223. Sagging

AVIGNON

Project for the day was getting the Disco to the local JLR dealer to see where the coolant, maybe now one hundred millilitres per hour, is disappearing to. Didn't even try to phone prior as I know the drill now with French workshops. Luckily for me, on arrival, another customer with a Disco 4 was able to translate for me (the service manager had little interest) and together we determined that they were fully booked for the week. Strangely, and I do know a little about workshops, the view of the workshop from the office showed few vehicles and even less happening. I fully appreciate that these European countries have good GDP but interactions like this do make me wonder how they achieve it. When pressed, the service manager gave my customer friend another workshops details and confirmed that I can go tomorrow.

Doesn't take a keen eye

Main floor dropping (above C section)

Travelling a couple of days ago I became concerned (despaired) that the front locker of the Giantavan appeared to be is sagging. A couple of weeks ago I noticed the toilet dropping but couldn't immediately determine why. This weeks drive made it very apparent why it had dropped. I had wondered when we purchased the Giantavan a year ago why the front locker lock had a long tongue bolted to it. I now realise that, as the floor dropped the lock wouldn't have locked. In hindsight I realise that the floor was dropping well before we purchased. A feature of this range of Hobby caravan is the raked front achieved by extending the bodywork forward with an extension that not only provides a large front locker but also a deep shelf behind the double bed. This extension is not supported directly off the chassis but cantilevered off the C section channel in the photo above right [Main floor dropping caption] The beam you can see extending forward to the right is not supported but is tacked to the C section face. The drawbar does not pick up on this forward section at all. The front locker support relies on the twist of the C section to hold it up. This front locker contains two deep cycle batteries, a twelve kg gas bottle a spare wheel and much junk but all within the rated one hundred and ten kilogram capacity.

Actual

Shopping list

Emptied everything out and Roman and Edward set up a very satisfactory garage with all the bits, complete for hoses for refuelling bikes and buggies. At one stage I heard Edward struggling with something and I laughed on hearing Roman say Never fear MacGibbon is here his middle name.

I spent a lot of time jacking at various points trying to work out how re-engineer this design flail. Eventually Matthew (Edwards dad) got underneath also and we kept jacking bits until we came up with a cunning plan of cutting off the metal forward of the front C section and running a new beam alongside and bolting old and new together. This will support the toilet at the edge then running a second beam parallel, near the front, resting on the draw bar with some plastic (chopping board sacrifice to come) to stop the drawbar and new beam wearing.

Much better

Off we set with Fyfe however everything was a challenge, metal is all different sizes turns out bolts are sold by weight, mixed, whatever you fit in the plastic bag. Angle grinder at thirteen Euro was good but why do plastic goggles cost eleven? Finally left just on closing at eight.

Plenty of blog material left in this project I fear.

Audrey spent the day making this coloured pen case
(she looks tired)