Thistle-Doo

[Roehm3108]

Hi all.

For personal reasons, it became necessary for me to sell Cino Vardo. Surprisingly it took 7 months to find a new owner! In the end, she only moved about 40klms!! 

When I made the decision to sell, I had in mind to get a little camper, just so that I could still get away, so early in December 2021 I found an el-cheapo Jayco Finch wind-up camper:





I parked it at a friend's place a couple of hundred Klms away, mainly because I had no space at home, but also thinking it wouldn't be long before I sold Cino Vardo and had room for this van at home. January came and I did a house-sit of my friend's property while they went away. I used the time to really look at the van. Knowing it needed new canvas, I wound it up, only to find that it wouldn't stay up without a prop!! I'm not a fan of these wind-up mechanisms as the wires are mostly hidden in cupboards and it would be hell to fix if something went wrong. I got so annoyed with the whole roof thing that I put my circular saw to it and cut the roof in two!!



320kg of caravan went to the tip, leaving only the bottom wall!!



I returned for another house-sit for a few weeks before Easter and in my spare time reassessed the whole project. Each corner of the floor was rotted where the roof lifters were attached, so in the end, everything came out and another 120kg went to the tip.



Thankfully there was no rust in the chassis, so I still had a cheap chassis with braked wheels and axle.

So what to do? I removed the spare wheel bracket and relocated the water tank. I decided at that time to put a new floor in and decide what to do after that was done.



So now I had a blank canvas again.

Those of you who know know me, also know I love a double cambered roof and/or lantern roof caravans. The greatest regret in my vintage caravan journey was not being able to get a certain original Glen lantern roof caravan in Victoria a few years ago.

I found some pics of a 1939 Winchester gem being restored in England at the moment. It's about 10ft long with a dinky double cambered roof. Yes, it would be quite a simple thing to build. I consulted a more rabid vintage caravan enthusiast than me about which direction to take - double camber or lantern roof. He suggested the former and from a distance was vigorously shaking his head about my thoughts of building a lantern roof. Last night I made what I think will be the final decision. After playing around on my drawing board for the past week drawing up both double camber and lantern roof ideas, I've come up with what I propose to do. As this will most likely be my last build, I've decided to go for a lantern roof/ Mollycroft style cabin. This is what it will look like from a side elevation (the setback of the Mollycroft will be about 500mm from the sides of the outer walls):



Tentatively, I've name her Mini-Ray-Go, but if you have better ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Mr DonR, as this is not a true copy of any particular vintage caravan, but rather is sympathetic to and inspired by the Flynn Cabincar, I have again started this thread under "Whatever". Feel free to move it anywhere else if you so choose.

[Mustang]

Wow, what decisions, we look forward to this project.
( interesting position for the spare wheel)
Cheers

[Roehm3108]

Haven't been idle these past couple of weeks. Last weekend I ripped down a couple of 19mm thick 2400x1200 sheets of structural ply for framing material for the project. Got that home and the chassis now lives at my place. As the van will be 3000mm long at the longest wall point, I had to chase around for that sized plywood. Not cheap, but got some and thereby avoid vertical joins. Picked up the load yesterday and the pic above tells you how much $1000 will buy you in plywood.

This van will be double skinned with polystyrene insulation in the cavity. Overall the walls will be just over 26mm thick. This will accommodate the three black aluminium framed windows I now have.

Mustang, I also was amused at the location of the spare wheel! Not sure what would happen in the event of a flat!

I had a friend gift me a long skinny 190 a/h battery which he hadn't used for his rig. It weighs 45 kg! So I have to work out what to do with this (if anything)!

[sportsman 1]

This is going to be so interesting, looking forward to following the build.

[Don Ricardo]

So that's what a flat-pack caravan looks like, Roehm!

I'm looking forward to watching it come together.

Don Ricardo

[Roehm3108]

Maybe it's because I live in this upside down country called Austraya, I'm starting this build from the top down. Right or wrong, I'm building the lantern roof first and hope that the body will fit under it.

So I've been transposing the drawings onto the timber vertical section and am ready to draw where the holes for the windows are to go. FYI, those upper windows will only be skylights and will not open. I simply don't want to create too many places where water can enter. I originally planned for the skylights to be approx 350mm long and about 100mm high. Porthole windows really cost the earth, so I am adapting $16 Bunnings bunker lights. by using the holding frame and cutting out pieces of flat tinted Perspex. Those fittings are about 200mm long by 100mm high.

