Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: MR B2 on October 08, 2013, 12:18:10 pm
Title: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 08, 2013, 12:18:10 pm
Well I am annoyed that I cant get under my Coach easily, I currently have to park it across the drive or jack it up, Neither being satisfactory for me, As well as being quite dangerous,
I need something permanent, to be able to get under with reasonable height to work on any thing that breaks under the Coach,
I have these old ramps I pulled out of a car brake repair place, Been laying there for years, Hahahaha, I can park the Coach on those, They are the length of the Coach, Just,
130 mm SHS X 4 mm on both ends, Just wide enough for the Coachs rear wheels to fit between the guides, Hahahaha,
The Plot thickens,
The Coach will drive onto the ramp, when its almost to the far end of the ramp and the rear wheels are on the ramp, The weight of the Coach as it moves forwards, Will make the ramp roll forwards and leaving the bus parked dead level on the ramps and four feet above the ground, That way, I can stand up under the Coach,
Getting the balance point tomorrow, Then welding on the legs in the right spot so it rocks forwards at the right moment,
The idea of this is I will have some where to park the coach out of the way, While I am away in my boat,
and as it will be four feet of the ground, So no vermin can get in, and I wont get it stolen, As I will weld on legs so it cant be lowered down with out cutting off the legs, Hahahahaha,
It will make it so easy to change the oils and grease the Coach, Bring it home and drive it straight up onto the ramps,
It has 3 inch side rails, So I cant slide off sideways,
Permanent staircase with a hand rail on the side for the door of the RV,
I need to get under it to fix the HWH levelor that has blown a seal, Its the one on the side of the ram, It also chopped the wires off when the spring pulled the levelor back up,
Nice to be able to fix it with a bit of spare room under there,
And all my oils need changing, its like sludge, New oil, It might cure its small smoky problem, It may have some thing to do with the age of the diesel in it tho, At least a year old,
3 seater Couch is back in, Finally its stopped raining, and my yard is finally not a slop hole, So cleaned out the Coach and all the mud mats I had down,
WOW, It looks Magic inside, Its nice and clean,
I took it away for the shake down cruise with no couch, Mud mats every where, Mud all over the floor, Piles of tools, It was a real Pig Sty inside, Mud and grease, I am not worried about at the moment, It gets every where, I try to keep it to a minimum, The big clean up will come at the end of it when every thing is up and running perfectly,
Making sure the Coach runs reliably and wont break down when I go away, Thats the first Priority,
Stupid Quilt that came with the Coach from new, PITA, It keeps falling off the bed, So now its replaced with a Doona, Probably the original Mattress, Very Comfy, Its Great with my Fleece underlay,
Curtain tracks at the front need replacing, They are both bent down and twisted, I have new ones here that might just fit,
I was quite surprised that the heat from the motor into the coach and the Diesel smells also are non existant,
My boat has an external Diesel and tanks, But you can still smell diesel fumes and the smell of the Diesel oil inside,,
I need to take piccys of the Ramps,.
Last week here it was -4 C Tomorrow, Its going to be 30 + C, Bushfire season is here again, But so early, Oct, Not looking good for summer,,
The gas tank out of the Coach is a non goer here, But I can get 6 X 12 LB bottles in a row where the big gas tank used to be, That will do nicely, and it also covers our gas regs as well, Portable gas is Propane, Car gas is Butane mixed with anything that else that they can stick in it, Stuffs the Fridge Etc,
I can make a nice rack in there for the tanks to sit on, Vented straight out the bottom,
New Diaphram and Gaskets and the Genny might run, Hopefully, As its not worth repairing,
A brand new 12 KVA Diesel generator with 3 phase, 240 and 12 volt outlets, Is $999-00, So it craps out in a couple of years, Big Deal, Throw it away and Buy another one, Its still far cheaper than repairing the Diesel thats in it, And its Brand New, 8 KVA Petrol is $990-00 also, with 3 phase, 240 and 12 volt outlets,
500 Watts of Solar on the roof and MMPT controller, $600-00. Thats a Goer next, Totally self sufficient with power,
Then I can sort out the electrics, Their a scary mess, Electrics are not my Forte, As long as I can get the water up and running, I need to be able to flush the Dunny, An Esky can cover no fridge till its working again,
But I am slowly getting there, I can get stick on vinyl Murals quite cheap, One each side in the middle and one at the back, Should set my coach off a bit, It looks so plain in the middle and on the back of the Coach, It dont need very much or very big, Just something to kill that big white patch in the middle,
I am extremely lucky that I am qualified and have the gear to do all this work, Other wise the cost would have been horrific, Watch this space for further updates, I will keep them all in here, They will get lost if I stick them in with other posts,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: jor on October 08, 2013, 09:16:09 pm
Brian, we gotta see those photos of your ramp. Thanks for keeping us posted. jor
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on October 09, 2013, 09:04:00 am
I will second the request for ramp photos - I'm trying to visualize how it works, and I keep thinking "SCARY".
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on October 09, 2013, 10:50:37 am
Why not butt the legs and put a bolt on sister behind so you don't have to cut to get it down? Like others, I am having trouble visualizing this contraption. A good bolt will take a huge amount of shear.
I had a backhoe come in to dig out a pit. Poured it and now have 35' of full standing height to work on most anything.
Pierce
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 09, 2013, 02:11:41 pm
Working on my ramps, It will be 4 feet off the ground to the top of the ramp,
10 tons in the air with me under it, It will be safe to my standards, My standards are extremely high,
It sits up in the air when there is no weight on it, The Coachs weight will level it off as it moves forwards on the ramp,
The coach will sit on it permanently when not in use, So it will be under my coach out of sight and not taking up any extra room in my yard,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 09, 2013, 02:22:21 pm
Why not butt the legs and put a bolt on sister behind so you don't have to cut to get it down? Like others, I am having trouble visualizing this contraption. A good bolt will take a huge amount of shear.
I had a backhoe come in to dig out a pit. Poured it and now have 35' of full standing height to work on most anything.
Pierce
Not sure what you mean here, Bolt on sister, Need a piccy for that one.
