campervan insurance and suport bar behind cab seats?

[madbri]

hi me again. ive just invested in a hicube and going to turn into a camper.now this is where i need help phoned various insures and got told home build dont do. so ho dose insure campervans?

[Breakdown Biker]

This subject has been well covered on here. Try doing a search and check out this link for starters
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=43318

[madbri]

yep tryed these and told prob need an engineers report. by the way i luv ure idear on the cab blinds. a man with good idears and trying 2 keep the cost down luv it

[kimbo]

shield........... adrian flux........theres a few out there ,

[hodgson4711]

what year is it?

[madbri]

its a 95 m reg 2.5 deisel hi cube. next question does anybody or has any body lowerd the height of the suport bar across the front behind the cab? i was thinking of lowering it the same hight as a low roof tranny rather than as it is now a semi?

[dachre]

Support bar? Do you mean the metal hoops that hold the fibreglass roof up.

Or do you mean the metal roof section above the cab that gets used as a shelf?

The main reason Ford leave the metal roof section above the cab is for strength. But there's no real reason why it should be a semi-hi or a low-roof left back in there.

I think ford use a semi-hi roof section as it gives a bit more head room for the driver.

There are a couple of motor home builders who don't leave a metal roof section in at all. They have just cut the complete metal roof out and then stuck a fibreglass one back on. They seem to manage ok and it gives loads of space.

On my van, when i cut the entire metal roof out to put a fibreglass one back on i put a load of strengthening steel work over that area so i wouldn't need a metal roof.

A semi or low roof section would be fine i think.

Hope this helps.

[madbri]

ah ure the man ive being try to find i visited ure build a while ago no cant find it 4 love. its the bar for a semi high roof but i want to chop it out put a low roof bar there so that i can put a bed above just like the purpose built vans. who do u insure with. many many thanks ure van lovly just wish i had the time nohow and tools. im booked in 4 newquay in 4 weeks so ive got to get on

[dachre]

Hi, for a quick build, I think id simply chop out the semi-hi roof section, weld or fix some steel cross sections in at a lower point and then place some wood ply across it making sure its strong and safe.

I've seen a couple of professional motor home manufactures do that. They then use the new low roof/shelf to put equipment in or use it for a fold out bed. I was thinking about doing that to mine originally.


My van hasn't turned a wheel in a year so it isn't insured at the moment...... .....

Good luck with everything, hope you have a good time down in Newquay.


This is my thread.
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=28854

[dachre]

Just thought id stick two photos up of the semi-hi roof i cut apart just to show how i did it.

I left a couple of inches of the metal roof all the way around the gutter line. This gave me a bit of strength and something to weld to.





This shows the strengthener parts i put in above the drivers head.





I guess you could just put cross bars above the drivers and passengers heads, in-line with the gutter line going from side to side and then make that a roof/shelf.


Hope this makes it a bit clearer what i did.

[madbri]

yep thats made me mind up cut it and slam it down onto the gutter line. at the moment its a single bar bout 10 cm wide thinkig of puting a bit of 50mm box? and cheers i will have a good time in newquay me lad giong 2 draw some surfes down the side ready in permanant markers. dont no of any side windows going anywhere do ya. think me local scrapy going bust dont seem 2 have ought

[dachre]

Hi, I think 10mm box maybe a bit too weak and 50mm is very substantial, perhaps somewhere in-between? I guess you have to look at what sort of load you are going to put up there anyway. But 50mm would be good.

If you ask in the wanted section for windows you my get some close to you. Did you want ones that can open/slide or just glass panels.

Take some photos of the work you're doing and put them up. Photos are great..... ...

Cheers.

[madbri]

ah idont no bout photos i ant that good on computer. il try soon. but many thanks p.s only said 50mm as i have a lenth sat an me shed. do u think it ll be ok

[dachre]

I just thought 50mm was a bit bulky, if you lower the roof you don't end up with a lot of room that's all.

I'm sure it'll be fine. Anyway, it wont fall down as it'll be plenty strong.

[madbri]

on a job 2day and geuss what i triped over? yep u geused 2mtr lenth of 20mm box!!!!!!! HOW so it just apend 2 fall in me lunch box and came home wher il look after it