September Update ....

So glad I didn't make any wild statements of promising to blog on a more regular basis!

Hornsby has been the start of our adventure for about four months now .... would we have sold the house when we did if we'd known how long finishing the trailer would take?  Probably not!  But we'd probably be even further behind as Stephen would have to keep working to keep up with mortgage payments etc - so all in all it has all worked out well.

August marked two years since this wild and crazy camper trailer design all began.  Out in the back of Broken Hill discussions started on a design that would suit the six of us, to be fully off road, less canvas than a conventional camper trailer and provide solid beds for us all.  Hand drawings began, which led to engineering designs on the computer and the start of the build in September 2011.  A year after the first weld we are ALMOST finished!  It has been a HUGE effort and AMAZING engineering and creativity from both Stephen and our family friend Bill Carver.

In our first week in Hornsby I managed to be behind the wheel of the vehicle as it overheated and damaged the motor beyond repair  - like how I worded that :-) ?!  Four months later the head has cracked.  Was it dodgy in the first place?   Could it be our turbo, the injectors?  More than likely a dodgy head, but once you fit an after market turbo, which we have had on our vehicle for many years the warranty is void....bummer.  So we are off the road again, have a little canvas work to finish off, a rather large, highly engineered hinge to fit, some minor fit outs and then we can hit the track for our adventure.  Starting close to home at Mount White while we check out everything, pack up all our things and last preparations to get the show on the road.

 

Tool box area

Tool boxes with multiple access doors

Helping Dad

Fitting the arms that hold our beds

one arm with side closed

Before top bunks ... testing the new arms.

Bunks will go about here ....

Top bunks fitted

Canvas over the beds

Frame for the door

Stabilising leg

Side Canvas Bag

You don't need it all ....

Trailer returning home ...

Well it's been a while ... maybe they've already gone bush some of you maybe thinking.  No - been busy busy busy!

The trailer had the sheet metal work done just before Christmas and is in our back yard with all the intricate work happening to it.  Water tanks fitted, floor mounted, storage boxes over the wheel arches fitted, wiring run through, hoses and fittings being installed.  With Christmas in the middle it probably slowed down a few things - but the ball is definitely rolling at full speed again!

The house will be going on the market in the next week or so.  The MAJOR clearing out has continued - utilising our local freecycle, council clean ups, neighbours bins (hush they don't know), gumtree and passing things onto friends.  I think some of my daughters friends may not be allowed to visit anymore as their children leave with many "new" things to stock up their bedrooms with!

It's been a tiring but rewarding experience.  Finding lost items and most of all actually knowing what is in the house and exactly where it is is such a time saver!!!  The garage is still a work in progress and it didn't help that the real estate agent did suggest that the state of the garage didn't really matter at this point - oh well it will be empty one day!

Something that most of us know but never really try out fully - you really don't need all the "stuff".  I have not missed for anything.  Just two days ago I gave away my rolling pin and boar, which I seldom use.  The next day I decide to make cinnamon scrolls and needed to roll out the dough.  Hmmm no rolling pin - on the bench was a kilo of honey that had just been dropped in by a friend - perfect rolling pin!  You can always make do and really it's not that you "just make do" you actually do completely fine ... it isn't all necessary at all.  As I've started working with Destiny Rescue I notice more and more how precious life, family, health and safety are and not my house or address and what I fill it!  It doesn't really add any lasting value to my life at all.

You can check out the wonderful work of Destiny Rescue on their website here:
http://www.destinyrescue.org/aus/
My roll with them is a jewellery consultant - selling jewellery that is hand made by the girls they rescue to raise money for the running of the safe homes and pay (double the award) to the girls.

small selection of Destiny Rescue jewellery

Chassis is Coming Together

Welding has begun, the chassis is coming together!  Every little step taking time and patience.  These first steps have helped us understand the real time and effort this build is going to take - but it is exciting, even though there is so much to do!

The design has taken countless hours in coming together.  Every detail being VERY important to the millimetre.  Some of the finer details are still being sorted - which may not be wise since we have began building, but it's the way it is now.

We chose a Gaffa independent coil suspension from WA.  Since we took delivery of the suspension we have read a few blogs about similar suspension builds failing.  Thankfully we chose the Australian design and not the Chinese copy.  Taking a closer look at these copies, they don't have the same welds and extra reinforcement that the Gaffa brand do.  So we feel pretty confident ours will hold up.

Along with our suspension we ordered a Unitank water tank, also from WA - who kindly dropped off the tank to Martins Trailer Parts and it was all delivered on the same crate.  For those health conscience organic freaks such as myself (Christine) we did check to see if the tanks had BPA in the plastic - they assured us they were BPA free - which was quite important to me as it will be a large proportion of our entire water source for quite a while.

It didn't take much time at all for Stephen to decide his welding expertise should be kept to the tacking and we hired an experienced welder to weld the structure of our new home together.  Peter has been fantastic and has joined Stephen working close to midnight some evenings and on weekends.

A little frustrated this week as we've had a few hitches with the hitch plate and will organise take 3 early next week.  Just a few millimetres out with cutting the holes just doesn't work!  So, all being well next weekend the hitch will be attached, the hubs and brakes put together, wheels put on and the chassis should be rolling!! YAY!

Here a few photos of the progress so far ....

The very first weld/tack made by Stephen with Bill our friend and engineer looking on!

The frame begins ... is that a boat you're building?

Measure twice ... cut once.

Peter our welder working hard ... Thanks Peter!!

Suspension now on the chassis.
Our eight year old daughter was looking at it strangely for a while and then with relief in her voice said "oh it's upside down"  She was picturing that strange device on the inside floor of the trailer.

Grinding for a smooth finish

Following the design