Vario project started

[Joe917]

I to do something similar with my rear bumper. I would want the bumper to lock down with a pin of some kind and swing back and up when unlocked. That way when unlocked it would ride up with ground contact, it would also still work unlocked in a collision.

 

[part time nomad]

Hello Ian,
I have my Vario all uk registered now, I took it to the AO14 with my Land Rover on the back and towing my twin axle caravan, it got some attention!
my bplans are to turn it into and off/bad road camper. I have spent an amount of time in north Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria & Libya but that was in my trusty Land Rover defender (not without problems, fuel injector pump failing in the Ubari sand sea,. Libya and gear box in Morocco) but now looking for a bit more space and luxury.
regarding the Vario I plan to remove the crew cab and have a 50mm wall &75mm floor & ceiling box made, I think I can get 4.75M of living box going to the extreme of 60% of the wheel base ( uk law) I have been following your post regarding handling, hope you are getting sorted now, I do have some experience in this field as I am a HGV mechanic and have ran my own company for 27 years, I see you have had a lot of advice, but the best advice is hands on.

 

[jostein]

Wanted a decent stereo with navi, dab and rear camera. Then I found this mercedes front camera on ebay. Couldnt resist:drool:

http:// http://www.ebay.com/itm/420-TVLines-Waterproof-175-Car-Vehicle-Logo-Front-View-Camera-for-Mercedes-BENZ-/151423137007?pt=US_Rear_View_Monitors_Cams_Kits&hash=item234185b4ef

Front camera in place:


Rear camera:


Head unit installed.


Still Some wiring left to do. I Like Ians concept of having a stereo that can drown the other noises.
Replaced the front dash speakers with something better and installed speakers in the rear doors as well.
Have also purchased a small amp and subwoofers that goes into a rear center console currently being designed.

 

[jostein]

The cab gets a new outfit for christmas:


Looking forward to start putting things together again

 

[jostein]

Easy to see progress in this phase - motivating

I have taken the new sub-frame of again for painting. Afterwards I will re-install. I have to buy springs for the bolt that are holding the sub-frame to the car frame. Idea about specifications for this springs anyone?

 

[Ullie]

No, sorry. We bougth those springs at the firm that constructed our box. (We build the subframe ourself, the box was made at a firm, ormocar)

 

[Vegard_S]

Easy to see progress in this phase - motivating
View attachment 258458
Idea about specifications for this springs anyone?

Try the Norwegian company Bevola, the supply brackets for mounting of supportframe.

http://bevola.no/media/258771/katalog_5_no_2014_8.pdf

 

[jostein]

Thank you Vegard, I can see that bevola has cup springs that might fit the bill. Do you have cup og spiral springs Ullie?

 

[Ullie]

What is the difference between cup or spiral springs? My English is a bit rusty.

Here a picture of our springs. I think you will call them cup springs. (spiral with a metal plate at both sides, but the plate is loose, not fixed. The spiral is flat at the end.)

 

[jostein]

You got coil(spiral might be rusty English as well) springs, cup springs are more like dinner plates stacked on top of each other back to back. Cup springs are often stiffer in comparsion to their size than a coil spring. Might be that coil springs are just as suitable for a rather light camper Box.
I would be very happy if you are able to measure the outside diameter and the wire diameter. How many springs are there in total?

 

[Ullie]

Sorry, I've forgotten to give it a look. I'll do so tonight and post it here.

 

[LoRoad]

Here a picture of our springs.

Curiosity beckons this question: does the Ormocar camper/box attach in a pure solid form anywhere along the frame, or are all the connections like the one you show in the picture?

 

[Ullie]

@ Jostein: outside diameter 50 mm, wire diameter 10 mm, 7 windings for every spring. There are 5 springs on each side of the truck, but the rear 2 are actually not neccessary I found out later.

@LoRoad: We"ve got 2 springs at 1 point in the rear, than a fixed point before and after the rear axle, and then more to the front a point with one spring and totaly in the front (front of the subchassis) a point with 2 springs. So the subchassis is attached at 5 points at each side of the truck, off wich 3 are fix and 3 are with springs. This is according the building guidelines from mercedes. But afterwords we found out that in de rear you don't need springs, because there is no flex normally in de chassis.

 

[jostein]

Thank you Ullie, helpful info. According to guidelines I think it is common practice to have a ridgid Connection close to the rear axle (or the rear axle leaf spring fastening Points), and suspended Connections elsewere.. This puts minimal stress on the trucks frame since most of the load are then passed directly on to the rear axle.
I think what you found regarding flex on the rear makes perfect sense. The car frame will twist between the axels, not on the overhangs.

On the other hand, I would prefer to have the ridgid fastening point close to the cab, then I would have as little movement between the cab and the camperbox as possible. I am not going to integrate the box and the cab.
Still I would like to have as little clearence between the box and the cab as possible, specially if I end up making a box that goes over the cab as you have Ullie.

 

[Ullie]

Our box goes indeed over the cab, but it has enough clearence to move. Last summer at a certain point, I saw the cab comming als low as the side mirror. This proofs thad the flex system works without causing any damage to the cab nor the vehicle.