Unimogadventures - Our build and travel thread
- Thread starter Iain_U1250
- Start date
Iain_U1250
Explorer
LOL, a bit cold in the evenings 
Iain_U1250
Explorer
Thanks, truck is close to getting finished, some wiring, some interior work and then the final tidy up for registration.
Now my excuse is trying to find time to get things done, I started a new contract that was supposed to be pretty simple and only 4 days a week. Turns out the project is a disaster, and fixing it has me working 12 hour days 6 or 7 days a week. Progress has been nonexistent for the past month or so, but hopefully I'll get this weekend off to do a bit of work on it, but at this rate, it will be a few months it's on the road.
Now my excuse is trying to find time to get things done, I started a new contract that was supposed to be pretty simple and only 4 days a week. Turns out the project is a disaster, and fixing it has me working 12 hour days 6 or 7 days a week. Progress has been nonexistent for the past month or so, but hopefully I'll get this weekend off to do a bit of work on it, but at this rate, it will be a few months it's on the road.
Last edited:
Iain_U1250
Explorer
A quick progress update, just to prove I am still working on the truck.
The main work has been wiring, so not many exciting photos, but I took a break and Trish helped my make the rear wall panel. We made it out of 1.8mm ply, which is pretty flimsy
So I reinforced it with a layer of fibreglass matting. Now it is still light, but very tough.
It needs to be, as it holds the Eclipse EA3422 amplifiers and the pair of 6x9 speakers. One amp powers the speakers and the other is for the subwoofer. We will have at least four speakers in the roof, and a pair of tweeters on the dash. If I can't make the mog quiet, then at least I can make the music loud. The speakers and the amps are hidden quite nicely by the seats, but with each putting out 200RMS ( 4 x50W and 1 x 200W), it should be pretty loud. This is the same system I had in my Jaguar XJ-S, and anything over half volume would hurt my ears and three quarter volume would make your chest resonate It is a wonder I am not deaf after driving around with it for four years, but it was great fun and sometime you just have to play it loud.
The top of the amplifiers is bolted through the panel into the steel frame using some 6mm nutserts. I have about 10 nutserts to hold the panel in place. It will be covered with a marine carpet that we chose this weekend and all the spaces behind will be filled with sound insulation, except for a bit around the speakers to help create some volume around the speakers to help with the mid bass. The rear wall is not deep enough for the whole speaker, so there are some spacers that have been fitted to the panel not shown here, they also help stiffen it up around the speakers. Once the rear wall is covered with the carpet, that should eliminate any resonance and absorb some sound as well.
Once I have that all sorted, I'll continue on with the overhead console, mounting the radio and CB, and all the switches. We are still sorting out what we are going to cover it with, but heading towards a matching beige leather like on the seats.
The main work has been wiring, so not many exciting photos, but I took a break and Trish helped my make the rear wall panel. We made it out of 1.8mm ply, which is pretty flimsy
So I reinforced it with a layer of fibreglass matting. Now it is still light, but very tough.
It needs to be, as it holds the Eclipse EA3422 amplifiers and the pair of 6x9 speakers. One amp powers the speakers and the other is for the subwoofer. We will have at least four speakers in the roof, and a pair of tweeters on the dash. If I can't make the mog quiet, then at least I can make the music loud. The speakers and the amps are hidden quite nicely by the seats, but with each putting out 200RMS ( 4 x50W and 1 x 200W), it should be pretty loud. This is the same system I had in my Jaguar XJ-S, and anything over half volume would hurt my ears and three quarter volume would make your chest resonate
It is a wonder I am not deaf after driving around with it for four years, but it was great fun and sometime you just have to play it loud.The top of the amplifiers is bolted through the panel into the steel frame using some 6mm nutserts. I have about 10 nutserts to hold the panel in place. It will be covered with a marine carpet that we chose this weekend and all the spaces behind will be filled with sound insulation, except for a bit around the speakers to help create some volume around the speakers to help with the mid bass. The rear wall is not deep enough for the whole speaker, so there are some spacers that have been fitted to the panel not shown here, they also help stiffen it up around the speakers. Once the rear wall is covered with the carpet, that should eliminate any resonance and absorb some sound as well.
Once I have that all sorted, I'll continue on with the overhead console, mounting the radio and CB, and all the switches. We are still sorting out what we are going to cover it with, but heading towards a matching beige leather like on the seats.
