Australian Retro Rambler

[edgeau]

I have oft said that even though we use this regularly it will never be finished. The latest improvement to filter to the top of the list is putting some wiley windows in the doors. We have been camping with them wide open for good air but that meant hanging an old fashioned mosquito net inside. Great for an instagram moment but a bit of a pain in practice. So some windows with fly screen are in order.
I thought I understood the concept reasonably well but I was not confident enough to hack into my nice doors straight up. So I spent a few hours making a 1/3 scale mockup. This let me confirm my understanding and try out an idea to avoid needing drain holes. I have a routed a 45deg chamfer on the bottom edge of the opening and continued that angle on the backing piece.

It also allows me to confirm that the frame can be a different height on either side to accommodate my D shape door and opening.

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[featherliteCT1]

I like those wedges!

[edgeau]

Ok so the time came to cut into the real door.


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[edgeau]

Wow this was fiddly but looks great!

I routed a rebate to take brass fly screen. I cut 4mm ply to fit over and sit flush. (A lot of careful sanding to get the edges just right). Then using a trim bit on the router cut to the window hole this creating a frame. After varnishing I could staple the fly screen in and screw the frame over to make it look all neat and tidy.

I now wish I had bought a wider rebate bit because there is not much to that flimsy frame and there is no margin for error. I only had 5mm to work with.

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[MickinOz]

Keep up the good work edge.
I tried to ask via PM, but seems my message got stuck in the outbox. (Along with a reply to caseydog back in 2019. He must think I'm rude. )
So I'll ask here:
When you found you were really pushing it to bend the 6mm marine ply around the front curve, was the ply dry or had you steamed it or poured boiling water on it?
Also, what thickness ply are your walls?
I'm thinking 12mm marine ply walls, 6mm marine ply roofing sheets for next build.

[edgeau]

I did it dry, next time I would use hot water and towels. The walls are 12mm.

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[MickinOz]

Cool. Thanks for the response mate.

[MickinOz]

More questions, edge.
Your doors seem to be is nothing more than the plywood that came out of the hole with hinges and latches, closing against a timber door jamb with no sealing material?
How has that worked out?

Any comments on:
Warping of doors?

Flexing in the walls? In Ol' #1, I put a "collar" around the opening, made from the same 17mm plywood as the wall.
This made the wall quite rigid around the opening.

Sealing against draughts Probably not a huge issue in Sunny Queensland, but an important point for winter camping down here in the deep south.

Dust and water ingress??

[edgeau]

You are correct in that they are the 12mm ply that was cut out of the opening. The "jamb" that they close against is 4mm ply. No rubber at all. It has worked really well, never had water ingress problems.

As for air flow - up here we need as much as we can get . Seriously though even in cold weather you need some or you suffocate. I read of those who camp in snow still needing to have a crack open.

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[edgeau]

On dust, I have not taken it on long gravel roads so have not had to battle seriously bad dust. Going past a road train even a decent 4x4 fills up with dust so I wouldn't think my setup would keep that out. It works fine on general single lane tarmac where you might put a wheel off the side when passing oncoming traffic occasionally.

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[edgeau]

Any comments on:
Warping of doors?

Flexing in the walls? In Ol' #1, I put a "collar" around the opening, made from the same 17mm plywood as the wall.
This made the wall quite rigid

No warping but I did put a lot of effort into sealing the cut edges with varnish. I was concerned with the size of the windows I cut in the doors that might weaken them but they seem to be doing fine. We are on the first trip with the Wiley windows in now.

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[MickinOz]

Thanks heaps for the rapid response.
Ol' #1 has small louvred vents for making sure I don't suffocate.
I have butterfly vents on the inside I can use to control direction of air flow, or close altogether for travelling.
#2 I will probably just fit the outside louvre vent covers, since I almost never close the butterfly vents completely.
They are definitely important, it did get a bit stuffy one night when it was very cold out and I closed everything up.

Doors are now more than $1400 a pair by the time I get them to my place, no matter where I look.
Unless I find a miraculous bargain in the next few days I will be making my own.
I did consider getting just one commercial door, but that would drive me nuts I think.
If I were making a 4 wide that really isn't much good for more than one person, maybe I'd do it.

[edgeau]

We are out camping again so I thought it was time to post some photos of the latest modifications. The curtains are held in the rolled up position with leather straps made from old belts and press studs. I had to put the wall side of the press stud on a bit of dowel to get into an accessable location.
.

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[edgeau]

Close up of the press stud

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[edgeau]

Well the change room is coming together. Turned out simpler than I thought. I was testing all sorts of complicated schemes with hinged rods to fold out for conduit to slide on to etc. Turns out a bit of hardwood with a 20mm hole hanging off the awning t track is quite adequate.



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