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Post by Koala on May 22, 2017 16:59:32 GMT 10
Made a bit more progress on the resurrection of the Wayward Wayfarer. I routed out a 20mm overlap on both the old and new plywood sheets then glued and clamped to hopefully give a seamless and strong joint. Next is to build the single beds while I have free access to the area. Judy and I intend to keep this van for ourselves to do a bit more touring so as much as I would like to keep everything original inside in reality it would not be practical for extended travelling. The main thing which I will be changing is the refrigerator as the original one is far too small for a decent supply of coke (to go with my Bourbon) and couple of bottles of wine and a bit of food. I don't know how they coped trying to feed the six people which the van is designed to accommodate. The door is quite narrow and will not allow a modern fridge to go in so it is a unforseen bonus to be able to move the new fridge in while the back end is removed from the van. We went for the Vitrifrigo C130L 12/240 volt fridge which is 130 litre capacity but the cabinet only takes the same space as the Dometic 95 litre because the compressor is mounted separately. www.caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=11289Koala
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Post by tooleyau on May 22, 2017 20:59:25 GMT 10
Ken, Dont forget the aircon. May as well put it in while you have the van apart. That way we will have somewhere cool to drink your bourbon when traveling.
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Post by thegeneral on May 22, 2017 21:29:48 GMT 10
Nice fridge Ken even the freezer is big enough to fit a tub of ice cream .
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Post by Mustang on May 23, 2017 8:21:19 GMT 10
Hi Ken We had a Vitrifrigo in our modern. While it gave no trouble it ran 30 min in the hour. We had two large batteries & never ran out of power, but if you plan on a single battery, better make it larger than smaller. Check out "lead crystal" batteries. Cheers Brent
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Post by Gidget on May 23, 2017 13:57:22 GMT 10
I'm super impressed by the work you've done in such a short time! If it's not too much trouble, would you be able to briefly list the materials you use as you progress, ie timber type & thickness used, method of attachment etc. I appreciate that it could bring on a debate as to what is the best option but it would be great to use your experience on this thread as a guide for my upcoming Wayfarer restoration. I'm good with power tools but still a newby when it comes to timber selection and knowing how to tackle a repair. Keep up the good work! Lisa
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Post by aussieute on May 23, 2017 18:59:02 GMT 10
Looking great and coming along a lot quicker than mine so convenient to be able to get the new fridge in looks like it will be better than before the mishap keep up the postings its been great watching your progress cheers chris
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Post by Koala on May 23, 2017 19:12:58 GMT 10
Hi Lisa, thankyou for the encouraging comments on my repair work. Regards your query, it is rather difficult to be specific on what you will require but as a guide just try to replace like with like and use good quality materials. Generally for any part of the van which will be exposed to the weather I use marine grade plywood. For internal framing use meranti. Internally you can generally get away with normal plywood or MDF as long as it stays dry. I have a habit of overdoing the screwing and gluing and use a Sika product called Super Grip 30 minutes with good results in the 4 vans which I have built or restored. It is good to work with as long as you don't get it on your hands and clothing and does set in about 20 minutes, is waterproof and will attach to damp timber with the bonus that it swells to fill any uneven surfaces but the surplus easily scrapes off when dry. Look in Bunnings for the yellow tube with Superman on it. For the work which I have been doing on the wayfarer a small router is invaluable to get the accuracy required in joined panels. The above is just my opinion and I suggest that you just ask on the forum as you go along or send me a PM if you wish. Many forum members are willing to help you along. Koala
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Post by Koala on May 29, 2017 17:39:55 GMT 10
I found a bit of time to do a some more to the Wayfarer. The repair to the accident damage at the rear is coming along nicely with the finished product better than new. The original taillights and number plate were simply screwed to the external sheet but I have improved this by adding mounting blocks for them to screw to. The inner wall is installed, replaced original 240 volt and 12 volt wiring which comes down inside the hollow RH pillar. Now I must make up my mind on what external aluminium sheet to use and make the single bed frames. Koala
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 29, 2017 19:29:38 GMT 10
Wow, Koala! Excellent work there. The Wayfarer is looking a lot less sad than a couple of weeks ago. Don Ricardo
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Post by Koala on May 31, 2017 16:57:09 GMT 10
Regards the insurance claim for damage to the Wayfarer, I had a letter stating that QBE had accepted the claim and the amount which they would pay which was nice It was even nicer today to see that my bank account has swollen with the agreed funds being deposited. So I can say that although the whole affair is unfortunate I cannot complain about the settlement process and level of concern shown by the transport company. They even offered to take the van for repair wherever I chose but as it turns out I will complete the repairs myself. Most of the quote which I gave the insurance company was for my labour to repair the van. So at the end of the day I am happy with the outcome and the Wayfarer will actually end up being structurally more sound than when I purchased it. What to do with the aluminium sheet is my only problem. Koala
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Post by Koala on Jun 3, 2017 10:59:29 GMT 10