Attachments
piratexpress1369a
Explorer
make it loud ..love that lol
Iain_U1250
Explorer
Thanks, I had a visitor to the workshop the other day, and commented that I'm not building a camper, but more like a hotrod.
Iain_U1250
Explorer
Still working on the cab now, fitting the panel on the rear of the cab. There are loads of wires, and the air con lines as well. The board is sealed with marine varnish after a lot of wiring, the speakers and the amplifiers are all fitted.
Then I took it all apart again and covered it with marine carpet. We have decided to go with a grey/black marine carpet, the same as what we have had in the back of the Defender for the past 3 years, it is very hard wearing and works well with the grey floor, and the beige seats have a similar grey piping. The green wires going through the crawl-through are only to test out the sound system using the rear radio, once I have finished the console, the amplifiers will be powered from the front radio.
The amplifiers fit behind the seat, and can't be seen from outside. There is also a fair air gap, which is good as they get pretty warm when cranked up high. I was "testing" them the other day, using just the passenger side amp to power the bottom 6x9s and the 4" ones in the console. It got hot enough so that I could just hold my hand on it, but it was very warm. The sound is really good and very loud, just what we need to drown out the engine noise.
With the back board complete, I turned my attention to the overhead console. I started this about almost three years ago, and after a whole series of cardboard mock-ups finally found something I like. There are two 7" touchscreen monitors, one on each side. I also wanted to have the sun visors flush inside the console.
I made it out of 1.8mm ply, using super clue to temporary hold each piece of ply in place, using small temporary braces and gaffer tape. Once It had each piece in place, I would reinforce the inside with woven fibreglass matting.
Each corner is reinforced with epoxy resin mixed with microspheres, the reinforcing is for when I round off the corners. The internal corners are filled in a glass reinforced filler, and then hours of sanding and shaping. This is what it looks like with all the ducting for the air conditioners in place. I was going to run a third duct, but decided not to, and have a light in place of the third outlet.
Hours of sanding and shaping later, and it was time for the final fit-up.
Then it got a layer of high build primer/filler.
This is the last layer and after a bit more sanding and hopefully no more filling, it will be ready to go off to get covered in vinyl. We have decided to go with a a beige leather look vinyl. It may require some stitched joints so we are going to leave it to the professionals.
The inserts around the radios, monitors and the controls for the a/c will be laser cut from 3mm aluminium, then I will glue a thin Jarrah veneer. similar to the what was done in the rear of the camper.
I will make all the inserts and send them off with the console to the upholstery place, so they can get everything smooth.
The other thing being worked on is the door panels, after many iterations we have decided to go pretty simple, with just a plain door card and two net storage pouches. I also fitted OEM door pockets, they hold 1.5lt bottles and various other things. Being built by MB for the new Unimogs and Zetros trucks, they are pretty tough, they are held on by seven 6mm nutserts, so they are not meant to come off.
I am also sorting out the interior lighting. We have found in our travels that having good interior lights in the cab is very important. There are various requirements, from bright shadow free lights when your are looking for something inside the cab, to red night lights for when I am driving and Trish wants to look at maps or things. The plan is to have three different modes, the normal interior lights that come on with the door switches, including lights for the steps and on the doors. Then a large very bright main light to really light up the interior. Then there is two deep red night lights, one each side for use when driving or when we don't want to attract too much attention. There will also be a flexible map light for on the passenger side.
Over the next week or so, I'll continue with wiring, to get all the various switches and things in place. The monitors are connected to four cameras, one on each side, on on the rear and one on top of the cab. The top and side cameras are mainly for looking for branches and things, but the Polaris four way splitter will automatically activate the side camera when the indicators are used, or the rear camera when in reverse. The monitors will also be used for the in-car computer, and have things like portal and gearbox temperature monitors. The computer will also be connected into the radio and be connected in to the sound system. All these things will take time, and will happen once the truck is on the road.
Then I took it all apart again and covered it with marine carpet. We have decided to go with a grey/black marine carpet, the same as what we have had in the back of the Defender for the past 3 years, it is very hard wearing and works well with the grey floor, and the beige seats have a similar grey piping. The green wires going through the crawl-through are only to test out the sound system using the rear radio, once I have finished the console, the amplifiers will be powered from the front radio.
