weekedn camping mishap!!

[tuscan440]

DISASTER!! had my annual trip to RTTS this weekend gone and the worst happened when the wheel fell off our transit mk2 camper! it turns out my friend stu was a right plonker and didnt do the wheel nuts tight enough so under all the weight of the alcohol and camping stuff for 12 people it popped off, pulling out the rear axle sideways and ripping off the wheel arch. it has to be said i we were absolutely gutted..... the camper only got about 5 miles away from home and the police turned up only to slap us with a £30 unsafe vehicle fine.needless to say stu is apying that one.

we need advice on repairing it as it needs to be improved or just repaired rather quickly, please view my post in parts wanted if you think you can help.

cheers......*sniff

[FredTransit]

NOOOOOOOOOO! You really need to get some professional advice on this one. If you were nearer to me, I would come and have a look myself. When you say the rear axle was pulled out sideways, do you mean the whole axle or the drive shaft? If there is chassis damage, it could be serious. It wouldn't frighten me, but I know you have a limited budget so sounds exspensive. Also, do you mean the body's wheel arch was ripped off, or the mudflap? I know this is gonna hurt, but is there any chance of pictures so that we can all give our experienced opinion?
I have to say that this could have been a lot more serious, lucky nobody was hurt, at least you didn't get a PG9 Prohibition notice (TELL ME MR PLOD DIDN'T GIVE YOU A PINK BIT OF PAPER!!!). Slap your mate Stu for me, if you haven't done so allready.

[Luke]

Bad news mate!! but like fred says any chance of a pic- i dont undestand how the wheel coming undone has pulled the rear axle?

do mk3 axles fit? anyone know?

[tuscan440]

well none of the underside of the van was damaged, luckily the whole weight was taken by the hub and drum. wasnt too sure about the axle but seen it today and the recovery guy managed to put the wheel back one so it looks like it was just the driveshaft so maybe we will be in luck.
unfortunately the fibreglass arch was ripped clean off (i guess the bouncing wheel did that) leaving a not so pretty underside. the good news is we have the tools and the know how to put her back together and we are gona asses the damage after our exams next week. will put pictures on here soonish but dont think they will tell much.
the other bad thing is we were on route to pick up tax so the poilce wernt too happy ours was outdated so they have also fined us for that, but wait it does get worse. it turns out the 3 day insurance i had didnt actually start till the day after the day the wheel came off, got my dad to do it and he set it for a day too late so now i gota explain why i didnt have vaild insurance as well, wasnt gona say anything but now i just think f*ck it whats done is done and im just gona have to take it as it comes. probably a court appearance and some pleading with the courts and i'll be let off lightly. teach us a lesson to get it sorted way in advance now instead of the week before!!

even tho the camper was sorely missed we still had great fun with a beach buggy and a '69 beetle,ah happy days.

p.s. stu has been slapped many a time and has to foot the police fine and recovery fee.not that it makes me feel any better!!!

[FredTransit]

..........at least you had an MOT!!! One out of three ain't bad. Still can't work out where the fibreglass aarch was, don't you have a SWB? Was it a repair panel for the rear arch?

[tuscan440]

jesus finally went ot police station and looks like i may be getting a court appearance, tho i aint worry a slap on the wrist is all they will give me im sure.
the fibregalss bit im on about is the little lip on the arch. it just came off in one big arche-like chunk leavin a not so prety underneath. shud be ok to fix, my mate recently sprayed his whole beetle just fine so i dont doubt his ability

[FredTransit]

Sounds like somebody put in a fibreglass repair panel. Did you manage to keep the bit, can you put it back on?

[bortaf]

Shame you missed RTTS but it wernt nothing special, the chillout tent was better than the main areana, i think
and a few wallys ended up in the brook (as usual)

[tuscan440]

yeh got the arch still in one piece so that is goin straight back on.
dont worry i didnt miss out on RTTS just the van did, we had to substitute it with a works van (mk4 transit) doesnt quite have the sam eappeal somehow. however we still had a '69 beetle which i drove all the time and a bright orange beach beetle/buggy kinda like the baja bug but more buggy like!!

lots of fun, shame about the pigs, disappointed cos we saw only 1 classic ford camper. a mk1 transit but ours was a hit last year so missed her loads.