Here is a bit of information for those who are restoring caravans from the early 60's which have the early Alfab windows which only have the aluminium frame holding the glass and without a inner aluminium frame. This means that the window seals directly onto the plywood side of the van with a rubber. Considering the length of time since these windows were made I thought I was taking a long shot and rang Alfab (03 94591333) to enquire about purchasing window rubbers and window stays. I was put onto Keith who it seems works a few days each week and he was very helpful and interested in the story of the Wayfarer.They are a bit slow to respond but they do come good. Email keith@alfab.com.au or vic@alfab.com.au To cut a long story short, these are the Alfab numbers for the correct rubbers; # 1081 Black Sealing Rubber Sash Only, Outside Seal. I ordered 17 metres for the 18' Wayfarer. # 1146 Glass Wedge Sealing Extrusion. And if you need window stays; The original stays with metal locks are not available but these are the replacement. You must specify RH or LH. The sheet below was supplied by Alfab to assist identifying your correct stay length, mine in the Wayfarer are 21" Koala
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Post by mausie on Jun 6, 2017 10:38:19 GMT 10
Nice looking van Ken. Sad about the damage but as you say it has allowed you to install a better fridge :-) Keep up the good work.
Joe & Mausie
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Post by Koala on Jun 10, 2017 18:38:54 GMT 10
The cold weather and work have prevented me from achieving too much more on the Wayward Wayfarer so I have tried to plan ahead and gather materials which I will need in the future. This van has no evidence of ever having any brakes fitted and you can see where the original solid coupling has been cut off and a random override coupling added but there are no brakes to connect it to. My plan is to fit electric brakes to both axles and the parts have arrived so that job is sitting in the `when I get around' to it queue. I am not a big fan of the non original black and white check flooring so we have spent considerable time trying to locate some period floor tiles. Judy found some nice 300 X 300 off white left over old stock for $20 and I picked up some nice green ones from a place in Melbourne for $100 for a box delivered. So we are going with green and white checkerboard pattern. When they arrived I found that the old stock green tiles were 2.0mm bigger than the off white ones so a mate ran them through his table saw to trim them down. We are fortunate that the green matches the Wayfarer green flash down the side. This is also in the `when I get around' queue.
Koala
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Post by Koala on Jun 17, 2017 17:17:31 GMT 10
I was feeling a bit disinterested in work so have taken a week off to stay home and fiddle with the Wayfarer. Judy has asked for single beds in place of the double across the back so today was spent trying to achieve that goal. To get enough length for the mattresses I had to move the bedroom wall by 80mm then construct the beds from scratch. It is easier to lay the floor tiles in a empty room so they have gone down as well. These Wayfarers have a very thin floor about 9mm thick and this floor flexes badly as you walk on it. I was concerned that the tiles would crack if nothing was done so I have laid another sheet of 9mm ply on top glued with copious amounts of liquid nails and bolted through to the chassis to give a rigid floor to walk on and form a good base for the tiles. As part of this exercise I have removed the spare bunk and cleared the area ready for another kitchen bench. When building the openings for the back windows I made the mistake of only measuring the RH window and using that to build the opening for both windows then found that the LH window is 15mm wider than the right ........a bit of a cut with the jig saw and router and all is well again. I am a bit biased but I just love those floor tiles, you would think the bloke who laid them knew what he was doing Much better than the cheap black and white check vinyl which had been laid before I purchased the van. Koala
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Post by aussieute on Jun 17, 2017 20:04:44 GMT 10
They look so much better than the black and white tiles and so lucky to find the color so close to tne vans outside looking great it looks like the finish will be better than when you got it cheers chris
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Post by Koala on Jun 20, 2017 18:10:52 GMT 10
It was another typical Canberra day with fog staying around until around mid day and the temperature hovering around 5 degrees for much of the time. This did not inspire me to get out there and start working but as it turned out a couple of mates dropped in and helped for a couple of hours. There was still some accident damage to fix where the inner front wall had cracked so the dining area was removed followed by the inner wall. Fortunately there was no major structural damage so a new sheet and a glue and screw and it will be as good as new again. It was interesting to find that the original masonite wall sheet was stamped `Made in Finland'. We finished the plywood overlay of the floor and the single beds are finished. While I had some surplus muscle we decided to remove and inspect the tandem suspension. As it turned out the rockers between the springs were seized and put up a great fight against a large hammer until they finally came apart. I would say that these bushes have never seen any grease in their life which would be why they were seized. On the down side I now have a flat finger as I missed with the hammer as it was deflected off something mid stroke while holding a drift and caught my finger full force. No worries as I had two mates who were still healthy and they pitched in to finish the job. Another mate is a professional upholsterer and he has offered to redo the dining seats so we are off to see him tomorrow to deliver some new foam so that he can get that underway. Shellharbour in October is looking like a possibility. Koala
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Post by Mustang on Jun 20, 2017 18:31:43 GMT 10
Great news about the minimum damage, hope the same for your poor thumb. What a difference a couple of mates can make to your outlook, suspension is always a good job to get finished.
