What did you do to your rig today?

Please feel free to describe your motorhome, campervan or caravan. (make, model, length etc)
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T1 Terry
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Location: Mannum South Australia by the beautiful Murray River
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by T1 Terry »

BruceS wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:11 pm David I was told years ago that Australia is about the only country that has so much camber on the roads.
Most countries have almost flat roads.
In my case the vehicle was an import from Germany & as they drive on the other side of the road it should have been done as soon as it came off the ship.
Any vehicle over about 4.5t should have a steering check at least once a year. (working vehicle)
Both myself & my brother used to check our steering about every 6 months.
We just used a length of 3/4" galv water pipe with a long thread on one end with a ferrule screwed on it.
Measure the inside the front and inside the rear of the front wheels.
As long as there is about 1.8" to 3/16" toe in you're right to go.
If you need to adjust it make sure you drive around the block & pull up straight with as little breaking (Ray?) as possible.
Pick a flat area if possible. Shopping centre car park?
Your base vehicle is an Isuzu? Do you know the recommended toe in? (not camber which is what you're getting bent) (or have got!)
We just put a chalk mark in roughly the centre of the tyre each side, roughly lined up with the centre on the axle stub, and ran a tape measure across the back, then rolled forward till the marks where at the front and measured it again. Camber we did with a spirit level. Caster requires wedges under the spring pack and that exceeded our "rag" (Rough As Guts) technology :lol:
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
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jon_d
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Location: bedford

Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by jon_d »

Tape measire is ok if there is a clear path.

I hsd to do long RHS mounted to the rims and poking out the front. The measured the width across the rhs. Stocking out 5 feet makes it easier to get mm accuracy.
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Greynomad
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by Greynomad »

T1 Terry wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:01 pm
BruceS wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:11 pm David I was told years ago that Australia is about the only country that has so much camber on the roads.
Most countries have almost flat roads.
In my case the vehicle was an import from Germany & as they drive on the other side of the road it should have been done as soon as it came off the ship.
Any vehicle over about 4.5t should have a steering check at least once a year. (working vehicle)
Both myself & my brother used to check our steering about every 6 months.
We just used a length of 3/4" galv water pipe with a long thread on one end with a ferrule screwed on it.
Measure the inside the front and inside the rear of the front wheels.
As long as there is about 1.8" to 3/16" toe in you're right to go.
If you need to adjust it make sure you drive around the block & pull up straight with as little breaking (Ray?) as possible.
Pick a flat area if possible. Shopping centre car park?
Your base vehicle is an Isuzu? Do you know the recommended toe in? (not camber which is what you're getting bent) (or have got!)
We just put a chalk mark in roughly the centre of the tyre each side, roughly lined up with the centre on the axle stub, and ran a tape measure across the back, then rolled forward till the marks where at the front and measured it again. Camber we did with a spirit level. Caster requires wedges under the spring pack and that exceeded our "rag" (Rough As Guts) technology :lol:
Bruce,
You were right to query that one.
8-)
When you snap something, you're breaking it.
When you apply the brakes, you're braking.

Regarding camber & toe-in, we had the same experience:
LH front tyre worn down to a patch of steel belting before I happened to park with the steering pointing left & the relevant bit of tyre exposed. Tyre shop (I leave it to the experts with laser gear :) ) did a realignment for driving-on-the-left roads while replacing said rubber. No probs thereafter (until recent events, :( which do not relate to this phenomenon). Previous owners must have chewed through a fair number of LH steer tyres... :shock:
Tyre bloque explained the same prob: suspension set up for driving-on-the-right (USA) roads puts the greater toe-in on the wrong side for Oz, and we have steeper cambered roads because of the rainfall drainage required... when it eventually rains. :roll:

PS. What we did to our rig today:
:? Waited for parts from America to arrive...
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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supersparky
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by supersparky »

That's what I find truly amazing. We can order a vehicle that has any extra that you might want. But you can't get a vehicle with the correct camber angle off the assembly line. They can build trucks with all the other things to comply with ADR's etc, but not the right bend in the axle. I don't understand why the transport industry puts up with it. Paying for a pair of new tyres after you have scrubbed them out more than covers the cost of the cold bend correction.
Cheers
David

David and Terrie with Bandit the travelling companion
2006 Winnebago Alpine
Recently retired and loving it.
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Dot
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by Dot »

G dusted off the solar panels
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Noggins
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by Noggins »

supersparky wrote: Sat Jun 22, 2019 8:52 pm That's what I find truly amazing. We can order a vehicle that has any extra that you might want. But you can't get a vehicle with the correct camber angle off the assembly line. They can build trucks with all the other things to comply with ADR's etc, but not the right bend in the axle. I don't understand why the transport industry puts up with it. Paying for a pair of new tyres after you have scrubbed them out more than covers the cost of the cold bend correction.
I don't know if this is changed since I drove a mobile workshop truck all around the eastern seaboard and as far north as Weipa.
Most trucks, and some utes, are set up for non Australian road camber.
There was a chappie in NSW that corrected this by revising the chassis alignment so when you drove ( planted boot ) the truck would try to run down the camber slightly harder than usual.
Apparently the overseas set up was the rear axle had a very slight deflection to the left (mm ) and he'd set the rear axle back to the opposite way.
Then correct the camber and caster so it would roll straight ahead.
Solved the tyre problems I had with the truck and the constant slight pull to the left, as well as tracking the slightest groove in the road.



Ron
Much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power.

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You're not restricted by facts or knowledge.
You're a Free Person and, as such, able to form your own conclusions.
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Newcastle George
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by Newcastle George »

I relined (covered existing) the damaged wheel arch caused by a blown tyre on way to Taggerty.

George

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George, Julie, Leonie & Sean - Kotara, Newcastle
DIY 11.5M 1979 Bedford, Nissan/UD FE6T motor
BernieQ2
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by BernieQ2 »

Looks a bit better than last time I seen it George .
Well done .
Bernie .
Mrcoolabah1au
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by Mrcoolabah1au »

Took my rig for a 200k round trip just for a days outing🚌
Coolabah1au
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RobertNotBob
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Re: What did you do to your rig today?

Post by RobertNotBob »

Getting ready for our trip to Northern NSW in two weeks time. Installed 12v lights and power/USB charging at the bed head. Also had double GPO’s installed as we now have a electric blanket on the bed.
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Installed a fuse box inside the cupboard for all the new 12v work.
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New 12v fan install which does both the bed and dining area. Only place it would fit was where the volt meter and charging station was so that had to be removed to around the corner.
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And finally replaced the 240v range hood with a 12v system
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Last edited by RobertNotBob on Mon Jul 01, 2019 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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