RePhil
Well-known member
Ah. Good choice - but I'm biased.
Hence also the androgynous name - Red.
Hence also the androgynous name - Red.
RED - ‘71 RHD Tin Top
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RePhil
Well-known member
Update.
Well after getting through the MOT it was time to sort out the interior enough to set off camping.
For our first trip to The Gower we split the 150 mile journeys in half - just in case we had any issues. As it happens we had a little problem with the rear brakes overheating again on the way there - backing them off a bit did the job.
The main aim of the trip was to try everything out & see if the layout worked for us. We took most of our clothes in 3 wicker baskets which we stored behind the rear seat during the day & placed them on the front seats at night to allow the 3/4 bed to be made. This works OK, as does having a porta-potti in the buddy seat! Wooden levelling blocks also live here.
On the road we filled virtually all the rear floor with general junk (spare wheel, boxes of victuals, hook up lead etc.) & we used a small tent to store all these when on site. This wasn't ideal as you have to climb all over the junk if you need anything en route. It wasn't helped either by the tent leaking when it kept peeing down.
For the next trip to the Cromer area, more confidently carried out in one leg, we towed the trailer. Obviously once you have the space you use it. We filled it with bikes, bbq, chairs, too many clothes, sat dish! & the big tent. We parked the trailer inside the tent & used it as a wardrobe, table & store. (This meant the bus was clear of clutter.) The other 2/3 of the tent were used for sitting or changing - & drying wet clothes.
On site - still sporting unfinished side panel.
Also mounted spare wheel on front to complete the camper look. Not ideal but it's the best I can think of at the moment.
Tent & kitchen sink.
A weekend trip to Rutland water, again peeing down, rounded off the year. The only hiccup was me putting diesel in on the way back. Watering it down with petrol worked OK - if a bit smoky.
So on to 2015. We bought a Khyam awning at the NEC camping show to speed up the camping bit. Looking forward to trying this out.
Planning a few trips to the Lake District, a week in Devon, a few small shows & a few weekends away with friends.
I overhauled a louvre window I had bought, following excellently documented procedures on here. I wanted to replace the sliding window behind the hob. The louvre window can be left open in the rain when cooking inside - we get a lot of rain.
Out with the old ...
In with the new ...
I still have a long list of bits & pieces to do but we aim to be off using the bus whenever we can.
Well after getting through the MOT it was time to sort out the interior enough to set off camping.
For our first trip to The Gower we split the 150 mile journeys in half - just in case we had any issues. As it happens we had a little problem with the rear brakes overheating again on the way there - backing them off a bit did the job.
The main aim of the trip was to try everything out & see if the layout worked for us. We took most of our clothes in 3 wicker baskets which we stored behind the rear seat during the day & placed them on the front seats at night to allow the 3/4 bed to be made. This works OK, as does having a porta-potti in the buddy seat! Wooden levelling blocks also live here.
On the road we filled virtually all the rear floor with general junk (spare wheel, boxes of victuals, hook up lead etc.) & we used a small tent to store all these when on site. This wasn't ideal as you have to climb all over the junk if you need anything en route. It wasn't helped either by the tent leaking when it kept peeing down.
For the next trip to the Cromer area, more confidently carried out in one leg, we towed the trailer. Obviously once you have the space you use it. We filled it with bikes, bbq, chairs, too many clothes, sat dish! & the big tent. We parked the trailer inside the tent & used it as a wardrobe, table & store. (This meant the bus was clear of clutter.) The other 2/3 of the tent were used for sitting or changing - & drying wet clothes.
On site - still sporting unfinished side panel.
Also mounted spare wheel on front to complete the camper look. Not ideal but it's the best I can think of at the moment.
Tent & kitchen sink.
A weekend trip to Rutland water, again peeing down, rounded off the year. The only hiccup was me putting diesel in on the way back. Watering it down with petrol worked OK - if a bit smoky.
So on to 2015. We bought a Khyam awning at the NEC camping show to speed up the camping bit. Looking forward to trying this out.
Planning a few trips to the Lake District, a week in Devon, a few small shows & a few weekends away with friends.
I overhauled a louvre window I had bought, following excellently documented procedures on here. I wanted to replace the sliding window behind the hob. The louvre window can be left open in the rain when cooking inside - we get a lot of rain.
