Popular Post Mof Posted April 29, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 29, 2020 Yeah, got this thing way back in July '19, but I hadn't done a thread because I wasn't sure if it was actually going to go anywhere. And because of that, I didn't take too many pictures in the beginning. So The backstory is we will be building a house soon, and we need to sell the current house first before the bank will give us some money. So we need somewhere to live in the interim. I had looked into insulating and lining the shed, but it was too expensive and I'd get nothing back from it when we're finished. I thought we'd buy a caravan, something a bit older because not a lot of spare cash at the time, and do it up a bit. Don't get excited and overbid without going to look at it, idiot. So she's a 1974 17 foot Windsor, made in Christchurch by a place that is now a joinery workshop. Could have been a quiet year. It's in the shed in Darfield, so I can only get to it on weekends when something else isn't more important. Pics On closer inspection There was heaps of water damage, and none of the furniture seemed to fit right like it had been chopped and changed before. Damn. Let's see how bad it is. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Valiant Posted April 29, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 29, 2020 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLUX Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Take the wheels off add some trellis round the base and a shonky deck off the door......,, 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mof Posted April 29, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 29, 2020 ^ I added some more pictures I didn't get many pics for a while but I couldn't help but notice that when walking from the front to the back you would be walking uphill then back down. Shit. So I put it level on it's legs and had a measure from the chassis down to the floor. 305mm between the axles, 280ish at the front and rear Damn! The ladder bracing underneath (pic for example) was all bent up so I cut it off, and put the chassis up on blocks at the front and rear to try make it sag back again. But the whole thing went up and didn't come straight. So I got inside and jumped up and down in the middle. I'll never forget the clanging of the alloy walls and shaking and swaying of the walls because the ply and furniture plays a big part of holding these things together. It came down a bit but still not enough. So I drilled some holes through the floor and put snig chain around the chassis rails and hi-lift Jack in the middle What Good's a caravan if it's got no wheels? Much creaking noises and it came straight. Had to pull it over centre to get it right. Straightened the bracing and welded it back on. Took the axles and suspension out because I wasn't happy with it. The springs were very rusty and the axles are made of very thin box. One of the axles has been broken and welded back together not straight. Gassed off the stubs which were welded to the top of the box tube, and welded them inside new proper axle shs. I felt it was too low because there was signs it had dragged it's ass through driveways, and it'll give me more space for water tanks. Got some 40mm angle and welded the suspension to that, then welded that along the chassis rails to add some strength to the old chassis (chassis is still good btw, just some surface rust that comes off with a wire brush). 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mof Posted April 29, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 29, 2020 Sat it back on blocks so it's level for building. Found some rot, and replaced these sections this whole back wall frame was all rotted out and wasn't attached to the floor. Could wiggle the entire back wall window and all side to side by heaps. That was pretty scary. Replaced the rear section of ply floor and the framing along the floor and up the corners. Fixed the alloy back onto the timber in the corners and along the floor. Replaced the rotten rimu? Timber under the skirts along the bottom of the floor with 21mm ply. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 I used 65mm hex head screws down through the wall bottom plate, floor and into the skirts, as these also hold the walls on. Fixed up the saggy roof bows. Found the low spots, cut up into the bow about 3/4, squirt some glue into the cut, pushed the bow up back into a curve, whacked on some braces across the cuts. Stripped out all the old wiring, polystyrene'd the walls and put in new wiring. The 230v only feeds 3 plug sockets, one for the 3 way fridge, one for battery charger, and one for a bench plug because apparently I should. The rest is in 12v. Started lining the walls with a 3.5mm hardwood ply that I can't remember the name of. Made a box to cover the wheel arches to carry the weight of standing on it. You can see the hole I've cut in the wall for the toilet. Was a bit nervous about cutting that in the wrong place. And then the other side. Hole for the gas water heater. And OG vent for the fridge, which is the wrong height according to nowadays regulations. I'm not keen on patching and cutting more holes, plus there's more hoops to jump through so I won't be running the fridge on gas. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mof Posted April 29, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 29, 2020 It was about this point we went into lockdown, so I ran the gauntlet and shot out to the shed with enough supplies to last me a couple of weeks. Never left the car between home and the shed. Patched a hole in the front skin where when the chassis had sagged and the framing was rotted the skin had been smashing into the drawbar. (nowhere near it now) Framed up front and rear walls Polystyrene And skinned Poly'd the roof (during oldschool e-nats) That's it for tonight, I'm not allowed to upload any more pictures. