mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Have a look at the link I posted;
Tyres front/rear: 37x12.50R17
Rim: Hutchinson 17x8.5 split rim
Run Flat: Hutchinson VFI
How wide can you go?
- Thread starter Capo
- Start date
Have a look at the link I posted;
Tyres front/rear: 37x12.50R17
Rim: Hutchinson 17x8.5 split rim
Run Flat: Hutchinson VFI
mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Start with higher quality brake pads and make sure you have higher temp brake fluid too.
Capo
Happy Camper
Thanks,
That is my thinking too. I already have steel braided tubes and perhaps there's a way to beef up the master cylinder? - More powerful callipers? I will look into it. It would be a pity having to exclude 16" wheels as an option since I have two sets of them, one with AT and the other with MT. Also, tyre prices seem to double as you move up to 18"...
Capo
Happy Camper
My new mechanic opened again after the holidays so I drove down today and handed over Rommel to him and the dirt bike trailer. Rommel is getting a full service including a new cam chain and new springs in all four corners. Like written earlier, the full extension forward of the luggage platform to cater for a bed will be completed.
The most likely scenario for the dirt bike trailer is taking the body off, buying a new Swiss two-axle off-road chassis and bolt the body onto it - simples! The new chassis will have bolt patterns for G in order to use my complete set of 16"x7,5 with MT 265/75 that I have lying around. The same wheel dimensions on Rommel and the trailer is a welcome benefit. The trailer will copy the track width of Rommel for easier trailing. Like I wrote in an earlier post, the awning, tent and boxes get transferred over from the roof rack to the trailer to turn it into a dirt bike/camper trailer - it will be terrific! The old chassis stays on Spanish plates and becomes a useful two-axle flatbed trailer. I'll bring it back to Spain where my Nissan Navara will put it to work.
The last picture with the heavy "Hilton Suite" on the roof, picture taken after a morning roe buck stalk. The wheels in the picture are the ones I will install on the trailer.
The most likely scenario for the dirt bike trailer is taking the body off, buying a new Swiss two-axle off-road chassis and bolt the body onto it - simples! The new chassis will have bolt patterns for G in order to use my complete set of 16"x7,5 with MT 265/75 that I have lying around. The same wheel dimensions on Rommel and the trailer is a welcome benefit. The trailer will copy the track width of Rommel for easier trailing. Like I wrote in an earlier post, the awning, tent and boxes get transferred over from the roof rack to the trailer to turn it into a dirt bike/camper trailer - it will be terrific! The old chassis stays on Spanish plates and becomes a useful two-axle flatbed trailer. I'll bring it back to Spain where my Nissan Navara will put it to work.
The last picture with the heavy "Hilton Suite" on the roof, picture taken after a morning roe buck stalk. The wheels in the picture are the ones I will install on the trailer.
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Capo
Happy Camper
Thanks!
Very excited and looking forward to it. Looks like me and my mates in Spain are finally soon signing a new hunting lease again in northern Spain. So hopefully this setup will start being useful from April 1 which is when the roe buck season opens in Spain - very happy if it all comes together.
Very excited and looking forward to it. Looks like me and my mates in Spain are finally soon signing a new hunting lease again in northern Spain. So hopefully this setup will start being useful from April 1 which is when the roe buck season opens in Spain - very happy if it all comes together.
Capo
Happy Camper
Lapland Style Tents (or Tepee Style)
Check out the tents from Tentipi and their complete optional gear range. They are great for cold climates. When I was in the Marines we used tents like these with a stove in the middle and it was a nice place to be on a cold night. We copied the tent style from our Swedish Lapland natives. A Native American tepee is the same concept, I assume. So, I Googled to see what the civil market of today has to offer and found Tentipi. When overlanding in a group, a large Tentipi tent is a great place to gather the whole crew, taking the aperitivo and BBQing together. Particularly nice when the wind or rain is making outdoor life miserable. One man pitches the tent in three to five minutes.
http://www.tentipi.com/products/adventure-nordic-tipis/
Check out the tents from Tentipi and their complete optional gear range. They are great for cold climates. When I was in the Marines we used tents like these with a stove in the middle and it was a nice place to be on a cold night. We copied the tent style from our Swedish Lapland natives. A Native American tepee is the same concept, I assume. So, I Googled to see what the civil market of today has to offer and found Tentipi. When overlanding in a group, a large Tentipi tent is a great place to gather the whole crew, taking the aperitivo and BBQing together. Particularly nice when the wind or rain is making outdoor life miserable. One man pitches the tent in three to five minutes.
http://www.tentipi.com/products/adventure-nordic-tipis/
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These are very popular down under. A true touring tent Heavy canvas to handle all weather conditions and tall enough to stand in it. One centre pole and four corner pegs for a very fast setup.
I used one for many years and still do now and again. We have upgraded to a larger version with a bigger rear area.
