Mk1 Transit CI Motorhome, Landliner..build up..

[camper extraudinair]

Back to the fuel tank, now that i have fitted the new fuel tank
gauge to the dash board it's time to fit the sender unit in the
tank & fit the tank in place of the previous one.
I had to make a few mods & holes including two strong straps
out of stainless steel to carry the extra weight as it is much
larger than the original one.
I am now fitting a transmission oil cooler with an electric fan
mounted underneath out of the way of hopefully of any flying
debri.

[camper extraudinair]

Somewhere along the line i decided to replace the rusty metal
mudflaps at the rear with stainless steel ones & fit the brushes
that they fit big lorries to stop the side spray.
Also the grass like mudflaps to the s/s ones.
Now comes the next series of dramas.
As if i hav'nt had of them already,
Hopefully the oil cooler will do it's job & i won't have a problem
with overheating transmission again,
Next the back axle ?
I have now spent at least a year looking for a back axle that i
can fit to my camper that has a high enough ratio to make it
more economical & a high cruising speed, not reving it's nuts
off all the time, I decided on a yank with a limited slip diff
if i could find one so as to get more traction on wet grass or
whatever the camping sites are covered in.ie shingle mud slime?
I phoned all manor of places in britain until a friend suggested
a yank place down south. I pnoned them and said have you got
a high ratio back axle with a limited slip diff,
He asked what car it was for i told him i wanted any axle as long
as it was as stated i wanted to fit it to a transit,
he said he had only one but had all the requirments
i wanted at a good price so i bought it,
I found out two years later why it was so cheap the half shafts
were bent, But true to his word it had limited slip diff & 3.2 ratio.
& being onest he did say he did not know the history of it.
It also had very large vented discs with handbrake in disc.
I fitted uprated rear springs new shock absorbers & fitted all new
coonifer brake pipes & hose,
While the axle was out we stripped the underneath back to the
bare metal & repainted it.

[camper extraudinair]

Next came
this time the dreaded propshaft.
After fitting the back axle & may i say i think i
made a lovely job of it,
It took me in my spare time about a year but took
just as long to get the propshaft sorted.
what a nightmare.
after fitting the propshaft & running it up in gear
i could see the discs running out of true so removed
the half shafts & took them to my faverite eng firm.
They confirmed they were bent so had to get some
more, I decided to get some uprated ones lots of
money but do it once do it properly.
Next came the rear wheels to suit the axle I was
told when i bought the axle jag wheels will fit it.
I had decided for better or for worse to go to single
rear wheels wider & larger with truck rear tyres.
So that's what i did using Revolution competition
wheels 15inch by 8inch wide with 225 x 15 tyres.
A great success on all road tests since driving it.
After fitting the axle with the new wheels i thought
it.s not as quiet as the old axle but did not pay too
much heed to it till now.
& as you all know i'm now rebuilding it before my
holiday.
Will keep you all posted.

[transitandy]

I hope you part comes before wednesday m8
Get some piccies of the steam fair please ce

[camper extraudinair]

Hi Transit lovers
Just a little more info afore i go.
A so called friend of mine in the dim & distant past had a
problem with his starter motor in a very busy service
station on the edge of the new forest,
He pulled into the service station between the two rows
of pumps & proceeded to fill his fuel tanks on both sides
of his american camper,
He paid for his fuel got in to start his engine but the
engine would not crank it over.
The starter motor had packed up,
He turned the key while i hit the starter but to no avail,
by this time the que was heading back to the motorway
as he was taking up six fuel pumps, so i towed his six &
a half ton camper to a out of the way with a 1.6 escort,
We had to remove it & take it to a man i know in surbiton
on the a3 near london, i phoned him on the way to make
sure he would be able to help,
He sorted the starter & we hoofed it back to the new
forest fitted it and drove home,
Because of this experience i thought a starting handle
if one could start a 7.2 litre engine on such a device,
Would have saved a lot of hassle.
So i decided to fit one to mine to see if it would work.
I forgot to mention the reason we could not tow or push
start it was because it was automatic transmission,
I aquired several starting handles & dogs that is the bit
that fits on the crankshaft of the engine,
I had to lengthen the handle to make it reach the crank
& also lengthen it on the stroke to give it more leverage.
My engine is only 5.2 litre so i welded the dog on to the
crankshaft bolt so the engine was just before top dead
centre & the handle was at twenty five minutes to twelve.
I was ecstatic when i cranked it for the first time & it
Burst into life.
I imediatly pnoned a friend because that what u do in
a moment of exileration & asked because he is into
v8 engines who has got a v8 engine with a starting
handle, He replied no one i said you do now,

[jonochap]

Love the bits where you start to get chuffed with success!!