I really didnt want a hole in the ground, Not really Viable, It would also have to be fenced off here, Our Laws,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave Cobb on October 09, 2013, 03:50:41 pm
Nice idea, we see those here in the states, on a much smaller scale at car lots. Usually on the corner or the lot, to show off one for sale. Never though about one of the scale to carry a coach. Good luck, and all of us are awaiting photos of your beast high and parked.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on October 09, 2013, 04:13:15 pm
Not sure what you mean here, Bolt on sister, Need a piccy for that one.
I really didnt want a hole in the ground, Not really Viable, It would also have to be fenced off here, Our Laws,
It just sounded like you were going to have to use a cutting torch to get the rig back down on the ground. Guess everyone is wondering what the drive-up ramp is going to look like.
And you don't need a permit to built an elevated platform?
Pierce
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: John Haygarth on October 09, 2013, 06:39:40 pm
I have just started to get ready to dig out a pit in the morning for working under. It will only be 14 ft long and 5' deep x 3ft wide so will have to turn coach around to work on the other end. Ruth does not want a full length one alongside the driveway area. I am pouring cement thick pad then walls and a 2ft x 10" thick footprint around the whole thing for duals to sit on. Power and air plus drain in. Luckily it is all sand here so easy digging but will need side supports to hold sand back. If I do not post after tomorrow please come and dig me out!!!! John
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on October 09, 2013, 07:32:45 pm
John,
Great news! Good to run rebar up the walls and out to the sides to keep the walls vertical. 14' feel long should be fine. I used 2x2 angle iron on all the edges and bought 1 1/4" plywood to close off the pit when I'm not using it. Had to cut the plywood in half as it is too heavy and would almost need a trolly above to lift it out of the way. I poured concrete to the top edge of the angle iron so the very top is level with the slab. . The plywood is super strong and I even drove my Case 530 out on it to test it so cars are no sweat. You can also use a trolly with wheels down in the angle iron so you can lift engine or trans without a problem. 7x1 inch or so elevator wheels have have a rubber surface with two side by side bearings. 4 would hold up the U300 if they had to. I poured stairs at one end but just use a ladder at the other. We live on a steep hill so I trenched out about 30' and installed a drain. No big deal to put a grate in the bottom with a 5 gallon bucket used as a form for the concrete. Then a submersible sump pump can get rid of any water. So far, I'm happy with it but still have not had the time to get the building all the way up. Need to in the next few weeks as winter comes early to Northern California. Let me know if you would like any photos. Make sure to take some as it progresses.
Almost forgot that local codes may require a fan to vent the air from the bottom of the pit as CO and gasoline vapors can collect there. Once I get the garage done, I am going to put an explosion proof fan to push air out through the drain pipe.
Pierce
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on October 09, 2013, 08:31:25 pm
Brian,
Photos showed up and your plan looks pretty reasonable. Can see how it could work nicely with the right geometry. Steel looks pretty beefy.
Pierce
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: gam on October 09, 2013, 08:40:31 pm
I would be concerned about the legs that will be the pivot point in the center of the teeter totter. Without some heavy 45deg bracing fore and aft they may bend under load, and the deck may bend because of the long wheelbase and the total weight on only two legs. . Another thing I would be concerned with is when you drive on and reach the balance point the front of the teeter totter may drop the 4ft uncontrollably.You may be able to hold it up with jacks and let it down slowly.Gam
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 09, 2013, 09:06:02 pm
It just sounded like you were going to have to use a cutting torch to get the rig back down on the ground. Guess everyone is wondering what the drive-up ramp is going to look like.
And you don't need a permit to built an elevated platform?
Pierce
That was the idea, While I am away sailing on my boat, Sit the coach up on the ramp and then weld an extra, temporary vertical bar on the end so that people cannot move my coach while I am away, It wont allow the ramp to swing down, Like it normally does, and it will need cutting or grinding off the extra bit to allow the ramp to move down wards at the back and the Coach to roll off,
Propane gas drops to the bottom of the pit, Making an explosion very possible if not vented or fanned, Electric motors do spark, so keep it out of the pit, Use a long hose for the motor, keep it away from your pit,
Propane, Petrol, Accetylene, Butane, or any flammable gas explodes like you would not believe, In a contained area, Its even worse, I have been singed over the years, Seen quite a few carted off in the meat wagon, (Ambulance) I have been very lucky, Being Very safety conscious has definately saved my bacon,
Permits can be got around if you know what is needed, and how to do it,
If its on wheels, or can be moved, you dont need a permit, Its temporary, I did consider putting my Garage on wheels, So I could get the height I needed, You cant get a truck or coach into an 8 foot high doorway,
With a permit, The most I could excavate for my house, was one metre deep, 93 Feet deep,) I wanted a flat floor thruout my house, On a flat concrete slab, Not stepped, So before I applied to build my house, I excavated a flat area that would accomodate the whole house on the flat, And I also removed any trees that would fall on my house in the future,
I applied for a Building permit, To be built on existing excavation, No problems, Passed, With big excavation, 20 feet at the back of the house,
The year before, The previous owners were knocked back on excavating my block, They wanted to dig out a hole and build a castle into the hole, The Counsel in their wisdom, said No, You cant have a castle there or a hole that size, To put it in either, They sold the block to me, Hahahaha,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: JohnFitz on October 09, 2013, 11:22:15 pm
Brian, I think I understand you plan. If so, I have one concern. The distance from the "entry edge" of the ramp to the pivot needs to be longer than the wheel base of the coach. Said another way, by the time the front axle crosses the ramp pivot, the rear axle had better be on the ramp. Otherwise the ramp will tilt too early.
