Fooling Around with a Middle Aged Gypsy.......with Pics

[Petri Oosthuizen]

So yesterday I was in Roodepoort for a Contract, and decided to sommer go pick up the caravan I bought from a very good friend and Client of mine in Edenvale.
Actually stole it, not bought it. Thanks again Doug8)8)8)
1983 Gypsey Caravette 6, with 15' tyres, upgraded axle, nicely done oustide.
The interior is a wee bit crappy........BUT the Seller gave me a ton of camping goodies, shower, water tanks, etc etc etc with to make my dreams come true.
Towing it back home, I just could'nt believe how light she is behind the Prado.
I also took the Frankfort - Reitz road on purpose, to see how she behaved on that semi Baboons Pass potholes.
No issues, with only one little cupboard door open when I arrived home.
Got MANY MANY cool plans with this..............I'd like to ask questions/advise as I move along, if that's OK with everyone.
In the mean time here she is in all her glory, taken yesterday on her way back to the beautiful Eastern Free State:

I'm adding a sort of Cost Breakdown as I'll be moving along, actually more for my own records but may also be of interest to others:

1) Price Paid.............................................. ..........................................R 30000
2) Ply boards, adhesives, screws, etc etc on 10/04...................................R 1800
3) 2x Bed Frames made, labour and material.......................................... .R 1674
4) Angle Iron and Woodoc............................................ .........................R 1087
5) Nuts, Bolts, Drill Bits, etc etc............................................... ..............R 720
6) 2 x Lids, hinges, screws, etc etc............................................... ..........R 1122
7) Replace window fittings, Door stop.............................................. ........R 390
8) Alu chequered plate sheet, 2mm............................................... ..........R 1134
9) Plastic Drawers, 6 Drawer...………………………………………………………………………..R 850
10) Interior paint, roller, brushes, etc etc............................................... ..R 764
11) Canvas Work, Tentco............................................ ...........................R 2850
12) Sheets and Duvet Covers............................................ .....................R 943
13) Alu poles etc etc to hold up the beds' lids...........................................R 781
14) eLECTRICAL - 220V Electrician....................................... ...................R 500
15) Electrical - Sundries.......................................... ...............................R 440
16) Lights, Multi Plugs............................................. ..............................R 1356
17) Gordyne, maakloon, ens ens............................................... .............R 1 268
TOTAL............................................. .................................................. ..R 44 829
MINUS : SOLD WATER TANK.............................................. .....................R 800
MINUS : SOLD KEXIN GEYSER............................................ ....................R 1 200
MINUS : SOLD CANVAS STUFF............................................. ...................R 350
MINUS : SOLD WATER TANK 2................................................. ...............R 700
MINUS : SOLD LITTLE WEBER............................................. ....................R 350
MINUS : SOLD STRETCHERS........................................ ...........................R 2 400
MINUS : SOLD TENT.............................................. .................................R 2 500
MINUS : SOLD LOOSE TABLES............................................ .....................R 400
TOTAL MINUS............................................. ...........................................R 8 700
TOTAL COST (UITGAWES EN MINUSES).......................................... ..........R 36 129

PLUS : Alu Plate bought 1 x sheet............................................. ...............R 1280
PLUS : Bend en fit alu sheet at back.............................................. ...........R 630
PLUS : Bedrading, ingesluit ligte, cord, ens ens..........................................R 984

TOTAAL SOOS OP 10/09/2019.............................................. ..................R 39 023

PLEASE SEE POST 14 UNDERNEATH, I'M ASKING ADVISE AND QUESTIONS IN THERE, ALL AND ANY HELP GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

[Dewald Posthumus]

I like, as in really like!

My wife gave me the bad news after last week's camping trip, the trailer is no longer comfortable, she wants a caravan...

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Ja ag Dewald dis 'n OU ding maar hy gaan die job doen.

I just finished unpacking a TON of camping stuff that Doug gave me with this vantjie.

Its far from a new Sprite Tourer.........but R 30 000 is even furter away from R 300 000.

It also has this funny thing in a bag I got with it - as new. Looks like a geyser/shower contraption.

Keep an eye on the Smalls...........I really REALLY have to start selling of my camping stuff, getting WAY too much in my way now.

