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Post by Mustang on Oct 11, 2022 16:37:44 GMT 10
I expanded each of your images, boy you sure will have a different interior, nice style.
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Post by Noyesy on Dec 13, 2022 22:17:35 GMT 10
Hi everyone (or anyone still reading...), here is my update from the last couple of months... Put the roof sheeting on and you can see how much larger my hatch is going to be! I cut and did some panel beating so that there is an aluminium return around the perimeter of the new hatch, the glued in the vertical frame. I was waiting for some 12v parts to come in so I stopped after that and got stuck in to electrical...I am building my 12v system in to a drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe, over the wheel well. The concept is to be able to pull out the drawer and have the front face fold down so that I can access the whole thing...and have the weight directly over the wheel (and opposite the kitchen). The drawer and positioning large components. Battery (home made LiFePO4 - 300ah) positioned in drawer and master switch mounted. Beginning the wiring with the front of the drawer open Complete (for now, a little tidy up to go) Good god that electrical system was a lot of work!! Next I made some drawers for the kitchen and installed them Looking towards the back of the van now (TV on a pull-out bracket so it can be hidden when not in use) Now I have started making the bunks at the front...mixing things up a bit to keep it interesting. Until next time!
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Post by Mustang on Dec 14, 2022 6:26:26 GMT 10
You made your own battery?
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Post by Noyesy on Dec 14, 2022 8:16:46 GMT 10
You made your own battery? Well sort of...it's made up of 4 3.2v LiFePO cells joined together in series using homemade busbars and arranged so the cells lie flat and face each other (I didn't want the height of a conventional battery). The BMS is from FPV Power, a small Australian supplier of battery, solar and charging components - it's also where I got the cells. Meant I could get a low height, decent capacity and the cost is very reasonable compared to buying ready made lithium batteries. I'm really happy with it and it will be interesting to see how the system performs. There is a solar charge controller which also has an alternator input, so I can charge on the move and plug in portable panels.
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Post by Mustang on Dec 16, 2022 6:53:54 GMT 10
WOW, you are certainly ahead of the game in electronics.
I recently purchased a 200ah Lithium for our modern, we are currently away for 4 months, the larger battery has been a delight.
Great work & reporting on your project. Cheers
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Post by Noyesy on Apr 11, 2023 22:35:04 GMT 10
After four months I thought I had better post an update. Over Christmas I was keen to get the roof complete which meant two things; painting the roof and making the hatch/skylight. The roof painting was pretty straightforward, just ground all the paint off and used globalcote. It came out nicely. Along the way I built up the curved hatch frame and sealed it from the outside. I have been wanting to make a large skylight for the van and the only way I could think to do it was to make a frame out of fibreglass. First job was to make a mould. I made a template of the curved sides which I cut out of mdf then made a frame by adding the ends. Next I glued some caravan ply ob to form the base of the mould. I then added a fillet of filler around the edges to create a radius around what will be the top of the hatch. Lastly I added a frame made of strips of ply to form what will be the recess for the perspex. With that done and sanded I slathered on some mould release, painted on two coats of white gelcoat, and epoxied in four layers of cloth. Next day I removed it from the mould and it came out easily enough, although it Brough some mdf with it...easy to clean up though. With a little trimming and sanding and a coat of paint (gelcoat finish wasn't good enough, I must have made some mistakes there) the frame was finished. Here's the hatch with the perspex glued in and the hinge installed. Hatch installed! I have done a lot more on it but haven't taken photos but the hatch is on gas struts and opens up nicely. Since then I have rebuilt and painted the door and am getting the shell ready for paint...such a massive job. Parts of the shell were in really poor condition and the worst was around the fridge vent area...I cut it out and made up a new piece of skin...not original of course but a lot tidier than the cracked and warped skin that was there. Should look ok once painted. The last job was to rewire the rear lights, insulate the back wall and re-attach the rear skin. Until next time!
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Post by Mustang on Apr 13, 2023 6:30:16 GMT 10
Incredible ingenuity.