The only other concern I have is if the steel has sufficient strength. That will be quite a bending moment around the pivot. If it were me, I think I would go for a combination pit (one meter deep) with elevated (fixed) deck and use ramps to get onto the deck.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: John Haygarth on October 09, 2013, 11:38:25 pm
Pierce, once the thing is done I will be using a temp' cover as Geoff (Brother) has offered to have a metal one (in sections) with a slight crown to cover it over made. I will take your suggestion on the venting issue as that is needed. I am not putting a building over this as our weather is very dry and mild, just will use my cover (once I figure places to cut in the roof of it so I can have plastic panels put in where the solar panels are) as I like the batteries to be charged solely by solar. Due to our holiday weekend I will have lots of time to figure out all the perimeter drainage and various power/air feed lines locations etc. I will have to shore up the sides while pouring cement and building the walls as our sand is very dry and fine and will fall in. Should be fun. John H
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Ian Ramsay on October 10, 2013, 04:37:23 am
Brian, Strike me pink, you will kill yourself. I have done all the work on my Coach while on the ground. Gas out, New locker installed, Gas refitted, Re wired rear lights from front, Full grease and oil change with filters. Just jack her up on the hydraulics, wack a block or two underneath and away you go. Cause it pays if you are a little bloke like me.
Anyway, I have done a windscreen (Bugger) Could you send me what info you have on replacement screens from the States or Aus.
Thanks Ian
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: nitehawk on October 10, 2013, 08:00:42 am
Why not just make it a ramp you could drive up on? Either end of the coach. In other words only raise one end of the ramp. Most likely you will only work on one end of the coach at a time anyway. With your proposed design won't the heavier back end with the engine mandate the entire coach having to go quite a bit beyond the pivot point?
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 10, 2013, 09:59:57 am
Firstly. I have to get the balance point of the finished ramp, So it sits up in the air empty,
Then I have to get the balance point of the Coach sitting fully on the ramp,
Tilt point will be one metre from the end of the ramp with the coach fully on the ramp, Or further back as the balance point works out, Driving on frontwards is all I need, Most of the weight is in the back of the coach any way,
I am past crawling under Cars, Trucks, Buses, Earth Moving Equipment and Coachs. In the Slop, Mud and Rain,
I can take a stool under it and sit and do the work in comfort, and be dry as well, This is Victoria, remember, Not Queensland, We have lots of freezing rain, Not sunshine like you lot get up there,
My levelors have blown a seal, In the rear, Thats why I am building the ramp to get under and repair it, I have needed a ramp for years, I have quite a few vehicles to repair, So it wont be a waste or white Elephant,
Windscreen is direct from Foretravel, It has to be sent in a Chemically Treated box to get into Australia, That green timber stuff, Its a Magnificent package they sent mine in, It would not break the windscreen if they dropped it off the truck,
Mine cost $3200-00 fitted, $200 to fit it, Air Freight, Double Ouch, By ship its a lot cheaper,
But you can get a bent piece of Plastic for the curved bit, and put a divider in and use a flat pane for the big glass front, Thats what I will be doing next time,
Ask a Windscreen Glazier about it, My Glazier will doing mine like that next time I have a broken windscreen, He said it will cost me about $300-00 with the split screen,
Make sure your wipers dont go around the curve, They dig grooves in the windscreen, Will fail inspection, Very fine grooves on the wiper arms, so you can get them to lay flat at the bottom of the window,
JohnFritz, Been doing this work for 50 years, My pivot point will support, In full compression, Possibly Min 200 tons, or there abouts, It will have approximately 6 tons only on each side of the ramps, Includes the ramp weight,
9 inch Channel, fully boxed in with 3/8th plate at the pivot point, Sitting on 6 X 4 inch RHS legs, With 3/8 thick walls, With 1/2 inch thick base plates, Sitting on a concrete plinth, Basically to stop it sinking, As it will have the full, approx 13 ton rocking on these legs,
The 9 inch Channel on edge with 5/16th Chequer Plate fully welded the entire length of the ramp, Both sides, Then a 3 inch wide strip of flat Bar, 5/16th thick, on edge, Welded along the full length of the ramps as well, So the Coach tyres dont run off the ramps, Either side, All welds min 3/8 th, Then 6 inch X 3/8th stiffeners at right angles at every 3 feet, All my welds are Certified,
Its Substantial enough for me to climb under, Plus its just scrap steel I had laying about from old building sites I brought home, So all up, My ramps will cost me about $50-00, Steel, Fuel, Electricity, Welding Wire, A few Cut Off wheels for the 9 inch Grinder, Where I live, The only way you will see this ramp or my front garden is by Helicopter,
Its pouring rain here and Freezing cold, So no work today,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Gary Bouland (RIP) on October 10, 2013, 10:21:18 am
I have added an item to my BUCKET LIST. Visit OZ and see the mods that Brian has made to his FT and shop. At the rate I am filling my list I will be 115 years old when I get there, wait for me Brian. :) Gary B
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 10, 2013, 11:52:34 am
I have added an item to my BUCKET LIST. Visit OZ and see the mods that Brian has made to his FT and shop. At the rate I am filling my list I will be 115 years old when I get there, wait for me Brian. :) Gary B
If I am not dead in the mean time, I am hoping to be fit and healthy when I crack the Ton, 100 years Young,
I am an Engineering Blacksmith, Gary, I make every thing for myself, House, Boat, Tools, Cranes, Pressure Vessels, My house is Concrete, Steel and Glass, My own design and Build, I will finish it off one Day, The Kitchen is Wood, We have Termites, They love to eat Wood, But they have to get thru the slab first, Mono rail in my workshop, I have had 3 ton hanging off it, 4 X 4 inch Universal beam, With a 3 inch X 3/8 stiffener welded underneath, full length, Hahahaha, Other wise I would have had to use a foot high beam, I just dont have that height in my workshop, Its also 7 metres long or 26 feet wide, I can make Left and right handed screw drivers, Left and right handed, Hand and Sledge hammers, Shifters, (Cresent spanners I believe you call them) In left or right handed, I cant make stripey or checker Paint, Hahahaha,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Gary Bouland (RIP) on October 10, 2013, 12:18:21 pm
Left handed SLEDGE hammer ? That is one tool I do not have, oh well back to the store. :) Gary B
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Paul Smith on October 10, 2013, 12:25:40 pm
Don't forget. Down under even water circles the other way in a drain.