Out with the old ...
In with the new ...
I still have a long list of bits & pieces to do but we aim to be off using the bus whenever we can.
Nice move with the jalousie window, great for camping.
Which Khyam awning did you get, the airbeam or the quick-erect one? (oo-err missus!) :lol:
We've got a 'quick-erect' one and it's only quick when it decides to work. I think it's too complicated for me. :roll:
Which Khyam awning did you get, the airbeam or the quick-erect one? (oo-err missus!) :lol:
We've got a 'quick-erect' one and it's only quick when it decides to work. I think it's too complicated for me. :roll:
RePhil
Well-known member
Mike, we went for the Quick erect Motordome Sleeper. It should also have enough room to use as a tent we think. I fell for the super fast erection demo sales pitch. Ordered at 1755 on Tuesday at NEC just as the show was closing. Arrived before 1000 on Thursday! Fast delivery too.
The system looks clever - we'll see how it is when I actually get to use it. We'll have a few practice runs in the garden - in daylight & sober. :msn4:
The system looks clever - we'll see how it is when I actually get to use it. We'll have a few practice runs in the garden - in daylight & sober. :msn4:
RePhil said:
Yea, practice in the garden first. The problem for me is that by the end of the season when I've worked it out, it is stored away for winter, and by next spring I've forgotten how I had it cracked!
It's like wrestling a giant spider (with only four long legs) :lol:
RePhil
Well-known member
I was surprised how hot the whole cooker gets when using the grill. Everything gets hot , the top, knobs & the manifold/distribution block carrying the incoming gas.
Looking underneath I could see that there is no easy exit for the hot air to escape & much of it will just get trapped underneath.
I asked around to see if I was missing a heat shield or anything but nothing came of it.
I decided to see if I could fabricate something to do the job.
As luck would have it we had just had some garlic bread in an aluminium tray which was about the right size for what I had in mind. Furthermore it was of above average thickness & therefore probably more suited to the job I had in mind, so I set to work with a pair of scissors - very high tech.
It moulded quite well into the shape I wanted & I cut a vent in the centre top which lines up with the existing hole in the hob. A few bits of wire hold it in place & I have high hopes it will do the job. Time will tell. It looks better in real life! (Image not helped by wheelie bin workbench)
Looking underneath I could see that there is no easy exit for the hot air to escape & much of it will just get trapped underneath.
I asked around to see if I was missing a heat shield or anything but nothing came of it.
I decided to see if I could fabricate something to do the job.
As luck would have it we had just had some garlic bread in an aluminium tray which was about the right size for what I had in mind. Furthermore it was of above average thickness & therefore probably more suited to the job I had in mind, so I set to work with a pair of scissors - very high tech.
It moulded quite well into the shape I wanted & I cut a vent in the centre top which lines up with the existing hole in the hob. A few bits of wire hold it in place & I have high hopes it will do the job. Time will tell. It looks better in real life! (Image not helped by wheelie bin workbench)
RePhil
Well-known member
It's been a little while since my last post.
Being as the bus is running OK all my efforts have been directed at little jobs to do with using it as a camper rather than stuff to get it going.
I popped along to VW Hangout just up the road which was quite a small get together but I enjoyed it. We went down to Stratford upon Avon for Aircooled 15. A lot of effort had gone into it & quite a few went, particularly on Sunday for day visitors, but it deserved more. Unfortunately the weather forecast for the w/e was for lots of rain which I'm sure put a lot of people off. It did chuck it down on Friday night, along with some pretty serious thunder, but nothing a few Stellas couldn't cure. But mostly the weather was OK & met/bumped into quite a few off here. Which was nice!
A trip to Coniston went well & our new Khyam awning tent was brill for that extra bit of space - to dry things off!
These outings proved to us that everything seemed to be in place in the bus for our upcoming trip to Devon.
We loaded piles of junk into the trailer, hitched up & set off. Just over 25 miles from home a VW Golf cut us up as we exited a roundabout & threw up a stone.
I had wondered if the screen was toughened as I couldn't see a laminate label. Now I had my answer. We limped into Stratford upon Avon & parked on the forecourt of the first filling station we found. Phoned RH Insurance (who were excellent) & they contacted the windscreen people. Once we realised that a screen would have to be ordered & it was now 1930 on a Friday night, we opted for a piggy back home.
