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Hi steveG.
The tray is 1600mm front to rear and 1850mm from left to right. Now the dust can settle and we are packed ready to roll, I'll put pen to paper and draw the leg setup. Easy to describe tho... Inner leg is a piece of 45 x 45 RHS with a foot welded on the bottom and a piece of 12mm plate cut to fit inside the RHS. Firstly I drilled and tapped it to M16 and also welded a captive nut under it before welding it in to the top of the RHS. This gave me about 25mm of thread.
The outer leg is a piece of 50mm x 50mm RHS also with a piece of 12mm plate welded into the top of it having pre drilled it to 16.5mm.
The jacking part is a piece of M16 threaded bar which I left @ 1000mm. This had a nut spun down and welded in place about 50mm down, and a washer dropped on. It is then inserted into the outer leg until the thread protrudes from the top, another washer fitted and a nut spun on but NOT tightened. With a bit of measuring, you can get the top nut to finish flush with the top of the threaded rod... I then locked the top nut to the threaded rod using a 6mm x 25mm roll pin....
Drop the outer leg with newly fitted threaded rod onto the inner leg. Rotate the top nut until the hole is found in the lower leg. Once threaded, spin the top nut at speed (I use a 24mm socket in the cordless drill), and you now have an adjustable leg... 3 more to make then!!
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Sitec,
Im thinking you just used HT M16 thread rod?
It will be interesting to see how well metric threads hold up to longitudinal loads which I imagine are not insignificant?
How easily could your source some ACME threaded rod?
Steve
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Funny you should mention thread... Now the box is loaded the M16 course thread struggles! Prob going to change it for fine M18 when home... Anyway, here it is loaded and stopped for our first nite just this side of Echuca in Vic.
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And at Bonny Doon! 'Ah, the serenity' :D
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And with SWIMBO, set up at Pickerings Campground near the Howqua River. The drive up to Craig's Hut in the thick fog was interesting!!
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Looks great - Just like a bought one ;)
Thanks for the info on the legs. Interesting comments about thread coarseness. I had been wondering how much torque would be needed to lift the weight of the camper without gearing. Does your drill manage to lift he camper or does it need some help?
One other thing, does the tent/canopy feel stable when it's on the legs and you enter the tent? My wife was concerned that without the canopy being attached to the truck it may over balance?
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Yeah, the drill manages it but just!! As for balance, mine seems ok, as the roof tent ladder holds half your weight when you are up there. I would still make sure the real legs are mounted right at the back. I also have a pair of 285's on home made swing aways swung off the rear!
Back too 'no service' in the High Country for a few days so will post more when home!
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Rather than M18
A length of ACME like this
ALLTHREAD ACME PLN 12FTX7/8-6TPI (0667 5346) | Blackwoods
12 foot length should nearly do all four legs would it not????
ACME will take the longitudinal loads mucher betterer than a metric thread of any dimension - it is what they are made for!
S
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Howdy
I made wind up legs for a service body in the same fashion as yours....had the same problems when the load was applied. I bined them and remade them with ACME rod, no further problems.
Nice work by the way.
Cheers
Ben
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I have a slide-on camper similar to yours, except made by Aluminium Ute Canopies - Ute Accessories - Slideon Campers - Alloy Ute Canopies - Steel Ute Canopies - Service Bodies (how they could call themselves that is beyond me!).
The legs work in the same way as yours I believe. However, they pull out away from the body about a foot or so:
http://jackoff.com.au/images/photos/65_1_2.jpg
Do you have any issues manoeuvring the vehicle in and out from under the canopy when having the legs so close to the side of the vehicle?
