Champagne Across the Bows . . .

The rack came back from welding and looks exactly as I wanted it apart from the blocks being welded in 2mm wider than I requested.























About 10 minutes work with a die grinder attended to that and the result is great


















Next we need some hinges for the frame I have decided to use for the spare tyre. It may well change at some time in the future as I am sure this is not the optimal system but it is going to have to do the job for now. These hinges need to attach to the rack support bars, as there is no where else I can think of for the moment. Bore out some 50mm x 10mm flat bar to fit over the 32mm diam bar, drill and bore out some 32mm diam bar to 20mm diam by 50m long, mill a flat on one side and weld it to the flat bar. This is to try and keep the load points as much in line as possible without interfering with one another.


















Next turn down some 25mm diam bar to 20mm diam leaving a spacer washer in the middle and drill and tap one end for a retaining bolt.


















Then bore out the arms of the spare tyre frame to 20mm diam to take one end of the pin and weld them in place.


















The pin then fits in the sleeve on the hinge and the entire arm can then swing on the outside of the two supporting shafts without interfering with anything.


















The two arms are then joined with a cross bar























and finally the remains of the frame are triangulated and to give some more strength and stop lateral movement you can just see two plates welded under the cross bar which are bolted through into the previously located mount points once the spare tyre is swung up into position.























At this point the tyre is mounted to the original bracket only and I discover that there is no way to get behind the tyre and rim to weld another bracket to the swing frame. I would really like to do it in position as any tiny variation in measurement and / or welding would be a disaster. It eventually dawned on me that I really need a dummy wheel centre to align everything without the tyre getting in the way. Nothing for it but to fire up the mill again . . .


















There is a reason for all this makeshift effort.






















My friend Sich is taking his bus out for its maiden voyage to his rural property in Ferguson Valley about 200km south of Perth and I said I would try and meet him there. This last week has been "flat out like a lizard drinking" in order to try and meet that deadline. I was prepared to go without almost anything - except a spare tyre. While I might drive around the city without a spare as I can always go and pick it up or get a friend to bring it over if it is needed 200km would be stretching a friendship!!
It's also a long weekend holiday (I have no idea why) and it really makes no difference to me other than it's easier to get pets fed on a weekend than a week day when everyone is off to work.
So here she is all loaded up and ready to go . . .





















As more and more weight has been added as the project has been developing everyone keeps telling me that the body rocks alarmingly and I really should put some work into restraining it. I just can't seem to get them to understand that it is supposed to move - however I must admit the movement is terrifying if you don't drive it with some caution. SO! This is the first trip away from the metropolitan area and (relatively) cheap towing if something goes wrong. The idea of a $3000 towing bill has very little appeal.
Sich's property is also up in the foothills with some fairly steep, but thankfully short, ups and downs. I always find it nerve wracking doing something like this for the first time. I know I drove the basic truck 5,000km to get it home the first time but that was with no load, blind faith and ignorance and someone with me for moral support. It's all changed quite a bit since then and I will be driving by myself. I have been thinking about that and I really need to develop pre-departure arrangements for assistance and or recovery before I depart into the more distant pastures and deserts. Never the less despite three hours of "What's that noise?" going on in my head I arrived safely and without incident. The balance of the vehicle seemed quite reasonable on all roads and even tracks. As Sich has only recently acquired this property it has no infrastructure . . . read driveway and the approach is cross country diagonally up a hill. That was all a bit of a "heart in mouth" feeling for me and spectator heart attacks at the amount of body roll from outside but no real risk. At least I think so - I don't know how to find the safe limits of traversing across slopes without too much risk - but given my level of "chicken heart" I am probably being quite conservative.
An appropriate spot was found overlooking the view and setting up camp commenced.















































I think I may have mentioned at some point in the past my super-duper all bells and whistles stainless steel barbeque for which I paid an outrageous fortune and then decided that it really wasn't suitable. I have resorted to the same $90 arrangement that I had in my previous camper which assembles in about 30 secs, is easy to clean and packs up perfectly into the storage spaces I have in the side lockers. Sometimes it pays to KISS.























Of course Sich travelled in a little more style than me in his bus and only told me after I had arrived that he had just driven up his neighbour's driveway and cut a hole through the fence (with the neighbour's approval of course) and across the flat paddock to his parking spot. Mind you that's about the only way to get anywhere in his highway cruiser. "You pays our money and takes your choices." Mind you he is now talking about looking for a truck like mine . . .
















But with all said and done we all shared the same view after dinner . . .

















Bunbury after the afternoon storm had cleared away . . . doesn't get much better than this . . .