County Chassis flex - Anyone know?

[DeeJay]

I'm rebuilding an 85 county as a tray body.
Does anybody know how much a county chassis will flex at -say- full articulation?
It will be a big help with clearances. I've left 20mm between the tray behind the cab & the gas tank underneath it. Will it chafe?

See pic

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/04/596.jpg

[JDNSW]

I can't give you a figure, but the chassis is pretty rigid - there is not much body flexing on my 110 wagon. This is probably helped by the relatively soft suspension, but the very deep chassis members are very rigid. I would expect 20mm to be adequate clearance for flexing of the chassis, but consider how much flexing of the tray there may be as well with a large concentrated load.

John

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Bu***r the flex!

Tell us about those LPG tanks?
Particularly: capacities
sizes (APA/Manchester/??? etc.)
fittingsAre there 1, 2 or 3 fillers?

Me thinks that there is at least 1 cross member missing?????

Diana

[DeeJay]

Thanks John,
Diana
There will be one filler ( I think thats in the code) the large one is an APA 143 litre gross and the two "scuba" tanks are the common 43 litre gross rangie/ disco APA types. Minor chassis grinding out, see projects & tutorials - 1985 County upgrade.
The tank and front tray cross member share the same mounting member so should both move together laterally, but I was wondering about twist.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Thanks John,
Diana
There will be one filler ( I think thats in the code) the large one is an APA 143 litre gross and the two "scuba" tanks are the common 43 litre gross rangie/ disco APA types. Minor chassis grinding out, see projects & tutorials - 1985 County upgrade.
The tank and front tray cross member share the same mounting member so should both move together laterally, but I was wondering about twist.
Dee jay

I have been considering 2 X sill tanks in my Rangie classic to supplement the 60L manifold on the floor in the rear and the concensus from a couple of LPG fitters was that I could fill 2 tanks from the 1 filler but not 3. In your case are the 2 in the rear a permanently connected (welded tube) or connected by hoses.

What interested me about your set up was actually for setting up one of my forward controls with LPG to replace the original rear tank (very similar to the original spec County petrol tank.)

Looking at the APA Wall chart (http://www.apamfg.com.au/Downloads/product_downlods/APA%20Product%20Wall%20Chart%20Poster.pdf )) are they the H66 tanks as used in the RR? If so, you only have 70 Litres LPG in those 2 tanks, is that correct?

Although I guess with the front tank you have 184 litres LPG so close to the 200Litres + I'm trying for.

Thanks for that.

C Ya
Diana

[rick130]

If it's any help there's 20mm clearance between the HICAP well back and cab on the 130, and it's chassis will flex a hell of a lot more in torsion and bend than a 110.

[wovenrovings]

It depends on how well you tray is attached but on my 120 i have a tool box on the tray less than 20mm from the chassis and it doesn't even look like touching. With twist it is also like to be side clearance rather than vertical clearance that will get reduce the most.

[rovercare]

Dee jay

I have been considering 2 X sill tanks in my Rangie classic to supplement the 60L manifold on the floor in the rear and the concensus from a couple of LPG fitters was that I could fill 2 tanks from the 1 filler but not 3. In your case are the 2 in the rear a permanently connected (welded tube) or connected by hoses.

What interested me about your set up was actually for setting up one of my forward controls with LPG to replace the original rear tank (very similar to the original spec County petrol tank.)

Looking at the APA Wall chart (http://www.apamfg.com.au/Downloads/product_downlods/APA%20Product%20Wall%20Chart%20Poster.pdf )) are they the H66 tanks as used in the RR? If so, you only have 70 Litres LPG in those 2 tanks, is that correct?

Although I guess with the front tank you have 184 litres LPG so close to the 200Litres + I'm trying for.

Thanks for that.

C Ya
Diana

H66's:)

[DeeJay]

Thanks for the replies, I feel better now.

