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  1. #2251
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Near Bendigo, Victoria, AUS
    Age
    72
    Posts
    3,102

    Default

    I haven't been very active in the workshop - worth sharing - recently.
    My major project in recent months has been to modify a Ford Transit Campervan to suit our needs.
    Lots of metalwork and electrical stuff involved - and lots of patience, focus and persistence required....
    Tried it out for a week over Christmas in Mount Beaty - and getting very close to convenient.
    The work involved adding 'house' batteries (200Ah), solar panels (400W), inverter (2.5kW), changing the hot water service element and switching from 240V to 12V, re-organising the fridge air movement, re-wiring the entire 'shore power' system and adding proper circuit breakers and fuses everywhere. The wiring was particularly tricky and time consuming, as it has to go through/around/inside all sorts of vehicle metal structure, and I added a few 12V and 5V USB outlets. I then fitted a 7" screen Android system with radio, reversing camera, GPS, bluetooth phoning and musik, WiFi, ODBII interface etc. Then I modified/redigned and fitted a passenger seat swivel - lots of tricky metalwork here!
    The van already had toilet, shower, shore power/generator aircon, TV etc. when we bought it (in Hervey Bay, Qld - flew up and drove it back).
    I also rearranged cupboards and bed, which meant changing all the plumbing. So it kept me occupied and pre-occupied a bit.
    The current project is rebuilding an old Postie bike (1982 Honda CT110) for local transport and making a rack to fit it onto the back of the campervan.
    20190102_145102 (Large).jpg 20181223_164322 (Large).jpg 20181223_164403 (Large).jpg IMG_20181222_173109 (Large).jpg IMG_20181222_173004 (Large).jpg IMG_20181222_172918 (Large).jpg IMG_20181222_172909 (Large).jpg IMG_20181222_172843 (Large).jpg IMG_20181222_172705 (Large).jpg
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  2. #2252
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

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    Hi Joe,

    When I had got over the shock of looking at the pictures of your camper van initially thinking it was mine I was looking at

    You have done a great job. I mounted my solar panel across the centre of the roof so I could put the cabin skylight over the dinning table and open the rear doors like French windows. Unfortunately the UK is not very camper friendly, so my wife and I spend the most time in Europe. However with Brexit I do wonder how long that will last.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  3. #2253
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    That's pretty cool Joe, I like it.

    I feel your pain with automotive wiring, sometimes it's a nightmare pushing wires through double skin vehicles etc. Are you missing skin on your knuckles?

    It must have been a joy to use after spending so much time and effort on it!

    My wife and i love camping. We still do tent camping and love it but we also look forward to one day owning an off road camping trailer with all the bells and whistles.

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  4. #2254
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,651

    Default

    Nice project Joe.
    Any details on the particular Android system you used?

    Steve

  5. #2255
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    That's pretty cool Joe, I like it.

    I feel your pain with automotive wiring, sometimes it's a nightmare pushing wires through double skin vehicles etc.
    Try doing a decent sized boat........

    PDW

  6. #2256
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PDW View Post
    Try doing a decent sized boat........

    PDW
    You telling me you fitted the yacht out first and then did the wiring?

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  7. #2257
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Near Bendigo, Victoria, AUS
    Age
    72
    Posts
    3,102

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    This is the unit I chose: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/401655662593
    Quite happy with it, but I need to fiddle with the backlight a bit yet. It is much too bright at night. You can turn the backlight off completely and everything keeps working (GPS etc) and a touch of the screen anywher will turn it back on....
    Having a "night screen" like in the factory Screen in our '18 Subaru XV would be nicer....
    It came with iGO GPS software amd Aussie Map. I actually really like that one!
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  8. #2258
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,182

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    Here's the vice stand in action.
    SWMBO is looking somewhat pained in the second photo but as she's got into the swing of things she says she is very happy with it.

    IMG_3505.jpg

    IMG_3507.jpg

  9. #2259
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,540

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    Not wishing to give you more work, but she may find it easier to use with a more upright chair/ stool. Those folding chairs are comfortable but not as easy to work from.

    Michael

  10. #2260
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,182

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    Not wishing to give you more work, but she may find it easier to use with a more upright chair/ stool. Those folding chairs are comfortable but not as easy to work from.l
    I agree but that means one more type of chair to carry. She already has 2 folding chairs and a beach chair!

  11. #2261
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    You telling me you fitted the yacht out first and then did the wiring?

    Simon
    I'm *still* doing the fscking wiring......

    Amazing how a wiring run of less than 2.5m in a straight line ends up taking over 10m of actual wire by the time you go around all the corners, under the cabin sole etc etc - all while twisted like a pretzel into spaces the right size for someone less than 1.5m tall and with extra arm joints.

    Solar panel wiring from deck penetration to terminal block...... serves me right for not doing it before I splashed the boat.

    PDW

  12. #2262
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    I agree but that means one more type of chair to carry. She already has 2 folding chairs and a beach chair!
    you can get folding stools...what about a milk crate which can also serve as gas bottle holder?

  13. #2263
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

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    Quote Originally Posted by PDW View Post
    I'm *still* doing the fscking wiring......

    Amazing how a wiring run of less than 2.5m in a straight line ends up taking over 10m of actual wire by the time you go around all the corners, under the cabin sole etc etc - all while twisted like a pretzel into spaces the right size for someone less than 1.5m tall and with extra arm joints.

    Solar panel wiring from deck penetration to terminal block...... serves me right for not doing it before I splashed the boat.

    PDW
    PDW, I take it that most of the wiring runs all all one piece runs with no joints to ail because of corrosion.

    I did some welding on a boat for a bloke who was wiring his expensive "hole in the water" and learnt some new swear words from him.

    Grahame

  14. #2264
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    PDW, I take it that most of the wiring runs all all one piece runs with no joints to ail because of corrosion.
    Ideally, yes. In this case tinned copper (all my wiring is tinned) from MC4 connector to junction block where the other panel feeds then heavier wire to the solar regulator and from that to the battery bank. The deck penetration is a stainless pipe fitted with a union (in glass reinforced nylon and then to a U bend so the cable exits downwards to form a drip loop. And all the cable has black corrugated conduit over it to protect from UV and abrasion.

    I spent a *lot* of time on ships on deep ocean voyages. It's the little stuff that comes back to haunt you if you don't do it properly the first time - no matter how slow and painful it is, the second time will be worse (and inevitably somewhere a lot less pleasant than alongside the wharf).

    PDW

  15. #2265
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    733

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    Made a wobbler. Somebody else made one recently and I got the plans off that post - cannot find it now - think it was a high school student project posted on this forum recently.

    Here is my one https://youtu.be/OeUsmJX0-H4




    Plans from Steves Workshop ---
    A Simple Oscillating Engine

    Made some mistakes and had to do some fettling ....
    - Worst one - inlet port hole didn't line up to cylinder hole so "widened" it sideways with a 3mm end mill - that worked

    - doesn't look pretty because decided to go ahead with all accumulated mistakes to extract maximum learning and then make another one

    Quite chuffed with end result - runs on 5 psi if you can believe the Ryobi air compressor. Unbelieveable how satisfying this is for the novice builder - although I do think that it would be boring for anybody else to look at, but I reckon its fascinating cos its mine.

    Is it possible to actually do anything useful with these things ? Would be quite happy if I could give somebody a blingy steam powered pencil sharpener for next Christmas.

    Bill

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