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mof Posted April 30, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 On to the roof. Around 3 weeks before I had bent two sheets of ply under the edge of the pool table I had stored in the shed to try get them to curve. It did help, but it was still a fight to get it into the end. Not to mention it curves in both directions which sure makes it hard to cut the sheet to fit. Many times of holding it up, marking bits to trim, taking it out, plane the bits, repeat. Lifting a whole sheet like that into the space that's a perfect fit by yourself sure is tricky. One of these times I fucking dropped it and smashed off the corner. Thankfully it was a back corner that'll be hidden by the cupboard. You might just be able to see it. Shit sure gets serious when the glue goes on. The rest of the roof wasn't so bad The poles are in there to try help keep the curve while the glue goes off. The back end I just could not get to go up into the curve. So I had a go at steaming it. I had reservations about this because I really didn't want to put the ply in wet, but I tried anything else I could think of and it just wasn't happening. Yes, that's a kettle under there. Let it dry off a bit and it sure helped but it still put up a fight And that's the roof done Cut the holes for the lights before the sheets went up 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Test fitting the OG cupboard, one of three I could reuse Made a platform for the toilet to sit on, to try get it closer to the wheel arch and separate it from the shower floor. Testing out the size of the room I could get away with Making walls I fucked this one up because the ply should have gone on the inside first so I can run pipes through the wall 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 See I fixed the wall, at the expense of 2/3 sheet of ply. Onto the seats at the front. I spent maybe two days just researching and measuring and mocking up how to lay out the seats, table etc. And they have to be able to become beds, the more the better. The main problem was this exterior storage hatch that is to access space under the seats that don't exist yet And this damn window opposite Eventually I came up with a plan Making the backrest to square up the wall Seat base carcass Batteries and fuses etc will go in the compartment on the right. Single squab on the right, and another across the front. The front will pull out to a double too. I don't have timber or ply for this so it has to wait. 10mm too short 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mof Posted April 30, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 Planning out the kitchen. Didn't have any paper, but I did manage to find some baking paper. Making the bed base in the back Headboard and storage. The bottom holes are going to be cupboards And this is where we're up to. Hey, thanks 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cletus Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Man what a mission. Looks good though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mof Posted April 30, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 Almost forgot Wife did some artwork on the roof bows Eagle eyed might spot another on the poly in the wall by the wiring in a previous post 3 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickJ Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 So awesome! Looks like progress is moving at a motivational speed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 3 hours ago, NickJ said: So awesome! Looks like progress is moving at a motivational speed? It's always been motivated, time's running out. Every spare weekend has been out there, it's just too far to go do a bit after work. House was supposed to change hands start of April, that's on hold. Build was supposed to start mid April, but that's having issues with the consent. Back at work now, and I need building supplies anyway. I think I'll have to wait until after level 3 to get stuff, bunnings/m10 is just too useless to buy online. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUNAMUCK Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 They sure are. I have to say that something about this thread is very satisfying to follow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmuppet Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Good stuff @Mof . So much of this will help me out soon. I have a broken dream in my shed. What fixings were you using between the wood and cladding? Nails or just special glue. What about fixing the wall and roof linings? I heard treated wood reacts with the alloy. Did you cut down your own wood from clears? Any link to the rules on venting a gas fridge as mentioned. I haven't succeeded with Dr Google. Thanks for spending the time with blogging this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 40 minutes ago, moparmuppet said: What fixings were you using between the wood and cladding? I got one of these from trademe https://www.trademe.co.nz/2609106237 the alloy is only fixed to the framing around the edges, I used the 16mm staples (the same as when they built it) and I squeezed some marine silicone into any bit I've lifted. I plan to take off the alloy trim strips that cover all the joints and redo the sealant before painting the outside. I also used the 32 or 40mm staples or 8g wood screws and gorilla glue for the framing. 40 minutes ago, moparmuppet said: What about fixing the wall and roof linings? Same 16mm staples and gorilla glue. 40 minutes ago, moparmuppet said: I heard treated wood reacts with the alloy. Did you cut down your own wood from clears I didn't know that one. I've salvaged as much of the old framing as I could and cut it to the size I needed. I got a couple of short lengths of house framing timber of like 180x32 from itm and ripped it down to pieces I needed. I also had some 40x18 clear lengths from bunnings and had to rip them to 35x18 as the wall frame is 35mm. I wouldn't get them again because way more expensive than the house framing timber. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 Before we put any new linings on we had to pull out all the old staples and get all the glue off. Found a strip disk on the grinder is best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mof Posted July 19, 2020 Author Share Posted July 19, 2020 Slow progress what with the moving and the cold dark nights. Cut some strips of ply, then ran them through the saw to get just the top layer of ply. Then glued over the visible joints Fixed seat base down with the hatch for the battery compartment Still working on the slide out seat/bed. Main bed base cut but still needs a hatch put in it and fixing down 2nd coat of polyurethane on the roof, still a bit patchy, shows up more in the picture than irl Shed lyfe Everything we own is in the shed to the left Such reference 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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