289 replies to this topic

[dekz2uk]

What grotty weather today - no chance of painting flipper (too cold!!! ).

Father came over around lunchtime and while I was tidying up drivers side primer and internal bits that needed grinding down - my father (85 today happy b/day 2U, happy b/day 2u etc.) tinkered with lock mechanism/ hinges.


Birthday boy!!!!



On one occasion when popping indoors for coffee, saw Arny (the barn owl) having a rest from hunting tiny furry thingz.



More soon folkz.

[analogue_radio]

Happy Birthday to your Dad .

Glad to see things are coming along nicely! can't wait to see the finished result.

[dekz2uk]

Hi all - On friday went to monthly local club meet (Tyred & Exhausted MK) got offered a pair of 'Bini' bonnet gas struts for my gullies - gotta figure out how to fit and make them work properly though.

Saturday was tied up (naughty, very naughty!!) @ Prestwold Hall with Mike my son who went Supercar driving - ooooooooooh!!!




Got back and found knocking under bonnet - found out late last night, it was my twin jag horns had worked loose - doh!!!!!!


Today, luvvly weather so I got out flipper, water, wet und dry 1200, bar of soap, panel wipe and had a cleanup. Loaded spraygun with 'bloo' paint, slapped some on followed by a decent helping of gloss laquer with hardener and wayhey!! It shines!





Father popped over again and played with gull-wing door locking thingies while I carried on prepping inside for marine ply floor and electrics etc. Not long to go now.

[5MITHY]

cant wait to see this finished!!!

[Sammy D]

I work in a Caravan shop and funnily enough I had this exact idea!!

I had drawn out plans and everything! Working sink and tap in the parcel shelf, roof light.

Have you checked up on the laws of weights your allowed to tow in relation to your current vehicle, and the maximum weight of a trailer before it has to be fitted with brakes? I expect you've already thought about that though?

Basically you can't tow more than 85% of the weight of your towing vehicle, and the max weight of a trailer before it has to be braked is 750kg.

A standard Mini can roughly be 700+ kg, so you should be ok as your lightening everything and loosing the engine/running gear!

Edited by Sammy D, 11 June 2008 - 11:00 PM.

[siddarz]

Basically you can't tow more than 85% of the weight of your towing vehicle

85% is a recommendation, the manufacturer's max towing weight and the gross train weight (the total weight of car, trailer, occupants, luggage etc) are the legal limits - and in each case these relate to braked trailers.

On occasion the manufacturer's weights are far higher than 85% (a 1999 Freelander diesel has a max towing weight of 121% of the kerb weight) but in the case of a Mini with a max towing weight of 450kg* for a braked trailer, it's more like 65%.

However, an unbraked trailer can't be more than 1/2 the towing vehicle's kerb weight - so you're looking at around 350kg for an unbraked trailer behind a Mini.

And that's before we get on to nose weights, which I think is always going to be this project's biggest problem - but I do sincerely wish dekz2uk well with it.

sources:
National Trailer and Towing Association
Department for Transport - the horse's mouth

disclaimers:
* that's not a confirmed max towing weight, it's just what I remember, but an unbraked trailer's limit of 50% of the kerb weight still stands...

[ZED]

I want one too!!!


Zed

[gceclifton]

yeah, im cooking up something a little more exotic... more costly mind.... trailer tent, folds out, full length carbon fibre shell, completely gutted, space framed with a shower, chemical loo, cooker and sink, somewhere between a single and double sized bed, all folded down to the size of a mini shell chopped at the bottom of the glass level... missions BUT useful, want to take 2 weeks "in" spain, basically do a coupla hundred miles then kip in the trailer tent somewhere along the way, should be good

[dekz2uk]

Siddarz is right - I'm looking @ towing around 350kg behind me (although this week my lad broke down and I towed his studio 2 behind me with no probz - helps having 1275 stage 1 kit and sooper vented brakes).

This weekend with my father's help we finally sorted out locking arrangement for 'gullies'. Top of range secure 5 doobry mortice lock + extra lock @ top. OTT perhaps, but I don't want to be asleep inside and during night, be molested by 5 sex-mad women, well not 5, 3 maybe or 2 at a pinch!!!





ps: Since taking pickys, have adjusted door to be perfect fit - thats a 1st for a mini I bet!!!!!

Chosen some real kool leatherette material for trim inside, seen in Dunelm - darkish blue wth lighter blue streaks
Also picked out duvet cover from Argoose catloog for double bed.

Weather not really suitable for spraying so next weekend it will have to be then.

Weekend after is scheduled for flooring to be fitted - 9mm marine ply - ooh!

[Tomf]

Looking good

To save a bit more weights its probably worth taking up the sound deading stuff fitted to the floor as that workes out to weigh quite a bit...

[dekz2uk]

Looking good

To save a bit more weights its probably worth taking up the sound deading stuff fitted to the floor as that workes out to weigh quite a bit...

Yep - been reading my mind. That stuff is really heavy so will raise it during this week

Edited by dekz2uk, 15 June 2008 - 10:05 PM.

[Tomf]

Good Good anything to keep the weight down i got mine off in about 1hour with a hammer and a screw driver lol.

The front floor pan stuff cam up with me just hitting the floor with the hammer and it just flacked off, but the rear seat needed the screwdrivers assistance.

Really cant wait to see this at BH2N, hopefully my mini should be finished soon

[dekz2uk]

Can't wait to see 'the green one' as well - not long to go now Tom

[Pie]

9 weeks this wednesday, not that im counting

[*Raz*]

Looking gooood