By the way, almost all your early photos seem to have dissapeared from this thread???
Comes up with some message from photobucket about upgrading to "Plus" for some reason and wont show the photo?
88 Caravelle Syncro Camper
89 Caravelle GL microbus - 5 speed
69 Microbus
05 Mk5 Golf 1.9 TDi DSG
Yeah I have used this months data on that account... They will come back in a week or 2 😵💫
There really isn't that much weight hanging off the walls as such, the heaviest part of weight will be in the centre which can't move as it's held in tension by the kombi roof welded to the sheet.... The walls are only gonna hold your feet and head which the load will be slightly transferred through a matress, I would like to see you and your misses even try move it. I'm more then Confident enough in it. there is no way it can buckle. The glue plays a huge roll in this to... Unlike a house which is only nailed.... This has 100% contact to the frame plus fixings at 200mm centre 😎 and that's just the ply... Put the alloy sheeting on the otherside with styrofoam insulation sandwiched between it will be strong as hell. I appreciate your concern but think about it 😉
What do you think boats are made from? Ply? 👍
When you decided to build a snail you can do it your way 🤪
No worries.
Im not trying to be nasty - just trying to help.
I would not have the skills to build something of this intricacy and definately not the time - it is very impressive.
88 Caravelle Syncro Camper
89 Caravelle GL microbus - 5 speed
69 Microbus
05 Mk5 Golf 1.9 TDi DSG
Been keeping busy... So much time wasted in problem solving/thinking ahead. Then you start on something and you need more stuff and seems like every bunnings trip is a minimum of one hour... 10minutes to get what I want... 50minutes looking at shit I "might need" :roll:
Back window sheet on... Gotta put some dressy bits of timber either side.
Gonna use this PVC right angle to finish the wall against the window... Had abit of a play with bending it to shape... A little bit of heat seemed to work really well..
Should come up ok.
Bedside storage done to...
As the floor has a 15mm recess from the sills I used some yoga matts as a cheaper alternative to level the floor rather then the $250 rubber they wanted to charge me... Then a layer of 4mm ply for the Lyno to stick to 8) feel nice under the feet.
I also purchased a 59L water tank instead of using water canisters... Mounted it down low to help centre of gravity and plan to build the cabinets over it with access holes to the connections. Perfect size to... 480mm should fit in my 500mm+ cubboard space 8)
Plumbed it all and in and filled it up to check for leaks 8) "beauty mate!!"
Got an external filler point to go on once the outside is sheeted.
Then onto sealing the door...
Didn't know how I would go bending "T" mould alloy so I only bought one length as abit of a test dummy... But with a little jig it worked a treat... Will get another piece tonight.
Doors all done and latching 8)
Have mad a start on the cabinetry... Feeling smaller in there already
Fridge is going in the big opening down the bottom... Put it on the opposite side to the water tank to even out the weight distribution. Gonna make a small area on the upper section for hanging clothes just to keep the misses happy but won't be much bigger then 150mm (should stop her from bringing her entire cubboard :roll: )
Yes it's really thin framing = light. Just like the alloy frame, The ply sh'll is what will brace and strengthen it. No need for that 16mm chip board everyone else uses... In my opinion that is just the easy way to go about it and in an automobile it just kills you in the weight department.
NUG637 wrote:Yes it's really thin framing = light. Just like the alloy frame, The ply sh'll is what will brace and strengthen it. No need for that 16mm chip board everyone else uses... In my opinion that is just the easy way to go about it and in an automobile it just kills you in the weight department.
I agree, ply will be much lighter. Are you using a pre-finished ply?
I have to say, this is a great build you are doing - I look forward to every update. It must be even more fun actually doing it. :-)
From your ole' mate Jeff
Wow, just stumbled upon this thread and am really impressed. Awesome work, can't wait to see this finished and at Valla 👍👍👍
1962 Deluxe Beetle
1970 Low Light Microbus
thanks nickster
jeff…. will be white washed ply
some more storage either side of the type 3 hatch
draw… need to sheet over the draw now thats all up and running...
Am waiting on my metho stove to arrive before i can tackle the kitchen bench. But needed the frame up to get an idea of things…
started sheeting the full height cubbard and will start on hanging doors soon.
Q? Why metho not gas? Metho would seem to be a more volatile fuel to carry (low ignition point, invisible flame) than LPG ? Cheers Marcus
Customer service is not dead in Australia.
Always after HAZET & MATRA & VW factory tools
Basically for certification. To pass as a motorhome conversion it has to have a "fixed" cooking appliance. If we put in a gas stove it has to be permanently hooked up. Which then means I have to mount the gas bottle in an I closed box... With a vent, 1m away from any ignition. Or if I put in a microwave I have to have 240v certified etc. The new metho stove are really quiet safe efficient and this was nothing needs certifying and I can carry my webber and my gas bottle externally and not permanently hooked up which means I don't need it certification. Just a way of doing as much myself without getting someone else and there labour costs involved 🙂
Everything in this van will be 12v and we will just throw a lead through the window if we need 240v in a caravan park.
I forgot to add that I don't have the space for a gas bottle in a box either so a metho single burner stove suits me to pass as a motorhome and we will use the webber for cooking outside and can do the veggies on the metho stove.
Its turning out awesome Miles!
westi wrote:That's mad Alan.
