 | Home > Expedition & Overland > Sankey Trailer conversion to overland trailer. |
 
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| xpertoftheseas Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Salisbury, Wilts Posts: 164   
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Finished the trailer electrics, tested and plugged into the 110 late this evening for confirmation.
 Click image to enlarge  Job done (except for high level brake light and number plate light which I have decided to put on the trailer roof)
Ally order arrived and I completed both cubby doors, the left side box and mostly completed the rear door. Need to hang all the doors tomorrow. By far the longest part of this project is the wood and framing. I am not a carpenter, related to one or even know one so you can guess how many mistakes I have made. It was a tough day, and to cheer my spirits I thought I would fit the wheels. Apparently my measuring skills are also similar to my carpentry skills and I have made a huge mistake in my calculations thinking that the Defender SVX alloys will fit straight onto the Sankey hubs. I am not sure what I was thinking when I measured the hubs, but right now I need two spacers ... like right now...I am hoping Rakeway have them in stock and can overnight them, unless anyone here knows somewhere else... or has two I could relieve them of? Looks like I am going to have to buy 4 as they only come in sets. Also completed the high pressure line for the LPG tank (just need the right size clips for the hose), figured out (okay was told) why my level gauge was reading wrong so fixed that, ran another cable for the remote gauge after I had secured all the other cables (doh!), and removed the shelf tower so I could adjust it and also fit the door sealing system. Tomorrow I need to continue with the side box mounting and the door hanging. Then remove all doors and cut in the paddle locks. Fit the two roofs and give the rear door a real clever sealing system (so clever I have not designed it yet, but hoping this bottle of Chateauneuf du Pap is going to inspire) that allows full open access to the rear when the roof is up. Figure out the wheel situation and fit the hinges and locks on the front metal box. Doable in a day in my dreams... .but like some famous bloke said...If you want your dreams to come true, don't sleep. My 10th Land Rover, but my first Defender. |
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11th Aug 2016 11:00pm |
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| alwoodley72 Member Since: 14 Mar 2010 Location: salisbury, wilts Posts: 716  
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Nothing like a bit of time pressure!!.. I have a pair of 30 mm spacers if you'd like them? They're for my Sankey trailer build which I have had to man realise is a looooong way off...! £30 sound fair? Where are you as I'm in Fovant, sure we could meet up?
Cheers. Alex 98 300 tdi 90 project 94 Range Rover vogue 4.2 lse 79 911 sc 08 130 double cab utility |
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11th Aug 2016 11:31pm |
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| xpertoftheseas Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Salisbury, Wilts Posts: 164
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Alex.... you are a gem!
I will PM you. My 10th Land Rover, but my first Defender. |
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12th Aug 2016 2:12am |
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| xpertoftheseas Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Salisbury, Wilts Posts: 164
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First "test" trip is now complete.
We got back from a week in Cornwall this afternoon. We had a delayed start as I needed to get at least one gas point working and as it turned out I managed two of them. I took 20ltr of LPG at a service station on the way down to Cornwall so only got the chance to test when we actually needed the stoves. Problem 1. I installed a 30mb regulator when it is clear I need the 37mb for Propane use. The stove I originally had would not light at all and I need to check this out properly as to why it would not light at all on 30mb. I had to buy a cheap Kampa stove to get us by and even this only just managed to heat a pot of water in 20 mins, and any wind the flame went out. However the external BBQ worked very well at 30mb with the external BBQ point. We had some really wild weather (high winds and plenty of rain). To say the trailer leaked is a major understatement. Problem 2. The door seal system is just not adequate. I have ordered some P seal and I will redo all the doors. I was in a hurry to complete before we left last week and I should have designed it properly. In addition the roof joints where they have been filled have all cracked. Whether this is down to the fact that the wood as shrunk slightly or the filler has absorbed moisture I do not know. Regardless, I am refilling with a paintable sealant (MS Polymer) which will compensate for the expansion and contraction of the wood, then it can be painted. I have also ordered a T seal to joint between the two roofs, as water was pouring in here - particularly when moving. The trailer towed really well down to Cornwall, but coming back today was hard work. I loaded it differently and it was very well balanced (no water in the tank or batteries yet), and when on the over-run going downhill the trailer was weaving all over the place, meaning I had to either brake or accelerate to stop the weave. Damn annoying but more dangerous. Hopefully this week I can finish the electrics, get the batteries, fridge and water in the tank (which are all forward of the wheels), which will then give it a lot more tongue weight and briung the stability back in line. Problem 3. The wheel arches are to short. I am having new ones fabricated again as the arches were cutting into the tyres under shock loading. Not a problem under normal smooth road load, but any bump and the tyres hit the arch rims. The campsite we stayed at was fantastic (Little Trevothan), and the owner (Sean - what an amazing guy) lent me his angle grinder and cutting discs to cut out the arches to prevent this from happening on the way home. Before - Click image to enlarge After -
And this was the entire set up.... Click image to enlarge 2 adults, 3 kids, 1 dog, and all the accessories and camping gear in the trailer. The 110 was amazing - not one issue and towed well managing 20mpg with the trailer and around 28mpg without. This week is water and electrics, as well as finishing the shelf tower for the front cubby box and sealing everything. Another busy week and I am back at work....  My 10th Land Rover, but my first Defender. |
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21st Aug 2016 9:43pm |
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| Cold_n_Wet Member Since: 15 Oct 2012 Location: Bergen Posts: 244 
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you need more weight on the nose to get rid of the sway.
