|
Post by graham03 on May 3, 2016 14:29:40 GMT
I bought this Toyota Hiace - Rio conversion camper - last June. Structurally it looked OK underneath but the roof canvas was obviously in need of replacement as well as rust along the roof and gutters, only 2 hinges holding the roof, the roof coming away from the side panel along the hinge line, and leaking water below the windscreen. With some temporary repairs we enjoyed trips camping in Wales and the Lakes as well as a visit to Aberdeenshire and Cornwall. It has a diesel engine - on the vehicle spec's plate it says 1587cc but I was told it was changed to a 2188cc early in ist life. I can't find an engine number on the engine so I don't know how to confim this. If anyone can tell me how to check this, please let me know. Running to and fro across hilly minor roads in Wales, well laden, it returned 30 mpg (6.7 miles/litre, 10.7 km/l); for the other trips, 34 to 36 mpg (7.7 mi/l, 12.3 km/l). Back in Gloucestershire, its had some major roof repairs through the winter and I'm about to fit a made-to-measure canvas roof in a week or so. The first order has been returned - they cut it all too small so it couldn't fit. Inside the cupboards are useable but are someone's bodge job with chipboard - fragmenting at the edges - and odd hinges that look like they come from old cheap kitchen units - I'll mend for this year's fun and replace, maybe, next winter.
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 3, 2016 14:45:28 GMT
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 3, 2016 14:53:21 GMT
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 3, 2016 15:15:36 GMT
Off-side gutter and rust removed... ..sections welded in..... Near side replacement wider gutters - to channel water running off the roof, rather than to be blocked by the roof rubbers...
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 3, 2016 15:31:41 GMT
Roof smoothed, sealed and sprayed Back home - ready for the MOT and the canvas roof to be refitted. First set-back - a day spent grinding off screw points around the roof fitments inside, priming, bond-sealing and then refitting the made-to-measure 'canvas' ..... I cannot get it to stretch enough to go round the roof opening .... its 250 mm too tight! and 265 mm too tight around the fibreglass! Off it comes and some distressed phone calls to the supplier who apologises. More measuring of the van, the old canvas (which they had as a pattern and of the replacement..... It has to go back. I'll supply them with all the details they could need - diagrams, van measurements and old canvas measurements and take it all to them.
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 3, 2016 15:52:01 GMT
Disaster! The MOT was fine, but on the way home, the steering direction started to wander pretty seriously at 60 mph down a long hill. Slowing up and looking for a safe pull-in, there was a bang...... emergency stop.... no blow out... but one wheel with no wheel nuts .... the brake drum, fortunately still resting inside the wheel. All my tools were at home so had to call the RAC, but there's no mobile reception, so its a bit of a walk to find a land-line. The alloy wheel is badly worn around the stud holes so will need replacing. Found two of the 5 wheel nuts, but replacements are on order. However a replacement wheel is proving more difficult. The off-set, as I measure it is about 27 mm on the existing alloys - I presume this will be correct - and the pcd looks like 114.3 mm ( 5 x 114.3 mm) on 185R14C tyres. Also missing is the hub cover. Can anyone advise on other vehicles with a suitable wheel size that I could use for my spare. Or even better, does anyone have a suitable wheel available? PS While the van was being welded, I made these two trifold gates so I can drive the van into the driveway I dug out and gravel filled this winter.
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 10, 2016 14:03:05 GMT
Thought I ought to take a look at the rear brakes, (while I'm still waiting for the roof canvas). I don't like the way that they tend to lock up on harder braking - I had the impression it was just the rear os. Nothing apparently wrong with the mechanism, so changed the shoes; made sure it all did the right stuff when jacked up; took it for a test drive. One of the brakes is dragging on the os after applying the brakes. Gradually releases on its own. Did I not get all the return springs back correctly or ...... I'm suspecting a blocked brake hose. Jacked up the back - both wheels free up immediately after releasing the pedal. Jack up the front .... os drags badly after applying brake pedal ... eases up but still drags after 5 minutes ... better improvement if the bleed nipple is opened .. but still some drag .. suspecting caliper and hose - a bit of a coincidence brake deterioration at the front after dealing with the back .... or is it lack of use? Front ns not exactly free running either but doesn't show symptoms of a blocked hose. Time to dismantle both front brakes and spruce up their movement and change the hoses.....
(PS all those stickers have now gone, and I'm wondering about getting rid of those plastic strips along the sides.)
