SpudBoy's 130 Defender camper build - UK to Sth Africa project

Hi David, the project is looking good. I ,as you may already know, own a very similar vehicle and am also planning to mount a panel above the cabin.I have been thinking along the lines of a wind deflector running from just above the windscreen and stopping just short of the canopy top. This would ,hopefully, deflect wind over the canopy and also give sun shade to the cabin roof while being an ideal place to mount the solar panel. I would like the panel to be removable as I don't need it there most of the time, only on trips away.Any thoughts?I can see from your photos that the camper roof would give quite a bit of shade to the cabin top.Also, how do you propose to link the canopy to the cabin in a dust/ weather-proof manner? Cheers, Ross, 130man.

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Originally Posted by 130man

.... how do you propose to link the canopy to the cabin in a dust/ weather-proof manner? Cheers, Ross, 130man.

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I have been pondering how much movement (chassis twist) there will be between the canopy and the cabin.

I've seen some excellent rubber "concertina" arrangements that look like bellows on an accordian, so that any flexing is taken up by the rubber.

However, I have also reasoned that a 110 is a solid "block" from front to back, and maybe all I need to do is have a rigid connection between the two of them. Just not sure how much the chassis on a 130 flexes.

If I run a rollcage from the back of the cabin to the front of the canopy it will "tie" the two together somewhat, but if there is a lot of chassis flex this might come to grief and pull out the bolts/rivets that hold things together.

Once the canopy is fixed back on the chassis I am planning to get it cross axled in both directions and measure the gap between the canopy and the cabin. If it is only 1 or 2mm then I'll be going the rigid connection.

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Originally Posted by 130man

...I would like the panel to be removable as I don't need it there most of the time, only on trips away.Any thoughts?...Cheers, Ross, 130man.

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Forgot to make a comment on this - so here goes! Have you seen the Anderson Connectors called PowerPoles

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/03/870.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/03/871.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/03/872.jpg

Powerpole 15/45 Housings Red & Black Pair with 30 Amp Contacts : Anderson Power Connections, Everything Anderson

They are from the same company that makes the bigger hi amperage Anderson Connectors that lots of people have copied.

These little connectors work with either 15A, 30A or 45A spade bits and you can piggyback them together to make you own custom loom connectors. They come in different colours, so you can colour code things for different circuits. I reckon they are the universal connector and have bought a heap of them (from the company linked above).

The CFS and the Ambulance service have standardised on these for all their vehicle accessories (so the bloke from Andersons told me).

HTH
David

HI David, there will be some chassis twist as there certainly is in mine.I can't quantify it but the doors are harder to shut when I park on markedly uneven ground.I reckon you will be better off in the long run with a flexible joiner. Perhaps a wide strip of rubber Sikaflexed and rivetted through an Aluminium strip to the canopy face and the same to the back of the cabin.Allow some slack in the rubber. All theoretical ,of course, as I have not done this.I have come across those electrical joiners on the Traxide site. Look good.I have just bought two 55AH batteries to replace a failed 75AH one .Each battery can be managed by me where the single one was simply too heavy to safely carry.I may need to purchase the Ctek unit or similar to share the charging duties.Cheers, Ross.

Hi Dave - is this the stuff you were thinking of?

http://www.uesint.com/upload/pdf/Rub...Cab%20Seal.pdf

Iain

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Originally Posted by spudboy

I have been pondering how much movement (chassis twist) there will be between the canopy and the cabin.

I've seen some excellent rubber "concertina" arrangements that look like bellows on an accordian, so that any flexing is taken up by the rubber.

However, I have also reasoned that a 110 is a solid "block" from front to back, and maybe all I need to do is have a rigid connection between the two of them. Just not sure how much the chassis on a 130 flexes.

If I run a rollcage from the back of the cabin to the front of the canopy it will "tie" the two together somewhat, but if there is a lot of chassis flex this might come to grief and pull out the bolts/rivets that hold things together.

Once the canopy is fixed back on the chassis I am planning to get it cross axled in both directions and measure the gap between the canopy and the cabin. If it is only 1 or 2mm then I'll be going the rigid connection.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by spudboy

I have been pondering how much movement (chassis twist) there will be between the canopy and the cabin.

I've seen some excellent rubber "concertina" arrangements that look like bellows on an accordian, so that any flexing is taken up by the rubber.

<snip>

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Time to see how the new hi-lift jacking points work.:D