Thanks Dave 😎
This is the tits! I wonder is it less work than fixing and restoring the whole rear of a bus.
I'de have to have it as a baja snail though 🤪
Quit calling rust patina
Mate i'dd highly consider replacing those little door hinges on the entry doors with a full height length of piano hinge as those hinges won't last 5 minutes on the road
, apart from that great work as usual
Don't let body work get in the way of real suspension travel
Oh I know you do Danny :oops:
Full height clothes Cubbard is now mostly complete... Just need to fit door handles, corner mould, cornice mould and then laminate the bench top...
Also finished lining the top of the day bed. made the door to cover up the hole for our camp chairs storage but have run out of hinges until the next bunnings trip.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Keep up the good work Nug, looking great mate 🙂
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
My fav thread for several years. Terribly jealous 🙂 looks like great fun
for several years? ^^ I've only been on it for less then 6 months :P
this weeks accomplishment
first time laminating bench tops was fun…. bit different to work with… corse i had to chip the main bench top with the last 100mm of edge to file :evil: bit of 2k paint on there and you would never know… got the smaller becnhtop on the opposite side laminated to but no pictures…
Wow looking very professional 🙂.
If I said favourite thread in years would that make more sense ? 🙂 lol
👍
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse
Fantasy
http://seventhchronicle.com
Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity
Barrels
www.barrelman.com.au
VW Workshop - aircooledgarage.com.au
allcooled.com.au
Cabinetry is all done
Dibba (brother) made a start on the wiring...
This thing is gold, Can't wait to see this at a show
spent last week rebuilding my girlfriends 40hp for her 61, then i finished up a few loose ends on my 58 to sell back to its original owner now that i have put it back to stock.
the 58 sold today so i was straight back onto the snail for the few hours that were left of the afternoon
started off by sickaflexing the cornice line as i gave up on trying to get anything to bend the contour over the cab
then fitted up the drain to the sink. Run the plumbing directly out through the floor with a "push on" drain hose fitting to reach the dump grates etc at campsites. Some nature reserves require you to be able to hold 1/4 of your holding water as waste, ours will just be a jerry can outside :-$
then got a start on the insulation, 19mm foam…. the 2 pieces left out are where I'm yet to run some wires but need the lights to be able to fit them
After insulating i found some unused space next to the starter battery so thought i would do what i could with it…. not to be water tight but somewhere to store a hose, snorkels, dildo's whatever you fancy…..
i sheeted it with sheet metal on the inside but no pictures at this stage….
had to come up with a wheel arch…. had the sheet hanging 30mm lower to make the arch bigger but it just didn't look right…
few more measurements and cuts for fuel filler, water filler and storage box….. then i had to make the filler a little less noticeable…. mixed up a little to much paint so did the jam of the engine lid to…
then went to town with cladding….
befor i put that last sheet up above the cab… i knew the tight roll from the underside to the upright over the cab was gonna be a struggle and with leaving the side sheet off i could have access to use clamps etc…. so i then had to change my tactic and finish off everything around the cab….
using the join behind the cab has worked out fricken awesome… scribe the sheet in and pop rivet it from behind… i thought i got a picture of this but nope…. anyway had to pull the draws out in the kitchen to get to the drivers side sheet but the passer sheet was a breeze…. once one was cut (took a while to scribe it in neat) it could be duplicated and used on the opposite side 8)
then on to the sheet on the underside of the bed. This is the only thing I'm not happy with…. as the steel i welded to the roof warped a heap… the sheet has followed the warp and i couldn't pack it straight either as it would the warp the opposite way….. fuckers!
now was the hard part of scripted in the big bend…. was a challenge getting the pillar…. gutter… and roof all in different contours but i made that my bitch!
i should also mention i siliconed the sheet behind this bent sheet so it should be twice as water proof once i silicone this to the roof/body 8)
again once one was made it was duplicated for the other side and worked a treat!
it was time to finish the last of the hard/shit jobs and get this tight bend done… the old mans reckons i should of got it rolled but fuck that…. i like a challenge 😂 first off we tried clamping the edges but the middle was bowing to much… so tried clamping straight edges to pull it in but that wasn't working in our favour either….. starting to second guess if we could get it thn i had a random thought of a ratchet strap (i use these so often at work and in the workshop)
this helped hold the middle in while we worked the sheet flat from the middle outwards
BOOM! fuck yeah bitches!!!! that'll teach the old man 😂
before doing this i also lined the inside of the port holes/storage holes with the left of laminate from the bench tops then insulated the back of that… again no pictures of that small addition...
last sheet to finished the drivers side…. earths run, insulation in… fuck loads of glue….
man I'm happy with how its lookin 8)
started to fit a few of the lights we bought over the weekend… one at either end of the bed and one underside of the cabinets to light up the kitchen
The Chinese have copied your idea already......
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab
Looks great nugget. Well done. 👍
The only problem you may encounter with having the front panel under so much tension is cracking around or loosening of the rivets, but time will tell.
I think what may be missing at the wheel arch is some sort of form, a little flare like the original bus had would be the ticket. Lets see you metal skills Nug.
very cool as always👍
Quit calling rust patina
I love your build, I want one.
Your craftmanship is amazing.
How did you work out the sizes for it?
Did you draw up plans with dimensions that you can share?
When can we see it in person?
Great work keep it up.
