Off-road conversion on a 40 year old caravan... Viscount Caravan Renovation | Episode 3

[@flyboy5736]

I love watching these videos - way beyond my skill level.

[@AsWeWander]

Thank you for watching, some of this was above our skill level too, that’s why we got someone who knows how to weld

[@Romeo-kp8tc]

Having built my own Tandem caravan, 15yrs ago, with great success, my chassis and drawbar are 6 inches front to back ,very strong, my drawbar follows chassis back to springs, With 8 mm plate in 4 spots, So it will never come off, Built a trailer in 86, same idea never broke, Enjoyed your vid, Cheers Bevan 🤠🦘🦘🇦🇺

[@AsWeWander]

That’s awesome and very strong, hopefully this old girl will hold up just as long

[@AS-er6sq]

Thumbs up from Germany 👍🏻😊 Great Project 👏

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks for watching 🙌🏼

[@trippingtheroad_liaandkevin]

This will be A BEAST once it's finished!

[@AsWeWander]

We hope so! An off-road, off-grid beast of a home

[@_letsescapetogether_]

Great job guys, The new A frame is looking awesome! Keep up the great work :)

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks guys! Definitely worth all the hard work 😅

[@paulredinger5830]

You have a beautiful family. Your little boy is a darling too.

[@AsWeWander]

Thank you, Ocie is a girl but we dress here in quite neutral clothes so it’s hard to tell 😂 but yes she is a darling and we’re very happy with our little fam

[@BRATPAC1]

The bird life out there sounds amazing, plovers one day, kookaburras the next!

[@AsWeWander]

It is pretty nice listening to all the birds. There were some brolga’s hanging around too

[@wyattfamily8997]

Plovers area a pain in the - - -

[@robertlewis7237]

THANK YOU FOR SUPER DETAILED VIDEO AS GREAT JOB RIGHT THROUGH ALL STEP IN VIDEO

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks for watching 😄

[@TheOldaz1]

Looks great, couple of places it could be improved as others have mentioned, but as you said, there's still some to do. Thanks for sharing.

[@AsWeWander]

Yeah I’ll be back under there this weekend to finish up, thanks for watching 😊

[@Orion2023.]

That Put it in, put it in, Put It Innnnn! Was hot!

[@forrestmagee5397]

Just found your channel. Love the build! We have a 68 model shasta. Watching from the US

[@AsWeWander]

Hey! Thank you and thanks for watching, the shasta’s look awesome.

[@petermajkovica3700]

You guys are legends,I just started watching your channel, we did up our old evernew in a similar way.. Look forward to watching all your episodes....

[@AsWeWander]

Hey, Thank you! That’s awesome, how’s the van going? We’re stoked you like the videos 😊

[@petermajkovica3700]

@@AsWeWander really good, as the kids are getting older unfortunately we don't use it as much as we would like...

[@mickburns5546]

Great work from an engineering exercise and practicality aspect. I’ve seen way too many people just weld straight across chassis rails with predictable failures. I’m keen to follow your progress. Great video guys 😊

[@Bennyboy-dog]

Mick echoed my sentiments exactly. Subbed.

[@AsWeWander]

Thank you! Hopefully she holds up fine once we hit the road 😆

[@mickburns5546]

@@AsWeWander you’ll be fine no worries

[@bobkats]

I've seen plenty of 4wd builds, but hands down, this is much more interesting, cannot wait to see what you do inside...

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks! We’re keen to get it all done

[@nigelsmith4732]

Good job much better now.

[@AsWeWander]

Thank you! Pretty good hey! 👌🏼

[@paulholubecki6386]

Great job 😊 As a marriage saver I purchased a reversing cameras Took 35 years 😂 no tailgate dents either 😊

[@AsWeWander]

Haha very good tip!!

[@glengray3776]

Nice job, Fantastic platform to build an awesome van (home) xx

[@AsWeWander]

Thank you! We can’t wait to start travelling in it

[@cyclemoto8744]

Thanks for the content. Cheers

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks for watching

[@neillee3776]

Nice work 👍

[@AsWeWander]

Thank you and thanks for watching

[@jobloggs7215]

Great work and weld quality. Looks better than some of the brand names I've seen fail. Good timing as laws are changing around the country, NSW for example needs engineering certification for any chassis mods as of end of June. Based on my experience id suggest equal length wiring for L to R balance

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks, oh I wasn’t aware of the new rules. Is that only if you’re changing weights on paper work like atm or gvm?

[@jobloggs7215]

Not sure. The engineer at my local just trailer repairer advised me any chassis modifications would need to pass an engineering recertification as of July. Mine now staying stock..

[@mickwhitehouse7537]

Awesome stuff

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks 😊

[@andrewwhittaker2613]

nice work....keep at it

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks! And thank you for watching

[@philiplange428]

Those springs have rebound leaves on top. I have same and don't run shocks. Rides very well, no bounce. The rebound leaves means shocks are optional.

