November 2004

The beginning of the repairs:

The caravan is now completely disassembled in my working place, so I can start with fixing the "spaceframe".
I started with the most difficult part, the horizontal bottom tube which is in front of the axle, this is entirely covered with rust, over the entire length are holes in the bottom. Cutting it out without accidentally cutting a part of an other tube was very difficult. I've put the caravan on 8 carriers, because when the horizontal bottom tube is out, the bottomframe is splitted in two pieces. The tubes next to the horizontal bottom tube of the bottomframe are still in good shape, when the horizontal bottom tube was out, I could easily inspect the tubes that are next to the horizontal bottom tube, it was still nice shiny metal, forunately.

When I had to built in the new bottom tube, I found out it wasn't that easy. With the other bottom tubes, I'd only replaced the ends of the tubes (25-30cm), these were all affected by rust, this is so, because of the strange construction on the ends, which makes them not waterproof.

eerste laswerk  The first part of the welding job is now done.

On the new ends of the bottom tube, I weld a plate, so that they are completely closed. When the frame is completely finished, I drilled on the upper part small holes, and treat the hollow spaces with a preservative. The bottom tubes aswell get replaced entirly at the outside. This has do be done in parts because otherwise the complete upper part is loose, and it will fall.
rotte stukken The first rotten pieces of metal cutted out

The bottom tubes on the left side together with the lowest tube are completely replaced untill the lower-right corner. The making of the curves in the tubes and at the corners, I did that by using a model, which was made out of the the old curves and corners. The curves don't have one radius the radius gets smaller as it goes to the back. All the uprights on the left side are repaired or replaced just like the bottom halfs of the jambs. There also is a new horizontal tube in the middle from the door to the behind right corner. This one also has to be replaced completely.
The hindmost bottom tube of the floor frame is completely replaced, this is a tube of 40*20, just like the jambs. From this traverse are original two tubes of 20*20 going diagonal upwards to the lowest tube at the hindside , but I made the traverse new from a tube of 20*40.
Underneath the door is origional a traverse of 40*60, but I thought this was really heavy so I put a new stringer in measuring 20*40. The rightside is now finished at the bottomside aswell, the lintel behind the shaft is after all completely replaced aswell. From the remaining lintels I replaced only the ends. At the hindside are the tubes on belt height replaced, and the window uprights from the two side windows and the rear window are partially or completely replaced aswell. The lowest tube is completely replaced. On the right rear corner was even the upper horizontal tube completely rotten, this one had to be replaced aswell, the corner itself and on every side 1 meter.

I'm still thinking if I should use the corner steadies or 4 swiver trevles. swiver trevles are more stable, but it requires more work because you have to put them excactly under the balk everytime, and to turn them up takes more time. If I put corner steadies underneath it, than they have to be put lower than the original ones, because these are too short, so they are almost vertical when turned out completely. I can't use the original because the screw propeller is defect and the ends of the corner steadies are completely destroyed by rust.

There were only 2 corner steadies underneath the caravan, the last owner used two corner steadies for his tenttrailer (which were too short aswell). The new corner steadies won't be under it crosswise, but diagonal aiming in the length.
next month