I have a feeling though that two of those shorter skylights will look a bit lost. So I have attached some pics, seeking your opinions - two or three skylights? The first pic gives you an idea of how the framing will slope by the pencil drawing. Please let me know in the next day or two.

[bobandjacqui]

Three

[cobber]

G’day Ray,

The purpose of a lantern roof is (1) to look good (2)to provide extra head room down the centre of the van (3) to let extra light into the van (4) to provide ventilation at night so you don’t suffer with condensation.
By having fixed panes you won’t have the ventilation benefit, that’s OK, the way it’s been done on Ol ‘33 we don’t have the benefit of extra light but we really appreciate the extra ventilation, Ol ‘33 never suffers with condensation.

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Definitely three, Roehm.

[Mustang]

Thats a 3 from me & a three from her.

Re Ventilation:
Would a hatch (hidden) like the image suffice? these are solar powered & sealed.

[Roehm3108]

I think the consensus here and on my own FB site indicates that I need to have three skylights. Not an unexpected result as I have similar feelings.

Thanks for your comments cobber, I always appreciate your pearls of wisdom. For me, there is also a 5th reason for a lantern roof - to fit under my carport!!! . As you might remember, before I built Cino Vardo, I had to change the framing on the carport to a portal frame to accommodate a side to side curved caravan roof. I really need the same thing to happen with this van, so that the sides are lower than the centre.

Apart from that, I can tick off three out of the 4 points you mentioned. which ain't bad. As far as condensation goes, I remember having that problem with the Properts too. I notice that it looks like Ol'33 has small vents, as does the Glen. It doesn't look like the Trail-a-Home has any. Mustang has posted a solar powered vent, which I will look into further (thanks Mustang). I will be double skinning this build as well as having polystyrene insulation panels and I think I will wait till I test that out to see if condensation will still be a problem. Interestingly, I didn't have any condensation problems with Cino Vardo. Maybe because there was only one body breathing in it! (don't laugh!!)

[Roehm3108]

Hi all

I've been a bit distracted last month with other things, including chasing wildflowers to photograph and dealing with a park owner who wants me to stop building my project! Some hassles are sent to try us!

I purchased a plywood called falcata for the interior of the build. It is about 1/3 lighter than the equivalent plywood. It looks to be a triply layered sandwich. The outer layers are falcate veneer and the inner core paulownia, which is akin to balsa. The problem is that it seems like it doesn't have the ability to bend as well as ordinary plywood. I never considered this when building the lantern frame and despite hot towels and weights, could not get it to bend to follow the curve I had created with the framing. So a bit of re-engineering was needed.

Here are some pics





The future "inside" view



As you can see from the first two pics, the "stringers" at each end had to be "thickened" to cope with the lack of curving in the plywood. To do otherwise would have fractured the outer veneer layer of the panel. Thankfully this is the only "seen" panel that needs this treatment. I have something else in mind for the front and rear wall curves.

I will now install the insulation and add the outer plywood cladding while it is at ground level.

I must admit that this roof was a bit of a challenge for me!

[Roehm3108]

Hi all

A little more progress.

Added 15mm insulation to the ceiling cavity



Today I fitted the outer skin to the lantern roof section



It never ceases to amaze me how different the plywood construction is these days. I'm using 3.6mm exterior ply. OK, so it's three-ply, but the outer layer is really only the thickness of veneer and the inner layer is what look like hoop pine. WIll be interesting to see how this holds up.

I'm intending to coat the roof areas with this waterproofing compound instead of a calico cover. Has anybody used this before? I'ved tested it and it seems to adhere really well to the unpainted plywood. I will still add acrylic paint on top of that

[Mustang]

Somewhere here I have heard of this brand, I'm sure it will be satisfactory.
Each time I visit this thread the opening images are Priceless !!!!!!!!!

[Roehm3108]

Hi all

Its been a busy month working in my profession on Caloundra, so not much has happened on the build.

I duplicated the sides out of exterior plywood to give the pine framing added protection and they are now attached. SO effectively I had to make two sets of porthole cutouts. Considering I managed to break one of the pieces during construction, I've done the same job three times!!!

Then I coated the roof with three coats of the Exterior waterproofing solution, so there is now an extra layer of protective rubberised compound. If it works, it certainly is easier that giving the roof the calico treatment.

I also found a door for the rig. BUT it was a RH hinged door and while I could redesign the window location on that wall so that the one wouldn't obstruct the other, I was determined!!! As usual, such things take longer than you expect, but I now have altered the door to a LH hinge.