[@AsWeWander]

Oh right! Maybe we should send the shocks back, we haven’t installed them yet

[@robertwilson1827]

Love the man cave!!✔️ Lucky brother!!✔️ Sorry, I may have missed it. Why did you put the springs UNDER the axle? Cheers, r

[@AsWeWander]

Its so handy and it’s got a car hoist now so even better 🙌🏼 it’s normal practice to have the axel over the springs the main advantage being the axel is contained within the spring mounts so it can’t fly out if something goes wrong, also it would’ve lifted the van another 4 to 5 inches on top of the 5.5 inches that we already gained. We wanted the van to be more capable but not unstable and with to much lift it loses the original look. Thanks for watching

[@bubbleobill267]

Looks nice n beefy!.

[@AsWeWander]

Hopefully it hold up

[@jimarmstrong7230]

Good job. I doubt if you would need dampers as the springs look fairly serious. I have a '07 Jayco Penguin and removed the dampers as all they did was bend and break the brackets. The van doesn't bounce around at all and tracks perfectly. Saved a bit of weight as well.

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks! That’s good to know I might do a trip in it before fitting them to see how it goes.

[@zpatrick9145]

perfect timing. looking to do something similar soon. Appreciate all the detail. 👌 I assume you didn't flip the axles as you had enough height. Any concerns with older vans on corrugations?

[@AsWeWander]

thats awesome, hopefully this video helps. We got over 5 inches of left from the work we did and are happy with that, any higher and it wouldnt look right. Also the higher you go the higher the center of gravity goes which isnt good for towing

[@AsWeWander]

these vans have been towed on corrugated roads long before offroad vans were a thing so it should be right. We'll find out soon anyway haha

[@philiplange428]

One thing to think about is how you protect the wires running to back of the brake drums. I ended up running mine in heavy garden hose and put a drilled out bolt through the back of the brake drum to protect the entry point. Now no probs, previously lost brakes on 3 occasions due to wires being smashed by stones.

[@AsWeWander]

That’s a great tip! We haven’t done the elec brakes yet so will definitely keep this in mind when we get around to it

[@philiplange428]

@@petermacfie7328 yep did that and stones smashed all the cable ties on the Oodnadatta track. My hose runs up along chassis and then down to each wheel along top of the leaf springs.

[@Noniinthebush]

Hi, I came here to watch your caravan build but then I saw your cruiser. We have one the same in need of resto. Did you guys do or have the restoration done on yours? Or did you buy it already done? I’m just trying to get some idea of cost. Ours has little to no rust in the lower body because it’s rarely been near the beach. We the second owners and have had it for 20 years. The roof gutters and some of the roof and other parts of the top have rust. When I saw yours it has inspired me to think about having ours restored. Cheers

[@jamesreardon8585]

Did you consider adding shock absorbers to the suspension? A big help on corrugated roads. Looks awesome so far!

[@joepearce3033]

He did mention that he was putting shocks on.

[@jamesreardon8585]

@@joepearce3033 thanks, missed that bit!

[@AsWeWander]

I have some here ready to go in

[@robcantwell1981]

Van is looking good but I really like the 60. I’ve got one myself and wondering if you have any videos on yours?

[@AsWeWander]

That’s awesome, we don’t have any videos on the 60 yet but I’ll do a tour soon. You can also see it on our instagram @_aswewander

[@texasPD1911]

Did you calculate the difference in tongue weight because that drastically changes the way it will be on the road.i believe you have added more weight to the back that can make it unstable at highway speeds

[@AsWeWander]

No I didn’t see the point getting a before ball weight as I’m doing a bit of work on the van but I have been weighing it as I’ve been working on the inside with new products and cabinets.

[@texasPD1911]

I only ask the question because I pull a 7000 pound trailer just about 1000 miles a month and I could tell when I packed the trailer wrong and I pull will a 3/4 ton heavy duty pickup, just be careful! If you tow off road maybe you are ok!

[@andrewwhittaker2613]

Are you planning on adding in gussets between the end of the A frame and onto the frame under the van? What about putting the axle under the springs for more clearance?

[@AsWeWander]

We’ll put a gusset on the end on one side, it’ll seal the end of the a-frame and extend up and weld to the chassis. On the other side the step is a large plate welded to the chassis which we then welded the end of the a-frame to, this was how the original a-frame was fixed to the chassis so we went with that.

[@jBecerra578]

Great job, I am starting the renovations on a Millard York 1979 and I was wondering how did you find the quality of the huntsman kits as I am thinking of buying one from them to replace the axle, springs, etc. They seem to be a practical and cheaper alternative to a local made similar kit but I got quoted a lot more money for it. Thank you :)

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks! I think it’s good quality and it’s be great so far and we’ve been on some really tough roads all the way from the east coast to the west coast. We looked around to but the huntsman gear is affordable, anything else was out of our budget anyway 😂 and we could pick it up so that also save us a few dollars on transport.

