Removable Grumman woody teardrop from downunder

[mallymal]

Now this man speaks my language!

"We call teardrop style campers teardrop caravans, trailer hitch is a towbar, trunk on a car is a boot. 240 volts instead of 110."

And a very cool looking mark 1 escort as a tv.

Welcome friend, your joinery skills are very evident and I love the shape of your profile. Great job

[Bantam]

Thanks for that.
Speaking of electrics, heres a couple of photos of my coffee van set up. I was changing batteries on this one and took a photo to remind me how to wire it up.

Runs 4 x 6volt batteries in series to an 1500watt invertor changing to 240volts. The black box is a smart charger. Use this to run the espresso machine pump, coffee bean grinder, mobile eftpos machine ( payment machine) and freezer when selling icecreams in summer.
One of my other vans runs 2 x 12 volt to a smaller invertor. I will be stealing the battery from this one when camping.

[StockCube]

Looking good! You will be done in no time. I am also building a 8x4 Grumman.

Just one thing - I used 12mm ply for my walls (which I think you have done, although you referred to it as 9mm), but it was too thin and has warped which has created a lot of problems with the final fitout. I think the fact that I am using Dibond signboard instead of aluminium has helped to salvage the situation though, so if you haven't bought your ally yet I can recommend looking into it. It is 3mm thick so that might mess with some of your calculations though.

[Wolfgang92025]

Just found your built.
Looking good....
At the rate you are going, it wont be long before you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

[mallymal]

Looking good! You will be done in no time. I am also building a 8x4 Grumman.

Just one thing - I used 12mm ply for my walls (which I think you have done, although you referred to it as 9mm), but it was too thin and has warped which has created a lot of problems with the final fitout. I think the fact that I am using Dibond signboard instead of aluminium has helped to salvage the situation though, so if you haven't bought your ally yet I can recommend looking into it. It is 3mm thick so that might mess with some of your calculations though.

Hey stock cube, I'm planning using dibond too. That's interesting what you say about the 12mm sides (just a whisker under 1/2" across the pond I guess).... Was that a solid wall that warped? I'm thinking lightweight and was designing around a 12mm cookie cutter wall with dibond bonded to it. Maybe I'm going too lightweight

Ps sorry for hijacking op's thread!

[Bantam]

Thanks for the info, don't worry about posting on my thread, it's all good info for anyone reading it. My sides are still very flat, maybe because I have only used 8x4 sheets? It is also about 5ply. On the roof I'm looking at using an aluminium composite sign board material, which has 3mm (1/8th) plastic core covered with .3mm aluminium skin both sides. Comes in a choice of colours. I will use the mill finish aluminium option. Comes in 3 X 1.5 metre sheet (9.8 X 4.9 feet).

Fitted the hatch today and hit my first problem. Traps for new players! The ply and my method has straightened the curve a bit. I will place in a sash cramp, torture the beast by turning the screw slowly and add slightly longer vertical curved braces. If that doesn't work, I'll make it into a toboggan!

Off to have some Caol I'll Scottish Whisky to drown my sorrows and it's going to be 2 degrees Celsius (35f)tonight .
Over and passed out.

[StockCube]

If I ever build another I would definitely use 18mm for the walls. Mine warped a lot and that was also with 8x4 sheets. Doors in particular really need to be 18mm to stop them warping and leaking.
The stuff you are putting on your roof sounds exactly the same as the dibond I have used. It is really nice stuff to work with but the black sheets I have used for the sides do scratch very easily - I am a bit disappointed in that so probably wouldn't build a black dibond one again for that reason.

[Bantam]

Back again. Working 7 days a week till October so time to get in the garage is hard to find.
I sealed the ceiling with a few coats of poly mixed with turps. Brought 4/ 2400 x 1200 ( 8x4) sheets of Polystrene for $40. Nice work cutting and fitting.

Cut a few slits in sheets to bend around the curve.



Then started to run the wiring.
Two reading lights, with an USB and 12v lighter plug at the pillow end, overhead light by the shelf, overhead light on hatch.


Wires will run down in the shelves through conduit to the rear where the battery will be housed.
Might need to make a polystrene cutter using a battery to trim the second layer of 20mm (3/4") Polystrene.
Got to go. Really enjoying this build so hope to be back soon.
See ya.

[Bantam]

Hi all,

Made it back to down to the garage for a few hours. Wiring was on the menu. Pushed her out in to the mid winter sunshine, shorts and T shirt weather!
Fitted the blackbox.



Reading lights.



Main light, a twin Fluro.


Have to fit the cutoff switch to the battery, USB port in between the reading lights, hatch light, get some eyelet fitting to connect the leads to the battery. Yes I should have used black wire but had none around. I will cover it with black tape to save making a fool out of myself!

Have paid my entry fee to www.britsatthebeach.co.nz so deadline coming around fast....

Thanks for looking.
Jeff

[StockCube]

Good work Jeff - keep going!

[Sheddie]

Hi Jeff. Good to see things progressing, and that you have entered for Brits at the Beach. That will give you a set goal to aim at. When we built ours, we had 10 weeks before we were booked to attend a car rally in the South Island, and that kept us cranking. We saw your entry, when looking at the Brits site recently. Not sure if we will be there yet.
We took the TD to Rotorua over Queens Birthday Weekend (30th May - 2nd June) for the NZ Capri Car Club, AGM. Towed it with the old Consul Capri.
I was looking at the photo of your wiring, and that it will be running through polystyrene. You need to be careful here as it can react with the insulation on the wire and thereby cause shorts. We were told that for electrical wof for 230v. if it goes through poly it must be in conduit.
I made a simple poly cutter for shaving down the insulation in the side walls. Used a piece of wood, some ss fishing trace and powered with a battery charger. Worked better than expected, there are some photos in my gallery.
Also for Mallymal and StockCube, if they are looking, I also used the sign board for all the exterior cladding. 3m x 1.5m on the sides and a 4.8m x 1.5m sheet over the top. On the sides I have 18mm construction ply, with a few holes cut out to save a bit of weight, with 4mm ply with a nice finish on the inside, and the sign board on the outside.
Cheers for now Frank.

[Bantam]

Back again. Cheers Frank for the info. Only running a 12 volts system, but will remove all foam, and create a channel for wiring.

I was going to make a Wiley window, but then saw a vintage camper on facebook and it provided the easy answer.



$20 at the hardware store and i'm sorted. Will put in clear perspex blades. Need to run up some mouldings to fit inside the door opening.

[Bantam]

Blowing a gail outside and starting to rain. Dark by 5pm. Time to hit the garage.

Framed up the inside of my door opening with 90mm (4") ply.




Worked out my opening size for louvres plus carrier moulding. Cut the opening and started to frame door. One more piece to go across the middle. Found some nice Fijian Kauri timber under the house. Will rip it to approx 45 x 45mm (1 1/4") and rebate to suit.

[Bantam]

Machined my window timber to profile.
Ran a groove on each piece to slip over the ply door edge. The sides are flat with only the groove machined into them. Cut them 1/4" 6mm longer each end.


This is an offcut of the sill profile to show rebate.





Top, bottom and sides dry fitted.



Cut out louver carrier to fit over rebates. Fits nicely.



Top of window detail



Bottom of window detail





I will order some 6" x 1/4" clear plastic to use as the louver blades on Monday. Now to hang the door.
Cheers.

[rowerwet]

will you be able to have window screens? not sure about where you are, but we couldn't camp with the windows open without screens. the bugs would eat us alive