[whitemice]

In the modern world a starting handle is an anti=theft device.....

[camper extraudinair]

When i took her for her m o t two years ago the front brakes were below
par on the readings, but i have not done any miles since i took her to
west sussex three years before,
So i decided to fit reconditioned front calipers & uprated front springs
but after fitting the springs had to remove extra leaf as the front
looked as if it wanted to take off on exceleration.
Decided to go permanent twenty four volt electrics as magic box
only works with ignition on so no side lights or hazards when left
alone,
I thought about it a lot as the ignition headlights washers wipers
starter motor horns & electric fans were all twelve volt.
also the power steering pump & fog lights.
I rewired the battery's in series to get my 24v & changed the alternator
to suit but did not realise i was going to have so much grief as somethings
ran off of one battery & some off of the other.
after running the engine for half an hour or so the nearside battery would
go so flat it would not crank the engine.
It turned out the battery had died so replaced it with a super duper
diesel battery one hundred & fifteen amp hour job done,
Or so i thought.

[jonochap]

Edge of seat...

[silverfox25]

Evening Camper Extraudinair,

I agree with Jonochap, edge of seat or what! I've been following your thread with great interest, maybe when you've finished your thread you could write a novel, this certainly counts as a sort of autobiography (no pun intended). I've got to admire your determination, much lesser men would have given up long ago with all the hassle and setback's you've had along the way. Can't wait for the next instalment.
Regards
Silver Fox25

[camper extraudinair]

Thank you silver fox
I did'nt realise just how much interest my story was attracting.
I would also like to thank all the others inc jono chap & transit
andy for all the encouragement they have given to make me
continue the story,
The story continues,
when i next run the engine the same thing happened,
the nearside battery went flat it turned out it was faulty,
I was only a fortnight old but could have been in stock for a
long time they changed it without quibble.
I looked back at pictures i had taken and realised that the
battery's were over five years old so replaced the offside with
another diesel battery & also a new leisure battery in the rear.
Still i had a problem with the nearside battery & decided to
spread the load more between the two,
So i moved the power steering pump to o/s bat h/lights
aux h/lights also horn.
ingition starter motor & fans from n/s,
still i had a slight problem & removed the alt & replaced it
with a large comercial unit a 24v 100amp unit.
The end was nearly in sight when i realised the electric fans
run so long while the vehicle is stationary & the power they
consume i decided to wire them in series with two 24v relays.
Definatly job done no problem.
Why i did'nt think of doing the the fans in series before is
a don't rightly know.

[camper extraudinair]

Hi Transit peoples
I have been on the LandLiner since six o clock this morning,
The part i need so desperatly will be at the dealers after
twelve o clock i will be there waiting.
In the meantime i am piping in the sink & drainer waste
water pipes so the we can use the sink,
I know i have left it to the last minute but there was so
many other things to do.
curtains, bed platform as so far we had no bed to sleep in,
The wife althouth she means well has put me under so much
pressure you would not believe,
always in the way but i love her dearly,
at the end of day eight o clock that is the differential is
all up together & sounds sweet as a nut.
will be leaving about six in the morning as the wife can't
wait,
me i am knackered but have made the effort to say have
a great TransitMania. will catch up with all you lovely
people asap. Need my bed so badly it's not true,
Will post more when we get back.

[jonochap]

Hopeful fir your adventure...

[silverfox25]

Have a good un!

[camper extraudinair]

My Sincearest Apologies to all who were hoping to see
me at the Great Dorset Steam Fair but i am not going
to be there,
Will explain in more detail when time permits.
Hope your holidays are better than mine. "so far."