Rob good to hear ..................... if they run into any probs let us know thru here, as I know a fair few people up north and I'm sure many members from the FNQ region along the way also would be able to help them out if need be ? :Y: :Y: :Y:
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Quick & nasty camper conversion
- Thread starter PabloP
- Start date
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Thanks for that. It looks like the Mackay area may be as far north as they will go, as they have met up with rellos there and are using that as a base.
Rob P.
Rob P.
Just a quick update. Trailer and boys arrived back at my place last week and the most damage encountered was some holes in tarp at the front right corner (chaffing on corner angle iron) and an eyelet torn out of the tarp.
Zero issues with the trailer itself, or the rooftop tent. Trailer may last another 50 years, but I won't be there to see it.
Now they have decided to move north so are frantically packing boxes, and will rent a UHaul trailer to take all that junk.
I was considering replacing the tarp with some Gal or ALU sheeting, but need is reduced since the boys are leaving home, so not sure now if I will do that or not.
Rob P
Zero issues with the trailer itself, or the rooftop tent. Trailer may last another 50 years, but I won't be there to see it.
Now they have decided to move north so are frantically packing boxes, and will rent a UHaul trailer to take all that junk.
I was considering replacing the tarp with some Gal or ALU sheeting, but need is reduced since the boys are leaving home, so not sure now if I will do that or not.
Rob P
Love the trailer - and not many steel trailers last this long.
cheers
Keith
cheers
Keith
During my recent BlazeAid vollie work, I was asked if I could forgo the Campervan and bring the Prado as some of the site access was a bit iffy. So I dragged out the old trailer with the rooftop tent on it and used that as my accommodation. That worked fine as meals were supplied and it was basically just somewhere to keep my stuff and snooze. But as there is zilch security for stuff anywhere with this, I ended up still keeping lots in the back of the Prado. So as the tarp has seen better days, as one of my CovID19 stay-at-home projects, I looked at if/how I could improve that situation.
Getting the tent off its mounting frame is a pain in the butt as it weighs about 90kG, and that is a bit heavy for one old bloke. So it has stayed on the trailer for the last year or so even when carting wood, which is its main extracurricular activity. I needed to get it off its frame as I needed to remove the old tarp and redo a couple of welds on the frame. This involved several pulleys, etc, but it came off ok so the other stuff could be done. I decided to keep it off while I made the other mods to the mounting frame, as the rooftop tent overhangs the frame all around which made access impossible for some of the desired work. I then put the rooftop tent back on and did a few other tasks associated with improving the weather ingress to the trailer covered area.
So you can see what it looked like in before in https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=405431#p405431
Now a couple of pics after the mods.
Closed up with 6 doors -
Looking from back with all doors open -
I will add some photos of a couple of other smaller followup projects in another post.
Rob P.
Getting the tent off its mounting frame is a pain in the butt as it weighs about 90kG, and that is a bit heavy for one old bloke. So it has stayed on the trailer for the last year or so even when carting wood, which is its main extracurricular activity. I needed to get it off its frame as I needed to remove the old tarp and redo a couple of welds on the frame. This involved several pulleys, etc, but it came off ok so the other stuff could be done. I decided to keep it off while I made the other mods to the mounting frame, as the rooftop tent overhangs the frame all around which made access impossible for some of the desired work. I then put the rooftop tent back on and did a few other tasks associated with improving the weather ingress to the trailer covered area.
So you can see what it looked like in before in https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=405431#p405431
Now a couple of pics after the mods.
Closed up with 6 doors -
Looking from back with all doors open -
I will add some photos of a couple of other smaller followup projects in another post.
Rob P.
ower:
Two of the followup projects associated with the extracurricular trailer activity (collecting wood) were making a mount suitable for the trailer for a small old re-purposed wood vice that could be used to hold chainsaws while giving their chains a little touch-up, plus the second project, rejuvenating an old axe head as a working axe.
The vice mount was made such that it is a tight springy slip fitting onto any piece of 3/4" hardwood such as the trailer sideboards and tailgate, plus I replaced the jaws on the vice with some made from hardwood that are shaped to fit even the smallest battery-operated chainsaw I have a Stihl MSA140 (mainly used when travelling and camping.
