Post pictures of your Land Rover.
- Thread starter Winky
- Start date
Divided_Wood
New member
Currently working on finding an addition to my stable, but in the meantime, here's my '74 Series III...
Victory_Overland
Explorer
Black Mountain, SoCal,AZ Border
On top of Black Mountain outside Yuma, Az overlooking Picacho and Indian Pass Winderness areas.
On top of Black Mountain outside Yuma, Az overlooking Picacho and Indian Pass Winderness areas.
meatblanket
Adventurer
Ex mod and sankey at Maze Overlook
DiscoDavis
Explorer
Couple more
Photo man: Z Mac
Photo man: Z Mac
Hi Frank - yes minor bits and pieces, currently need to weld a panel in the front and the footwells need replacing (have the bits all zinc primed in the garage) and my doors will need replacing, but got two new ones and they're also all primed up and when the weather warms I'll get some paint on them.
I also managed to find a suitable (drive away) tent extension for the rear that has a zipped entrance on both sides and a 1m on tunnel that connects to the rear of the van using Keder rail making a weathertight connection. The tent is a single skin thing so I designed a flysheet that will cover it and just collected that a few weeks ago from the fabric makers and it will make it very weather resistant. Having that extra space at the end makes a huge difference.
However my other plan to fabricate rigid sides for the lifting roof has been changed. I was out a few times this year when the weather was bad and the fabric sides certainly keep out the water - no leaks at all but its very very noisy when its windy, and in really strong winds I'd to pull the roof down. I'd obtained alloy sheet - stuff sign makers use thats got 0.8mm aluminium on both sides and a plastic core to make the clip-in hard sides but the connection method I'd need to use is going to be problematic so I've ditched that idea.
Instead I'm going to fasten the hard sides permanently to the lifting roof - have figured out some alloy profiles that will allow this. I can remove the fabric sides and have a properly insulated metal side. The back door presented a problem but I've solved that. Currently spare wheel carrier is bolted to chassis and rear quarter and opens with the back door (swing-away). I'll take it off the back door, move it rearwards a few inches on square channel and then clip it onto the back door (rather than bolts). The lifting roof section will have at rear a back door that is top-hinged and gas struts. When the roof is lowered I simply unclip wheel carrier and swing away, open and raise the lifting door and it pops up and I can then open the back door as normal. Advantages are I now have a 'shelter' over the back door, and when the roof is in the raised position if I want lots of ventilation e.g. in really warm weather, I can open the top-hinged door on the raised 'shell' and have a big hole to let air in!
It was inspired by a Swiss lifting roof slide-in I saw in Scotland this summer (pic below)
Mock ups so far look like this:
I also managed to find a suitable (drive away) tent extension for the rear that has a zipped entrance on both sides and a 1m on tunnel that connects to the rear of the van using Keder rail making a weathertight connection. The tent is a single skin thing so I designed a flysheet that will cover it and just collected that a few weeks ago from the fabric makers and it will make it very weather resistant. Having that extra space at the end makes a huge difference.
However my other plan to fabricate rigid sides for the lifting roof has been changed. I was out a few times this year when the weather was bad and the fabric sides certainly keep out the water - no leaks at all but its very very noisy when its windy, and in really strong winds I'd to pull the roof down. I'd obtained alloy sheet - stuff sign makers use thats got 0.8mm aluminium on both sides and a plastic core to make the clip-in hard sides but the connection method I'd need to use is going to be problematic so I've ditched that idea.
Instead I'm going to fasten the hard sides permanently to the lifting roof - have figured out some alloy profiles that will allow this. I can remove the fabric sides and have a properly insulated metal side. The back door presented a problem but I've solved that. Currently spare wheel carrier is bolted to chassis and rear quarter and opens with the back door (swing-away). I'll take it off the back door, move it rearwards a few inches on square channel and then clip it onto the back door (rather than bolts). The lifting roof section will have at rear a back door that is top-hinged and gas struts. When the roof is lowered I simply unclip wheel carrier and swing away, open and raise the lifting door and it pops up and I can then open the back door as normal. Advantages are I now have a 'shelter' over the back door, and when the roof is in the raised position if I want lots of ventilation e.g. in really warm weather, I can open the top-hinged door on the raised 'shell' and have a big hole to let air in!
It was inspired by a Swiss lifting roof slide-in I saw in Scotland this summer (pic below)
Mock ups so far look like this:
ersatzknarf
lost, but making time
Wonderful news ! ! !
Was wondering how the fabric sides would fare in unpleasantly windy weather...
Think you've come up with a most excellent solution and am hopeful you'll please start a new thread on it :sombrero:
With what you describe, it sounds lightweight as well :ylsmoke:
Am hoping you will in the end have something very comfortable for winter camping too.
The fabric has been successful, but its comfort window is rather narrow. In strong winds you feel vulnerable and its very noisy. That said in strong wind and rain its not leaked other than a weep on a few stitch holes. In cold weather it gets condensation forming on the inside which can then drip down, which is not great but has never been so bad its a major problem.
The hard sides just open the vehicle use up considerably and apart from time & cost all I'll forfeit is a couple of inches of headroom over the fabric setup which you'd really only notice when climbing up onto the sleeping platform.
I've bought a couple of linear actuators - 12 inch stroke and 330lbs push/pull. I could probably have done without them but they'll allow the roof to lift parallel - because (although fairly solid) and made of alloy, it flexes. That flex might be a source of friction when the hard sides go on so I figured an easy lift with some power would be good. Just need to figure out where to fit them - not as straightforward as it might seem!
Other issues are things like replacing the back door glass with an opening pane so I can reach out from inside when the roof is lowered to be able to reach the door handle/locking mechanism for the outer door (because if I cant open it, I cant open the inner (existing) door!
Weight-wise I reckon the sides will add approx 80lbs so including the current roof weight I'm still less than the combined weight of a large roof rack and roof tent.
But yes when I start I'll resurrect the old thread and continue to record what I'm doing so its all i the one place.
Last edited:
ersatzknarf
lost, but making time
<snip>
But yes when I start I'll resurrect the old thread and continue to record what I'm doing so its all i the one place.
Many thanks for posting the photos, too
Looking forward to your new project, sir !
wildorange
Observer
My baby
Interesting nice setup, may I ask, which type of the rear bumper spare wheel rack you got?
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