Measurement required

Topic: Measurement required (Read 1255 times) previous topic - next topic

Measurement required

January 23, 2017, 06:41:59 am

Hi all,
I am working on stiffening up my 1989 Foretravel Grand Villa front cap, It moves sideways, Cracking the windscreens,
I need to jack the walls out a bit so the windscreens fit, They are popping out of the rubbers,,

What I do need is the measurement at the bottom of the rubbers, The width of the Coach inside,, Bottom corner of the windscreens,
i did have them Thanks to Night Hawk, Norm, , But I lost them some where,

It will be a permanent brace to hold the coach walls apart, Going under the dash,
The conversion to right hand drive has removed the stiffness in the dash and allows it to move,
The wipers in the middle of the screen go over the centre strip,
Thanks in Advance,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #1 – January 23, 2017, 09:12:19 am

Quote from: Mr B3 – January 23, 2017, 06:41:59 am

i did have them Thanks to Night owl, But I lost them some where,

nitehawk. Try sending him a PM - I bet he'll be happy to resend the measurements.

http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1158

Re: Measurement required

Reply #2 – January 23, 2017, 09:30:19 am

Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie – January 23, 2017, 09:12:19 am

nitehawk. Try sending him a PM - I bet he'll be happy to resend the measurements.

http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1158

I did, But his coach is parked miles away, And he will have to go through many emails to find them,
I was hoping some one with a Grand Villa could throw a tape across and tell me,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #3 – January 23, 2017, 09:52:35 am

I'd be glad to oblige, but our coach is wider than yours, on a totally different chassis, so that wouldn't help you. Hopefully someone with a ORED will see your post.

You might edit your thread title to something more specific, like "1989 ORED Measurement Requested" to get their attention?

Re: Measurement required

Reply #4 – January 23, 2017, 09:53:49 am

97 inches but ours is a wide body

Re: Measurement required

Reply #5 – January 23, 2017, 10:09:52 am

Foretravel must have that dimension.

Re: Measurement required

Reply #6 – January 23, 2017, 01:28:59 pm

Brian
I just went out and ran a tape across from inside bottom corner of the windshield side to side @ 94" so let me know what else we need.

Re: Measurement required

Reply #7 – January 23, 2017, 09:02:40 pm

Quote from: Olde English – January 23, 2017, 01:28:59 pm

Brian
I just went out and ran a tape across from inside bottom corner of the windshield side to side @ 94" so let me know what else we need.

Thats all I need, 94 Inches, 2.5 inches up, I can fix it now, Thank you,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #8 – January 23, 2017, 11:56:39 pm

Sure wished I could help. Hopefully a 1988 GV is same as a 1989.
Hey, just had a thought!! Ken Shapiro has a 1989 GV but his is 34' not 36'
I will get him to verify.
You know, verify, verify, verify!
My Dad would only let me hold the "dumb end" of a tape measure for some reason.

Re: Measurement required

Reply #9 – January 24, 2017, 03:41:32 pm

The measurement on mine is 91 inches, So it has to come out 3 inches,
I was guessing about two inches short , just by looking at it and not knowing the actual measurement,
I dont think the length would make any difference, as they are all the same width,
I would think they would all have been made in the same mould, The front and rear Caps,
The length of the coach is just by adding a two foot section in the middle, 34, 36, 38 40,
The width is the same through out all of the Grand Villa's, ,
88 ORED 34 should be the same as a 89 ORED, 36,
Breakfast bar is the difference in the two from what I have seen, 34 and 36 footer, My breakfast bar was removed to fit the side door,

If its on the Oshkosh Chassis, They should be the same, Please correct me if im wrong,
And thank you all for your help,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #10 – January 24, 2017, 05:34:28 pm

Brian....You cannot come out 3 inches.it's a molded figerglass unit...I'm going to ramble here without regard to punctuation.
I recently had a windshield crack on a trip thru Atlanta. After posting on FOF for advise I started looking at the structure carefully, The bulkhead under the dash had separated from the front cap (see my post). After looking at your photos I dont think you have a problem with side wall (shrinking). Since both wipers are touching the center seal, its looks more like a center (nose) issue (collapse). I'll bet that the dash bulkhead has been compromised.

Pm me for more info on my dash repair.

