Show us your things that flip/fold/slide/pop or otherwise open out/up

[Ford Prefect]

That is superb! I have contemplated making something like that (Someday, if I ever get to build my own rig!). My thought was to put the steps on a swivel, so that I could just pull out the steps, or I could pull out the entire landing. Plus the steps could be like yours, or straight off the doorway. It is very cool to see someone has done that, and that it works! Looks very good Sir, thank you!

May I ask, what did you use to retain the steps? IE I presume they are the same as the rear steps, in that they can go up or down as needed to suit the landscape. What have you done to keep them from going lower than you would like?

Thanks

 

[mog]

I just looked and realised I don't really have a good photo of what I call the "landing". It's the small platform that slides out from under the truck in front of the door, the steps hang off it as well.

View attachment 196642

The arrow points to the landing, the the half rectangle drawn in white represents the front door if it was open. The shower head can hang off the door if we want to shower outside.

I have to say I never tire of seeing photos of your truck (both as WI and WII) and that is one I've never seen before . . . I did not think it was possible to get higher then your truck's roof :sombrero:
So a question, how did the photos below come about. Did you load everything into your truck prior to 'skinning' it, or is it some Photochop magic?

 

[graynomad]

I did not think it was possible to get higher then your truck's roof

Ha ha, it is if you find a nearby hill, here's the wider view from the same hill.

 

[graynomad]

how did the photos below come about. Did you load everything into your truck prior to 'skinning' it, or is it some Photochop magic?

Straight shots except I deep-etched the background out in PS. Here are two similar shots taken at the same time



We were actually sleeping in the truck at this point, note the towels hung up around the bedroom.

Because I was short of storage space in the workshop I just loaded stuff into it's final place as shelves etc were completed. Skinning started shortly after this.

May I ask, what did you use to retain the steps? IE I presume they are the same as the rear steps, in that they can go up or down as needed to suit the landscape. What have you done to keep them from going lower than you would like?

The rear steps on W1 lowered all the way to the ground, sometimes that made for a very steep climb, other time you had to watch your head as you walked in. The treads of course were always level.
The diary entry for the W1 steps is here (scroll down to 16 Jan 2000)

http://robgray.com/graynomad/wothahellizat/wot1/diaries/diary_23/index.php

On W2 I wanted a scheme whereby the steps did not touch the ground, as that's one major place ants get into the vehicle. They are supported at a fixed height off the ground by a length of RHS that slides out from under the fuel tank. Sometimes this means the first step is pretty high

And at other times they are almost touching the ground, on one occasion I had to just let them rest on the ground.

I'll try to take a few photos to show the parts better.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Oh, ok, that makes sense. S0 on W2 there is no rear stairway then? I always loved your rear entry setup, but I could also see having the more conventional side entrance as being beneficial. May I ask what made you choose to go from rear to side, or was it the reasons you mentioned about the steps and ducking etc to climb in?

I have always admired the rear deck concept. My dream truck would someday have a (short) garage in the back (With beds above it) so I could put a UTV inside (double duty as fun toy, grocery getter, and emergency escape vehicle/parts runner). My hope would be to take a solid ramp that covers the entire rear of the truck, and set it up to also function as a deck when desired.

I googled RHS:
"RHS may stand for: Rectangular Hollow Section, a type of metal profile." Is that what you meant?



On the old version of the steps, is there any reason you could not have run a cable to either side, thus leaving the load on the winch and enabling you to keep the stairs up off the ground? For my idea that would never work, because I want them to both slide in, and rotate side to front, but for yours.. academically speaking, why would that not have worked?

Thanks a lot Rob. I have read your pages for both builds at least a dozen times, so I am very grateful you have gotten onto Expo so we can ask questions and learn from your experience and wisdom etc.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I googled RHS:
"RHS may stand for: Rectangular Hollow Section, a type of metal profile." Is that what you meant?

I wondered about that as well.

 

[graynomad]

It can also stand for "rolled hollow section", like "rolled steel joist".

Over here RHS also means square sections as well (on the street anyway), although SHS is often used for square in the catalogues I've never heard anyone actually refer to "SHS".

what made you choose to go from rear to side

Rear had it's advantages that's for sure. On Wot1 the deck was nearly 2M off the ground so it was easy to have rear access. The deck on Wot2 is below eye level so it's not practical to have rear entry. Also the rear entry used up about 2 feet right across the back of the lounge room, we can't afford the space in the new model.

is there any reason you could not have run a cable to either side, thus leaving the load on the winch and enabling you to keep the stairs up off the ground?

Yes, with some changes. I had a spring-loaded pulley on the wire to reduce shock loading, that would have to be removed, but apart from that it would be OK.

your experience and wisdom etc

A lot of experience and etc, not so much wisdom or I would not have built a second rig and be working on a third

I have always admired the rear deck concept.

It's a hands-down winner IMO. Best part of both rigs and I'll have a smaller version on the Cruiser. What you are suggesting will work fine, make sure you do it when the time comes.

Our first deck was 100% outside, this one is 50% inside and not weather proof. Overall I like version 2 better as it's a little more sheltered. What you are thinking would be similar I think as the "garage" would enclose the back part of the deck.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Well, yes, in a way that garage would enclose the deck. I think more aptly put the rear wall, or garage door, of the garage would become the deck and the ramp. So in that way you would certainly see right into the garage the entire time the rear end was open. If we are stationary for a while, then the vehicle might well be out just to play with anyway, so in that case you would have a very nice Lanai for us, which I really like the idea of. (Might need a carpet I can roll up when the UTV is inside, and lay out for use as a room. In fact I could likely even use the garage as a guest room should someone care to stay with us, so long as the UTV is outside. Things that make you go humm....

