out with the old in with the new

[westyss]

Hi, I stumbled on this site while plagarising good ideas for a hard side linear actuated raised roof and was delighted with Westss work. It is more than what I need but the body itself is exactly what I'm chasing. Unfortunately, I'm unable to expand the small photos to have a good look at the idea's used in the raising and lowering, actuator mountings and top over bottom guide system.
I'm fortunate that my truck has rear components that just unbolt so I'm gunna build from right behind the cab, also the chassis does not produce any movement so I can attach straight on.
This is a brilliant site and the idea's flow well. I hope you blokes dont mind me hovering around, will keep you posted when the build begins.
Cheers

Hi Shoka, sorry for the delay in replying, we have been on the road for a few months. No problem copying anything on here, its done all the time. If I can help with anything let me know, I do have some other pictures around but I thought most of the information is in this thread, most of the things I did was kept within the KISS method so its not rocket science. Good luck with the OKA, it must have a very stiff frame if you will be mounting it directly, these Fuso's are not stiff at all and some give has to be incorporated in the mounting system.

 

[westyss]

I am thinking what truck has a rigid chassis and rear components that just unbolt, I only no of one and then I saw the photo. I am also doing a rebuild of the Oka now we have two less bodies to accommodate. Cab is reskinned and planning done for the back, just need to find the cash to build it. westyss has documented his build really well, appreciate sharing of the ideas.

Thanks for the compliment but I thought some of the thread pictures were lost?? Havent looked back at it in a while, some day I may do some maintenance on it.

 

[westyss]

Such an awesome build. Spent the night here at "work" reading the entire thread. Absolutely love what you have built and your travels.

Thanks K! Odd that I designed this truck at work too! Lol.

 

[westyss]

Well we made it down into Mexico and had been travelling for a few months, we still hole up in the same spot for now until my parents stop coming down here but for now we make do with RV park living, although we are on the beach!
We finally have a working hot water heater! After eight years with the crappy one that never heated water electrically we are now having all the hot water we need.

 

[Shoka]

Hi Yves, my Oka build is on hold for the unforseeable future as I moved in to do full time care for my parents so this will give me plenty of time to think twice, build once. Though my normal method is to barge in headfirst.
I did a stint in the States in the later 90's where I joined a harvest crew and cut from Texas up to Nth Dakota, then in the winter I took an old Ford Eldorado down into Mexico till the next harvest season then did the harvest again, back down to Mexico again till another short trucking job before going for a drive up North. I meet a top bloke the first year down in Puerto Escondido in my travels then caught up with him again down there on the second year, he is in Duncan BC so I dropped in there on the way back to Oz.
The guts of all that is that I loved Mexico and BC boys freindship is awesome. Will be looking to head back to both places before the last leg. (got pissed at the Sticky Wicket too)
Once I had registered into this site properly, all the pics came up and I have been able to pore over your guff again and again, it truly is inspiring and although my build wont require the level of insulation and some mod cons it still gives me the strong basis, for that, again, thankyou.
Shoka

 

[Saint Nick]

Westyss, being new here I've just come across your thread and have to say it's a awesome build and rig you have there

Nick

 

[westyss]

Hi everyone! I finally got around to looking after my rims. They were in bad shape! At the time I ordered them I had them powder coated thinking that it would be a good idea to protect them.... right from the start on the initial mounting while tightening the lugs cracks radiated from the chamfered surfaces! And pretty much right away water gets in behind the coating and you get crap!




For several years I have been scraping and painting as much area as I can get off just to preserve the rims, ugly huh? In some spots there was some weird electrolysis occurring.










I started with the two front rims first, I was not going to remove the tires on these, just get as close to the tire as I can get. Also with these rims I used Aeroplane Stripper to get the coating off which took several applications to remove it completely, wire wheel, sanding to prep and rust inhibiting primer with two coats of standard grey rust paint.









The rears had a different experience, these rims were getting new tires this year so I removed the tires from the rims and had them sand blasted clean with the same treatment as above.






Under the tires the powder coating was virtually untouched!






Results.......... already the new rubber is dirty! Now any nicks or damage can be easily repaired.



These Toyo will get me around 40-50,000 km's, the first set of tires I had on were Michelin RD2+ which went to 70,000km's.



The roof rack over the cab was going through the same rust spread under the poor powder coat so I removed the rack off the truck and wire wheeled as much as possible then several coats of flat black rust paint. No pics of that boring stuff.


After getting the rims done we went on a small trip to iron out the wrinkles before our winter jaunt, several fans has stopped working and are replaced except one. Everything else seems like its functioning, ETD 10 days.

 

[rlrenz]

Back in the 1970s, we were experimenting with the then-new powder coating for automotive applications. We tried doing a few rims with epoxy powdercoat, but they were so slippery that the tires would slip on the rims and go flat.

 

[westyss]

Back in the 1970s, we were experimenting with the then-new powder coating for automotive applications. We tried doing a few rims with epoxy powdercoat, but they were so slippery that the tires would slip on the rims and go flat.

Lol, no problems with any slippage, even with really low pressures with these. Powder coating does have its applications if it's done right but for rims it doesn't work too well. Its disheartening to mount the rims onto your truck and have all the new powder coating crack all around the lugs on the first go!

 

[westyss]

This year is the tenth anniversary of my overlander, the truck is older but my first camping trip was May 2010 so happy anniversary!

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Happy anniversary to you all! Still one of my favorite ExPo rigs of all time.

 

[givemethewillys]

Happy anniversary to you all! Still one of my favorite ExPo rigs of all time.

Agree with this!

 

[sarconcepts]

Not just 10 years, but 10 years of 'solid use', congrats, (kind of like that T shirt you are wearing right now !)
this shows how good your design and construction was.
Steve & Bethany

P.S. how many miles do you have so far? (or kilometres)

 

[westyss]

Thanks guys!
145,000 km’s, how did you know about the T shirt Steve?

 

[westyss]

No driving to Mexico for us this year, snow instead, brrrr!