Our "New to Us" Winnie

[Greynomad]

T1,
How’s your carpentry skills?
If the answer is “RS”, do you know anyone who has some experience with plywood?
My suggestion is to make a mirror image of the cavity formed by the internal steps — a stepped box which drops into the steps and creates extra flooring over the cavity.
Either a pair of rope handles or two low profile handles on the sides to pick it up.
No slot grab-hole: too dangerous.
Then you can pick it up, turn it upside down and place it outside.
You can work out for yourself where, how and what type of handles suit you.
SIMPLES!
ps. If you want, you COULD hinge the top/floor panel (must also be latched!) and use the box for storage of LIGHT items which can survive being inverted! ie. NOT lamps or fragile stuff.
pps. It might be a bit complex (since when has that stopped you?) but you might be able to work out a hinging arrangement to permanently mount it to the bottom step! Of course, that assumes a consistent height to ground level…

[Dot]

Just finish the R.I. and be done with it.

[T1 Terry]

Just finish the R.I. and be done with it.

What is an R.I. Dottie? Makes it hard to finish it if I don't know what is

Yesterday afternoon and today was spent assisting the replacement of a W7 inverter with a Victron Multiplus in an install we did over 6 yrs ago .... so a reasonable life for a cheap inverter I guess.

The Inlet and Outlet sockets arrived and I started installing those beside the door to make it easier to both charge the MG using a combination of mains power and inverter power, as well as feeding the 7kw from the MG through the inverter so it can both charge the house batteries if needed and the inverter assist the house load if it ever exceeds 7 kw, by boosting it up to 12kw ..... although, I doubt very much if that would ever happen.
By placing the outlet beside the inverter for charging the MG, means it no longer sends the power to the Winnie electrical cupboard, then back to the power point, seriously overloading the system. This way it will go from the inlet, through the inverter and back out again, the 15 amp supply for the Winnie system will remain separate ....

T1 Terry

[supersparky]

I've only just realised that one of my posts have disappeared. I made it just before the forum server crashed. It refers to a link to various types of Kwikee Power Steps.

Screenshot_20250922_000923_Samsung Notes.jpg

Screenshot_20250922_001300_Google.jpg

There is also a link to the whole page that I found.
I hope that can help with the conversion of your two step to three step project.

[T1 Terry]

I've only just realised that one of my posts have disappeared. I made it just before the forum server crashed. It refers to a link to various types of Kwikee Power Steps.

Screenshot_20250922_000923_Samsung Notes.jpg


Screenshot_20250922_001300_Google.jpg
There is also a link to the whole page that I found.
I hope that can help with the conversion of your two step to three step project.

Ahhh..... So you broke the forum

Went to look at a possible house purchase, from the outside, viewing is tomorrow, but no where to park the Winnie so probably a no go. Then we went and measured up our thoughts on the house and workshop on the Purnong Rd block so Margaret got a better idea of just how much we could fit on the block ....... looking like it will cost an arm and a leg to build, probably both my arm and leg but it would be what we want ....

T1 Terry

[supersparky]

I was a bit concerned that it was me that killed it, but I'm not that clever.

[jon_d]

Terry,

What was the outcome from the new coils and the auto overheating/shutting down?

And the gas hoses? Have they all been replaced now?

And the old AC removal and the new AC installation?

Oh, and the steps?

[Dot]

T1 did you give any thought of buying that block next to the house block?

[T1 Terry]

Terry,

What was the outcome from the new coils and the auto overheating/shutting down?

And the gas hoses? Have they all been replaced now?

And the old AC removal and the new AC installation?

Oh, and the steps?

The new coils and plugs made a huge improvement in performance below 2,000rpm, it no feels like the auto is about to self-destruct and pulls smoothly all the way down to 1,700 rpm at which point the auto down shifts. We did get caught an a very steep section when Google tried to send us on a short cut between the Federal Hwy and Gunning on the Collector Rd, without the coil and plug replacement, we would not have made it over the steep section and it was far too narrow and windy to reverse. The Winnie continued on up the hill at 1,500 rpm in 1st gear, no getting hot or any sign it couldn't do it ..... but I would never have tried to get 12 tonne up the hill if I'd known about it.
Seems the two overheats had no effect on the V10 or auto transmission, still doesn't use oil, pulls well and still drinks petrol like I owned an oil refinery or something ...... I guess you don't get that sort of horsepower and torque without paying for the fuel .....

Waiting for a phone call to collect the two gas tanks after dropping them off last Monday to be inspected ...... We are headed into Adelaide in the Winnie tomorrow anyway to camp out at a caravan park on the beach so Margaret can be close to the hospital for her bowel inspection thingy ..... we stayed in a cabin last time, a bit closer to the hospital, but they won't allow the savage hound this time .... new managers or something, it will be heaps cheaper to stay in the Winnie anyway, and I can drive over to the other side of Adelaide to collect the tanks if they are ready while we are there for the few days .....

Discovered the gas hose problem ..... seems I got myself confused and removed a busted hose, removed the fitting, then refitted them into the same hose Seems that did nothing for the hole in the hose

The AC is still on there, that is a job for later, still waiting for the replacement V10 water pump to arrive from the US ...... Stuff arrives from China, free delivery, in a week and 1/2 .... going on 3 weeks waiting for this pump to arrive and paid near as much as the pump for delivery ...... if I could have found anywhere other than the USA to buy it from, I would have, but no one else carried them .....

The steps .... well, the replacement 3 step manual deploy set arrived last Wed, but I was busy doing the inverter install for a previous customer, the W7 lasted for 6 yrs, not bad for a cheapy I guess, but we managed to get a Victron Multiplus (the earlier square box unit) in under the bed in a similar sport as the W7 was mounted ..... they are a lot heavier than the Multiplus 2, but shorter so there was no other option .....

I was well and truly worn out after that job left on Friday, so Sat and Sun were spent doing other jobs that were less taxing on the body.

Today was reinstalling the microwave and actually anchoring it down ..... eventually had a win, but those multi function units are heavy when you are lifting them above shoulder height ..... so that was the only job tackled today ..... so hopefully, the steps will still function for the Adelaide trip tomorrow .....

T1 Terry

[T1 Terry]

T1 did you give any thought of buying that block next to the house block?

Can't buy it, it would require the owner subdividing it from their block and he wants to build a vegie garden in there anyway .... last I saw he was part way there with a number of raised garden beds already built ......

We did measure up to see if our ideas would fit ..... and Margaret finally realised the block isn't as small as she thought it was ...... so my workshop up the side where the teenage retreat and front carport was will fit, built in so it looks like part of the house, 6 mtr roofline at the front sloping back all the way to the back fence ..... That will give us 3 carports under the front of the house, full one roof cover to go over the rear patio as well, so no more water leaks between the house and back patio roof, a big verandah across the front of the house roughly 3 mtrs off the ground for the view, maybe twice the size of the one on the old house, and the front of the workshop with a 6 mtr high roof for getting on the Winnie roof and still have an anchor on the roof beams for a safety harness, and later, a car hoist so I can do my vehicle conversions ..... but plenty long enough to park them all inside so Margaret doesn't have to see them any more 5 mtrs wide, 20 mtrs long, 6 mtrs at the front, 3 mtrs at the rear ...... Not as big as my big "Manshed" at 124 Adelaide Rd, but it won't have to support a business so it will all be mine

Still have to find out how much it will cost .... but it's only money and it will be our for ever house so .....

T1 Terry