Camping, Caravanning and Holidays
Sankey Mk3 ‘Lite’ Camping Trailer Conversion
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Starting a thread on my newly acquired Sankey Mk3 Widetrack (many thanks Caterham
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Picked it up a couple of weeks ago, in good nick and towed really nicely behind the 90.
Been thinking for a while about roof tents but the soft top on the 90 poses a challenge and also space in the back for storing everything on road trips was tight - a trailer makes sense. Gone down the well-trodden Sankey route, I’m wanting to make it into a reasonably ‘get up and go’ ready camping trailer but without losing the functionality of a trailer when I want it to move bulky items about.
I’ve focused the design around a solid metal lid, hinged at the front to allow access to the inside (along with the drop down tailgate). Did some CAD sketches, ladder frame is made from 25mm x 3mm box and topped with 2mm Ali checkerplate (can’t have a LR product without a bit of checkerplate featuring somewhere )
Which I then fabbed up with the help of a mate:
I went with a Ventura Deluxe 1.4m Extended roof tent, it bolts to the lid using the rails normally used to clamp it to roofbars, with through-holes to a beefed up flange on the frame.
Final setup:
That’s pretty much progress to date. Wanted to get the fabrication done before paintwork with the few small modifications required to the tub. Next steps will be to take the whole thing apart, remove the tub from the chassis and get everything sanded back.
The mechanicals will be getting a good checking over although the brakes seem solid and chassis looks good. Tub will be getting tarted up in Paintman Paint’s Arles blue to match the 90, same with the wheels in white to match the wolfs. Few bits left to finish off with the lid (gas struts, clasps etc) and then chuck it all back together and find a campsite
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great stuff - watching with interest.
you've done more in a couple of weeks than I managed in almost 2 decades
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LR Nuts wrote:
I visited Scotland one year and at a camp site I was refused entry ........ because I had a roof top tent ??????
From what I can find, some campsites are fine with trailer roof tent arrangements, some might be a bit funny about it. Best plan is to just give them a ring, try and explain what you’ve got and see if they’ll take you.
Thanks Caterham, I’ll keep this thread up to date with progress
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Personal experience - never had an issue with taking our trailer and roof tent to a camp site.
We've had to book onto a variety of types of pitch ranging from carvan to tent, and everything in between, depending on the campsite. We've tended to give them a call and explain what we're after and then booked something to suit.Keith -
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Following with interest
2007 - Stornoway Grey 90 XS SW - Gone
2002 - Black Discovery II - Gone
2014 - Montalcino Red 110 XS SW -
Thanks all for the input, useful feedback (glad it’s mostly positive now I’ve gone & actually bought the trailer
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Ferry/tunnel costs I was aware of (fairly extortionate
) and slight impracticalities of parking etc. Will see how we get on
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Great thread
Clayton.
1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up.
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Bit more progress over the last month or so -
Got the tub off, not doing a full stripdown of the chassis as everything seems in good nick, just in need of some cosmetic attention. Was not prepared for how heavy that tub is though…
Then got the chassis on axle stands, support legs and lights etc stripped off, prepped for red oxide and black hammerite:
Tub is getting a more comprehensive painting experience - red oxide all over and then the Paintman Paint suite of primer, undercoat and Arles blue topcoat. Prep work was fairly minimal - there’s about 4inches of MOD paint already on it and it seems very well adhered so sanding back to bare metal was not even on the cards - just gave it a quick once over with the sandpaper. Currently got the red oxide, primer and now undercoat on:
I’m planning to paint the floor of the tub with a textured bedliner paint for durability. Hopefully top coat will go on next weekend and then it’s ready to go back together in time for camping season! -
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Great progress there Matt
Clayton.
1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up.
Keeper. -
More progress on the trailer in the last couple of weeks - paint is on and the tub is back in situ. Finished hammeriting the chassis (underestimated how long this would take - very fiddly!), got two coats of topcoat on the trailer and also a rattle can of bedliner paint on the floor which has left a very nice finish.
LED lights wired in and quickly hooked up to the car to see how it looks!
Very pleased with how it matches up (one day I might swap the steelies out for matching wolfs). Still needs some tinkering, haven't got the stabiliser legs painted up yet, number plate mount, breakaway cable etc. And then my homemade lid needs to go back on with the tent for the finishing touch of course. Booked a one night stay test run for next weekend so plenty to do before then
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Nice build, I like the colour.
Just for info - if you fit wolf wheels they will stick out beyond the trailer body side. You would need to fit an extension wheel arch.
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Nice work you have done there, looks great hitched up to the 90
Clayton.
1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up.
Keeper.
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