Couldn't Resist . . .

As you may or may not observe the title picture
has been updated to the same as this one.


















I decided while waiting for the new pieces for
the accommodation unit
(from now on to be referred to as the "house")
to finish off a few bits on the truck.

You may also have observed the fiasco with the seats from the other day.

While all this building has been going on the truck
has not been in suitable condition to drive on the road
and I have been getting withdrawal symptoms.

So the tow bar needed refitting, the lights needed rearranging etc..

The house unit is about 250mm longer than the original tray to which the lights were attached. As I want to be able to take the house off and still use the truck legally I needed to make some sort of extended bracket separate from the house on which to mount the lights.
Given the amount of vibration that this is likely to experience I decided that good old "angle iron" seemed to be the way to go.
While doing this I was amazed at how badly the original tow bar had been fitted. The vertical components which bolt to the chassis were uneven in height and both extended above the chassis. I had to cut about 30mm off one side and 15mm off the other side. In addition the holes were completely different from one side to the other.
I started from the side shown where I was able to use the top two tow bar bolts to hold the extension bracket (plus an additional small bolt which holds the rear cross member, really just a spacer). When I got to the other side the top two holes were 20mm lower and were only just in the flange material. (Sich suggests that I should weld an additional small extension to the edge of the flange and I will probably do this when it comes off again to get painted.)
An additional smaller angle was then bolted across the end of these extensions to hold the lights.
It was bolted for three reasons; firstly because I may change the design to something a little more elegant if I get carried away some time, secondly I am not sure if this is the final arrangement and thirdly because I think that bolts are less likely to cause problems that welding in this circumstance.
There are still refinements to be addressed like the correct length bolts holding the tail lights. I would have liked to mount the cross angle the other way round, just to be a little neater, but the lights are designed to be bolted from the back.
The trailer air brake connections and the trailer lights connection need mounting properly and the wiring routed and secured correctly.


















But what the hell . . . I just taped it all in place and went for a drive.
That's what it's for after all . . .