Making a ifting roof on a 110

[ersatzknarf]

Multi-Function King!

Hi John,

Wonderful ! Thank you very much for all of that effort in the post. The photos and very detailed explanations are very much appreciated. Much, much more than anticipated. Thank you!

Well, am really going to have to go back and reconsider the design. The hinged backrest is very, very nice, but that and all of the other small details of your design completely blew me away!!!

You've taken multi-tasking to a new level, sir!

Hope you can get the Eberspacher sorted again. That it can put out so much heat will likely cause me to see how it does first before considering adding a matrix and fan at the rear, but I do think we'll need the water heater...

Hope I can include not even half of the brilliant details you've got, into ours. Using the boxes as integral support might well help us with the sleeping platform area, too. Having the fridge able to slide out into the "aisle way" rather than just fixed in position might also be of benefit.

Thanks again for sharing with us, John.

 

[wuntenn]

You're welcome Frank. Pics make the whole thing easier to understand - if you need more detailed ones or different angles please just ask, I don't mind doing some more.

The Eberspacher works just fine - it heats the engine perfectly but its the outlet into the van from the LR heater matrix that's the problem, and I'm certain its a cable glitch because my cable broke at the heater end and I pulled it tighter but that has altered the flap openings internally so the heat is not being funneled into the van in the quantities it should be.

I can't emphasize enough the benefits of doing a design and reworking it over and over. Sometimes an idea will pop into your head and you can gain some benefit from a slight alteration. My mantra is to try to 'build light' and find ways to brace with stuff that does other things - hence the very light sleeping platform but provided with plenty support from the storage boxes below.

 

[wuntenn]

glad you have taken it out for a spin ..do you think you may have to upgrade the springs for more weight

Just an update on suspension. Last weekend we went north for a few days, loaded the fuel tank almost full (I have a normal LR 110 tank, plus a 45L wing tank), also put in 5 gallons of water, a full fridge (45L), clothes, cameras, tools, two adults, small boy and a collie, and on the roof a small roofbox with wetsuits, cycle helmets - all light stuff, finally on the spare wheel carrier a three bike carrier with two adult bikes and a childs.

I pumped the airbags up to 28lbs pressure and rear tyres to 40psi. It handled pretty well, slightly ponderous acceleration and hills needed careful change downs to maximise momentum, but it wasn't feeling unsafe on corners - very controlled and predictable handling. The bikes were definitely noticeable, and I guess having their weight hanging so far out the back made a big difference to the handling, and when I removed them that afternoon it certainly drove better.

This is all on standard LR OE springs all round, with standard Armstrong dampers, and airlift bags in the rear. The Superpro bushes are I think making a real contribution to the stability. All things considered I think I'm fairly pleased with the ride - I reckon any stiffer rear springs would give a harsher ride. If I was adding a winch and really loading the rear with serious exped quantities of gear I'd certainly need to upgrade, but for my setup and needs where I'm at seems ok for now.

 

[wuntenn]

Bit more progress - awning fabric part fastened on so we can work out a tensioning system to stop it filling with rain. I may need to pop a piece of plastic pipe in across the width (or length) to make it a bit more convex and shed the rain. Experiments! Anyway its trial and error and fitting it into the little space I have between the lifting roof and the back door top was 'challenging'. There will be a cover fastened to the top to fold over the awning so when its rolled up its got some protection from road snot.



Fastening is via a piece of L alloy riveted to the rear of the roof. A thin alloy strap is fastened onto the bottom the L, making a sandwich between them, with the fabric in between. The cover fabric will be on top of the L with another strip to hold it down. Simple to do and easily unbolted.



Also got two stainless wires to act as restraints on the roof hatch so it doesn't blow open when driving if I forget to seal it. (It faces forwards, not ideal, but necessary to prevent rain ingress when the roof is elevated). Made up by the local marina from finest stainless. Drilled and tapped a hole on each side through the hatch alloy for an M6 bolt and another hole through each handle to fasten the other end. Should be fine. Cheap and simple.



And finally a new hilift. The one I had previously was a loaner from my mate who got rid of his Land Rover. He's taken it back now so I got a new one. Opted for the 4' version because it will fit inside. Simple attachment - two M12 bolts through the side of the wheelarch, through a 2"x2" pine batten, a few large repair washers and some giant wing nuts to fasten. I removed the foot and it sits behind the mechanism sandwiched tight against the side of the rear tub, allowing the storage boxes to fit neatly alongside so I don't lose storage space and as it's main mechanism is under the fridge slides it does not impede foot space inside.

 

[krl81]

Nice to see it's a work still in progress.

 

[piratexpress1369a]

looking good just wondering do you have a filter for your water system ,so you could collect rain water

 

[wuntenn]

Ha - it's a Land Rover I just collect the water from the footwell! (well I could if I sealed the drain holes that allows the water to go out!).

But seriously - no not filtered, here in Scotland we have more than enough and whats in rivers, burns and lochs can safely be drunk. When we go to somewhere more exotic (less exotic?) I will definitely consider it. Today it is really wet and the new flat roof is a veritable rain trap and so much water is coming off I'm actually going to have to put a gutter across the front of the new roof to trap it and move it to the sides.

 

[Kgh]

Amazing. Just read from start to finish, including forays into your blog. Was like a suspense novel, with twists and turns! Glad you and yours are alright, your photos are brilliant, and the roof is stunning achievement.

You, Sir, are what ExPo is all about!

Cheers from a Yank,
Kip

 

[wuntenn]

After a spell of silence a wee bit more stuff under way.

