Progress Pics - Dormobile X-Over

[gninnam]

You make it look like a real life lego camper van!! :lol:

Quality skills.
And when its finished it will be 100% solid... not a filler bus & you have an awesome thread to prove it.

8)

I wish it was a Lego camper van as it would be a lot easier to fix (although standing on the pieces will hurt a lot more!!)
True about not being a filler bus but seems to be taking forever

opcorn:

Make sure your comfortable
Working away some of this week so hope to be back on it on Wednesday (weather permitting)

 

[gninnam]

So - brought the rear bumper brackets in to work today to see if our engineering department could sand blast them.
I want them usable so that when I get round to doing the offside rear quarter I can make sure that everything aligns before I start welding!

Before:

After:

The bracket for the offside - I had to hack it off the van as the PO had welded it on
I will make it good for when the van goes live - for the testing purposes I will use the home made ones (cheers George )

 

[subheatadey]

Just read your build from start to 'nearly finished' I admire your persistence I was tired from just reading it, It will be worth all the hard work in the end and you will get a lot of pleasure driving it around knowing you built it, I look forward to reading further exploits and meeting up in the future.

 

[gninnam]

Just read your build from start to 'nearly finished' I admire your persistence I was tired from just reading it, It will be worth all the hard work in the end and you will get a lot of pleasure driving it around knowing you built it, I look forward to reading further exploits and meeting up in the future.

Cheers for the words of encouragement :mrgreen:
Just noticed that this thread misses the first 3 years plus of other work done which I might add sometime soon.

 

[cunning plan]

Brackets look great! arty0021:

 

[gninnam]

Brackets look great! arty0021:

Cheers

 

[gninnam]

Found some details from when I first got the bus and started to work on it - for those who are interested or care here ya go:

From 2005 pictures from Ebay first (I wish I could corner the market in rose-tinted glasses.....)

(Still have the awning but well knackered - a proper VW MoTent)

Don't she look grand

So, after getting her home and scaring myself silly on our first trip (the van came with 9 months MOT, but the brakes were shocking - it had new calipers, but the drivers side had the original pads (when I say pads, I mean metal) and the original disks, which were basically rotten!!!!

Got that sorted and noticed that the roof leaked (majorly).
Only after looking at other Dormobile roofs did I discover that the glass windows were plexi, but just pop riveted on then sealed with silicon..... Can't leave it like that so started to work on the roof....

To be continued

 

[gninnam]

So - what next?? Are yes, the roof.................

So off came the poptop and I checked the metal part first before deciding what to do with the poptop.

Where one of the hinges would be:

And the gutter:

Inside, the top of one of the strengheners:

The roof

So - worked cut out - to be continued......

 

[gninnam]

Sorted the roof (both metal and poptop over the winter of 2005/6 but took it for it's MOT (minus the roof) which it duly failed - the MOT tester informed me that he would never like to see this van again, even if it had all the work done. Gutted.

A few pics of the roof during and after the refurb (including a spray and GRP repairs):

Coming together now on the inside

Outside

To be continued...........

 

[gninnam]

External metal repairs:

So - fibreglass repairs now done, so started on preparing for it's respray:

Ohh - and me:

Paint going on:

The correct glass now in:

And there's more....

 

[gninnam]

Now on the van and putting on the fabric (well, plastic):

Looks good, but not even tackled the underneath yet (at least it's now water proof)

To be continued..........

 

[MetPeter]

You did a great job on that roof, nice van!

 

[gninnam]

Roof done now so what do I do now........
What is the chassis and exterior panels like - the pictures make it look really good.................

Belly pans:

Cut off and..

What a surprise.

To be continued..............

 

[gninnam]

You did a great job on that roof, nice van!

Thanks
It did look nice but hid a lot of serious issues :x

 

[gninnam]

Panels now - lets remove the crud

Nearside wing (well was)

New sill added:

New tophats and inner

To be continued...............

 

[gninnam]

Anywho , where was I - oh yes, pics and things

So, more things started to get replaced and fixed such as a replacement beam:
Shotblasted

Then Painted:

More metal going in - Cab floor

Lower front panel

To be continued............

 

[gninnam]

One of the front Y chassis rails:

The other one:

Other cab floor halve:

Front arch - offside:

Nearside:

Lower B post:

And so it continued (around 3 or so years have passed now....)

 

[gninnam]

Outer sill - Offside:

Offside Rear arch repair panel:

To be cont......

 

[gninnam]

A few more of the arch's

Nearside tub:

Cargo bay floor being put in:

To be continued................

 

[gninnam]

Bored yet :lol:

One or two more of the floor:

To be continued...