It's really just an ordinary Right Handed sledge ;o)
best, paul
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 12, 2013, 07:22:20 am
Don't forget. Down under even water circles the other way in a drain.
It's really just an ordinary Right Handed sledge ;o)
best, paul
Wrong, The slot is off sided to either one side or the other, In the shops you buy an ambidextrous Hammer, The slot is dead centre,
You swing a 7 Lb Flogging hammer all day, or a 14 Lber, You have left and right handed Sledge Hammers for the Strikers, I did work out of a Forge and on an Anvil, and have made Left handed Hammers and Tongs for my Strikers,
Half an hour, and there's your Brand new Hammer head, How ever you want it, Depending on the height of the striker, I will Make the slot a little high or low, So that when the Striker is standing in front of the anvil hitting on a job, the head of the Hammer hits Flat, I dont want Dents in my work, And face hardened as well, Bucket of Cyanide beside every Forge back then Hahahaha, Case Hardening on the spot, While you wait service,
For Practice one day, I cut a 4 inch square Billet of steel off, White Hot, on an anvil using four strikers at once,
WOW, I would not like to have had to do that every day, That was Scary, One hit a second, Till I said stop, Phew,
Most of the Railway workshop shed I was in, gathered around to see it done,
I used the four best strikers in the place, Two Strikers at a time was common, But four at a time hadnt been used in about 20 odd years, Then it had been common, four at a time,
Possibly a Minute at the most, It was off and on the ground,
All five of us were really proud of our selves, We pulled it off with no mistakes, No broken handles on my Hot Set, And no misses on the Hits, One Blacksmith and four strikers at once, You wont see that any where Today, Its all gone,
FWIW, The Blacksmith in a workshop is the little skinny one, The Striker is the Big Hefty one, He's the one that swings the hammers,
But I did swing a 28 Lb Monday for about five minutes at a time doing up the Die Bolts on a Drop Hammer, That was swing full circle and then, From vertically above your head, Slam it down hard, Hitting the head of the Spanner on the Bolt, It was all very Hard Yakka back then,
Left handed Screw driver, The twist will be opposite to the way you use you right hand,
The Flutes are straight up and down usually, But when they put a twist on them, its fluted to the left or right,
If you ever come across a twisted flute on a screw driver, You can do it up with one hand, But you have to undo it with your other hand, as the hand that did it up, will slip on the flutes and you cant get a grip on it,
Bahco of Sweden make left handed Shifters, As Standard, I have a couple, Good quality, Last a lifetime if not stolen,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Chuck Pearson on October 15, 2013, 07:37:12 am
Outstanding! I do believe this man is capable of building a ramp for his coach.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 15, 2013, 11:42:56 am
Its been raining Heavily here, So no work outside,
She stopped coming down today, So its already set up to weld,
I can get the balance point on the ramps while its still sitting there, Then I will drag it over into the middle of the yard, Put the Coach on it, Make sure the balance point for the coach is right, The Coach has to be fully on the Ramps before the ramp starts to roll forward, Then I have about 1500mm or 5 feet to roll forward to make the Ramp lower at the front, and sit level,
Needs a good ton or so counter balance to keep the ramp up in the elevated position all the time, Moving the Balance point forward will do this, Safety Factor built in, A car will have to be at the end to make it lower down,
A cuppla days Mate, You will see my Coach up on its stand, Then I can fix the levelor with the blown gasket, Change all the oils, And just have a good look under there, Its very interesting, Lots of stuff I have never seen before,
Have the gas bottles ready to go in, A bank of six, Swap and Go Bottles, 12 Lbers I think they are, Fit nicely in the Bay, Just gave to make a solid bracket to hold them in,
Swap and go Bottles are Propane, Car gas is Butane or what ever else thats handy and cheap they can chuck into it, Could be any thing, Butane is not good for the fridge, Etc, Clogs it up with crap, From the Gas Man,
The hard part in all this, Is finding steel in my yard to build it out of, I have been bringing off cuts and bits and pieces home for years, Left over from Construction sites I have worked on,
No Oxy Cutter these days, So I have to cut the steel to lenght with a cutoff wheel in the grinder,
1 mm Blade in the grinder, Still takes a while to cut 8mm or 3/8th thick steel Angle, 4 MM thick SHS,
I found enough Chequer Plate to do the Ramp extensions, Just,
Weld the Chequer Plate on tomorrow, Wheel stops on the front, Then Its just getting the central legs in the right position, I even found a short set of steps that can be welded on the side under the door, So I can get in and out of the Coach up in the air, He He He,
Yep, You guessed it, Im a Tight Wad,
Total cost of ramps so far, All Inclusive, Electricity, Welding wire, CO2 Gas, Butane Gas, Petrol, Diesel, Steel, DLI Certified Welder, Engineers Time, Calculations and Approval,
Its getting expensive now,
I must be pushing 50 Bucks worth, for these Ramps, But the cut off wheels were $25-00 for 20, so they will last a long time, That also was my biggest cost,
Stayed Tuned, Completion is not far away, Hahahaha
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Gary Bouland (RIP) on October 15, 2013, 11:53:55 am
Brian, GAS ( LP ) in OZ must be different. In the US BUTANE is almost unknown as a fuel, it is still used in some applications as a propellant in spray cans but even that is being phased out. Our GAS is primarily PROPANE with a little butane in some areas. LP is a great fuel as it burns clean and reduces oil contamination, it is difficult to transport and its very nature makes it absolutely necessary to handle safely. Gary B
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: nitehawk on October 15, 2013, 12:19:33 pm
Kind of curious, Brian. What is going to be under the fulcrum point for support? The coach and ramp are going to put a tremendous amount of weight at the two fulcrum points. Are you putting down concrete pilings to absorb the load? I imagine 22,000# for the coach and whatever the ramp weighs will punch quite a nice set of holes in almost anything but steel or concrete.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 15, 2013, 12:46:39 pm
Brian, GAS ( LP ) in OZ must be different. In the US BUTANE is almost unknown as a fuel, it is still used in some applications as a propellant in spray cans but even that is being phased out. Our GAS is primarily PROPANE with a little butane in some areas. LP is a great fuel as it burns clean and reduces oil contamination, it is difficult to transport and its very nature makes it absolutely necessary to handle safely. Gary B
Gas for cars is Butane, Half the price of petrol, I run it all my V8's, Work horses, It actually goes a bit further in miles, But you lose a bit in Power, Not enough to worry about, I was always overloaded, So I was aware of it, But the price of it, Worked out cheaper than running a 4 cylinder car,
Bottled Gas is Propane by Law, Its for all other things except Cars, And Big Fines if caught using either in the other bottles,
Our Gas Laws are very strict, It must all be inspected and approved by a Licenced Gas Fitter,
My big gas bottle in my Coach, Wont be approved here,
I need Propane for the fridge and stove Etc,
Separate Butane tank for the Genny, But I think that Genny might be running on Propane, The Genny is Hidden in a bay, They wont even know I have a Genny on Board,
None of my gas installations have ever been inspected by any one since they were installed, 35 years, Other than the 10 year inspections and updates, Recertification on the Tanks, $100-00 per Tank per 10 Years, Pretty cheap I thought,
My V8 253 Cube, Holden Monaro, I drove for 30 years, 3/4 Million Kays on gas, was never checked or inspected in all its time since it was installed, It had a Stainless 70 litre Tank, Nothing ever went wrong with it, Same motor too, Untouched,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 15, 2013, 12:57:54 pm
Kind of curious, Brian. What is going to be under the fulcrum point for support? The coach and ramp are going to put a tremendous amount of weight at the two fulcrum points. Are you putting down concrete pilings to absorb the load? I imagine 22,000# for the coach and whatever the ramp weighs will punch quite a nice set of holes in almost anything but steel or concrete.
