matter if a bit of messing about is required. When she's finished she can go back in the big shed which has heaps of clearance . I just can't easily work on her there. |
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 10, 2013 15:54:15 GMT 10
could you roll it in on the brake drums,,,,or put a 42x19 at the outside of the drum,,this would be the strongest and thickest bit and roll in on the wood hope this is feasible and helps Thanks Peter. I really don't know - sounds nice and simple but would it damage the drums  ? |
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Post by Rattles on Mar 10, 2013 16:33:56 GMT 10
Will there be enough height if you remove the Roller door, if so just remove the door then replace after van is inside, PM me if you want some clues in removal and re install of a roller door not difficult, just have to release the spring tension then on re installation re-tension.
If the Roller door has been up for a while it will need re tensioning anyway.
Rattles
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 10, 2013 17:17:08 GMT 10
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 10, 2013 17:36:00 GMT 10
No to clearance if roller is removed, no to clearance even if the tyres are dead flat, and NO to clearance and various other things re putting her in the lounge!
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 10, 2013 17:51:50 GMT 10
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Post by dodgy1 on Mar 10, 2013 18:03:48 GMT 10
G'day all,
Remember seeing lowering wheels for caravans a few months back on the 'puter. Try googling Easypark Wheels. They are available in early Holden pattern as well as many others. Not sure on cost but they look the goods. Cheers Dodgy1
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 10, 2013 19:59:43 GMT 10
G'day hilldweller, I'll add to dodgy1's suggestion and mention "carastow wheels" as an option to explore. These are made from solid rubber bonded to a steel wheel, but they are not cheap, and the cost may immediately disqualify them as an option anyway. There are various versions of the carastow wheels, such as a six-stud one here ; a five-stud one here ; and there's probably a four-stud version as well. You do have to do some measurements and calculations to see what advantage they would give you. Measure the radius from the centre of your present wheel to the ground. The carastow wheels are 400mm diameter, or 200mm radius. Subtract 200mm from your present wheel radius, and that's how much lower the van would be with carastow wheels fitted. You should gain up to 75mm by raising the end stop brackets higher so the very bottom of the roller door curtain lines up with the top of the door opening when the door is fully raised. Obviously you undo and refit these brackets one at a time, otherwise if you do them both at once the curtain will flip over the back and come around and smack you in the back of the head, giving you permanent brain damage and rendering you completely useless for further caravan restorations.  Removing the hatch cover should give you another reduction in height by a few more millimetres. cheers, Al. |
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Post by humpynvan on Mar 10, 2013 20:49:21 GMT 10
can you not simply get a spare set of rims with no tyres fitted? the just use these to run it in and out of shed
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Post by redmr2red on Mar 11, 2013 8:52:23 GMT 10
10 out of ten for thinking humpynvan!!!!
Why didn't I think of that? Don't answer that f/f .........
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 11, 2013 9:24:00 GMT 10
Err - HD has already mentioned that she can't get enough clearance on rims with flat tyres on  |
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Post by Geoff & Jude on Mar 11, 2013 9:33:09 GMT 10
if she can't get in with flat tyres, the carastows won't be any good either.
13" rims are about 330mm dia and 14" rims are 355mm dia (give or take), which are all smaller than the 400mm carastow rims.
geoff 'n jude
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Post by firefighter on Mar 11, 2013 9:36:53 GMT 10
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 11, 2013 9:55:42 GMT 10
Hmmmm, first time I ever heard of such an animal as HWMBO - thought they were like the kiwi - extinct I will ignore most of that comment  but feel obliged to point out the kiwi (several species thereof) is not extinct. The rest of you please carry on as you're coming up with lots of useful stuff especially Al about not knocking my brains out with the roller door. Looking forward to your photo if you have time Firefighter. |
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 11, 2013 12:13:13 GMT 10
What actually is the height difference between the van and the shed door, HD? ? If its over 2-300mm, it might actually be a lost cause Ray |
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 11, 2013 12:42:38 GMT 10
That's a good question but I think, based on the suggestions on here, that it is possible. If I remove the bracket at the top of the door and completely deflate the tyres she'd be only about 20mm too tall. So I'm thinking either the carastow wheels or 'roller skates' would give me that extra little bit (and probably quite a bit more). There's a lot to be gained by removing the wheels. They're about 17.5in across the outside edges of the rim - flamin' huge for a 10ft van! And no, I don't want to replace them with cute little 13in ones - the big wheels and associated stepladder are part of her charm |
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Post by firefighter on Mar 11, 2013 13:04:37 GMT 10
G'day H D 13 inch Holden wheels cut down .....tyre section of the rim cut off then weld on thin strip of steel with 4 small steel blocks of steel in the gaps ( also welded to the wheel and strip of steel ).....so the thin strips are solid all the way around with whats left of the wheel When i get around to it...... I will glue and rivet a 1/4 thick strip of rubber all the way around the steel band on the wheels i have 13 inch rim with radial tyre on approx 23/24 inches ..... now with mods 11 3/8 inches....plus if you glue a strip of rubber on Will this work for ever body ....don't know i guess it depends on room under your axle ......also the length of the u bolts around the springs ........thread to long might drag on the ground.....cut some of then off Hope this is some help to you...and anybody else short on room to go through a door way at the top   cheers f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by hilldweller on Mar 11, 2013 13:32:58 GMT 10
Those are very cool! Do you think they would float across the ditch? |
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Post by firefighter on Mar 11, 2013 14:13:34 GMT 10
Those are very cool! Do you think they would float across the ditch? Yep..... bolt them to a piece of wood.... float them over tonight ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D f/f  |
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 11, 2013 14:45:19 GMT 10
Interesting setup there f/f. So why isn't your van under the carport ;D ;D ;D The irony (pun intended) is the lengths we go to to put under cover something that is meant to be waterproof when we take it away Always makes me wonder why manufacturers used such diverse materials as mush (caneite) and cardboard (masonite) when they built the darn things in the first place. Back to you HD. If you got a 13" rim with your van's stud pattern, would you have enough clearance if you didn't have tyres on? If that sized rim would work and you can't find a matching stud pattern, can a friendly person either cut holes into the rim to suit (for the sake of moving a few metres durability is not an issue), or alternatively, spot-weld a round blank into the centre and drill holes to suit your pattern. You might even be able to find a couple of 12" rims for that. |
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The roof is plenty high enough for Mabel if I can get her in there but the door is too low (the streamlined Caravelle squeaked through with soft tyres, in her pre-hatch days, but Mabel sits nearly 6in higher on big-girl wheels). 
?
but feel obliged to point out the kiwi (several species thereof) is not extinct.