BigSkyBrad
Active member
I'm a Kiwi living in Scotland, and have recently bought a FGB71 for my next camper build, with the idea to see a bit of the world in the near future. A couple of years back I built a camper using a VW LT35 van... and although it has been great, and was a good guinea pig/learning curve, a bit more space is needed and to have the ability to get a bit more off the beaten track to find that perfect camping spot you know you can get back out of.
It's a 2015 with 10,000 miles on the clock, though the chassis looks like it has travelled further due to the salted roads adding a ginger hue to everything - nothing some time and effort can't clean up though. As a UK spec it doesn't have a low range box, and with a 4.875 final drive and 205/75-17.5 tyres, it looks like going to super singles limits us to 265/70-19.5 (or 17" equivalent) to keep the gearing the same as the Oz upgrades - but as it will not see any serious offroading, I'm ok with that.
I was hoping to go for a 4-point subframe for good weight distribution, but with the goose-neck it looks tricky to do. The truck came with a solid-mounted drop-side flat deck, which has been removed. I got the last of the mounting brackets off just behind the cab yesterday and found this horror story (pic below) - obviously whoever made the brackets/installed the deck cocked up, so instead of re-doing the bracket, they just drilled new holes! Now I'm left with a 'tear along the dotted line' waiting to happen. I'm guessing I will need to sandwich plate it, plug welding where these nasty holes are - any thoughts people?
Also thinking perhaps it should be a 3-point - utilizing the sandwich plates as the mounting area for either the static or pivot mount and back around the diff area as the other. From what I have gathered here on the forum, the very end of the (tapered) chassis is best avoided(?). The camper box will be composite sandwich and would like to think the box (with modest interior) and subframe c/w hanging toolboxes won't be over 2.5 tonne. I do understand that most will recommend a spring mounted subframe, and although looking a bit primitive they are well tested for many years.
Any thoughts on any or all of the above will be appreciated.
Cheers, Brad
It's a 2015 with 10,000 miles on the clock, though the chassis looks like it has travelled further due to the salted roads adding a ginger hue to everything - nothing some time and effort can't clean up though. As a UK spec it doesn't have a low range box, and with a 4.875 final drive and 205/75-17.5 tyres, it looks like going to super singles limits us to 265/70-19.5 (or 17" equivalent) to keep the gearing the same as the Oz upgrades - but as it will not see any serious offroading, I'm ok with that.
I was hoping to go for a 4-point subframe for good weight distribution, but with the goose-neck it looks tricky to do. The truck came with a solid-mounted drop-side flat deck, which has been removed. I got the last of the mounting brackets off just behind the cab yesterday and found this horror story (pic below) - obviously whoever made the brackets/installed the deck cocked up, so instead of re-doing the bracket, they just drilled new holes! Now I'm left with a 'tear along the dotted line' waiting to happen. I'm guessing I will need to sandwich plate it, plug welding where these nasty holes are - any thoughts people?
Also thinking perhaps it should be a 3-point - utilizing the sandwich plates as the mounting area for either the static or pivot mount and back around the diff area as the other. From what I have gathered here on the forum, the very end of the (tapered) chassis is best avoided(?). The camper box will be composite sandwich and would like to think the box (with modest interior) and subframe c/w hanging toolboxes won't be over 2.5 tonne. I do understand that most will recommend a spring mounted subframe, and although looking a bit primitive they are well tested for many years.
Any thoughts on any or all of the above will be appreciated.
Cheers, Brad