Hans

Re: Measurement required

Reply #11 – January 24, 2017, 06:27:39 pm

Quote from: Hans&Marjet – January 24, 2017, 05:34:28 pm

Brian....You cannot come out 3 inches.it's a molded figerglass unit...I'm going to ramble here without regard to punctuation.
I recently had a windshield crack on a trip thru Atlanta. After posting on FOF for advise I started looking at the structure carefully, The bulkhead under the dash had separated from the front cap (see my post). After looking at your photos I dont think you have a problem with side wall (shrinking). Since both wipers are touching the center seal, its looks more like a center (nose) issue (collapse). I'll bet that the dash bulkhead has been compromised.

Pm me for more info on my dash repair.

Hans

Thanks Hans,

My dash has been cut in half and swapped over to convert to right hand drive, There is nothing holding the side walls apart, it moves in and out, Sideways, It Flexes as I drive along, I can see the windscreen wipers move over the centre strip,
The instrument panel, Is the only thing holding the dash together, or apart,

I have looked very closely at the timber bulkhead in the nose cone and the steel brackets that hold it, It dont look like any thing has moved or been damaged, or is rotten,
But I will be going thru it all to make sure its all solid under there, The steel frame will be rebolted to the chassis just to make sure,
None of the timber in or under the dash is rotten, or from the chassis up, Its all solid,
I did consider that the front had moved back, But I cant see how, Its firmly bolted to the chassis with steel channel to the Bumper bar,
I think 3 inches is too far to move it, but 2 inches is quite doable, It will flex that far easily,
The windscreens are out of the rubbers, and to get them back inside the rubber, the sides will need to move out,
I cant see how I can push the nose cone out in the centre, Its all solidly fixed,
Where Im going to jack it out is a good foot back from the front of the nose cone, It will flex easily there, Which is what it is doing now, I am only going to stop the flexing of it, and put it back to near where it should be,

But I am looking at all repair options, or any ideas that I might have missed,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #12 – January 24, 2017, 08:28:13 pm

Brian,
I have a GV narrow body coach but a Unihome so a different chassis. I wouldn't be surprised if we use the same windshield. Attached are the numbers etched on each. I took these photos a few years ago before I replaced both. Maybe you can verify they are the same. If so here are a few dimensions I took as carefully as I could: (to a 1/16")
Bottom corner inside (surface of glass to surface of glass) = 93.875" (very close to what Olde English provided)
Wall to wall inside (walnut surface to walnut surface) = 90.50"
Aluminum side window frame at bottom (alum to alum) = 92.0"
Aluminum side window frame at top (alum to alum) = 89.75"
Hope this helps.
P.S. "Drivers" and "Passengers" images are switched for you

Re: Measurement required

Reply #13 – January 24, 2017, 08:57:22 pm

My new windows came direct from Foretravel, My numbers are
Guardian Safety Float.
Laminated,
AS-1-GG-M651-1
Dot 22
GT-C2-R
GT-C2-L
It does have a full light tint in the glass, But no tinted line across the top,
I will check your measurements as well, to see how they go with mine,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #14 – January 25, 2017, 07:30:08 am

Quote from: JohnFitz – January 24, 2017, 08:28:13 pm

Brian,
I have a GV narrow body coach but a Unihome so a different chassis. I wouldn't be surprised if we use the same windshield. Attached are the numbers etched on each. I took these photos a few years ago before I replaced both. Maybe you can verify they are the same. If so here are a few dimensions I took as carefully as I could: (to a 1/16")
Bottom corner inside (surface of glass to surface of glass) = 93.875" (very close to what Olde English provided)
Wall to wall inside (walnut surface to walnut surface) = 90.50" <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mine is 91 inches, 1/2 inch wider,
Aluminum side window frame at bottom (alum to alum) = 92.0" <<<<<<<<<<<<< Mine is 92 inches,
Aluminum side window frame at top (alum to alum) = 89.75" <<<<<<<<<<<<< Mine is 92 Inches, 1/4 inch wider,
Hope this helps.
P.S. "Drivers" and "Passengers" images are switched for you

Thanks John for those,

Well that has changed things, The measurements are the same, or close enough to not make a big difference,
I might have to go into depth on Hans idea on the dash bulk head collapse issue,
But nothing is rotten or looks like it has moved,
I will put up more piccys tomorrow so you can all have a squizz at it,

Tearing my hair out here,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #15 – January 25, 2017, 09:11:55 am

Are those the correct wiper arms/blades? My blades clear the center gasket in the wind screen by about 2" or so. I know my coach is wider, but I would think the wiper blade to center gasket distance would be similar?

