Thread: Discovery TD5 - Few pics of the touring build

Originally Posted by kelvo

By law you need to have double pole switching GPOs fitted. Double GPO with 2- Pole Switches for Caravans & Motorhomes | Jaycar Electronics

You also require an Electrical Safety Certificate for the 240VAC wiring from the inverter.

To be fair fella, I've look into this and I'm happy with the safety side of things and I'll not be getting a certificate or too worried about the legal side of things on 2m piece of cable in my 2001 discovery!.....

Cheers for the info and I know what your saying....

Originally Posted by Noisy

Wouldn't mind seeing the over head console in better detail, looks like something i was planning on building. Nice rig btw

Couple of detail pics of the roof console.....

I'm very interested in the roof console. I was thinking of using the one out of the D1 if they're interchangeable.

Originally Posted by rosco_disco

haha, nope mine is currently not too clever either....I've had a few ideas, a few things fitted and tried that I just didn't like the look of (I'm fussy with the overall look) but with my hand now being buggered tools have been downed for a week or so.....I'm looking for a nice stainless gate stay to mount near where my electrical switches are or maybe fit a tube mount on the door to work as a 'stay' while camping as in normal road use mine tends to stay open

I'll keep you posted and get some pics up once I'm able to work on it again and get that problem ironed out with the last few little bits left

Hi Rosco,
After our brief "discussion" on this topic yesterday, I went outside and got under the back of my D2a (with the tailgate door wide open) to have a close look at the standard hold-open mechanism.
Looking up from underneath, you can see that the door end of the flat stay-bar slides in a slot in the bottom of the door, and that if you prevent it from being able to slide, then the door cannot close.

So with a bit of trial and error, I made a small wooden bar to fit into the slot when the tailgate door is wide open.
I have attached a couple of pics: the piece of wood is only about 200 mm long, with other dimensions 22 x 16 mm.
At the outboard end there is a notch, and a small metal flange overhangs the inboard end by 3-4 mm.
These hold the wooden bar in place if the door gets pushed a little further open, so it doesn't just drop out.
On testing, this worked fine.

You could also recess a strong magnet into the top of the wooden bar, to hold it in place if the door gets pushed open a bit more. The tailgate door is steel. A neodymium bar or disc magnet would be ideal, but they are quite expensive ($20 - 25).

This is a really simple solution to the problem: when you pull up and want the tailgate door to stay open, you just push the door fully open, slide the wooden bar up into the slot in the underside of the door, and release the door.
It is easy to position the little wooden bar by reaching under the door - no need to get under to see what you're doing.

With a magnet set into the wooden bar, it can safely be stowed by just sticking it onto the inside metal of the door. In your case, perhaps right next to your electric tap.

Originally Posted by AndrewMilne

Hi Rosco,
After our brief "discussion" on this topic yesterday, I went outside and got under the back of my D2a (with the tailgate door wide open) to have a close look at the standard hold-open mechanism.
Looking up from underneath, you can see that the door end of the flat stay-bar slides in a slot in the bottom of the door, and that if you prevent it from being able to slide, then the door cannot close.

So with a bit of trial and error, I made a small wooden bar to fit into the slot when the tailgate door is wide open.
I have attached a couple of pics: the piece of wood is only about 200 mm long, with other dimensions 22 x 16 mm.
At the outboard end there is a notch, and a small metal flange overhangs the inboard end by 3-4 mm.
These hold the wooden bar in place if the door gets pushed a little further open, so it doesn't just drop out.
On testing, this worked fine.

You could also recess a strong magnet into the top of the wooden bar, to hold it in place if the door gets pushed open a bit more. The tailgate door is steel. A neodymium bar or disc magnet would be ideal, but they are quite expensive ($20 - 25).

This is a really simple solution to the problem: when you pull up and want the tailgate door to stay open, you just push the door fully open, slide the wooden bar up into the slot in the underside of the door, and release the door.
It is easy to position the little wooden bar by reaching under the door - no need to get under to see what you're doing.

With a magnet set into the wooden bar, it can safely be stowed by just sticking it onto the inside metal of the door. In your case, perhaps right next to your electric tap.

Liking the idea's....and got me thinking again, I'm going to investigate tomorrow but thinking that the latch on the bottom can be completely removed and maybe replace with a gas strut some how, with some cutting and welding!!

No worries Rosco, and don’t mistake my posts for an attack on your most excellent build...

Some first class work there!

Originally Posted by Tombie

No worries Rosco, and don’t mistake my posts for an attack on your most excellent build...

Some first class work there!

Not at all fella, I always appreciate peoples advise and pointing things out if they see a floor or problem........just not too worried on that one regarding the legality..

An cheers for the praise regarding the build, I've put some effort in (more than expected to be fair) and very happy with the result and once I set off I'll truely see if I've done it right or missed anything important...haha....also over the moon with peoples reaction regarding it, nice to know it's not just me who likes it so to speak

Originally Posted by AndrewMilne

Hi Rosco,
After our brief "discussion" on this topic yesterday, I went outside and got under the back of my D2a (with the tailgate door wide open) to have a close look at the standard hold-open mechanism.
Looking up from underneath, you can see that the door end of the flat stay-bar slides in a slot in the bottom of the door, and that if you prevent it from being able to slide, then the door cannot close.

So with a bit of trial and error, I made a small wooden bar to fit into the slot when the tailgate door is wide open.
I have attached a couple of pics: the piece of wood is only about 200 mm long, with other dimensions 22 x 16 mm.
At the outboard end there is a notch, and a small metal flange overhangs the inboard end by 3-4 mm.
These hold the wooden bar in place if the door gets pushed a little further open, so it doesn't just drop out.
On testing, this worked fine.

You could also recess a strong magnet into the top of the wooden bar, to hold it in place if the door gets pushed open a bit more. The tailgate door is steel. A neodymium bar or disc magnet would be ideal, but they are quite expensive ($20 - 25).


This is a really simple solution to the problem: when you pull up and want the tailgate door to stay open, you just push the door fully open, slide the wooden bar up into the slot in the underside of the door, and release the door.
It is easy to position the little wooden bar by reaching under the door - no need to get under to see what you're doing.

With a magnet set into the wooden bar, it can safely be stowed by just sticking it onto the inside metal of the door. In your case, perhaps right next to your electric tap.

Have been out looking and scratching my head today regarding the rear door, a problem like this I like to have a solution for and didn't realise just how much it was an issue till you mentioned it!!...
I have a cunning plan and will do some more digging but from what I think, it will be possible to completely remove the old stay bar from the bottom and replace with a gas strut.....will take a little bit of thought and a small bit of cutting and shutting but more than doable I think......I'll keep you posted over the next few days and I'll get some picks as I do it and do a little write up.....for the cost of $15-$20 on a gas strut and some brackets I'm on a mission to fix said problem completely....