They recommend 75kg, I have abound 90kg on mine. Glen "Rafiki" 2007 110 STW - Rolling rebuild. |
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21st Aug 2016 9:49pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3693
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Hello
Looks good, any pictures of it in operation, open and being used, Another option is a 'scott' stabilizer? we used one years ago with our early Caravans before it was all built into the hitch. This idea http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scott-Stabiliser...Sw-itXtHvs Moving the weight round, just like a caravan makes a huge difference. Even though you had some teething issues on the whole was it a winner  |
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21st Aug 2016 10:11pm |
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| dave18 Member Since: 11 Jul 2015 Location: Gorleston, Great Yarmouth Posts: 497 
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Whole point of a shake down run is to find the faults and hopefully find them all which with the rain im guessing you did lol.
I think you need your mud guards higher up the picture makes them look very close to the wheel and when you add 50+ kgs of batterty and water they might start rubbing on the inside as well!! If possible can you remove all the panels and then fill the extrusions with tiger seal or similar and then replace the panels ?? If not mask off around 2mm from the edge of the extrusion and run a bead of tiger seal or similar but it has to be dry as it wont adhear other wise as I found out when trying to waterproof my rear panels on the 110. This might be an interesting read also note that none of the Jeeps have 150kg nose weight limits heheheheh http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/1235461...mo__2_.pdf |
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22nd Aug 2016 11:09am |
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| xpertoftheseas Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Salisbury, Wilts Posts: 164
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Hi Gents
As the trailer is not finished I do not have any pictures of everything in action, however I am hoping that I will have everything except water working by Sunday before our next outing. I towed the trailer 200 miles today (empty) and it behaved perfectly so the weaving was down to my poor loading. The main leaks are from the roof and the door seals and I have a plan for all of these. However you are right about the joints between the ply and the aluminium and I will take your advice on this and use a sealant on all these joints. The trailer is going in tomorrow to be painted and will have it back on friday, and then the new wheel arches will be fitted. I spent the remainder of the day doing electrics. Both batteries are installed and cables run to the cubby box where the control gear is. I continued making the main panel last night and this evening ... Click image to enlarge Don't judge - it is not even half finished. While the trailer is away, I need to make up the new shelves and tower assembly. This is causing me a big headache as the cubby size was determined around the size of the fridge. I forgot about the door seals so I only have 4mm to spare when the shelves get pulled out. I need to make the shelves 10mm narrower to allow for the sliders and door seal. I received the new gas regulator and assembly. I will do a separate write up on the LPG install as i have several lessons learned which I hope other will benefit from when installing an LPG system. My 10th Land Rover, but my first Defender. |
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23rd Aug 2016 9:33pm |
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| xpertoftheseas Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Salisbury, Wilts Posts: 164
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The LPG system on the trailer was a learning curve for me. I have worked with all sorts of gasses and liquids so working with this was not really a concern, but what was a concern was making sure it was compliant as safe as possible.