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 22, 2016 16:50:47 GMT
Front hoses replaced; pads changed even though masses of wear left - no point not changing them while the calipers are off; caliper movement derusted, cleaned up and brake greased. (First time I've messed with a sliding caliper with a single piston. I'd have thought if the caliper was really meant to slide in those tracks, there would be a bit more protection against the elements.) Brakes now work evenly and release completely.
Have been scrubbing out rust patches around the front door steps and sills, door bottoms, and front floor pan - patching/filling smallish gaps and hollows, priming and painting. A little more to do behind the rear wheels. Can I /should I pump some wax inside the sills? My old Finnigan's wax oil pump and tubing has sat neglected in the garage for over 10 years and is lined with solidified wax.
Would I be best to paint waxoil onto the inward facing edges of the sills and floor - which is probably what has been done sometime before - or paint with underseal - as has been done under the wheel arches? Or both?
I'm still waiting for the replacement roof canvas. Rang them a week ago - lots more apologies - the manager wanted to go through my measurements of the van, to be really sure about everything. He really wants to get it right. They would be starting right away. It would only take one day. He will be in touch this week. That's last week. Ring again on Monday......
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on May 30, 2016 7:57:44 GMT
Rang Monday 23rd - 'its being done today - will get it to you tomorrow'. Tuesday - rang to make sure it actually was done - manager couldn't come to the phone, but would ring to let me know when it would be arriving. No phone call back........thought I would ring mid-afternoon, but, amazingly their own van arrived on my drive without warning with a young man who wished to see it put 'on the van to check it was the right size'. Turning the 'canvas' to position it on the roof I realised the drip skirt was missing - he didn't know what that was but offered to take it back and fit it. The bottom would just go around the roof platform and maybe might stretch to fit the riveting points - I wouldn't be sure without fitting it; might stretch the diagonal distance from the hinge top; might open enough for the slide out bed? and was very very tight if pulled along each of the horizontal bars - something you can't really do when pushing the bed outwards. Pragmatically, I decided to accept this as the best they were likely to do (they already had my money from when I collected the first attempt. (The prospect of another month waiting for a correctly sized top was not acceptable.) So off it went for a drip skirt and returned on Thursday morning. Thursday 26th, about 11 am I started fitting - top first - too tight to go around all the corners, fixing strips top and bottom shortened and still worried the seams are stretched too much, screws inserted in all rivet holes on three sides - continued till 8 pm, by which time it was secure enough to leave up overnight (7 hours?). Friday all day (8 till 7? minus breaks - 8 hours?) - all riveting completed. Horizontal bars had to be shortened by 20 and 30 mm each. Left up for the overnight rain. To be continued............
|
|
|
Post by alex77789 on Jun 6, 2016 19:01:44 GMT
|
|
|
Post by johnbluerio on Jun 9, 2016 19:59:06 GMT
obviously gets my vote for the best type of campervan ever!
we're all cleaned and detailed ready for the East Coast Run from Hull to Bridlington on Sunday, may ( will) not keep up with Supramike but will have beers and wine in the fridge!
|
|
|
Post by nigxl on Aug 28, 2018 18:39:00 GMT
|
|
|
Post by graham03 on Mar 19, 2020 23:45:49 GMT
Well, I've returned to this site, having neglected my narrative for almost four years. Two tours of mid-Wales, a spell in the Lake District, a sorti to Aberdeenshire, two Scottish North-west Highlands hill-walking holidays, a solo 'Walking the length of the Western Isles - Vatersay to the Butt of Lewis' epic (details on grahamwanders.blogspot.com), and a shorter Vatersay, Barra and The Uists trip with my wife.
A replacement brake master cylinder, a couple of brake hoses, brake overhauls, a reconditioning of a brake calliper, a set of four new tyres; everything running well, but my wife doesn't have the enthusiasm to go away in the van as much as I have, so I'd come to the conclusion that it was time to sell it, but she didn't want to see it go either. So it sat feeling heartbroken on the drive and then ALL the sills have rusted through at the same time. Would anyone want to buy a super-viking roof with a rare historic classic van attached suitable for a devotee / collector to strip right down, rebuild and restore?
I feel I ought to post more photos of our wanderings... another day...
|
|
|
Post by hartwellmk1 on May 5, 2020 19:38:42 GMT
Hi, interested in the van, where in the world are you
|
|