Once home we swapped everything from the bus into our car, including the bed. We booked the screen replacement for a week later & towed the camping trailer off on holiday. We used the Khyam as a stand alone tent. Apart from not being in the bus it worked out pretty well.
All sorted now & off to the lakes next.
Phil.
Being as the bus is running OK all my efforts have been directed at little jobs to do with using it as a camper rather than stuff to get it going.
I popped along to VW Hangout just up the road which was quite a small get together but I enjoyed it. We went down to Stratford upon Avon for Aircooled 15. A lot of effort had gone into it & quite a few went, particularly on Sunday for day visitors, but it deserved more. Unfortunately the weather forecast for the w/e was for lots of rain which I'm sure put a lot of people off. It did chuck it down on Friday night, along with some pretty serious thunder, but nothing a few Stellas couldn't cure. But mostly the weather was OK & met/bumped into quite a few off here. Which was nice!
A trip to Coniston went well & our new Khyam awning tent was brill for that extra bit of space - to dry things off!
These outings proved to us that everything seemed to be in place in the bus for our upcoming trip to Devon.
We loaded piles of junk into the trailer, hitched up & set off. Just over 25 miles from home a VW Golf cut us up as we exited a roundabout & threw up a stone.
I had wondered if the screen was toughened as I couldn't see a laminate label. Now I had my answer. We limped into Stratford upon Avon & parked on the forecourt of the first filling station we found. Phoned RH Insurance (who were excellent) & they contacted the windscreen people. Once we realised that a screen would have to be ordered & it was now 1930 on a Friday night, we opted for a piggy back home.
Once home we swapped everything from the bus into our car, including the bed. We booked the screen replacement for a week later & towed the camping trailer off on holiday. We used the Khyam as a stand alone tent. Apart from not being in the bus it worked out pretty well.
All sorted now & off to the lakes next.
Phil.
Glad the stone incident didn't stop you going away. The number of stones I hear pinging off the front of the bus on journeys is incredible. :shock:
I am always surprised there isn't more damage when I look later on. My windscreen is laminated and was in when I got it, which is a relief.
I am always surprised there isn't more damage when I look later on. My windscreen is laminated and was in when I got it, which is a relief.
RePhil
Well-known member
How time flies! I’ve not posted on here for ages as I’ve been too busy & haven’t really used the bus much.
Since getting RED on the road we’ve been on quite a few camping holidays & everything’s been going well - driving & camping.
Things changed a few years ago when the place I had worked, for over 30 years, decided to close the plant. I was old, & fortunate, enough to be able to say “sod it” & retire. So we decided to up sticks from the midlands & move closer to family in Lancashire. Priority no.1 - Garage & plenty of parking space.
We weren’t planning on any upheaval so prepping our house for sale (removing 2 of my 3 sheds! Not a great selling point apparently!), selling, finding a new place & moving all my junk, was fun. My family always joked that I would never be able to move with the amount of stuff I have. I hate throwing things away but had to sacrifice quite a bit of stuff & so far I have not missed anything! Lesson there? I brought the usual stuff we all have, welders, lathe, arbour press, wash tank, racking, drawer units, timber, steel, the best shed, a Frogeye Sprite (trailered), the bus & our 2 cars & our poor trailer. (The buyers were insistent that we left nothing behind at all, so even garden ornaments came with us). Oh & a houseful of furniture & possessions etc.
Once moved we had the usual house decorating, gardening, shed base building etc before I could look at any of my toys. The garage roof needed a new skin to stop all my valuables getting wet & rusting! Oh & there’s another subject. Rust. We now live a few hundred metres from the sea & wow don’t I know it. It’s lovely but - absolutely anything & everything gets eaten away! You cannot leave anything unprotected for any length of time. All my tools have to be kept oiled or airtight.
So now we’re settled I have more time to look after the bus which runs & drives beautifully but hidden away under the skin, the old enemy works away....
Since getting RED on the road we’ve been on quite a few camping holidays & everything’s been going well - driving & camping.
