Hello from Yorkshire

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Klusenhusen
Posts: 48
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:24 am
Info: Building a Dormobile from a 1973 109
Location: Southeast Norway

Re: Hello from Yorkshire

Post by Klusenhusen » Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:07 am

Thanks for the update.
Looks nice, always liked the stage 1, and as a normal Land Rover, you got a fair bit of work before you will be finished. :laugh:

Regards Jan
Kind regards
Jan Kulseng-Hanssen
Norway

88 1960 SW
109 1973 to become Dormobile with a personal touch
User avatar
RMS
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:02 am
Location: Near Wakefield, UK, in God's own Country!

Re: Hello from Yorkshire

Post by RMS » Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:24 am

Thanks for the update - a shame about the 109 as it could have been a good base for a camper, with the sliding windows etc.

But the S1 looks good as well :cheers:

Where will you be putting the LPG tank? Just wondering as if you're also using under-seat space for 2 batteries and fitting rear lockers for jerry cans you might struggle with storage space for camper stuff, I think :stars:

If you're going to fit a solar panel you should get away with one leisure battery, and a 80W/100W panel and controller will be about the same price as a second leisure battery.

Patrick and I each run a single Optima yellow-top and 80W solar panel. That copes with everything we need, including Waeco compressor fridge, lighting, night heater etc.

Cheers,
Robin.
1967 109" Carawagon 200TDi
1972 109" SW Carawagon 2.5NA
1958 109" Carawagon 2.25P (project)
1972 109" Carawagon 200 or 300TDi (project)
1974 Dormobile 2.25D (project)
(Robin on S2C forum)
CaptainSlow
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:47 pm

Re: Hello from Yorkshire

Post by CaptainSlow » Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:13 pm

Yes we'll have to be inventive with the storage! The LPG tank is going across the bulkhead behind the front seats - it'll be boxed in to protect it. I could do without it being inside the body to be honest, but the alternative - sticking it in place of the fuel tank doesn't look too good to me - while people have done it this way it looks far too exposed, both to potential impact damage and to the elements, hence my decision to put it inside.

The batteries I am considering are a pair of these - https://www.tayna.co.uk/G8-Varta-Blue-D ... P3216.html They're 830A CCA and 95Ah rated. I've previously had a pair of Odyssey batteries in my old D2 Td5 which were great for me, but when my friend bought them and had an issue with them later, the aftersales was shocking - they weren't interested at all. So I won't be buying those again. The Varta option is cheaper and I've never had any issues with Vartas, so its simply me playing safe. I'll be re-using my national Luna split charge kit and most of the old battery wiring that I salvaged (I bought really good quality cable, way over spec). So the idea is to put the batteries and the split charge system in one underseat storage box, but I think I'll need to make a custom box for this as I can't see a dual battery tray that will hold these. I'll then run cable from the 'house' battery to a fuse and relay board mounted behind the passenger seat - again inside a protective box. This should allow easy access as required. I'll have an Andersen connector hooked up to the starter battery so that I won't have to remove the seat - they'll probably end up being SAAB seats to give us long distance comfort, and seat heaters which the missus has insisted upon!

Regarding the rear wing lockers, I'm thinking of using a pair of the Rhino Jerry Can Lockers - http://www.fcx.co.uk/#!product/prd1/258 ... an-lockers. Again, not a cheap option, but it has stout reinforcing beams which addresses my worries about sticking a couple of full jerry cans in them! So we'll have fuel on one side and water in the other. I might look at a smaller locker behind one of the rear wheels as well to store some engine oil, the jack, recovery strops etc. Simply because it'll keep it all out of the cabin where we'll need the space for 'camping' stuff.

Interesting to hear that an 80W solar panel is adequate to keep your battery charged! Our fridge is a large Engel and is supposed to be very efficient - around 4amps on average, but we still used to flatten our leisure battery with it, and that was just over a weekend. I was considering 120W ones, but I'd happily settle on an 80W if you've found that to be adequate! (I need to cut the budget back somewhere lol). What brand are you using if you don't mind my asking?

Most of the remaining house battery load will be minimal - we'll be using LED lighting internally, and the side/rear work lamps will be LED as well.

As you can see, we've thought long and hard about what we need, we just have to get it all sorted out and fitted..!
Jabbawocky
Posts: 431
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:11 pm
Info: Barney the Dormobile
Location: Yorkshire Dales

Re: Hello from Yorkshire

Post by Jabbawocky » Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:42 am

HI Sam

Looks a great truck. I have always liked the stage 1's.

I have a few Stage 1 parts here, including a Stage 1 gearbox, a RR LT95 Gearbox with overdrive. Stage 1 radiator and a few other bits. I also have a few new LPG bits here including a tank still full of gas!!

I also know how to make replacement CV joints for the front axle as they are no longer available.

Cheers Mick
CaptainSlow
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:47 pm

Re: Hello from Yorkshire

Post by CaptainSlow » Thu Jan 21, 2016 7:08 am

Hi Mick, looks like I'll be talking to you more often! :laugh:

Funnily enough its the CV joint availability that I'm most worried about - I'd already (reluctantly) accepted that if my CVs went that I'd have to fit 110 axles instead :embarassed: So I'm relieved that I've found someone who can do the Defender mod should I need it. Shame I didn't know about your gearboxes before I bought my replacement - I'm sure it would have been cheaper as I had to pay £80 carriage! Oh well. Thanks for letting me know you have some Stage 1 spares - I'll bear you in mind next time :)

Better go to work now! :embarassed:

Thanks again, and all the best
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