I have a concrete Plinth laying here, I will put the fulcrum point on it when I set it up,
That is going to be my biggest and only problem with it, 12 ton sitting on two small points, It will sink chronically,
I may just have to lay a concrete slab to sit it on, Depends on how compacted my fill is there where it is going to sit, The fill is about 15 feet deep under there, Thats one of those wait and see things, How long is a piece of string, Hahahaha
One leg sinking, is not a thought that I like to contemplate, Its down right Scary actually, But I will make sure it dont happen,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: nitehawk on October 15, 2013, 02:36:18 pm
Could you possibly run a beam crossways, under the ramp, attached to the fulcrum points and sticking out a ways from the ramp on both sides? This would help stabilize your ramp and distribute/spread the load out along the beam instead of only two points.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 15, 2013, 04:26:46 pm
Could you possibly run a beam crossways, under the ramp, attached to the fulcrum points and sticking out a ways from the ramp on both sides? This would help stabilize your ramp and distribute/spread the load out along the beam instead of only two points.
A big long beam sticking 3 or 4 feet out each side would do it, No hope of falling over sideways then,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 17, 2013, 11:23:57 am
A few progress Piccys, I am up to the stage of getting the Coachs Balance on the Ramp, So I know where to put the Cantilever legs on,
Its sitting on my car ramps there, The tractor is just to make sure the ramp dont roll forwards, The bucket is under the ramp, Safety Safety, I dont squish good,
I stuff up here, It wont Buff out, Hahaha
Yes, I did gave to back it off again and move the Clevis point a foot further forward, It started to lift the back end of the ramp up under the coach, Its all very much trial and error on the balance point,
The tyre guides at the front will have to come off, they are too narrow, Shame, an inch extra would have been fine,
The weather is improving, 29 +C on Saturday, I am sick of the rain and slop in the yard, Makes it hard to do things,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 27, 2013, 08:49:33 am
Here's a few more piccys of my progress so far, The rain has been Woefull,
Nearly two weeks before the ground was solid enough to drive the tractor on, down my bank to get the steel I needed for the Ramps, I will need an adjustable leg on the front to hold the front up, while I load the coach onto it, Thats easier than welding another Metre on it, 3 feet, Any more weight and I would not be able to move it, The Coach will, But I dont have the room for the Coach to be pulling it around,
The tractor was well over its limitations, Rolling it over and then Back again with all the legs on, Bit Scary, YES, I do know what can happen if things go wrong on the tipping point, Whipping Chain is not fun,
I had the back wheel of the tractor in the air, with the load on the front, Dont try this at home, Hahahaahahhahaha,
Tomorrow, Hahahaha,, Load the Coach onto my new Ramps, Fingers crossed,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave Cobb on October 27, 2013, 09:23:44 am
Brian,
You know we are following your progress, and everyone wants to see the first drive on. Get your coffee cup filled, and head out to do the test. Love your photo updates.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave Head on October 27, 2013, 10:47:11 am
I want to see the oven you're gonna build to powder coat it in...
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 27, 2013, 10:58:46 am
No Paint, I like the Rustic look, Hahahahahaha Plus paint costs money, It cant be seen with the Coach sitting on it,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: John Haygarth on October 27, 2013, 11:52:32 am
Brian, looking good, but how about putting a couple of pieces of angle on the centre legs at 45*to the ramp channel. You have them cross braced but maybe these would stop any chance of the 2 middle ones kicking over slightly when coach is climbing up the ramp.??? Just a thought. John H
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on October 28, 2013, 06:49:35 pm
Hahahahahaha,
With the ramp at a higher angle then my test run, I drove onto the ramp,
The engine skid bars dug into the Ground, and I am now bogged on the end of the Ramp,
Have to jack it up, pack under the back wheels to get it off the ramp,
You have problems with your step, My door is 4 feet off the ground,
Enough, I am going for a ride on the bike, I need to unstress myself, Hahahaha
It is trial and error, But it will work, More later,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 01, 2013, 08:14:51 am
I jacked it up and packed under the wheels, Its now unbogged, It was just a dip in the ground, wheel dropped into it,
We dont go any where, Hahahaha,
Its there, So I took it to the end to try it out, The back end is just to heavy with the front on, It wont roll over onto its feet, I will just have to back it onto the ramp,, it will work then,
I got the new Regulator from Foretravel, Its different to mine, Connected it all up temporary, and it works, Nice to have a win, Its not putting out power tho,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on November 01, 2013, 08:38:25 am
I'm trying to think of some funny caption to go with that crazy photo of your coach on the ramp.......