The amplifiers fit behind the seat, and can't be seen from outside. There is also a fair air gap, which is good as they get pretty warm when cranked up high. I was "testing" them the other day, using just the passenger side amp to power the bottom 6x9s and the 4" ones in the console. It got hot enough so that I could just hold my hand on it, but it was very warm. The sound is really good and very loud, just what we need to drown out the engine noise.
With the back board complete, I turned my attention to the overhead console. I started this about almost three years ago, and after a whole series of cardboard mock-ups finally found something I like. There are two 7" touchscreen monitors, one on each side. I also wanted to have the sun visors flush inside the console.
I made it out of 1.8mm ply, using super clue to temporary hold each piece of ply in place, using small temporary braces and gaffer tape. Once It had each piece in place, I would reinforce the inside with woven fibreglass matting.
Each corner is reinforced with epoxy resin mixed with microspheres, the reinforcing is for when I round off the corners. The internal corners are filled in a glass reinforced filler, and then hours of sanding and shaping. This is what it looks like with all the ducting for the air conditioners in place. I was going to run a third duct, but decided not to, and have a light in place of the third outlet.
Hours of sanding and shaping later, and it was time for the final fit-up.
Then it got a layer of high build primer/filler.
This is the last layer and after a bit more sanding and hopefully no more filling, it will be ready to go off to get covered in vinyl. We have decided to go with a a beige leather look vinyl. It may require some stitched joints so we are going to leave it to the professionals.
The inserts around the radios, monitors and the controls for the a/c will be laser cut from 3mm aluminium, then I will glue a thin Jarrah veneer. similar to the what was done in the rear of the camper.
I will make all the inserts and send them off with the console to the upholstery place, so they can get everything smooth.
The other thing being worked on is the door panels, after many iterations we have decided to go pretty simple, with just a plain door card and two net storage pouches. I also fitted OEM door pockets, they hold 1.5lt bottles and various other things. Being built by MB for the new Unimogs and Zetros trucks, they are pretty tough, they are held on by seven 6mm nutserts, so they are not meant to come off.
I am also sorting out the interior lighting. We have found in our travels that having good interior lights in the cab is very important. There are various requirements, from bright shadow free lights when your are looking for something inside the cab, to red night lights for when I am driving and Trish wants to look at maps or things. The plan is to have three different modes, the normal interior lights that come on with the door switches, including lights for the steps and on the doors. Then a large very bright main light to really light up the interior. Then there is two deep red night lights, one each side for use when driving or when we don't want to attract too much attention. There will also be a flexible map light for on the passenger side.
Over the next week or so, I'll continue with wiring, to get all the various switches and things in place. The monitors are connected to four cameras, one on each side, on on the rear and one on top of the cab. The top and side cameras are mainly for looking for branches and things, but the Polaris four way splitter will automatically activate the side camera when the indicators are used, or the rear camera when in reverse. The monitors will also be used for the in-car computer, and have things like portal and gearbox temperature monitors. The computer will also be connected into the radio and be connected in to the sound system. All these things will take time, and will happen once the truck is on the road.
Overland Hadley
on a journey
Thanks for the update.
Iain_U1250
Explorer
The bed frame is a standard U1700 frame, which I cut down to fit the U1250 chassis. I had to take about 500mm out of the main tubes, and then make the supports 100mm narrower.
It looks a lot lower because of the extensions I put on the side.
It looks a lot lower because of the extensions I put on the side.
piratexpress1369a
Explorer
looking great so far iain ..do you think you may have to put cooling fans on the amps? i had to use one for my amp in the peterbult ,it would just get to hot
Iain_U1250
Explorer
Not sure If I need cooling fans, I will see how hot they run when I finally finish the cab - I don't think I will be running them as loud as I did when testing, it was very loud It would be easy to rig up a fans, or I could bolt them to a heatsink.
I used to have the amps and sub in my Jaguar XJ-S, but the amps were in the boot so I never knew how hot they got. They have never tripped out, but there was not much airflow in the boot at all. Playing the music loud in that small cabin, you could feel the bass in your chest - it was great
It would be easy to rig up a fans, or I could bolt them to a heatsink. I used to have the amps and sub in my Jaguar XJ-S, but the amps were in the boot so I never knew how hot they got. They have never tripped out, but there was not much airflow in the boot at all. Playing the music loud in that small cabin, you could feel the bass in your chest - it was great