Re: Measurement required

Reply #16 – January 25, 2017, 09:32:01 am

Brian,

My 88 had som wiggle in the nose... Oshkosh

We read the forum... my dash was solid too BUT my Dad and I tested it by probing with a stiff thin wire along the fiberglass from underneath along the space near the windshield..... and the wire was seen above the dash plate..

Interesting... that near the handles on the front-just like yours we could not probe the wire...

So we used a tapered 2 flat pieces of 2" metal about 2" apart and re-glued the fiberglass to the wood... moved it bit by bit.... filled the gap... what a mess.. we had glue on our hands for a week...lol

Let it set..... till next trip.... about a week.... NO MORE WIGGLE

Re: Measurement required

Reply #17 – January 25, 2017, 09:41:30 am

Brian,
When they split the dash to move the steering wheel :
Did they/you move the instrument pod also ? Is there any flex in the front cap/dash assy ? Oh Yeah and can you obtain any movement in or out on that side to side dimension ?

Re: Measurement required

Reply #18 – January 25, 2017, 10:16:20 am

Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie – January 25, 2017, 09:11:55 am

Are those the correct wiper arms/blades? My blades clear the center gasket in the wind screen by about 2" or so. I know my coach is wider, but I would think the wiper blade to center gasket distance would be similar?

When I first got it here, It had about an inch clearance between the ends of the wiper blades and the centre strip,
Then as I was driving it, that gap dissapeared and the blades went over the centre strip,
I have done about five thousand miles in it so far, Our roads are skinny and very bumpy, and very twisty,
They are not like your super highways, And I am very rarely on highways like the Hume Highway thats in my Wodonga Piccy,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #19 – January 25, 2017, 10:28:05 am

Its Australia day today, Thursday, Same as your 4th of July day, America day,
So Its beer o clock with a group of friends today, Its only going to be 23 degrees Plus, Celcius, so a cool one,
But they have a pool,
So its a day off for every one, Might even get drunk, hahaha, That dont happen very often,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #20 – January 28, 2017, 07:51:13 am

Well I measured it all up and the dimensions are correct to the ones every one gave me, 1/4 inch on one that was wider,
So my problem isnt in the width of the coach,
I took it out for a drive this morning, As I slowly went over a bump,
The dash and the windscreen was moving, so much so, I thought the windscreen would pop out onto the road,
You can see it visibly moving,
Bottom of the windscreen and the dash on the bent corner are grinding into each other,
It looks like the top of the windscreen and the dash are moving sideways, opposite to each other, like a twisting movement,
It has cracked both windscreens, right on the bend and back towards the drivers window, on both sides,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #21 – January 28, 2017, 07:54:27 am

A few more, piccys say a million words,

All and any ideas to fix this problem is appreciated greatly,

Re: Measurement required

Reply #22 – January 28, 2017, 09:21:22 am

Brian, the one dimension I didn't see was from the center weather strip straight back (perpendicular) to a line that runs from each bottom corner of the windscreens on the sides.
I'm thinking (always dangerous for me--causes overheating then loss of more hair) that when sitting the front cap shape is correct but when moving and experiencing frontal pressure from the wind that the "prow of the ship" is moving rearwards. This would mean that the adhesive holding the sides in place is no longer holding.
Can you drive the coach? If not then rig up a stylus from the windscreen center back to a board. This board would have to be sitting on the floor, not on the dash. Piece of paper on the board, pencil on the end of the stylus and tip riding on the paper.
Now go out and push hard enough on the prow that you think you see movement.
Another way: fasten two 4' T-squares just below the windscreens so the ends cross. Push on prow while someone watches T-square ends. If the crossing changes then adhesive has failed.

Re: Measurement required

Reply #23 – January 28, 2017, 10:14:43 am

Pic 5 on your first set of photos to me sure shows the separation. Take a thin feeler gauge and probe up toward the dash I'll bet its compromised. The corners on my coach had adhesive but not enough to even fill the gap.

Re: Measurement required

Reply #24 – January 28, 2017, 10:48:17 am

Brian,
I wonder if the sides of the front cap has let go where it attaches to the floor ? when I got our GV I went around the outside and replaced all the screws that joined the sides to the floor pan ( 1 ins ply ? ) as they were only 1 ins and half of them would turn but not bite. I replaced the screws that bit with 1 1/2 ins and the ones that turned with 2 ins and ran them all in with glue on the end. Haven't had to get quite so up close and personal with our coach as you have so I don't know how the cap, floor and chassis rails actually tie together. But it seems to me that if your front end is still swanning about maybe that's the place to look ?

Affiliate Notice