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave Cobb on November 01, 2013, 08:55:06 am
I'm trying to think of some funny caption to go with that crazy photo of your coach on the ramp.......
Date line South Pacific, Australia.
The Amazing Brian, today ramp jumps his coach over his barn. His amazing feat was witnessed by no one, and yet sets a new world record for height and distance traveled, south of the equator.
With his ZeeDee awnings for flight control he experience no problems and a smooth landing. Next is his Blue Mountain flight.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Gayland Baasch on November 01, 2013, 09:03:33 am
Backing it on is probably a better solution anyway. You don't want it any steeper than it is. You might even find that you don't want it to drop down, more room with it up (assuming you have complete trust in the two pivot legs.)
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave Cobb on November 01, 2013, 09:07:34 am
Backing on should work a lot better as the rear axle weight is almost double the front. Question is will it try to tip too soon?
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Raymond Jordan on November 01, 2013, 12:09:52 pm
Hi Dave, If, when backing on the ramp, it tips to soon, it would make removing/working on the front wheels very easy! :o Then you just drive forward to set the coach down. This is an amazing amount of work. A lot of trial and error. I hope it works well. Raymond
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Jimmy Freytag on November 01, 2013, 12:34:51 pm
Caption, I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: wolfe10 on November 01, 2013, 01:50:21 pm
Hi Dave, If, when backing on the ramp, it tips to soon, it would make removing/working on the front wheels very easy! :o Then you just drive forward to set the coach down. This is an amazing amount of work. A lot of trial and error. I hope it works well. Raymond
Actually, if backing on the ramp it tipped too soon, the ramp part would hit the underbody and totally prevent the front wheels from getting on the ramp. Could do a lot of damage as well-- lots of weight/momentum.
You really want to verify that the front wheels will be at least a meter or so onto the ramp before it tilts up. That way you don't have to be concerned with small changes in how the coach is loaded, tanks full/empty, etc.
Brett
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Roland Begin on November 01, 2013, 02:37:37 pm
Seems to me the knowing the front and rear axle weights, as well as the distance between the axle centers, the pivot point could be determined? Better than guessing?
Roland
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Carol Savournin on November 01, 2013, 03:04:13 pm
You are scaring the bejeezus out of me. If you are not dead straight on rolling onto that ramp, and skew at all sideways ... tire slips off and your whole rig is in big trouble. I think you need to do a "Haygarth" and start digging a pit!!!
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 01, 2013, 06:06:10 pm
It may look scary, But I have been building this stuff all my life, For me its a breeze,
I have 3 inch side rails on the ramps, the wheels cannot slide off sideways,
There is no way I can get the balance point of the coach accurately, so its trial and error,
At a guess, The balance point would be about 2 feet in front of the rear wheels, But I also have the Genny and the big Gas Tank out, So the balance point has moved a lot, Its all in the rear at the moment, Behind the rear wheels,
It wont lift untill the coach is fully on the ramp backwards, It needs another metre on the start end, Then it will be right to go, It cant lift with the extra metre on it,
There is no such thing as cant in my vocabulary,
Impossibilitys, after lunch, Miracles, Tomorrow morning,
Its all slow work, Take my time, A lot of thought, Not damaging my Coach is number one priority,
The height off the ground is just magic, I can work under there with plenty of room and safely,
The bumper Bar works well, I had my temporary wheels G clamped on the ramp and hit it with the Coach, The 75 mm RHS vertical handle was crushed and bent over, No damage to the Bumper,
A pit is not suitable for me here, Snake and spider trap, I have five different types of venomous snakes that reside here with me, and red backs are every where,
It looks like a V2 bomb ready for launch, I might declare war on some one, Hahahahahaha
Keep in mind, That I dont have any one to help me, I do it all on my own, There is no one around to assist me when I am putting the coach on the ramps, or moving the ramps, or any thing else I do, So I have to think it all out before I do any thing, Any thing goes wrong, I am in deep Doo Doo, I keep the mobile very handy, and very close, Just in case, Hahahaha
Its getting there, Very happy with it, And its safe,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: John Haygarth on November 01, 2013, 06:15:13 pm
Brian I luv it. If I had kept digging my pit I could have come up under your ramp maybe and helped!!! You are doing fine, and I believe you when you say it will work. Take care now John H
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 01, 2013, 06:23:21 pm
It may look scary, But I have been building this stuff all my life, For me its a breeze,
I have 3 inch side rails on the ramps, the wheels cannot slide off sideways,
There is no way I can get the balance point of the coach accurately, so its trial and error,
At a guess, The balance point would be about 2 feet in front of the rear wheels, But I also have the Genny and the big Gas Tank out, So the balance point has moved a lot, Its all in the rear at the moment, Behind the rear wheels,
It wont lift untill the coach is fully on the ramp backwards, It needs another metre on the start end, Then it will be right to go, It cant lift with the extra metre on it,
There is no such thing as cant in my vocabulary,
Impossibilitys, after lunch, Miracles, Tomorrow morning,
Its all slow work, Take my time, A lot of thought, Not damaging my Coach is number one priority,
The height off the ground is just magic, I can work under there with plenty of room and safely,
The bumper Bar works well, I had my temporary wheels G clamped on the ramp and hit it with the Coach, The 75 mm RHS vertical handle was crushed and bent over, No damage to the Bumper,
A pit is not suitable for me here, Snake and spider trap, I have five different types of venomous snakes that reside here with me, and red backs are every where,
It looks like a V2 bomb ready for launch, I might declare war on some one, Hahahahahaha
Keep in mind, That I dont have any one to help me, I do it all on my own, There is no one around to assist me when I am putting the coach on the ramps, or moving the ramps, or any thing else I do, So I have to think it all out before I do any thing, Any thing goes wrong, I am in deep Doo Doo, I keep the mobile very handy, and very close, Just in case, Hahahaha
Its getting there, Very happy with it, And its safe,
While it was bogged, the motors oil filter was digging into the ground and plowing it, Lucky that it did not get a hole in it, Or snap it off,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave M (RIP) on November 01, 2013, 06:30:56 pm
Brian, I also agree with John H on the fact your doing great, My thoughts go to the fact that one can do anything with very little, and most can not do anything with everything. So be safe and enjoy, we are with you. Cheers ;D
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Carol Savournin on November 01, 2013, 07:22:48 pm
OK, Miracle Man ... just so we don't go reading your obituary!! I guess if you are busy banging and dragging and welding and revving, you are scaring the snakes away. They probably all think you are crazy and will go to the neighbor's house ... wherever that is!