I mentioned temporary hard sides that could be clipped in for winter use. So I finally managed to get it under way - obtained a couple of sheets of Dibond - thin alloy with a plastic core, which is light and strong, weather-resistant and fairly easy to work with.



The idea is that an ally H section is riveted onto the top edge of the Dibond panel, which is then shoved into place against the bottom edge of the lifting lid using the rubber sealing gasket on the lid as the seal for the top of the panel. The bottom of the Dibond panel has a thin rubber U channel on it, so it seals and is grippy. Clip sections on the panels will allow them to be firmly clipped in using the existing top/bottom clips.



Below - the U rubber on the Dibond edge, and above the H section jammed up onto the seal on the lid so I can measure.



Each side is in two pieces with another thinner alloy H section in between them, the H section riveted to the edge of one panel.

The back end is a bit more complicated and requires a specific flanged U channel that can have the vertical panel edge riveted to the flange allowing the U section to go over the edges of the side panels.







I may need to make the back section in two pieces with a horizontal piano hinge across the width to allow it to fold which is not only easier to store but will allow the panel to be shoved into place and as it folds 'open' allows it to be wedged tight into its gap. A clip on each side will hold it in place. The resulting structure will be all held together with H sections joints, the U flanged bits on each rear quarter, and a couple of stainless clips on each to ensure it is all tied together. I may stick some closed cell foam insulation on the back of the panels in due course. Any weather that does get past it will still have to contend with the very robust fabric inside.





I've got a few weeks use of a workshop space and a sheet saw to do this. The sheet saw guide has a sticky rubber back and allows you to simply place the guide on the material to the cut line and run the saw along giving lovely straight cuts. All I need to do is measure it properly! It's an awkward task though as the highest point is about 12' in the air making holding the sheet and marking it a rather precarious operation.

 

[wuntenn]

Wow thanks Kip - and amazingly I just did a wee bit more work on the roof today and have just posted it and saw your response! Glad you enjoyed the saga. It still continues!

 

[Quebec Kid]

insanely cool set up!

 

[piratexpress1369a]

i was wondering what you were going to do for winter camping ..now i see it .will you also put on a back section

 

[wuntenn]

A back section is in the plan! The removable sides are: two sections on left, two on right - the two-part fitment makes them easier to handle and fit, and store on the roof when not in use; and the rear section is also in two pieces again for practical reasons of fitting and storing.

However the job has turned out (as you might expect!) to be problematic! The P gasket on the lifting roof is proving 'awkward' (it's attached to the lifting part of the existing roof, sealing against the lower perimeter frame) and I bought the alloy H profile for the removable sides, and that fits up around it to suit its dimensions when it was 'new'.

Unfortunately the weight of the roof on the P gasket has deformed the bulb of the P - which is not a problem for the roof as the bulb is designed to do that in order to provide a good watertight seal - but it's now become too 'fat' making it rather too tight a fit for the alloy H to go around it easily, so I've had to bend the upper channel of the H open a bit to see if that solves the problem.

If it doesn't I may need to buy a wider H section to accommodate the wider gasket. Ahh problems!

 

[Renier]

wow super thread!! any recent progress?

 

[wuntenn]

Hi Renier - glad you're enjoying it! Progress - yes.

Fitted various electrical stuff - a Smartgauge to monitor the batteries, which seems to work really well (seems like there's some 'controversy' around them); wired in a decent (pure sine) inverter; a mains hookup with RCD; new hifi & speakers; and am currently installing EGT and boost gauges, and a tacho.

The head gasket went so I've had the head off and replaced with a fully overhauled Turner head, new exhaust, and various gaskets and seals, and have a set of new silicone pipes and alloy hoses to fit on the air intake/intercooler, as the current ones are the old & worn tatty things which I've had for over 15 years and are well past their sell-by date.

My back door skin was dissolving so I stuck a new one on last week. Thats the third one, they last 12 years! Needed decent security locks for the front doorsso found neat deadbolts with a mechanism that will fit well back inside the van side/door, away from water, salt and mank - I've had another type on for the last 15 years and had to replace them three times as they wear out, so hopeful these ones will be more weather-resistent.

My fuel pump was leaking badly so I bought a s/h one and had it fully overhauled by the local Bosch agent. When fitted it ran like a dog and the shop owner was perplexed but turned the fuel up which helped a bit, still not brilliant so I got a hold of the Bosch service manual and genned up on pumps and took the top off and found that the boost pin was jammed solid, held in by the fuel pin that runs up against it (the pin responding to throttle action). Pump guys got it back and had to weld a rod onto it to get it out. This was a first for them in over 30 years of pump servicing. Anyway they put new parts in it and when I picked it up they were still not happy with it, and as I drove it home the idle speed whacked itself up a good bit all by itself while I sat at the lights. It runs a bit better after this little hiccup but I still need the pump tweaked a bit to increase boost and fueling.

The hard sides are on hold while all the rest of this is going on, and the workshop where I've been allowed to work on the sides has been fully used for a van build anyway so it was a no-go there for a few months.

My rear awning got overtaken - I realized that a commercially available tent porch off ebay would be a possible fit and more elegant than the home-made one I was aiming for constructing, as well as being cheaper. It'll be here in a few days so I'll report on that when I've tried it.

Minor annoyances revealing themselves - the combination of etch primer and cellulose paint I used is proving a bugger to stick sealant to. I've sealed various bits using Sikaflex and it just hates the paint, eats through it and falls off leaving bare alloy! So I've had to scrape some of it off and redo it, that was started but is on hold for now as the weather has been rubbish with too much damp.

So yes progress, slow but sure!