But like any good canvas tent they are quite bulky when stowed (a 1m^2 footpront)
Now these tents are really taking off (Oztent) A mate of mine got rid of his root top tent and dome tent and replaced it with one of these. Very quick to setup and well made. Lots of accessories and they can be joined up. They are quite long when stowed though (usually going on the roofrack)
I used one for many years and still do now and again. We have upgraded to a larger version with a bigger rear area.
But like any good canvas tent they are quite bulky when stowed (a 1m^2 footpront)
Now these tents are really taking off (Oztent) A mate of mine got rid of his root top tent and dome tent and replaced it with one of these. Very quick to setup and well made. Lots of accessories and they can be joined up. They are quite long when stowed though (usually going on the roofrack)
Capo
Happy Camper
Thanks, swb!
I saw what must have been an Oztent five years ago in the Moroccan Sahara when I was driving on the dunes with my G400. A Genevan bloke with his family were overlanding in a Landcruiser 80 and he swore by the benefits of the Oztent. I've been thinking about such a tent recently but never found it whilst searching the internet. At some point an Oztent will be a great addition to my setup.
I saw what must have been an Oztent five years ago in the Moroccan Sahara when I was driving on the dunes with my G400. A Genevan bloke with his family were overlanding in a Landcruiser 80 and he swore by the benefits of the Oztent. I've been thinking about such a tent recently but never found it whilst searching the internet. At some point an Oztent will be a great addition to my setup.
Capo
Happy Camper
Three Oztents For Rommel's Trailer
Final plan on how to structure the camping add-ons on the dirt bike trailer.
There will be three Oztents size RV1, the smallest tent,: Two will be fold-outs on the sides and one goes up on the roof.
Side fold-out tents are practical since they don't touch the ground which gives better insulation and keeps the tent away from muck and bugs. The side panels of the superstructure are very strongly built and will serve excellently as tent platforms. I'll cut out a slab the size of the bottom of the tent on each side panel, hinge it on the bottom end and it will fold out to a horizontal platform. The tent bottom is fastened to the platform and the entry side of the tent is attached and sealed to the frame of the side panel cut-out. This way, as you fold out the platforms, the tents get erected in one simple movement with the tent openings towards the inner volume of the trailer.
The roof tent will be pitched on a top hinged rear panel the size of the whole rear of the trailer. The existent bottom hinged rear panel normally folds out to a ramp for boarding the bikes. In camping mode, the rear panel will fold out to horizontal level to become a floor but first the top hinged panel has to be folded up to horizontal level, supported on poles and becomes the roof where to pitch the top tent. The existent central roof of the trailer will continue being a terrace. The gap between the two folded out rear panels will get tent walls that will zip into place. For these tent walls I'll use a standard tent enclosure from a Hannibal rear awning. This way, the inner volume of the trailer gets an extension to aft.
With a Webasto diesel heater, a tank and a battery there's self sustained heating too. To my knowledge, this will be the first combo of enclosed dirt bike trailer and camper. A square Oztent Screen Room will serve as "Parque Fermé" for the bikes at night.
I don't know if I've explained myself clearly. I'll enclose a picture of the trailer in order to picture it easier. The super structure of the trailer will need to be extended by some 25cm so the 215cm long tents will fit into the side panels.
Final plan on how to structure the camping add-ons on the dirt bike trailer.
There will be three Oztents size RV1, the smallest tent,: Two will be fold-outs on the sides and one goes up on the roof.
Side fold-out tents are practical since they don't touch the ground which gives better insulation and keeps the tent away from muck and bugs. The side panels of the superstructure are very strongly built and will serve excellently as tent platforms. I'll cut out a slab the size of the bottom of the tent on each side panel, hinge it on the bottom end and it will fold out to a horizontal platform. The tent bottom is fastened to the platform and the entry side of the tent is attached and sealed to the frame of the side panel cut-out. This way, as you fold out the platforms, the tents get erected in one simple movement with the tent openings towards the inner volume of the trailer.
The roof tent will be pitched on a top hinged rear panel the size of the whole rear of the trailer. The existent bottom hinged rear panel normally folds out to a ramp for boarding the bikes. In camping mode, the rear panel will fold out to horizontal level to become a floor but first the top hinged panel has to be folded up to horizontal level, supported on poles and becomes the roof where to pitch the top tent. The existent central roof of the trailer will continue being a terrace. The gap between the two folded out rear panels will get tent walls that will zip into place. For these tent walls I'll use a standard tent enclosure from a Hannibal rear awning. This way, the inner volume of the trailer gets an extension to aft.
With a Webasto diesel heater, a tank and a battery there's self sustained heating too. To my knowledge, this will be the first combo of enclosed dirt bike trailer and camper. A square Oztent Screen Room will serve as "Parque Fermé" for the bikes at night.