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: LynnD on November 01, 2013, 11:52:53 pm
HI Brian, Don't give up yet. Just extend the main frame another 12.5 feet (or so) from the pivot point to the front tire stops. Much safer than backing coach on. Everything is so simple when giving advice, compared to doing the actual work. lol.
Take care, have fun, LynnD '01 GV
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 02, 2013, 02:12:13 am
This is what it is supposed to do, It did it so easy with the car on, Just gently lowered itself down,
But the weight in the back end of my Coach just wont let it happen, Hahahahahaha,
We have ways of sorting this out, Hahahahaha, we havent finished yet,
Its OK Carol,
I have spent a lifetime in tall buildings, The ones with out any thing but the steel, I am the Idiot at the top making the sparks fall down,
I Remake the steel in the air to fit, Hanging off the Crane,
I make and repair all the big Earth moving machinery, and the Platforms they sit on,
This to me, is a Toy, Its very small, And I am extremely carefull,
But thank you for your concern, But in my case, Unfounded,
I really do try to think of any thing that can go wrong before I do it, Then a bit at a time, then get out and have a look before proceeding, It works, Keeps me in one peice,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Michael j on November 02, 2013, 09:25:28 am
Brian, Why not back the coach up the ramp? It would act like the car with its weight in the front.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Chuck Pearson on November 02, 2013, 10:50:33 am
Brian, Why not back the coach up the ramp? It would act like the car with its weight in the front.
Yes, it's going to have to be backed at some point anyway. Plus, reverse is your lowest gear.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Michelle on November 04, 2013, 06:45:09 pm
Brian's ramp/lift photo makes me think "Australian Space Program brings luxury shuttle to the launch pad".
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 04, 2013, 10:32:28 pm
If you have to travel. It might as well be in style, Michelle,
My Coach doesn't have any problems driving up the ramp, Its got plenty of grunt for that,
Its just a bit squeezy with both my feet on one side, brake and accelerator at the same time, and head out the window,
These are the times, I wish I had some one to help, Just to guide me underneath, I cant see any thing under there,
Its getting there, It is now in its final resting place, Extend the floating end, another 1500 mm, Perfect,
I can work on the coach then, More steel to be brought up from down the bank, Its buried in the growth down there,
The tyre stoppers are too high, The levelors just touch, and wont go over it, I have to lower them, The tyre stoppers, down 3 inches, perfect, every thing I own will go on the ramps now,
And its a nice place to park it out of the way, Gives me back my front yard, And my View,
You can see where I get the steel from, down and over the bank, In front of my lounge, the Coach blocks out my view, Thats a piccy through my lounge windows, With out the Coach in the way,
The Coach is sitting just back from the top edge of that staircase, So you can see how steep it is, It took over 20 years to put all that dirt there, It came from all over, Mainly its old road base that was torn up for new roads, It compacts well, and wont move, Plus it was compacted 18 inches at a time, So its packed in layers,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Jimmy Freytag on November 05, 2013, 11:27:11 am
Brian, did you build that stairs all in one piece and then roll it over the hill and put your lower legs on.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Dave Cobb on November 05, 2013, 11:45:09 am
Brian,
Got to say, I have not seen many stairs with wheels. But what a great way to install them down the hill, after a build somewhere else.
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 10, 2013, 01:44:35 am
Brian, did you build that stairs all in one piece and then roll it over the hill and put your lower legs on.
Yes, It was the only way I could do it with out a crane, I just havent got around to cutting the wheels of it,
Leveled it all up, Then dug the holes, Welded the legs on, then back filled with concrete,
I didnt have a tractor then, Hahahahaaha,
The stair case was originally in the middle of my yard, in front of the house, going down the bank, I pulled it out of there, as the new dirt arrived and it would now be buried under all that dirt,
I built it on top of the bank, the spun it around sideways and pushed it over the bank chained to my F350, It weighed 4.2 ton, Loaded, So the staircase couldnt get away down the hill, Hahahahaha,
It all came from a building site, it was the Plant platform on the roof of a building we were demolishing and rebuilding a new supermarket over, around, beside, Etc, Etc, of a supermarket that was fully operational, and we could not upset their trading in any way, All the old steel that came out went into the scrap bin, Most of the grid mesh was promised to the other workers, But I still had enough to just make the stairs,
Bit of extra fuel in the truck to get it home, Pittance,, electricity for the grinders and welders, Mig wire and Gas, A bit of my free time, 4 bags of Quickcrete, One very cheap staircase, Maybe a Hundred Bucks, tops,
When you do every thing your self, You learn to think things out, to get them up, Heavy lifting by myself has whiskers on it, Hahahahaha, Two chain blocks with an 8 metre drop, I can put any thing any where, onsite, up to about 2 ton, after that they can get a crane,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 20, 2013, 01:43:48 am
After scraping the oil filter along the ground, Now scraping the bottom of the Radiator on the ramp, Its quite amazing how a dip in your yard effects the Bottom of the Coach, I kept getting bogged, A slight dip and the motor cage digs in, Fortunately, No Damage any where, Backing it up a foot at a time to make sure it would be all clear underneath,
Its now on the Ramp and it works great, Gentle lowering down onto the four legs,
I may even have Keiths 1987 36 foot Grand Villa in My front yard next week, He wants to take out his Gas Tank,
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: John Haygarth on November 20, 2013, 11:51:09 am
Looks great Brian and now easy to work on. Maybe you can make some money with it servicing?? John H
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 30, 2013, 05:50:14 pm
The Ramps work perfectly now,
