Mercedes 1222A.. The beginning!
- Thread starter Sitec
- Start date
loonwheeler
Adventurer
What kind of cab to camper seal are you planning to use? Have you started to plan out a cab to camper door with locking mechanism, etc?
Sitec
Adventurer
Hi fella. So, I'm making two doors that open upwards into each compartment. Both will be openable from both sides, and lockable from both sides. Both will be keyed alike. Both would be locked when leaving the truck. Re latch types, that's still open to suggestions... I was going to look at/consider some decent household barrel and plunger locks and a pull handle on either side of each door. Push in place and lock, as they're either open or closed... Re weather proofing, I plan to have some overlapping rubber deflectors that form a crawl thru 'tunnel', and then have some rubber overlay on the outer side of the cab to deflect the worst of the weather... Also open to thoughts on this too....
Sketch below of what I'm planning...
And a pic of 'Claudia' one of the 6x4's with the rubber overlay system that worked quite well and I plan to copy! (Thanks Miles @ Drago!)
Joe917
Explorer
This may be an idea, our set up..
Door into camper box. Steel ,locking. Note the 4 latch hooks each side of the door and the rubber gasket.
The cab side, flat steel plate with corresponding latches and a vinyl bellows. There is a pull down plastic "door" to keep the rain out if you need engine access in bad weather.. Might work for you.
Door into camper box. Steel ,locking. Note the 4 latch hooks each side of the door and the rubber gasket.
The cab side, flat steel plate with corresponding latches and a vinyl bellows. There is a pull down plastic "door" to keep the rain out if you need engine access in bad weather.. Might work for you.
Joe917
Explorer
Our doors are open 90% of the time. We drive with the door open to monitor any problems in the camper, think unlatched drawers, etc. Our door is more of a walk through than pass through but it is really nice
to have open. Whatever door design you come up with try to make it work kept open as well as closed.
to have open. Whatever door design you come up with try to make it work kept open as well as closed.
Sitec
Adventurer
Hi Joe917.
Thanks for that info. Yes, Wifetec made the point that running with both doors open would be a good thing to be able to do, especially as we'd like to be able to have the option of two people in the back from time to time. Looking at yours, is that a light alli frame that clips on, with what looks like a decent tarp type material to form the 'bridge'? Looks like it works well. How do you go re noise? The cab on ours is well sealed, but I'm thinking with the new large hole in the back, we will get to hear a lot more of the V6 below... Love the height of your cab inside. I'd have loved to have found one of the SK Powerliner cabs for mine, but they never came to Oz. Being able to 'walk' through would be fantastic! I've just noticed you only have the door in the habitation box. Cab get warm in winter ok?
Sorry SITEC for beeing a little late, but in my poor and humble opinion you must absolutely not get rid of the snorkel, not even think about it.
Keeps you free from at least 50% (apparently MB source, not traceable) of the dust and thus extend the life of the filter element, the oil and of course the life of the engine. The truck looks good, right, but it is made for practical reasons.
You have lots of dirt and sandy roads in Australia, where the snorkel is mostly designed to work on. The air intake without snorkel is high enough not to be worried about the fording depth.
With your skills, I am sure you will end up with a very nice setup of front pilars for the roof rack.
Keep up with the great work.
Pairoa
Keeps you free from at least 50% (apparently MB source, not traceable) of the dust and thus extend the life of the filter element, the oil and of course the life of the engine. The truck looks good, right, but it is made for practical reasons.
You have lots of dirt and sandy roads in Australia, where the snorkel is mostly designed to work on. The air intake without snorkel is high enough not to be worried about the fording depth.
With your skills, I am sure you will end up with a very nice setup of front pilars for the roof rack.
Keep up with the great work.
Pairoa
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Sitec
Adventurer
Hi Pairoa. The snorkel is staying. I just want to find one for the right side now.. South America seems to be the place to find one...
joeblack5
Active member
Hi, Sitec, great built and documentation, since I am attempting my luck with a Unimog 404 and lightweight aluminum bus body I have a high interest in 3 and 4 point mounting systems. At page 10 you show and discuss some of your designs .
I like how you positioned and engineered the pivots vertically in between the chassis as that is where post likely the line of chassis twist is.
Have two questions?
You raised the rear wheel 12" is that the max chassis twist before the other side looses contact?
In that max raised position did you check how much the third or fourth rear pivot points were out of alignment if you take the bolt out of either of them?
Indeed lots has been written and discussed, not much I can find about calculation regarding the locations of the pivoting points.
Thanks a lot,
Johan
I like how you positioned and engineered the pivots vertically in between the chassis as that is where post likely the line of chassis twist is.
Have two questions?
You raised the rear wheel 12" is that the max chassis twist before the other side looses contact?