I don't know if I've explained myself clearly. I'll enclose a picture of the trailer in order to picture it easier. The super structure of the trailer will need to be extended by some 25cm so the 215cm long tents will fit into the side panels.
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Capo
Happy Camper
Oh yeah, so you'll have a fold-out tent on right and left side, then one on a fold-out for the roof as well? Some drawings would help us better understand your grand plan--and it sounds like a very grand plan!
I hope my lousy sketching will clarify the idea a little bit. If you go and look at Oztent's model RV1 with awning on poles you will probably get a clearer idea of the roof tent layout.
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Capo
Happy Camper
Oztent fold-out
Here are some pictures of the Oztent to further clarify my plan to have my dirt bike trailer double as a camper. The beauty of this tent is how quickly you pitch it/wrap it up and how it easily adapts to a custom fit on a vehicle.
Having had full camping luxury on onboard the G for many years has made me tired of the excess weight and loss of agility. Passing all the great but bulky camping gear over to the trailer and have the G minimised for "just'nuff" for overlanding in case I go without the trailer, will be a new refreshing experience. For example: The kitchen on the G is now a Primus ultra light hiking stove instead of the great but big three-burner with its six kg gas bottle. My big English, very elegant pick-nick set in it's utterly heavy leather on oak frame case is out, substituted by ultra light hiking stuff. Tools, spare parts and recovery gear have been submitted to a 25% weight reduction. No roof rack - bed fitted inside instead of roof tent. Suspension lowered from an 80mm lift to a 20mm lift. The extremely heavy rear seat bench is out the window making for low and centralised stowing of the heavy bits like water, recovery gear, tools, luggage and spare parts. The additional fuel tank is unfortunately not situated between the axles but low on top of the rear axle and is only filled up when really needed. Before I used to stupidly keep it full "just in case".
What amazes me with the G is in spite of how grossly overloaded mine was, it still did hard off-roading without ever breaking structurally. Sure, I busted a few springs before finding strong enough bits but never structural breakdown, not even damage. The G is indeed an immensely strong machine!
Here are some pictures of the Oztent to further clarify my plan to have my dirt bike trailer double as a camper. The beauty of this tent is how quickly you pitch it/wrap it up and how it easily adapts to a custom fit on a vehicle.
Having had full camping luxury on onboard the G for many years has made me tired of the excess weight and loss of agility. Passing all the great but bulky camping gear over to the trailer and have the G minimised for "just'nuff" for overlanding in case I go without the trailer, will be a new refreshing experience. For example: The kitchen on the G is now a Primus ultra light hiking stove instead of the great but big three-burner with its six kg gas bottle. My big English, very elegant pick-nick set in it's utterly heavy leather on oak frame case is out, substituted by ultra light hiking stuff. Tools, spare parts and recovery gear have been submitted to a 25% weight reduction. No roof rack - bed fitted inside instead of roof tent. Suspension lowered from an 80mm lift to a 20mm lift. The extremely heavy rear seat bench is out the window making for low and centralised stowing of the heavy bits like water, recovery gear, tools, luggage and spare parts. The additional fuel tank is unfortunately not situated between the axles but low on top of the rear axle and is only filled up when really needed. Before I used to stupidly keep it full "just in case".
What amazes me with the G is in spite of how grossly overloaded mine was, it still did hard off-roading without ever breaking structurally. Sure, I busted a few springs before finding strong enough bits but never structural breakdown, not even damage. The G is indeed an immensely strong machine!
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Capo
Happy Camper
Yes, side tents on both sides are the plan. The interior layout will have a small kitchen to the front. The stove is to be manned from the inside on cold winter days and from the outside through a window on really hot days if all doors wide open aren't cooling the inside enough. The awning on top and all the openings in all directions will help keeping the interior cool on hot locations. Slide-out fridge on the outside in the front with the gas bottles on top. Spare wheels on the rear.
When the bikes are offloaded there will be room for a multipurpose area inside: 1. A hook in the ceiling and a fold-out table for skinning and butching. 2. Workshop with room to work on one bike/gun/fishing rod at the time. 3. Dining area with two along-ships benches and a table in the middle. 4. Bedroom for one person. All together four roomy beds for four hunters or fishermen or dirt bike riders with bikes. A fairly roomy cabin and a nice panoramic terrace on top.
It will be simple and spartan but sturdy and purposeful. Thanks to less fixed structure, when all is packed together it can be stowed inside of the trailer low. So when packed up and rolling, the trailer will have the same proportions as in the photos albeit slightly longer.
I'm thinking of lowering the final transmission ratio of the G400 since I won't need the quite high top speed. Instead it's better to have good trailer pulling power which will alleviate the work of the torque converter a little. Instead of topping out at a true 180km/h (speedo says 200), a good true 160km/h is fine.