While its its on there, I am installing 5 X 9 KG bottles of Propane in the place where the big gas tank came out of,
That big gas tank is not allowed here, So its out, and the 5 small ones are in, Its not quite finished yet, But its getting there, I am lining the whole lot with 3 mm sheet steel. So it will be basically fire proof for a short while, Enough time to put the fire out any way,, With the big gas tank and gas out, and the Genny out, at the moment, I have a chronic lack of weight problem,
The nose sits up in the air, Quite a lot, and gets a bit bouncy on bumpy roads, Hahahaha, Which is what we have here, Even if I dont use it, The Genny might have to go back in just to lower the front of the Coach, Or I could bolt or weld
a sheet of steel in the floor there, the equivelent of the Gennys weight, and make it a useable bay, on top of the sheet. I havent worked it out yet, But possibly 1/2 inch thick plate steel as the floor,
I am using as heavy steel as I can with out being Rediculous, In the gas tank frame, Trying to compensate for the lack of weight the new set up will be, I have also extended the steel to go under the Bays and the Battery Box, I will leave about 3 mm or 1/8th of an inch Gap, and fill it with silicone or some thing like that to kill the Vibrations and also give it some flex, so it dont start snapping off bits if its too rigid, Hahahahaha
Rain has been a big hold up here, Its supposed to be Summer and 25 or 30 + Celcius,
Once I am finished getting it all working, I wont have to touch my Coach again, Ever, Unless some thing actually breaks down in or on it,
I am one of those people that makes some thing, It lasts forever,
I dont make to a cost, If I make it, Its permanent, Near indestructible, Over Engineered, Even on bigger Jobs,
An extra 100 bucks in material thickness, Changes the Job from Flimsy to Substantial, And Permanent,
Under 3 mm thick in wall thickness, it will self destruct in time, Guaranteed, More so if its moving or has Vibrations running thru it,
Obsolesence is not built into my work, Hahahahaha, I do know what it takes to tear and rip steel apart, Experience, Hahahahahaha,
I just Luuuuurrrrved Demolition, I could load up steel beams with great weights and rip and tear the beams off the buildings, So I know how much stress a steel beam will actually hold up before it collapses, Hahahahaha
You cant beat Practical Experience, But, Health and Safety Laws make all this impossible these days, Hahahahaha
So you will just have to hope your book that your learning from is accurate,
My Theory Teacher as an Apprentice, was teaching me from a book that I knew was wrong, I pointed it out, Could prove it was wrong and did back it up with hard proven fact,
They taught Mechanical Engineers from these books, None of them would know if it was wrong, But I did, because I
was actually Forging at the time, I knew Metallurgy, Another part of my Course and I was working the steel with my
hands,
Its probably still wrong to this day, Too much effort to change the books, and the teachers didnt care any way, Its all
history now, Im Retired, Hahahahaha,
I was also the last year my Curriculum was taught, They took the Engineer out of my Curriculum and shortened the
course to four years after my year, So I was very lucky to actually be a Fully Qualified Practising Engineer as part of my course, Engineering Blacksmith, VRTC,
Theoretical Engineers is what they teach now, Very few actually manufacture what they design, with their own hands like I did, And write the Certificates out for them as well, in my own name,
There's a Bit of History for you all, Its all gone now, Like the steam engines I used to Build Brand New, Hahahahaha
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on November 30, 2013, 06:05:13 pm
I am also going to drain the Diesel Tank completely out, while its up there on the ramps, Then I will know whats inside
my tank,
I can Start with nice clean Diesel and I can Calibrate my MPG accurately after that, Drive it for a few thousand miles,
Put it up on the ramps again, Oil and Grease time, Drain the Diesel tank again, measure whats left, You cant get more accurate than that, Hahahaha
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: Gary Bouland (RIP) on December 01, 2013, 10:05:39 am
Brian, Looks like the Propane laws there are quite different than in the US. It looks like what you are putting in are what we call DOT Cylinders of 20 pound size. In US that would be questionable. What we have is what you took out, 42 gallon ASME ( American Society Of Mechanical Engineers ) . ASME Tanks here never need to be re-qualified as DOT tanmks do. What is the reasoning that ASME tanks are not allowed in your country ? Just Curious. Gary B
Title: Re: The latest from OZ,
Post by: MR B2 on December 01, 2013, 07:58:00 pm
Brian, Looks like the Propane laws there are quite different than in the US. It looks like what you are putting in are what we call DOT Cylinders of 20 pound size. In US that would be questionable. What we have is what you took out, 42 gallon ASME ( American Society Of Mechanical Engineers ) . ASME Tanks here never need to be re-qualified as DOT tanmks do. What is the reasoning that ASME tanks are not allowed in your country ? Just Curious. Gary B
Different laws, I dont know the reasoning behind it, Ian, Keith and myself have had to remove the big gas tanks from our Couchs, Keith is having a new tank built,
Every ten years gas tanks here have to be checked and Recertified, $100-00
Vapour draw off is illegal here for motors, Which is American systems,
we have Fluid draw off and then thru a convertor that runs hot water from the radiator thru it too convert to gas,
Beaurocracy at its finest,
They both do the same thing, Its just where it gets to gas is the stumbling point,
I took my G/V convertor, into a big gas place here, I wanted a new diaphram for it, That operates and sell all gas fittings, and gas and bottles,
He had never seen one like it, and stated it was quite illegal to have them here,
Still looking into it, But I have the Smaller ones in now, So it will comply with our laws,
The missing weight from the Genny not being in, I can put a big Battery bank in there where the Genny was, That will pull the front end down again,
I can get four Batterys in there, Move the ones under the step and put them in there too,
I am going to have get it weighed on the four corners to see where the weight in my coach is,
left side should be OK, Right side, I may have to play with the weight of it, Add more, Down the track for that at the moment.