Removing the Cab Bulkhead from a Marshall

[gossamer]

Hello you sage chaps and chapesses.

What advice can you offer me on the removal of the bulkhead between the crew and the clients in a IIA Marshall ambulance?

I need to know how much I can remove without compromising strength as the shower curtain I intend to replace it with is none too rigid.

With the bulkhead out, there's a Plan B exit opportunity if the Spam overheats and sets fire to the upholstery.

[Jabbawocky]

Hi

My advice, drop the spam. Far too much salt, road kill much more healthy. Bacon and various continental cured sausages are the backup meat.

Sorry, no nowt about cutting the bulkhead out.

Cheers Mick

[romanyrose]

G'day matey, regards cutting away the bulkhead on your ambulance you don't have to cut it out completely if it is only a quick excite that you want in my case i cut just below the window in the rear bulkhead so i can either get out as you mentioned or for my lass or myself to get in the back on the move there fore not letting any heat out in those winter nights of when we used to cruise.

My cooker is at the rear of the truck for fire reasons really and my coolbox is what you climb over to get in the back body this is where the sink would have been but i again moved that to the rear of the body so with the rear doors open and awning up you can stand and wash or cook.

Again i will put up pictures when i know how for you to see. Just my views. R-Rose .

[gossamer]

Thanks R-Rose

The sprog(s) will be strapped in the back so I'd like to give them as much view as possible.

It may reduce the need to hose down after a long run.

I need to get the hardboard out 'coz it's rotten, perhaps I can leave the framework in and cut apertures to suit.

[Peaceand]

I was thinking that the series 3 (and maybe series 2) LWB station wagons had no rear bulkhead, instead there was a shaped steel tube that went across the back of the front row seats. That gave it some structural strength, and the front row seats rested on this tube with rubber pads. Passengers in the second row gained knee room and something to hang onto.

I was looking for a picture of that arrangement, but couldn't find one - I did find this though:

on here: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=59094

Would that kind of thing work in a Marshall?

Patrick

[overlander]

I think Chris did that to Oddjob, his Marshall Ambulance, maybe he'll be along soon to confirm or deny.

cheers

John H

[gossamer]

It crossed my mind I might be able to do something like that.

Thanks.

Perhaps we'll know more in due course.

Bulhead least of my problems at the moment, snapped the 40 year old brake lines today and found three different sized bolts in the n/s rear drive flange.... needless to say the new gasket on the hub failed to stop the leak.

[kevanf1]

My honest opinion, but I do not come from an engineering background, is that it should be safe to remove all the bulkhead if you so wished. I say this because if you look at the sides the actual walls of the ambulance are triangulated behind the front seats. Triangulation is supposed to be the strongest way of bracing something. If needs be this triangulation could be beefed up.

I am currently in the process of removing the rear bulkhead from my 68 Marshall ambulance. It is my intention to remove it completely unlike Romany Rose. Romany's conversion is very neat (I've seen the pictures of it) but I just want to do things a little differently. I am also looking at cutting the seat box down so that the driver side and passenger side are separate boxes with the middle totally removed. This should hopefully give even easier access to the rear. However, at the moment this is merely a thought a process and I have not looked at the engineering of strengthening and bracing the new single seat boxes. It may or may not be a feasible proposition

[severebrainfailure]

mines had the bulkhead completely out for over 10 years without trouble...

[kevanf1]

mines had the bulkhead completely out for over 10 years without trouble...

That you've had no problems now for ten years comes as no surprise to me, I am happy to say As I mentioned in my earlier post there are those triangulated posts just after the doors. A normal Land Rover does not have these and I feel that they are critical in keeping the integrity of the structure. It may be a different matter if the vehicle were still being used with the original equipment such as stretcher bases etc. These would have some effect on the walls and could, over time, deform them. However, in using a Marshall as a camper van it is highly likely, as in yours and my case once it is done, that there will be cupboards rising from floor level which will strengthen the walls etc.

In effect replacing the removed bulkhead and just moving it around the rear of the vehicle. In fact I will go as far as suggesting that these cupboards, sink unit, cooker unit etc may even make the structure more stable as they are spaced along the interior walls rather than being in one place as the bulkhead is.

Nice neat conversion by the way Have you seen Romany Rose's conversion? That's very nice too. Though, I'm not sure he's on this forum but you'll probably have heard of him Great guy and a very good friend.