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Post by Noyesy on Jul 11, 2023 20:49:19 GMT 10
Since the last update was in April I thought it might be time! I hope everyone's year is going well...mine has been extremely personally challenging, but I have been thankful to have the refuge of the workshop and a big project to keep my mind healthily occupied. I'm not even sure if it's worth continuing to post here sine the van from this point is all "new" and not really "vintage" apart from the shell and chassis. Maybe you could let me know your thoughts and perhaps where else I should post? Anyway, after I got the rear of the van finished up I thought I would paint the outside next, so I went to work removing all the old paint and many, many layers of old silicon. I took Shelley's advice and used the nylon brush in a drill...you have to be patient but it takes off all the paint without damaging or stretching the aluminium, which is perfect. It was a filthy job and I totally trashed my workshop, but I got it done :-) Soon after I realised that the weather was going to be cold for painting and...well, I was unlikely to be finished before next summer, so I parked the painting and have focused instead on the interior. First project was to form the front bulkhead and bunks. I have had this concept brewing in my head for months to make stuff-holes / shelves in the space between the front of the bunks and the curved part of the front panel. I wanted to create a cosy bottom bunk and plenty of storage for clothes etc. I had already created the basic bunk frame, with the bottom cantilevered out as far as possible to allow enough room for a generous mattress size but without encroaching on the doorway. The bottom rail of the bunk is actually tapered and will form part of the frame behind the skin when it goes on. I started the next part of the build by marking up and cutting out the fascia of the shelves...with a lot of faffing about of course to work out heights, sizes etc. That got glued in place then I created a lightweight frame and ribs to form the basic shape of the bulkhead and create the shelf supports. I decided I wanted to have lights inside the shelves so I ran some led strips in to each space and wired in a switch/dimmer. Here's what that looked like when completed. Finally I glued in the shelf bottoms and carpeted (light weight automotive carpet) each of the openings...the back (well the front, the bit under the front skin) is foil board. With that part done I cut out a base for the top bunk (yes, all those slots cut with a router...took bloody ages!) Then the front fascia of the bunks, with a cave like opening and some foot holes for the top bunk. I am really thrilled with the final outcome and my daughter loves it...let's hope she hasn't left home before she gets to use it! This post is getting really long so just a couple of shots of the rear seating area that converts to a bed...thats mostly complete now too...til next time!
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Post by hughdeany on Jul 11, 2023 22:05:22 GMT 10
Hi Noyesy, Glad to see you back again,that Regent will have the strongest front that any Franklin has ever had! Cheers hughdeany Ps,great job.😉
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Post by bruiser on Jul 12, 2023 21:43:19 GMT 10
Good on you Noyesy keep the posts coming I need to keep motivated to finish my 67 viscount. Moving to WA & taking it with me as a flat park. Wall & roof off so I can pack it flat will find room for the furnishings. This won’t be original either but will be a compromise. Have to renovate new home 1st though
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cster
New Member
Posts: 49
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Post by cster on Jul 14, 2023 20:58:47 GMT 10
I Love a good read, Thankyou Noyesy for the entertaining read.
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Post by Noyesy on Oct 13, 2023 22:35:19 GMT 10
Hi folks, time for an update. Sometimes you just have to admit that a great idea just wasn't; my electrical "drawer" in the base of the wardrobe seemed like a stroke of genius, but was more stroke than genius! There's just too many wires going in and out, the drawer doesn't work very well and I just didn't like it. Also, because of the bunks in the front I got slightly concerned about weight distribution, so to finish the wardrobe I tore all the electrical components back out and have relocated them under one of the rear seats instead. Hours wasted, but it was the right decision (image is WIP, it is finished now). Next order of business was to frame out the wardrobe, which will have a TV on an articulating arm at the top (I bought a 12v TV for this task and left a wire in the wall waaaay back when I did the lining). Then the drawers... Next I started making all the drawer fronts and cupboard doors. I have stuck with bamboo ply and made frames in to which rattan is fixed. The overheads have knurled brass knobs and the drawers for the wardrobe have push latches that lock to avoid them flying open in transit. Here is the wardrobe complete. Rear overhead cupboards Front overhead cupboards Last but not least a bit of progress on the kitchen. I only got two pieces of the original interior and I want to use them...the stove, which is immaculate, and the sink, which was one of those ones with an integrated drip tray, which doesn't work with the aesthetic. So, I cut the sink out with an angle grinder and have under-mounted it, and inset the stove so the bench can be used when the stove is not in use. I think it works well. Until next time :-)
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Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 14, 2023 12:59:34 GMT 10
G'day Noysey,
Great to see your progress. I love the cabinetry you are building, especially the rattan look. Very classy.
You mentioned bamboo ply, and you may have mentioned it before, but is it lighter than regular ply?
Don Ricardo
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Post by Noyesy on Oct 16, 2023 20:36:58 GMT 10
G'day Noysey, Great to see your progress. I love the cabinetry you are building, especially the rattan look. Very classy. You mentioned bamboo ply, and you may have mentioned it before, but is it lighter than regular ply? Don Ricardo G'day and thanks for the reply :-) It's probably about the same weight as regular ply in my estimation...which is to say that it is heavier than some materials used in most caravan builds. I am trying to mitigate this where possible by doing things like using the rattan - which weighs nothing, or using thin strips to double the apparent thickness of some elements such as the table and kitchen bench - I want them to "look" like they are thick/solid but only actually have one full sized piece. I am also using caravan ply for the kitchen cabinets etc to try to keep the weight down where possible. I anticipate that I may need to upgrade the suspension to accommodate some extra weight, but it's totally knackered and needs replacing anyway, so I don't mind. That's quite a long winded answer to a simple question!
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