Things changed a few years ago when the place I had worked, for over 30 years, decided to close the plant. I was old, & fortunate, enough to be able to say “sod it” & retire. So we decided to up sticks from the midlands & move closer to family in Lancashire. Priority no.1 - Garage & plenty of parking space.
We weren’t planning on any upheaval so prepping our house for sale (removing 2 of my 3 sheds! Not a great selling point apparently!), selling, finding a new place & moving all my junk, was fun. My family always joked that I would never be able to move with the amount of stuff I have. I hate throwing things away but had to sacrifice quite a bit of stuff & so far I have not missed anything! Lesson there? I brought the usual stuff we all have, welders, lathe, arbour press, wash tank, racking, drawer units, timber, steel, the best shed, a Frogeye Sprite (trailered), the bus & our 2 cars & our poor trailer. (The buyers were insistent that we left nothing behind at all, so even garden ornaments came with us). Oh & a houseful of furniture & possessions etc.
Once moved we had the usual house decorating, gardening, shed base building etc before I could look at any of my toys. The garage roof needed a new skin to stop all my valuables getting wet & rusting! Oh & there’s another subject. Rust. We now live a few hundred metres from the sea & wow don’t I know it. It’s lovely but - absolutely anything & everything gets eaten away! You cannot leave anything unprotected for any length of time. All my tools have to be kept oiled or airtight.
So now we’re settled I have more time to look after the bus which runs & drives beautifully but hidden away under the skin, the old enemy works away....
RePhil
Well-known member
One of the first items I bought for the bus was a pair of new doors from JK who has just stated selling them. (I had looked at quite a few at various shows & was becoming more & more despondent at the rusty, battered pieces of junk purporting to be the rare valuable items I needed.) Over the years I have kept them safely indoors awaiting fitting.
First I waited until I got the bus on the road as it would be a waste fitting them to an unfinished project. Then once we were up & running we just kept going away camping & putting up with the leaky, rusty I’ll fitting doors we had.
Well recently the rust has become too great to ignore as chunks fall off when I close the door. Also rain has been getting in to the cab area so action is needed.
Another thing which had put me off is the thought that the doors will need spraying once fitted. Well during this lockdown, a friend, who has a body shop, is a bit light on work, so if I get my skates on I should be able to help him out.
The near side wing/wheel arch has been replaced previously, though not very well. The top of the arch fouls the bottom of the door. They then tried to rectify this buy knocking 10 bells out of the door & the arch with a FBH.
I aim to chop out the rust & fit a new inner & outer step & outer arch. The inner arch looks surprisingly good. I plan of repairing the bottom of the A pillar first & the rebuilding the component parts, steps first, building the complete wing unit before fixing in place. I’ll hang the door for reference once the A pillar is sorted. I’ll then fill the gaps in the floor & seat base. I’ve looked at lots of pics & was impressed but Rosstorations vid on YouTube! Looks a p-o-p!
The only bit of detail I’m still hazy on is the bottom of the A pillar. It seems to peter out & leave a cavity continuing from the step around to the front lower valance.
Some pics.
First I waited until I got the bus on the road as it would be a waste fitting them to an unfinished project. Then once we were up & running we just kept going away camping & putting up with the leaky, rusty I’ll fitting doors we had.
Well recently the rust has become too great to ignore as chunks fall off when I close the door. Also rain has been getting in to the cab area so action is needed.
Another thing which had put me off is the thought that the doors will need spraying once fitted. Well during this lockdown, a friend, who has a body shop, is a bit light on work, so if I get my skates on I should be able to help him out.
The near side wing/wheel arch has been replaced previously, though not very well. The top of the arch fouls the bottom of the door. They then tried to rectify this buy knocking 10 bells out of the door & the arch with a FBH.
I aim to chop out the rust & fit a new inner & outer step & outer arch. The inner arch looks surprisingly good. I plan of repairing the bottom of the A pillar first & the rebuilding the component parts, steps first, building the complete wing unit before fixing in place. I’ll hang the door for reference once the A pillar is sorted. I’ll then fill the gaps in the floor & seat base. I’ve looked at lots of pics & was impressed but Rosstorations vid on YouTube! Looks a p-o-p!
The only bit of detail I’m still hazy on is the bottom of the A pillar. It seems to peter out & leave a cavity continuing from the step around to the front lower valance.
Some pics.