[@jBecerra578]

@@AsWeWander thanks so much for the answer, can I also ask how did you guys know which was the right size of your axle before ordering the kit? Did you measure it on the caravan or how did you do it ? I just want to make sure I order the right one as I am in W.A

[@JRCadventures]

Well done guys! Cracker

[@AsWeWander]

Thanks

[@MattKuit-id1vk]

Hi. Did you need to get the ATM and GTM increased? If so how did you go with the DIY version. Thanks

[@AsWeWander]

Hey, we didn’t change any of the weights that it already had on the rego so nothing needed to be done.

[@expeditionsanywhere]

Really great video, I currently have a "07" Windsor single axle Pop top With Bunk and tempted to do a similar thing with our van to do a big trip around Oz, we don't have the shower/toilet in our current van but at the price of what it costs these day to upgrade a van and also the fact of vans fairly light at 1300kg I'm thinking this may be a great option to help tackle the corrugated roads and coin in our pocket. Just wanted to ask did you guys do all the dimensions to figure out what kit you needed or did you talk /liase with Huntsman Products. i am a bit nervous on tackling this is all and wondered if they helped at all? Also any reason you went for the 2000kg instead of the 1600kg for the size of the van? keep up the great content . Cheers - Guy

[@AsWeWander]

Hey, thank you! The Windsor’s look very cool. We did talk to the team at huntsmen and they gave us good guidance in how to measure up for the new axel. We went with the 2000kg pack because that’s what our vans atm was. Hope this helps and thank you for watching

[@expeditionsanywhere]

@@AsWeWander much thanks and I really appreciate your reply. Goodluck with the Reno. Enjoying watching the progress

[@cameronwarren2280]

You just stay and look pretty

[@AsWeWander]

😘

[@ezranobles1528]

Should flip the u bolts so they won't catch a rock or stump

[@AsWeWander]

If I do my shock absorber bracket won’t work

[@jaylewis2623]

How did it go getting the engineering certificate for the drawbar / chassis

[@AsWeWander]

You don’t need an engineer certificate for replacing an old draw bar that needed replacing

[@jasonhowe1697]

If you want that offroadable i would start thinking of a double axle it an sticking another axle and replace the chipboard flooring

[@AsWeWander]

I find single axles work better off road especially on tight tracks. When we say off-road we’re not the boys from 24/7 4wd and just sending it we just wanna get to the better camps without ripping the ass outta the van and we also wanted it to handle the corrugated roads a bit better.

[@jasonhowe1697]

@@AsWeWander if you keep hitting the shit out those divets on your property you won't have caravan to worry about as you'll snap you frame before long the idea of the 2nd axle so you don't bottom out your caravan Personally I run the same tires you run on the tow vehicle on a caravan talking from experience in owning a 23 footer viscount biggest issues you will have is not breaking its frame you may have to add a 2nd frame to increase the height of the arch you be needing a bigger tire for what you running over in the video as you bottomed out the caravan at 23 foot you be skirting 2 tons as it is..

[@AsWeWander]

@@jasonhowe1697 we have had a single axle off road van before, also this van is 16ft not 23

[@бредлит]

👋👍

[@AsWeWander]

👋🏼

[@craigryan6026]

Hi I just inherited a 1983 viscount tourer and need help I am keen to upgrade the wheels and suspension

[@AsWeWander]

sorry i didnt see this message, what did you need help with?

[@annettehewitson6426]

Maybe a 7,50,16 tyre would of been better as 15 are harder to get.

[@AsWeWander]

yeah we didnt think about that, after driving on a few sort beaches even bigger tyres would've been better

[@waynesouthwell7181]

Why would you say trim the chains ⛓️ off, leave them long, some cars need longer chains to get to car, I use extra chain lengths too put a padlock on them to lock van to car

[@AsWeWander]

That’s a good point, I’ll keep them long then. How do you padlock it to the car?

[@marcellebaudry5786]

des amortiseur pierrot 87 mecano

[@AsWeWander]

We’re adding shocks this weekend

[@ausguy4385]

That's semi off road at most😅

[@AsWeWander]

Doesn’t matter we’ll still take it to more places than people with their 100k off-road vans 😂

[@really3422]

ausguy show us where your van goes Or Doesn't Be Happy Champ not only will this van go more places it will last longer also😂😂😂

[@davidrose2382]

Dual axles, lifted for safety,less chance of fishtailing, you'll live longer

[@AsWeWander]

I don’t like dual axles and they are no safer it’s just people don’t know how to load the van properly. Every video I’ve seen of a van fishtailing down the road and crashing has been a dual axle. Pig trailers are not a great design to start with then we all try and balance our load on then

[@davidrose2382]

Continue chassis all the way,that's just weak and bodgy,what the hell,

[@AsWeWander]

The chassis is still there and runs all the way, I’ve just add a riser and replace the draw bar. Are you trying to say I should’ve run the riser all the way?