Diana,
You are right.The smaller tanks are H66 - 43 litre filled to 80% = 35 litres each.
I've been in the LPG industry for 20+ years now, not entirely autogas though. One of the industry problems is training & I would think the fitters you saw took the easy path as 3 tanks is not common. EG I had a stainless steel Mytton Rodd 70 litre tank in my red county and I checked with a few of the better fitters and two never heard of them and one said they were recalled as all faulty and no longer legal (I found a place that was selling them out of test for $40.00 ea so he probably thought they were illegal too) Nothing on Google. I spoke to one of our "old timers" & he gave me the full history. Legal as long as internally installed. Re-tester confirmed that too.
That tank was the 3rd tank in the County and filled/ emptied no worries. The code (AS1426 from memory) specifies that all tanks are commonly manifolded for both filling & emptying to avoid overfilling. When you think about it each is fitted with an AFL valve so if one fills first, the vave shuts off and the other two keep filling and so on. Same with supply to the engine, thats something I deal with a fair bit, if one tank empties its pressure drops and the other tanks maintain that pressure. I would think one way valves need fitting to prevent one tank taking gas from another ( it wouldnt matter if it did- possibly safety matter tho) but thats up to the installer.
The installers you spoke to may have mis interpreted this bulletin.


COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Trade Practices Act 1974

Consumer Protection Notice No. 6 of 2006

WARNING NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

I, Chris Pearce, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, pursuant to section 65B of

the Trade Practices Act 1974, hereby WARN of possible risks involvd in the use of

goods of the kind specified below.

Particulars of Goods

Motor vehicles fitted with Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanks, in particular two or

more tanks, which were installed as LPG conversions or retested between mid 2003

and August 2005.

Nature of Problem

The safety relief valve designed to relieve any adverse build up of pressure in the

LPG tank/s may not function as intended, depending on the type of valve used and the

torque levels used during installation.

If an LPG tank is filled above its rated capacity, then exposed to warm or hot

temperatures (such as sitting in the summer sun) and the pressure relief valve fails to

operate effectively, the tank may rupture. Overfilling can occur in a variety of ways,

For example, if multiple LPG tanks are fitted and the fuel service line to the engine on

one tank is closed , such that no fuel is used from that tank and it is maintained as a

reserve tank, that tank may gradually fill to excess of capacity and may rupture if the

pressure relief valve fails to operate as intended

Possible Risks

Since early 2005, there have been a limited number of pressure ruptures of LPG tanks

on motor vehicles, so far without causing any serious injury. However, rupture of an

LPG tank due to a build up of pressure can generate very significant forces with the

potential for serious injury and damage to property.

Cat. No. S23906

ISSN 1032-2345

© Commonwealth of Australia 2006

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette
2 Special Gazette No. S239, 22 December 2006

Requested Consumer Action

Motorists who had LPG tank installations or LPG tanks retested between mid 2003

and August 2005, in particular if 2 or more tanks have been fitted, are requested to

contact an LPG tank installer/fitting station to arrange an inspection and pressure

relief valve replacement if required.

Note: Consumers should negotiate with the LPG installer/fitting station on an

appropriate fee (if any) for any corrective action required. If the tank/s are

Manchester tanks which were fitted between August 2003 and April 2005,

these are subject to a voluntary recall and the pressure relief valves fitted

valves will be replaced at no cost.

Dated this day of December 2006

.............. ...........................

CHRIS PEARCE

Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer

Cheers,
David

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Thanks for the replies, I feel better now.

Diana,
You are right.The smaller tanks are H66 - 43 litre filled to 80% = 35 litres each.
I've been in the LPG industry for 20+ years now, not entirely autogas though. ....
...The installers you spoke to may have mis interpreted this bulletin.


COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Trade Practices Act 1974
...
...Cheers,
David
Thanks David

I am still wanting to add the extra tanks - 60 litres is no where near enough so will investigate with other fitters.

Diana

P.S. if that is the original format, is there any wonder that people misinterpreted the content - I got over it in just a couple of lines.