Some pics of the roof with waterproofing compound

[Roehm3108]

Life keeps getting in the way of doing the things you prefer - most of it self-inflicted I hasten to add!!

But I have managed to build the frame of one side, which is the section that attaches to the actual chassis. The front and rear framing will incorporate the curve



The unbraced opening is the door (620mm wide x 1650mm high). The larger of the two small upper frames is the window frame (380x457mm)

[Roehm3108]

Yay! Driver side framing completed! The trick now is to single-handedly set up the frames and lower the roof onto it before proceeding with the front and back.

[Surf Tragic]

Hi Roehm

Great to see what you are doing & some nice carpentry completed , it makes me feel the urge to get mobile on mine again.

Pity about the Park owner, try & get him involved... get him to help hold a wall while you attach the top ... Where is his spirit of adventure !!

Cheers. Surf Tragic

[Roehm3108]

Hi ST

Thanks for your kind words. This is pretty much "seat of the pants" carpentry, especially compared to what I saw in your shed. There was another "white box" that had come to grief on the Bruce Hwy up here a couple of weeks ago, it was backhoe pickup clean-up, with hardly any framing. I'll be happy if mine is an improvement on that style of construction. Double skinning the van makes for some interesting thinking when it comes to building the framing!!

Good to hear I may have given you a bit more motivation to work in your shed. This blog is part of the reasons I keep updating - to motivate others as much as myself.

[shesgotthelook]

Hi Ray, another great project. I have used Crommelin Aqua Block on roof of 1947 home built van & 195? Viscount. Have also just used on an old cabinet that I rescued from flood rubbish. It goes on really nicely.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi R3108

Looks like you've been framed!

You're making progress though, even if it's slow as a result of being distracted by work.

As always, I'm enjoying watching your creativity and problem solving. I hope I'll get to see the fruit of your labours once it's completed. Sadly I never got to see the previous project.

Don Ricardo

[Roehm3108]

Hi SGTL. Thanks for your input, always appreciated. That waterproofing PSU looked interesting too. I felt that for my purpose (particularly exterior grade) I wanted that waterproofing compound. Time will tell how well it works. Looks like we both think alike about upcycling furniture. Here's a pic of the cupboard I picked up at a Tin Can Bay OP shop for $25! I'm a huge fan of OP shops and Marketplace. My lounge is becoming quite a storeroom of treasures I've found. Thankfully I'm the only one who has to put up with the mess!! The roll of vinyl you see in the pic is unused top range stuff sold by the Big Green Shed, which I picked up at less than half price on Marketplace.

DonR, had you ventured outside your state a couple of years ago even pre Covid, you would have seen Cino Vardo at Shellharbour. Hopefully we may cross paths next year.

[Roehm3108]

A few months ago, the BGS ran a special on 900x300mm tas Oak shelf panels, marked down from $37 to $10. I bought three (don't ask why an odd number!!). Decided now tha they would be ideal for creating the curved front and rear framing. So I bought another pine panel and cut each section diagonally and created the curve within the triangle. It's also as tight a curve as this ply will allow too! Fitted one section to the passenger side frame as below. The other side is ready for attaching tomorrow.

For those who are interested in such things, I'm using a Sika polyurethane glue for this framing and thoroughly recommend it. It will NOT move once its dry! A friend who builds gemstone boxes claims he has glued 18mm dowel end to end and tried to break it at the join. but broke it before the join instead! Also FYI, the framing is 1800mm high and the door 1650mm. The lantern roof is set in 400mm from the sides and adds an additional 180mm internal height along the length.

To eagle-eyes cobber, yes the front upper section (LH side of pic) doesn't follow the curve, it's straight!! That's where the front window is going, and I suppose I'm taking the easy route to fitting it. I hummed and haa-ed about whether to curve the front or have it bulge out in a triangular fashion and opted for this way. You've gotta try to imagine the curved roof on that framing and I think it will look more "vintagey"!! I'll be doing the same with the wheel arch too. The longest length of this van is only 2810mm (compared to 2600mm on Cino Vardo)



Wheel arch frame

[Roehm3108]

Some progress looks greater than others and none more so than when cladding starts to be added. Here's the kerbside internal lining finally added.





The frame is really starting to stiffen up and considering the external cladding has yet to be added, I think it will be quite strong.

[Don Ricardo]

G'day R3108,

More progress. That's good to see. It's beginning to look like a caravan.

Actually the profile reminds me a bit of a Franklin Hunter, but when the lantern roof is on it will look a bit different - indeed a look all of its own.

Don Ricardo