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Post by Koala on Jul 4, 2017 17:22:04 GMT 10
The cabinet handles in the Wayfarer are heavily corroded and beyond help so I thought I would give it a try to find some replacements. Web search has turned up nothing so I hope someone has some surplus laying around in good condition. I am at that stage with the restoration where I have entered the doldrums......this is the stage where you seem to be doing a lot of work for no visible return Koala
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Post by Koala on Jul 9, 2017 17:11:39 GMT 10
Completed the floor tiling today, finished replacing the front inner wall and finished the new fridge install. I have enough of the lighter colour floor tile left over to do another van so let me know if you can use them. Use them alone or just add your own feature tile and they look great. Koala
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Post by Mustang on Jul 9, 2017 18:40:36 GMT 10
Didn't think you would be in the "doldrums" for long!! The softness of colour looks great with your tiles.
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Post by Gidget on Jul 24, 2017 11:56:39 GMT 10
Hi Koala, would you mind reposting the Alfab window stay info sheet. My Hilandale has Alfab windows and I need to order some replacement window stays. TIA Lisa
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Post by Koala on Jul 24, 2017 17:28:41 GMT 10
Hi Lisa, I replaced the image in my original post on the subject. Can we have an update on your van pls? A note or warning, the new stays have different mountings on each end but apart from this all the parts are interchangeable. I was able to swap the mounts from the old stays and pop rivet them onto the new ones. This worked out just fine. The Alfab replacement stays are good quality which is something which I could not say about some which I have purchased elsewhere in the past. I have spent 2 days just on two rear windows, polishing the aluminium, replacing the cracked glass (I thought I would try polycarbonate sheet for a change), and replaced the rubbers and stays. Don't know where the time went but they are done now and I have sore fingers. I used Inox MX3 lubricant to help slip the rubbers in and it worked well but it is still a difficult job. Inox does not damage rubber like WD40 can do. And I should post a note of thankyou to the forum member who supplied me with a full set of replacement cabinet handles, very much appreciated. Koala
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Post by Gidget on Jul 24, 2017 22:28:07 GMT 10
Thanks for doing that Koala. The window stays are for my Hilandale. With your permission I'll be posting the Alfab info on the Hilandale Facebook group page for other Hilandale owners. As for the Wayfarer, it is still sitting out in the bush waiting for the ground to dry out so the tilt truck doesn't get stuck in the mud... could be waiting for quite some time! Don't worry, as soon as it arrives I'll be posting an update but who knows when that will be! Cheers, Lisa
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Post by Koala on Aug 1, 2017 15:42:07 GMT 10
Progress has been slow on the Wayward Wayfarer. I thought that I had better get on with it and make the rear end water tight before the heavens open and ruin my work to date. The rear window rubbers have been replaced. I managed to panel beat the damaged top panel of diamond pattern aluminium and used some new stucco aluminium sheet for the bottom section. It does not look too bad but I will replace it in the future if I come across some original aluminium in good condition. Some more polishing of the original and it may be OK. At least I have replaced the checker plate which was fitted to the lower half with something better. Still some trim pieces to go on but here is a little time lapse of photos showing progress to date. Koala
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Post by Mustang on Aug 2, 2017 19:52:40 GMT 10
Looks so good without that checker plate & of course your good work all covered in!!
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