In that max raised position did you check how much the third or fourth rear pivot points were out of alignment if you take the bolt out of either of them?
Indeed lots has been written and discussed, not much I can find about calculation regarding the locations of the pivoting points.
Thanks a lot,
Johan
Sitec
Adventurer
Hi Johan. Thanks. I did see your post with the body overlaid on the Mog. Interesting project! Have you still got the Mercedes coach? I'd like to see that lifted 300mm and turned into a 4x4/6x6...
Re my chassis twist, I lifted the LH wheel 300-400mm which was what I could safely do with the jack/blocks I had to hand... The RH wheel didn't have a lot of weight on it but was still on the ground. In theory the more weight I build onto the truck the more the chassis would theoretically twist if allowed... but I'm not after huge chassis twist. I want to acheve a certain amount of wheel travel by utilising chassis twist, but then I will also have a series of body stops to limit this, which then allows the rest of the wheel travel to happen using the trucks suspension. All pivot pins would have tapped out easily at this point. The supports were tack welded (still are), and would have gone bang if there was any real load... I've left them tacked on purpose as I plan to twist it again in the near future when I get it out of the workshop before dismantling for paint. I'm lucky as the box I'm adapting is very well engineered, and was originally bolted 'rail on rail' to an Isuzu truck, so will cope with loading... I also have a huge anti roll bar on my rear axle, which is about 50mm thick... I'm contemplating making one side of this dis-connectable so as to allow the springs to work. That said, I dont plan on rock crawling with the truck, but still want it to cope with reasonable creek crossings in the Outback, whilst giving us good highway manners. Lots of unknown's I know... but hopefully some educated guesses in there too!
I'd think with your Mog project, if you made a rigid 100 x 100 RHS floor to suit the bus body width, and then worked this to suit a 3 or 4 point system on the Mog you'd be pretty close
Neil
Observer
I have been looking for 3 years now in South America. It would appear that a crazy truck builder from Chile got the last one.
Luckily I have a bag of tools, a balaclava and I know where he lives.
Watch out Pairoa, It would look better on my truck
Neil
VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Although I would love to see the Youtube video of you and Pat all dressed in black covertly removing a snorkel and stealthily "speeding" away in Cloud9, here is a possible option for you.
I follow a German forum for the LN2 trucks and there is a post about a snorkel for the NG trucks that is being made in China. I did a quick Google search and did not find any details though. If you want I can try and contact the board member that posted the info.
joeblack5
Active member
Thanks Sitec, well would have to bring the coach to you to pull that off. I surely do not have the ability to pull it off. With the airbags it goes up another 3", just enough to slide under it , with the proper blocking of course. With 300 MM raise I would have attempted to continue saline valley road towards the hot springs in death valley.
Depending on the vertical position of the rear pivot point relative to the chassis the box would move to left or right with the frame flexing. Kind of being on the cheap seats in the back of an airplane.
With a three point kinematic construction it can not bind but with a 4 point all bets are off. That is why I am curious if you leave one pin out so that it becomes a 3 point and see how well the last pivot remains aligned during frame flex. If it is then it carry the load of the box without causing other unhelpfull stresses on chassis or box.
What is your time frame to get to the USA? I will put some beer in the fridge.
Johan
Depending on the vertical position of the rear pivot point relative to the chassis the box would move to left or right with the frame flexing. Kind of being on the cheap seats in the back of an airplane.
With a three point kinematic construction it can not bind but with a 4 point all bets are off. That is why I am curious if you leave one pin out so that it becomes a 3 point and see how well the last pivot remains aligned during frame flex. If it is then it carry the load of the box without causing other unhelpfull stresses on chassis or box.
What is your time frame to get to the USA? I will put some beer in the fridge.
Johan
Joe917
Explorer
I don't know about light(it is steel) but yes it is attached to the vinyl bellows and clips onto the box. The vinyl is much thicker than tarp material.Noise is fine in the cab,you can have a normal conversation while driving. The walk through size is super. The door stays closed when camped. when it is cold we open the heater valve to the engine 1/2 to 1 hour before we depart and start a hot engine with instant heat. Once running thyese engines make plenty of heat as you know.
Sitec
Adventurer
I follow a German forum for the LN2 trucks and there is a post about a snorkel for the NG trucks that is being made in China. I did a quick Google search and did not find any details though. If you want I can try and contact the board member that posted the info.
I too would like to see that YouTube video! I think it'd be an instant internet sensation! The 'Mission impossible' music springs to mind!
Jon, re that Snorkell, yes, if you speak the lingo please contact the fella.. What little I understand I believe it's 'Joern' who imports them. I'm after an NG/MK/SK snorkel for the RH side. Thanks!