What I think I should get ASAP:

1) Awning like Eezie Awn, but it will have to be wide enough to "include" the clip on alu table outside. The original rally looks still great though, and Doug sez it "wraps" down the sides - I'll try put it up some time today and see.
But I'd love an awning with all poles and penne en hammer inside. I'm lazy AND short.
2) When travelling on that (terrible) potholed road yesterday I did notice some "sway". I think shock absorbers added to the leafs would be a very worthwhile addition. Oom Henk - you were 200% correct in that. I think shocks, with deflated tyres, will sort this out almost completely.

[LC Man]

Petri.
First option please.

[willben]

I think you should name her "Sophia"

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Petri.
First option please.

Ja ja ja

Jy ken my al goed.

Moet se, daai interior het maar bietjie werkies nodig.

Se maar net

[BruceHun]

I think you should name her "Sophia"

How does Sophia feel about that? If it was a sports car then maybe

[willben]

How does Sophia feel about that? If it was a sports car then maybe

She was more of a Grand Tourer but I think in her older age she was very comfortable, much like that caravan.

[jelo]

Petri.
First option please.

yep, tick tock, I give him 2 weeks

[eloffmare]

Call her "QUEEN", should be apt.

[Petri Oosthuizen]

No man

Something funky(ish).

Ginger

Skye

Lolita

April

Amber

Maybe April..............

Maybe name her after my favourite - uhum - actress, Anne Hathaway.

But ja, then, must confess, everything on the vantjie is not NEARLY as symmetrical as everything on Miss Hathaway are.

[4ePajero]

Your thread heading is X-rated! Met pics, nogal!
Dirty old man!

[jelo]

No man

Something funky(ish).

Ginger

Skye

Lolita

April

Amber

Maybe April..............

Maybe name her after my favourite - uhum - actress, Anne Hathaway.

But ja, then, must confess, everything on the vantjie is not NEARLY as symmetrical as everything on Miss Hathaway are.

Call her May because you'll sell her before the end of May

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Question 1 Please...........SORTED THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

If I remove the front and rear beds' wooden panels etc etc, and make a steel frame in their place , and bolt the frame to the walls of the van........would it work??

Sorry guess I need to take pics here to explain a bit better.

But in essence, would it work in strengthening the walls a bit, at least the lower part of it??

..........SORTED. Just maing neat frames with flip-up lids here, will post pics when done

Question 2 Please..............SORTED THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!!

The "timber" underneath the van - can one sand it off and re-paint it, and what would be the best product to do it with??

Question 3 Please..........SORTED THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!!!!

Would it be a good idea to bolt "triangles" on the square bits of the chassis for added rigidity??

Question 4 Please.............SORTED THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

I'm sending her to my mate at Battery Sentrum soon to just go through the chassis, brakes, etc etc.

4,1) I'd like to investigate the possibility of adding shocks to the leafs for a "softer" ride, and less side to side movement of the walls. Good/Bad idea??
4,2) Should I just leave the leafs as is, or should one "upgrade" to a stronger pack?? Would a stronger pack be more bouncier, or not.......... would something stronger be more beneficial, added with shocks? Or just leave the existing leafs as is?? (they are VERY now, as they are)
4.3) I'd a;so like to look into adding a spacer, lifting the 15" wheels a bit out of the wheel arches. Maybe 15/20mm or so. Any thoughts here?

Question 5 Please..............SORTED THANKS TO EVERYONE!!

The vantjie currently has an antique looking power pack thingy that powers 12v lights (I think) and the 220v fridge.

I'd like to look at re-wiring etc etc for ONLY:

1) 12V or 220 V Fridge
2) 12V Lumenco strip lights, say around 2 inside, 4 reading, 1 outside (already there) and maybe 4 inside drawers/cupboards etc etc

I know this can be a VERY lengthy question.

In short - what would you do, if you wanted 220v and 12v from "scratch"?

I have solar panels too, so thats sorted.

I dont intend to stay in the bundus with this for weeks. I do intend to use it for instance next to a dam/river with no 220v nearby.

And I'd like a VERY VERY simple, hassle free solution here

Question 6 Please


Please see Posts 58 and 59. That Roof "base" sags at the left front. What to do there??

Question 7 Please.............SORTED THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

Please see Posts 56 and 57.