 

[graynomad]

What you describe is almost exactly what we have. The main difference being that we lift the bike inside with a hoist in the roof and we split the back wall in half. One problem with using the deck as a ramp is the height of these vehicles and the resultant angle of the ramp. If you will have a lower vehicle (and a full-sized deck, not half like ours) then it should be ok.

Here the bike is out and the garage is being used for a deck area. You can see 2 sets of tri-fold doors, if the weather is warm and we're in a secure area we often leave the deck down overnight and just close these doors. Another option is to raise the deck but leave the awning part up. We can mix and match the various shutters according to the wind direction etc.

Here we see the bike has just been lowered (hoist wires just visible). The outer floor is down and the inner floor is up (out of sight, pinned to the back wall, AKA the lower part of the deck). While driving the outer floor actually supports the bike. Normally at this point I wheel the bike away, raise the outer floor then go inside and lower the inner floor.

In this camp were didn't bother wheeling the bike away, just left the outer floor hanging and lowered the inner floor so we had our deck.

Looking into the garage from the lounge room, through the partially-open tri-fold doors.

Yet another option. Bad weather, bike out, deck closed but the upper half of the back wall is split to give a shutter over a window so we still get a view. In this configuration the back half of the "deck" is now just an extended lounge room, somewhere for visitors to sit, or as you say a guest room. We've had friends sleeping in there and the tri-fold door gives them a measure of privacy.

One more pic showing yet another configuration. This time for hot weather with all the shutters open for maximum ventilation.

This is dead set the most versatile arrangement I've done so far and we love it. The only thing is that to use any of this you have to drop the bike out and we are often too lazy to do that, no way around that I think.

 

[graynomad]

Actually I just noticed that one of the above pics shows the RHS support for the steps we were talking about before, so here's an enlarged version.



IIRC that's a 40x40 that slides into a 50x50 and locks there for driving. The same arrangement is used for the three other supports needed for the landing.

 

[westyss]

Rob that whole set up is just awesome! Please post more pics, cant get enough of this rig.

Looks to me like you could mount that bike on the rear outside, bad thing about that is it would be exposed all the time, get very dusty etc. but seems like an option, no? How long does it take to lower the bike?

 

[pappawheely]

Awesome rig Graynomad! You have a fertile imagination and the fortitude to make it a reality.

 

[Ford Prefect]

That is brilliant.

I have thought about your windows many times. I would personally regret not having light come in during poor weather. It looks as though you can do the same with the sides that you did with the rear though, yes? IE open the ali cover and lower the glass/plexiglass windows? That seems like it would be an order of magnatude more difficult, however the advantages of a totally sealable ali exterior would be many I am sure.

I wonder if you could manage to stand the bike up on the rear tire so you could get around it to the deck. It would be annoying and totally impracticle I should think. Leaks etc would doubtless get the better of you eventually. Never the less that is a totally brilliant way to go with the hoist etc.

My plan with the truck would be to use a Heavy/Meadium Duty Mitsubishi or the like cab-over truck. It would be a 4x2, and I would expect to use an 8-9 foot tall box. This gives me the room needed to make a bedroom space over the garage. Otherwise I would use a lifting roof design not unlike Yves. (Only if I had the money for it of course).

With that tall of a box I should think the ramp would be substantially long, however, if needed I am prepared to consider the addition of ramps like what you find for any vehicle hual trailer. Something that stows away under the truck, and can be attached to the ramp to extend. The obvious big concerns are the back door being strong enough to hold the vehicle without issue, which would increase weight, and the breakover angle of the platform. Nine feet is likely not long enough to make it to the ground without a rather extreme breakover angle. Therefore I could either set the ramp to be strong enough to drive up until the front end is over and into the garage, and the belly skids the hinge. Then use the winch on the ramp door to lift the vehicle until it is able to drive in. (would require a VERY strong door, Frame, and winch.) Or to put the extentions on the door with removable ramps.

The hard thing for me is now that I am making the money enough that I can afford to start my build, I know I can not do much more than weekend trips in it, and therefore it is a big project and will cost a lot to insure, maintain, and pay for a place to park a vehicle I will likely only be able to use four or five times per year. It is interesting how lifestyle is now the factor holding me back rather than a few years ago when it was monitary concerns.

Well that is an Absolutely Brilliant truck you have there Sir. Thank you so much for the photos and sharing with me. You have me questioning and perhaps rethinking having an open garage vs closed off. Still leaning towards closed, but the way yours opens up the wall not just a doorway, may well be something to consider.

V/R
Brian

 

[southpier]

...now that I am making the money enough that I can afford to start my build, I know I can not do much more than weekend trips... lifestyle is now the factor holding me back rather than a few years ago when it was monitary concerns. ...

this

 

[motas]

Our tandem trailer has a fairly simple solution to the issue. It is probably lighter and easier not to use the door as a ramp if theres any height involved. It just has long ramps about the width of a wheel on each side that slide out and hinge down. They aren't overly heavy and are fairly compact just slipping in under the floor. I could also see them being used as a traction aid for either vehicle if needed since they are fairly long and sturdy. They are just made out of right angle steel. Surely these are common and you would have seen what I mean.