It was easy as I knew what I wanted to achieve. I had a two burner Coleman Gladiator which was the main stove, but ran on the Coleman disposable bottles which only lasted maybe two cooking sessions, and at £10 each it was not a cheap way of cooking for a family of five not counting the regular company we usually have. I made a decision to convert the stove, which was as simple as sawing off the bottle regulator from the 8mm stainless pipe and connecting a compression fitting and valve. Click image to enlarge I wanted an external gas port for an additional grill as a barbecue, and in addition I wanted to fit an air heater. From this I could calculate my maximum gas consumption (flow rate in kg/h) Coleman Grill - 12000BTU/h = 3600w. LPG (Propane) Calorific Value = 50350 kj/kg (upper value taken for max calculation) 3600w = 3600j/sec 50350kj/kg = 50350000 j/kg So 3600/50350000 = 7.149e-5 kg/sec (x3600 for an hour) giving 0.25kg/h per burner so x2 = 0.5kg/h External BBq Given in the manual as 0.454kg/h Propex Heater Given in the manual as 0.142kg/h Water Heater (Future) 18000BTU/h = 5250w = 0.375kg/h This gives a maximum flow rate of 1.471kg/h. Propane is 0.575kg/l so selecting a 75ltr tank (at 80% max capacity of 60ltr) giving 34.5kg. This will give 24hours at max gas flow. More than enough for 2-3 weeks camping by my estimations. I was led to believe when I purchased all the gas equipment that I would need a 30mb regulator as this is the standard now for all equipment. This is wrong. Having checked all my equipment, the Coleman and the BBQ need 37mb and the Propex will take either 37mb or 30mb. The LPG tank is designed to be underslung motorhomes and caravans, so installing it under the trailer would not be an issue. The tank was installed with the valve box at the top originally, and when I installed the level sensor it was reading wrong. I called the manufacturer and they informed me that the tank needs to be rotated to 105°. This is not noted anywhere in the documentation or online. After the whole 30mb/37mb issue, I had to purchase a new regulator. The original 30mb regulator is mounted directly onto the tank, and due to the angle of the valve box this puts the regulator flush with the bottom of the tank. The problem with this is that any stone or debris could easily hit this and cause it to break off (it is solid steel put quite a lever when you look at the length of it), So I went back to the original supplier and they did not have a 37mb in stock so I had to try elsewhere. I quick look on the net and I got in touch with another company who were extremely helpful and provided a world of information and advice. They shared my concerns regarding the regulator location, and advised that it should be above the liquid level of the tank. In addition, the tank needs to be under sealed as the red coating is not suitable for wet environments. So here is the final "as built" drawing of the LPG system.. Click image to enlarge The filler is a standard bayonet type which allows filling from any LPG provider. This is attached to the tank using a 3m high pressure rubber lined steel braided hose. I actually had a 2.5m hose plus an additional 0.5m hose and a male/male connector as the longest hose the supplier had was 2.5m. The tank has a built in non-return valve on the hose connection (apologies I have no photos right now but will add later). From the tank outlet valve (built in) there is a 0.5m stainless steel braided hose going to the regulator attached up above the tank away from any flying debris. This regulator is a 4kg/h which is more than enough for my requirements. There is a standard connection and reducer to 8mm copper compression gland for the 8mm pipe running from the back of the trailer to the manifold in the cubby box. From the manifold out it is all 8mm copper to the consumer points. The hard part of the installation was ensuring the 8mm copper pipe did not get kinked. I purchased a cheap Draper pipe bending tool which worked about 80% of the time and was very awkward to use. However I finally managed to put the bends in the right places. The copper pipe from the tank to the manifold is tied to the high pressure filling line also running from the front of the trailer to the tank which also had the remote monitoring cable with it, so all the gas lines are tied together and run the same route. They are attached to the bottom of the trailer with plastic clips and plenty of cable ties. Once the trailer is fully completed I will have the system checked. However I have triple checked all the joints for security and have sniffed all the joints when under pressure - so far so good - but well worth a full check by an LPG specialist with the correct pressure test and sniffing equipment. I hope this helps someone. Working with gas has its risks but as long as you know your a%$e from your elbow and use common sense and follow the regulations and seek as much advice as you can, it is just like any other plumbing and electrical job. Having a fixed installation certainly beats changing gas bottles and paying the prices. Yes you pay slightly more at the pump for LPG as it does have some duty on it, but it is 49p per litre down here in Wiltshire so not that much different to a Calor Orange tank. Good luck everyone. My 10th Land Rover, but my first Defender. |
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24th Aug 2016 12:12am |
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| xpertoftheseas Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Salisbury, Wilts Posts: 164
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Quick Update
Apologies for the lack of udates. It was hell for.leather to get everything, or as much as possible, working for this week away. I will post again with some more build photos but this is where we ar at right now. Click image to enlarge Most electrics are working but no water system yet. Painted but with issues with the roof and side boxes. Gas system sorted but still have stove issues related to Coleman (Stove Manufacturer). Solar panel working and keeping the batteries topped up .. fridge and lighting pulling most load. The trailer towed perfectly after loading with care but should be easy after water tank is a full. Draws lots of attention and questions at the campsite. My 10th Land Rover, but my first Defender. |
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30th Aug 2016 10:42pm |
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| tyrannosauROSS Member Since: 24 Jun 2016 Location: Kent Posts: 136 
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Can we get a picture with you next to it for scale?
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30th Aug 2016 11:10pm |
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| davew Member Since: 02 Jan 2012 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 888 
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Surely you should be running the stove off it's own regulator ? The Colemans are designed to run at a higher pressure than "regular" appliances which is why they have their own regulator (that you've cut off). Running it through a lower pressure regulator isn't going to work too well. http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net/
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30th Aug 2016 11:10pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3693
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Hello
Its looking great good on you for all your hard work. I do wish I was handy with electrics 
I need to convert my sankey from 24v to 12v and I've yet to attack this job |
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31st Aug 2016 8:36am |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11240 
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Converting to 12v is merely a case of replacing the bulbs with 12v ones.
Converting the military towing electrics plug to civilian takes a bit more thought... Click image to enlarge Mil wiring to the bottom and civilian out of the top. Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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31st Aug 2016 9:37am |
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