I have to do some fixing up on the floor, and thinking to just as well install a whole new fresh floor.

Any pointers here please??

What wood to use??

THANKS

[Petri Oosthuizen]

See Post 15 above please........I'm trying to put all "Questions" in there.

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Here's a pic to try explain my "Question 1" in Post 14 a bit better. This is the front Bed.

Im thinking alu frame, fixed to the walls and nose, a bit higher and much more "open", and the "lid" must lift up in 2 or 3 sections.

Maybe a slide out tray in the center, would be VERY handy and "at hand" from the door opening.

Can one even fix this frame etc etc onto the chassis through the floor??

................thoughts Gents??

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Pic of rear Bed.

Id like to do the same here as the front, one can make a HUGE fixed bed or maybe even look at an island bed setup........BUT the overhead cupcoards might be a kopseer then.

Also in 2 or 3 sections, with a slide out center drawer. I anticipate that we may need some packing space for clothing/shoes/etc, so this drawer can be damn handy.

I'd also DEFINITELY like to at least make this longer, NO crawling over each other.........for now.

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Both Beds "closed".......I'm cleaning up the mattresses so long (although I very prolly wont be needing them in the near future)

The bed without the mattress is the front.

[JohnnoK]

My tuppence worth...

Question 1 Please

If I remove the front and rear beds' wooden panels etc etc, and make a steel frame in their place , and bolt the frame to the walls of the van........would it work??
In theory, yes, BUT it all depends how you actually attach it. You will need to spread the load with a suitable doubler and bolts/screws/rivets/whatever which will affect the exterior "look" of the van.

Sorry guess I need to take pics here to explain a bit better.

But in essence, would it work in strengthening the walls a bit, at least the lower part of it??
The van, if correctly designed would have had the expected dynamic and static loads already accounted for, so you may in fact be causing trouble by making it "too rigid", thus setting the ground for structural issues that were never part of the original thinking.
All this assumes the guy that did the initial design was in fact aware of the forces at work, and not simply lucky to hit the nail on it's head.

Question 2 Please

The "timber" underneath the van - can one sand it off and re-paint it, and what would be the best product to do it with??
Get it up on ramps and have a good look at it, poke it with an awl to see if it has signs of rot and termites etc.
If it looks solid, I'd just give it a coat of your planned muti and get on with the rest of the work.

Question 3 Please

Would it be a good idea to bolt "triangles" on the square bits of the chassis for added rigidity??
While it's on the ramps, check the chassis and framing for cracks and loose joints/screws etc. Gussets probably won't do any harm, but equally may not be necessary as per the design criteria in Q1.

Question 4 Please

I'm sending her to my mate at Battery Sentrum soon to just go through the chassis, brakes, etc etc.

4,1) I'd like to investigate the possibility of adding shocks to the leafs for a "softer" ride, and less side to side movement of the walls. Good/Bad idea??Shocks won't "soften" the ride, they damp out suspension oscillation.
4,2) Should I just leave the leafs as is, or should one "upgrade" to a stronger pack??The suspension would have been sized to the GVM of the van, it won't be changing, so why bother? Would a stronger pack be more bouncier, or not.......... would something stronger be more beneficial, added with shocks? Or just leave the existing leafs as is?? (they are VERY now, as they are) Leave it for now, use it first.
4.3) I'd a;so like to look into adding a spacer, lifting the 15" wheels a bit out of the wheel arches. Maybe 15/20mm or so. Any thoughts here? Is the axle underslung or above the leaf packs? You could score by moving it if underslung, or add blocks to suit. It WILL affect the handling as the van will stand higher and "stick out" more in the airstream, but probably only marginally.

[Petri Oosthuizen]

Want to definitely make the rear huge double bed longer.

And lose that cupboard etc etc, and all the hout boksies en goetertjies.

Here again, in its place, something like an alu framed cupboard with canvas zipped doors would be nice I think.

Fridge will be replaced with either a 12v double fridge, or then, for the time being, my trusty Weekender will have to do.

I want a VERY uncluttered look inside, just the bare necessities, BUT the beds' comfort are not negotiable.

Wasted space left of the fridge........against the wall is the very cool looking but unnecessary little liquor cabinet. Has to go.