The MS170 with MSA140 in the background -
Then the larger old clunker a Ryobi that has seen better days. MSa140 & MS170 in the trailer as well.
The axe restoration. I have a good large Fiskars axe and a small Fiskars hand axe both in good nick, that stay in the camper and a few other older mauls and such at home, but none of these had a profile suitable for cutting. So as I had several old axe heads hiding away in a corner and two of them were suitable candidates for the task, I decided to rebuild one for that use if needed. Simply done by getting a spotted gum handle from the local H/W store that was not the best quality but the only one they had, and as I may wreck it anyway I used it for the task. I then got rid of most of the surface rust and a bit of damage to the back of the axe from when it looked like it had been used as a sledgehammer or the like, then settled into crafting a reasonable edge on it. NB: This was all done using a file or a slowish speed bench sanding machine, hand stone and a leather strop, so as to not wreck the axe hardness (if it was any good?). Then after many hours of crafting the handle so it was a snug fit into the head and finally creating a hardwood wedge to fix the handle in place, I finished it off with a nice soaking coat of linseed oil and wrapped a bit of leather around the edge as it was now bleeding sharp.
Axe in the vice on the trailer -
I still need to source a bit of suitable leather to make a good mask for the axe which is a tough task when you can't go driving around and many places are shut.
Rob P.
The vice mount was made such that it is a tight springy slip fitting onto any piece of 3/4" hardwood such as the trailer sideboards and tailgate, plus I replaced the jaws on the vice with some made from hardwood that are shaped to fit even the smallest battery-operated chainsaw I have a Stihl MSA140 (mainly used when travelling and camping.
The MS170 with MSA140 in the background -
Then the larger old clunker a Ryobi that has seen better days. MSa140 & MS170 in the trailer as well.
The axe restoration. I have a good large Fiskars axe and a small Fiskars hand axe both in good nick, that stay in the camper and a few other older mauls and such at home, but none of these had a profile suitable for cutting. So as I had several old axe heads hiding away in a corner and two of them were suitable candidates for the task, I decided to rebuild one for that use if needed. Simply done by getting a spotted gum handle from the local H/W store that was not the best quality but the only one they had, and as I may wreck it anyway I used it for the task. I then got rid of most of the surface rust and a bit of damage to the back of the axe from when it looked like it had been used as a sledgehammer or the like, then settled into crafting a reasonable edge on it. NB: This was all done using a file or a slowish speed bench sanding machine, hand stone and a leather strop, so as to not wreck the axe hardness (if it was any good?). Then after many hours of crafting the handle so it was a snug fit into the head and finally creating a hardwood wedge to fix the handle in place, I finished it off with a nice soaking coat of linseed oil and wrapped a bit of leather around the edge as it was now bleeding sharp.
Axe in the vice on the trailer -
I still need to source a bit of suitable leather to make a good mask for the axe which is a tough task when you can't go driving around and many places are shut.
Rob P.
Gem in I said:
Thanks Gem, I can do the leatherwork, and I have done a bit recently and have most of the desired tools, but sourcing the leather that is a bit heavier duty than that stocked by general craft shops has been my problem.
I also want to put some whipping on the handle near the head to protect it, or else I may use a bit of the thin leather that I already have for that task. I am in no rush, but I just like to finish a project rather than leaving it half done.
Rob P.
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Have a look at this link Rob, Leffler Leather has just about anything you could want for in leather.
https://www.leffler.com.au/
https://www.leffler.com.au/
RM Outback said:
Thanks RM, that is the type of place that I want and in Melbourne no less. Shut today, but will query their hours of operation and plan a visit, just have to watch out for the Stay at home police, as miles from me, but I maybe have an excuse to be travelling through that area soon.
Rob P.
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Here you go Rob Leffler Leather are open for business and customers to visit :Y: hope you find what you are looking for.
Thanks RM, I received the same notice today. I was able to order leather, rivets, different colour waxed threads, etc, online from them and have it delivered to home. Since then I have restored another axe and made axe masks from the leather for both. Now I am into doing more restoration on the old trailer, basically painting, as it is still as solid as a rock and will surely outlast me.
Rob P.
Rob P.
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